The Academy’s Weapon Replicator

Chapter 399 (2) – The Academys Weapon Replicator

We entered an empty classroom.

I took out the Mana crystal I had made in the shape of the circuit symbol and showed it to Elodie.

“…”

The moment Elodie saw the Mana crystal, her expression froze.

She remained silent for a while, so I ended up asking first,

“What do you think?”

“What do I think…?”

Elodie took the crystal from me and examined it closely.

And then, she voiced the very unease I had been feeling.

“That’s what I thought.”

This crystal contained my Mana condensed under high pressure.

It wasn’t as much as the Dragon Heart, but it still required a significant amount of Mana.

Ever since I gained access to Helheim’s Mana, my total Mana capacity far surpassed that of most mages. Even by my standards, the amount of Mana concentrated in this single crystal for the ‘Stop’ circuit was substantial.

“Assuming this can actually function as a circuit, what happens if you combine it with elemental fire to create a Wisp?”

I was still only able to use Will-o’-the-Wisps. If I used this crystal to cast that spell…

Elodie tilted her head in contemplation at my question.

Unable to reach a conclusion, she tried creating a Wisp herself.

Flick, flick, whoosh, Wisps repeatedly materialized in Elodie’s hand.

After observing for a while, Elodie said,

“…I don’t know.”

“What?”

“I don’t know what will happen if you use that crystal to cast magic.”

“Don’t lie. You’re telling me there’s something you don’t know about magic?”

“While I appreciate the sentiment, the more you learn about magic, the more you realize you don’t know.”

Elodie attempted to conjure another Wisp. And as far as I could tell from her sixth sense, the amount of Mana she was using gradually increased, but the Wisp maintained its same form.

“See? Magic doesn’t get stronger just because you pour more Mana into it. The Mana that isn’t used in the spell simply dissipates.”

I already knew what Elodie was talking about.

When I first fought Renzo, after consuming the Dragon Heart, Renzo told me that without proper techniques or spells, I was just a walking tank of Mana. Of course, back then, I had Mjölnir, a weapon perfectly suited for channeling massive amounts of Mana.

Magic didn’t become stronger just because you used more Mana. To use powerful magic, you needed to understand what powerful magic was.

“So, you’re saying this crystal will just create an ordinary Wisp?”

If that were the case, it would be a relief. In fact, it was the effect I was aiming for.

Of course, it would be a shame to waste all this Mana on a tiny flame, but if I could use this as a base to create various circuits…

“…I don’t know about that.”

But Elodie didn’t seem to think so.

“This isn’t just ordinary Mana. The fact that it’s crystallized means it won’t dissipate. Normally, the Mana left over after casting a spell would disappear, but this will remain.”

“And what happens if it remains?”

“The circuit activates to cast the spell, consuming the required Mana, but the Mana remains in place. So it has to be used. But since the Mana required for the spell is already met, they’ll clash. And I don’t know what the outcome of that will be.”

“…Like gears constantly turning?”

“Yes, like an endlessly rotating star, an orchestra that never stops playing.”

Elodie used metaphors she had used before to help me understand.

Indeed, I had no idea what would happen.

“I’ll have to test it.”

“Where will you test it?”

“Atlas’ gymnasium should be sufficient. After school, in the evening, when no one’s around.”

Atlas’ indoor gymnasium was comparable in size to the one in Constel. It was only fitting for the most prestigious educational institution on the Agoris continent.

Elodie still sounded unsure.

“…I hope it’s sufficient.”

* * *

“Are you sure about this?”

That evening, Elodie and I stood in the center of the empty gymnasium.

Elodie looked around the spacious gymnasium with a nervous expression.

“It won’t be a problem if it’s this big, right?”

“That’s not what I’m worried about…”

Elodie looked at the crystal in my hand with a hesitant gaze.

“I still don’t understand. Why are you doing this?”

“I told you, I want to create a proper magic circuit.”

“But there’s no need to overdo it like this…”

“There’s a reason.”

I wasn’t just doing this on a whim. I had a clear purpose.

To control the Obsidian.

To do that, I needed to understand the Obsidian.

And to understand the Obsidian, I needed to see how it interacted with Mana in its purest form.

This Mana crystal, created by crystallizing an excessive amount of Mana, was the key to that.

“Just watch.”

I ignored Elodie’s concerns and focused my mind.

I activated the ‘Stop’ circuit embedded in the Obsidian.

At that moment, the world seemed to stand still.

The air thickened, and a heavy silence descended upon the gymnasium.

Elodie held her breath, her eyes wide with anticipation.

But nothing happened.

“…See? I told you it was too much.”

Elodie let out a sigh of relief, but I wasn’t fazed.

This was just the beginning.

The ‘Stop’ circuit was merely the trigger. The real show was about to begin.

I channeled my Mana into the Obsidian, focusing on the Mana crystal embedded within.

The crystal, which had been dormant until now, began to glow faintly.

And then…

Crackle!

A hairline fracture appeared on the surface of the crystal.

The crack spread rapidly, like a spiderweb, until it enveloped the entire crystal.

The gymnasium was filled with a blinding light.

“What?!”

Elodie instinctively shielded her eyes from the intense light.

When the light subsided, I was no longer holding the Obsidian.

Instead, it was floating in mid-air, surrounded by a swirling vortex of Mana.

The Obsidian pulsed with an eerie light, as if it had come alive.

And then, it started to change.

The Obsidian, which had always been a shapeless mass, began to take on a definite form.

It twisted and turned, contorting itself in impossible ways.

It was as if the Obsidian was trying to break free from its limitations.

The Mana crystal, now shattered into countless pieces, swirled around the transforming Obsidian, feeding it with its concentrated energy.

The air crackled with raw power, making it difficult to breathe.

Elodie stared at the spectacle unfolding before her, her eyes wide with a mixture of awe and fear.

She had never seen anything like it before.

Neither had I.

But one thing was certain.

This was only the beginning.