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10601-chapter-18

Chapter 18 : Revelation

 

They moved at a gentler pace after that, eyes open for tracks and twisted signs of malspawn.

By day’s end, they had encountered and slain two more gnoll packs—twenty beasts in all.

As the sun began to dip behind the ridge, Terty located a spot ideal for camp. A natural cliff blocked one side, making it easier to defend and sparing them from constant vigilance.

“Not as many as I expected,” Curtis murmured.

“You mean the malspawn?”

“Yes. I assume the regular purges keep their numbers down.”

“Exactly. If the monsters were swarming this close to the village, the Guild would’ve sent a battalion. We’re still within a day’s walk of town.”

“True enough.”

“Honestly, meeting three packs this early is lucky. Some mercs don’t see even one.”

Whether encountering gnolls was truly lucky was debatable—but for Curtis and Terty, it meant valuable experience.

“In another two days,” Terty continued, “the mountains grow thicker. We’ll see more then.”

“That must be why the Guild gave a seven-day limit—because the round trip alone takes six?”

“You catch on quick. Yes, that’s the reason. The goal isn’t just bounty hunting—it’s preventive. We clean up anything that might cross into Nigerte’s borders. Beyond that, well… it’s not worth the effort.”

Terty explained that past a certain point, the terrain grew harsh, and the rewards—meager. Even Silver-ranked mercs like him had little incentive to go further.

“Then this whole purge doesn’t offer you much at all, does it?”

“I was born in Nigerte,” Terty said simply.

“Ah.”

No further explanation was needed. He was here not for coin—but for home.

“But that aside,” he added, “this trip’s really about you. How’s the experience so far?”

Curtis gave a thoughtful hum, and quietly opened his status window, half-hidden in the edge of his vision.

[Water Manipulation Lv. 39]
[Progress to next level: 38%]

When they’d set out that morning, he’d been at 32%. Of the twenty malspawn they’d defeated, Curtis had personally killed twelve.

Roughly 1% experience gained for every two kills.

Given how slowly his magic usually progressed through training, this was proof enough: killing did grant experience.

Leveling up would seal the theory in certainty.

The only question left—would they encounter enough monsters to reach that next threshold?

“…I’ll admit, there’s one thing I’ve found lacking.”

“Oh?” Terty glanced over. “What’s that?”

“My magic.”

“Really?” Terty raised a brow. “I found its power more than satisfactory. And frankly, I’ve never had such a comfortable night in the field.”

“That much I agree with,” Curtis said with a dry laugh.

Even a small stream could drive a desperate traveler into euphoria. Out in the wild, clean water was rare—and bathing, near impossible. But with his spellcraft, Curtis could conjure it freely. That alone was a blessing.

“But in battle,” Curtis went on, “I rely too much on the environment. We only succeeded today because you were with me. Against a full pack, I couldn’t kill them all before they reached me.”

Terty, a Silver-ranked warrior, could dispatch six or seven gnolls without breaking a sweat—dodging blows, carving throats, never faltering.

Curtis, despite being a Silver-ranked mage, could not.

If even a few enemies closed in, he was forced to retreat, leaving the rest to Terty.

It wasn’t an issue of power or mana. It was about source.

There simply wasn’t enough water to work with.

He could strike one target with all the moisture he’d gathered… then reuse that water, again and again, to kill the next. But it took time. Too much time.

I always knew I was weaker away from water—but now I see how limiting it really is.

Sure, moisture existed everywhere. Even the soil beneath him held dampness. Grass, trees, living bodies—Terty and Curtis themselves were made of water.

But his magic wasn’t some sci-fi molecular manipulator.

It was a sixth sense—something awakened deep within him. Only water perceived by that sense could be controlled.

At first, Curtis could only manipulate what he saw—puddles, rivers, droplets. Now, at Silver rank, he could feel the moisture in the air.

But turning people into mummies or draining entire forests? That was far beyond him.

This magic was never meant for desert warfare. It was born of storms, waves, and flood.
Plagius magic. Meant for the sea.

It wasn’t just a theory—it was truth burned into his mind from the moment he first absorbed Plagius’s Grimoire.

This was no all-purpose elemental craft. It had been forged for war at sea—for the tideborne mage who wielded abundance like a blade.

Which meant that in scarcity, it faltered.

It was not built to squeeze miracles from drought—but to summon judgment from deluge.

“Of course,” Curtis murmured, “as my skill improves, I’ll be able to draw out more power from the same amount of water. My control will deepen. My techniques will multiply. But even then, having more water will always mean more strength. That doesn’t change.”

“I see what you’re getting at…”
Terty gave a wry smile. “But isn’t that just the nature of things?”

At Curtis’s quiet grumble, the warrior chuckled dryly.

“Mages were never meant to be almighty, my friend. Even within the same element, spellcasters tend to specialize—digging deep into narrow veins of power rather than spreading themselves wide.”

“Well… that’s true.”

“And as for water mages,” Terty went on, “it’s common knowledge their spells are bound to the environment. Maybe there are rare exceptions, but what you’re dealing with isn’t a flaw unique to you—it’s the cost of your art.”

“Mm.”

“And even if it is a limitation… it’s not like you can just pick up another magic discipline, right? From what I’ve seen, you’re remarkably well-suited to this one. For your first real battle, your command was nothing short of masterful. Don’t dwell on weaknesses—hone your strengths.”

He was right.

In this world, mages didn’t dabble.

They devoted themselves—utterly and completely—to a single domain. To a single elemental thread. It wasn’t versatility that defined them, but depth. In a way, they were closer to wielders of divine powers than scholars of arcane lore.

Their abilities resembled innate talents more than tools—mystic gifts awakened and sharpened across a lifetime.

To try balancing them like weapons would be folly. Better to sharpen one blade to a perfect edge than juggle a dozen dull ones.

Just as House Plagius had abandoned dreams of conquering the land and instead claimed dominion over the sea… Curtis, too, had to accept the natural course of his magic.

Terty was right. Even if it stung, one couldn’t simply learn another magic.

Or could they?

Curtis froze.

A thought struck him—simple, profound, and utterly disruptive.

Why not? Why can’t I?

For most mages, the answer was obvious: because it was impossible. Even dedicating an entire life to one school of magic rarely brought mastery. Trying to pursue two was like a swordsman trying to become a master of fencing, archery, and horseback riding all at once.

In amateur circles, maybe some physical skill could bridge the gap—but in the world of true professionals, such spread was fatal. And in magic, the gap between disciplines was far greater.

Each element operated under entirely different laws. Mastering one left little room for even dabbling in another.

Some mages dabbled lightly in “off-branch” spells, picking up auxiliary tricks at best. But the vast majority preferred to pour all their energy into their main path—trading versatility for unmatched depth.

But Curtis… wasn’t like the others.

I have the status window.

The system—his mysterious advantage—let him grow dozens, even hundreds of times faster than any normal mage.

He didn’t need a lifetime to reach mastery. He was already nearly at Silver-tier through a handful of focused months.

He didn’t have to cling to a single path and pray it held up in all terrain.

If Water Manipulation weakens on land… then I’ll simply learn a magic that thrives on it.

That was the logical answer.

The only obstacle, of course, was how. Where would he even find another spell?

But Curtis already had an idea.

The same way I learned this one…

His mind lit up. His eyes gleamed with sudden clarity.

The grimoires.
The Vision Tomes.