activa-t Chapter 380: Compatibility of the Soul
Chapter 380: Compatibility of the Soul
Chapter 380: Compatibility of the Soul
With each swing of his fists, explosions resounded and rocks crumbled.
These strange echoes through the mountains were manifestations of Asley’s anger and impatience.
His wounded fists cracked and shattered rocks, and sometimes shed blood.
“Hahaha... SHIT!”
In these mountains, far from the eyes of people, Asley went on an unstoppable rampage.
His clenched fists were not infused with even an ounce of arcane energy.
The arcane energy that he had trusted so much — all of the enormous amount he once had — had completely disappeared from Asley’s body.
“I can’t stay down...? Yeah, right. What the hell was I even going to do? What CAN I even do with this useless body!?”
During the incident, Asley had used the Teleportation Spell Circles in the Adventurers’ Guilds to travel to all corners of the world he knew — to set up Magic Shields around every city, town, village, and other settlements.
Then, when he was back to T’oued, he used Levitation to head to the battlefield as quickly as possible, and managed to save Irene in the nick of time.
He had to take on the combined Zenith Breaths of Billy, Cleath, Alphas, and Betas — and he did manage to stop it all... but as it turned out, it came at a cost.
For a brief moment, his heart had stopped — and on the brink of death, a mysterious phenomenon occurred in Asley’s body.
Arcane energy — which his body was supposed to have an abundance of — was no longer being generated.
His body was no longer able to invoke any magic spell, magecraft, and even the most basic of special fighting techniques.
As a man who loved the arcane arts above all else and had devoted his whole life to pursuing them, his mind was filled with all kinds of negative emotions.
Rage, impatience, anxiety, fear, and grief all overflowed from Asley, turning his fists red.
His breathing was heavy, and blood spurted from his mouth along with his roars of anger.
Trees fell, the earth split apart, and rivers had their whole courses changed.
On a distant clifftop, five of Asley’s acquaintances were observing him. Pochi, Lina, Tifa, Fuyu, and Haruhana — the people who had tried but failed to keep him home.
Pochi, the Familiar who had been with him for over eight hundred years...
Lina, whose life he saved...
Tifa, who had become one of his first students alongside Lina...
Haruhana and Fuyu, two of the people he had freed from involuntary employment...
Despite the love and respect they all held for Asley, none of them could get any closer to him.
That was how weak and easily broken Asley was now.
There were still those who would stand before him, however — one of whom had lived through the era of legends just like him and Pochi. And the other... was one who had been absent from the battlefield.
They were Lylia and Minerva. And as with Lina and the others, Asley turned away from them.
“...Sorry, I don’t have time to talk right now.”
Asley said, controlling himself while visibly trembling.
Lylia looked away from Asley and replied,
“I’m just escorting Minerva here. She’s the one who wants to talk...”
Even Lylia did not want to — and could not stand to — see Asley like this.
And so, after saying what she needed to, she leaped up to the clifftop where Pochi and the others were.
“...So? What is there to even talk about?”
Asley turned to Minerva and gave her the same cold treatment.
Minerva continued speaking — quietly, slowly, and precisely, as if teaching a child.
“Rise, A-rise, A-rise... Soul Disclosure.”
A slightly luminous Craft Circle was drawn onto Asley’s chest.
“What is this...?”
“Surely you are familiar with the concept of one’s soul’s aptitude for the arcane arts.”
“...I have consulted that method of measure before, yes.”
Minerva nodded.
“If one’s soul were to not be compatible with magic, they normally would enter the Warrior University or become an adventurer, pursuing the path of a warrior. And if their soul were to be compatible, they would pursue the path of a mage.”
Asley was within his power to rage on, but Minerva’s gentle aura kept him from doing so.
“Mister Asley, you have considered yourself a mage, and pursued the arcane arts. You, as an individual, possess one of the largest pools of arcane energy. That much is clear to everyone... But this magecraft shows what is not normally known: your actual aptitude.”
Upon being told so, Asley groaned in annoyance, showing his lack of confidence.
“When used on someone with magic aptitude, the Circle will emit light.”
Asley looked at the Craft Circle on his chest again.
Seeing that it was indeed glowing, Asley let out a sigh of relief.
Then he turned his attention back to Minerva, who proceeded to infuse her index finger once again.
“Rise, A-rise, A-rise, Soul Disclosure.”
This time, the Craft Circle did not form on any target, simply hovering in place.
Asley tilted his head.
“Hmm... Is this it?”
“...?”
“Is this truly the light of the man with the most arcane energy in the world?”
Asley did not understand what Minerva meant.
But the next time Minerva moved her finger, the meaning of the message was clear to him.
“...& Remote Control.”
The Soul Disclosure Craft Circle, moved by the spell, stopped in front of Minerva’s chest.
She was showing her magic aptitude — and that was what made Asley understand.
...Minerva’s Craft Circle was shining far brighter than the one on Asley.
Asley looked at his own chest once more, and saw for certain how different the two Circles were.
“This is the light of those who have a decently high magic aptitude.””
No matter how many times Asley compared the Craft Circles, the difference was clear.
Minerva continued,
“And that... is the light of those who have an extremely low magic aptitude.”
She then pointed at the Craft Circle on Asley.
“Mister Asley, from the very beginning... you have made a foolish choice.”
It was a merciless statement toward the man who loved the arcane arts.