The Wizard in the Game Is Rewarded in Reality

Chapter 5

“Ah-! This is nice.”

There isn’t a single cloud in the blue sky.

The incredibly clear sky, which is hard to see in reality, brings a sense of awe.

After the great upheaval, the use of fossil fuels gradually decreased, and the sky in reality is no longer filled with fine dust as it used to be.

But it doesn’t move me as much as the sky of Doomsday.

I leave the inn and wander the streets of Meruna, the capital of the magical kingdom of Kraksha.

Many people walk the streets with me. The natives who live in the world of Doomsday, and the users whom the natives call outsiders.

The square is bustling with people, just like yesterday.

Those looking for parties or promoting guilds shout loudly.

“We are recruiting new wizard users for the Misoae Guild. Would you like to hear a brief explanation?”

“No, I’m not interested.”

Politely declining those who try to grab me, I find myself arriving at the magic tower.

I stop before entering the magic tower.

“Should I go even though I haven’t passed the task?”

I couldn’t solve the task given by the tower master.

But after a moment of hesitation, I enter the magic tower.

“Changing jobs is urgent.”

To fully enjoy Doomsday, changing jobs is the top priority. Only after changing jobs and learning magic can I hunt monsters or complete quests, right?

“Un. Hello.”

“Oh? You know my name?”

“Of course. You are the one who has the expectations of the tower master and the elders all on your shoulders.”

“Did you say your name was Sushia?”

“Oh my! You remembered my name?”

“Of course. You are the most beautiful wizard in the magic tower.”

Sushia’s cheeks turn red.

I’m sorry to say, but the only wizard I’ve seen in the magic tower, especially a female wizard, is Sushia.

“Are you here to see the tower master?”

“Yes.”

“You can use the magic circle over there.”

Following Sushia’s direction, I see a round magic circle within four pillars. As I step onto the magic circle, a bright light flows out, and soon the surrounding scenery changes.

“Who…?”

The tower master, who was reading a magic book, looks surprised to see the visitor.

“You’re here already?”

“Yes. Somehow it turned out that way.”

“Surely you haven’t already solved the assignment I gave you?”

“Actually, I did come because of that assignment.”

“Sit down first.”

As I sit on the office sofa, the tower master asks.

“Judging by your reaction, it seems you haven’t solved the assignment. So why are you here?”

“Could you give me a hint?”

“A hint?”

“Yes. No matter how hard I try, I can’t do it. I was hoping you could give me some advice.”

The tower master looks at me quietly.

Then he gives a meaningful smile.

“Why are you in such a hurry?”

“Sorry?”

“Magic is not a discipline where you can achieve something overnight just because you want to. That’s why I didn’t set a time limit when I gave you the assignment.”

Interpreting the tower master’s words, it means that it will take a long time to solve the assignment, and until then, I cannot change my job.

“How long does it usually take?”

“Hmm-. I can’t say exactly how long. It could be very short, or conversely, very long.”

“Sigh…”

A sigh escapes me.

That’s just my luck.

Others get a job as soon as they go to the job change office, but what is this?

For a moment, I dreamed of the best game life starting with intelligence 20.

“Why are you sighing? Didn’t I tell you? It’s not something that happens overnight. You, who have high mana affinity and can see the essence of mana, have more potential than others. Your potential is also limitless. So don’t be disappointed.”

“The tower master can just draw a rune with his finger and poof, there’s fire…”

“What is this…!”

The tower master’s mouth drops open.

The moment I draw a fire rune in the air with my finger, a red, warm light appears.

“Huh? It works?”

It didn’t work in reality.

It was then.

“Hearing that the child had come… Gasp-!”

The head elder, who entered the tower master’s office, gaped just like the tower master.

“Haha. How is this possible? But unlike the tower master, I can’t draw multiple runes at the same time, can I?”

He drew a water rune with his left hand.

But then…

“This works too?”

“The future of our magic tower has arrived? Huh! What is this-.”

The second elder, standing next to the head elder, stared blankly at the two energies floating in the air with his mouth agape.

The energies of fire and water soon disappeared.

“What on earth is going on?”

“Do you think I know?”

“Does this make any sense? Just one day, one day. No matter how talented, do you think it’s possible to manifest mana in just one day?”

The head elder shouted, shaking the tower master’s shoulders.

“That’s not the point, is it? This child hasn’t even formed a circle. How can a child who hasn’t even formed a circle manifest mana? And not just one element, but two.”

The second elder passionately argued, spitting as he spoke.

“Stop shaking me!”

The tower master shouted back.

“I feel the same way, so please be quiet.”

“Ah-! I see. As expected of the tower master.”

The tower master, hearing the head elder’s words, asked as if he didn’t understand.

“What do you mean?”

“The tower master must have seen something in this child that we couldn’t. That’s why you gave such a high-level task. As expected, the tower master is amazing. Truly the greatest talent in the history of the magic tower.”

“Ah-! Is that so? As expected of the tower master. Forgive me for misunderstanding you for a moment. As the head elder said, you must have seen something in this child that we couldn’t, so you gave that impossible task. A task to manifest mana for a child who hasn’t even formed a circle. Amazing, truly amazing.”

They looked at the tower master, who seemed to want to say something.

“So…”

The task the tower master gave me…

“You gave me an impossible task to pass?”

“Haha. Didn’t you hear? I… yes. I gave you the task because I saw potential, talent in you.”

“You saw potential in me.”

“Ugh.”

The Tower Lord groans and glares.

Heh heh, revenge for yesterday.

*

“We need to restart the Magic Tower Talent Nurturing Project.”

“We must provide full support. We should bring out all the potions that are good for the body and the artifacts we’ve been hiding.”

“Elder Lee, well said. We should also assign the best teacher. Nothing is too good for a child with the greatest talent in the history of the Magic Kingdom.”

“That’s exactly what I mean.”

The Tower Lord presses his head with his thumb as if he has a headache.

“The Magic Tower Talent Nurturing Project? You’re bringing back something we abandoned more than 50 years ago?”

“Wasn’t it because there was no child with talent suitable for the project back then?”

“No matter how you dress it up, it’s a relic of the past. And potions and artifacts that are good for the body? Sure, they should be given. But is it really appropriate to give them to a child who hasn’t even formed a circle yet? And a good teacher?”

The Tower Lord glares at the Grand Elder and Elder Lee.

“Since he passed the third task, he is naturally my disciple. How dare you suggest assigning another teacher to my disciple?”

“That’s not what I meant. Just because you’re the Tower Lord doesn’t mean you’re excellent at everything. I meant we should entrust education to those who are outstanding in each field.”

Silently, he watches the three people’s argument.

“I have already made a grand plan for my disciple.”

The two elders look at him curiously at the Tower Lord’s declaration.

“A grand plan? Is there even a plan within the Magic Tower that we wouldn’t know about?”

“Do you have something hidden from us?”

The Tower Lord looks at them with disdain and speaks briefly.

“The Sage’s Room.”

“……”

“……”

The two elders blink in confusion.

“Tower Lord, how about reconsidering?”

“I agree. The Sage’s Room? Isn’t that the place you entered and fled from?”

What on earth is the Sage’s Room to elicit such reactions?

*

“Master, I have a question.”

“Speak, my disciple.”

From the moment I manifested mana, the tower master and I became master and disciple.

“It’s a bit of a late question, but… didn’t you say the difficulty of the task you gave me was the highest level?”

“That’s right. This master, who recognized your talent at a glance, gave you a task befitting that talent. Ahem-.”

He coughs awkwardly, avoiding my gaze for a moment, as if there’s a prick of conscience.

“Then what was the original task you intended to give me?”

“Why are you curious about that now?”

“Pure curiosity.”

“It doesn’t compare to the task you accomplished, but it wasn’t an easy task either. It was to memorize a hundred runes within a week.”

“What?”

A task to memorize a mere hundred runes in a whole week?

“Do you think it’s easy?”

“I don’t think it’s difficult. It’s just memorizing, isn’t it?”

The tower master chuckles.

“You can say that because it’s you. But for ordinary novice wizards, memorizing a hundred runes is as difficult as plucking stars from the sky.”

“Why is that?”

Isn’t it just simple memorization?

Moreover, those who passed the tests of the elder and the grand elder are guaranteed to have a certain level of talent.

There’s no way such talented individuals couldn’t memorize a mere hundred characters.

“Runes are not just simple characters. Runes are mana itself.”

I have no idea what he’s talking about.

Seeing my reaction, the tower master explains about runes.

“Didn’t I tell you that runes, along with mana, are gifts from the gods?”

“Yes, master.”

“As I said, runes are characters directly created by the gods. They are mana itself, and also magic. Such runes cannot be memorized simply by rote, can they?”

But I memorized them easily?

I only know four runes.

But I’ve only seen runes once. The tower master showed them to me with his finger just once.

I’m not boasting about my memory, but in that one brief moment, I memorized all four runes.

“Memorizing runes, that is, making runes your own, is not decided by the wizard but by the runes. Only if the runes permit can you engrave them in your mind.”

Seeing my reaction of not understanding, the tower master speaks with frustration.

“The rise in circles does not mean that one can use higher-level magic unconditionally. Only when the runes used in higher-level magic permit, can one learn the magic. Even if two wizards are at the same level of the 5th circle, there can be a significant difference between them, and the reason is the runes. If the runes do not grant permission, even a wizard at the level of the 5th circle will have limitations in the magic they can use.”

I understood to some extent.

But another question arose here.

“Then how do foreign wizards learn magic?”

The tower master’s expression crumpled.

“Don’t even call those half-wits wizards.”

“Half-wits?”

“Beings who have neither received the blessing of mana nor sought the permission of the runes use magic? Naturally, the magic they use does not reach even half of its original power.”

“Really?”

The tower master nodded.

“I do not know by what principle they learn magic. But what they have learned is not true magic.”

While I was lost in thought about the mechanism by which foreigners and awakeners learn magic, the tower master spoke with a meaningful smile.

“You don’t have to worry about anything. Although you are also a foreigner, what you learn will be true magic, unlike what those half-wits learn.”