Chapter 8

The weapons in the preparation room are managed according to a set of rules.

Each individual is only given one weapon of each type, and if it breaks, it will not be replaced.

If you lose your weapon while carrying it around, you must return to the preparation room on your own. If you did not lose it, it will remain where you left it.

Among these rule-regulated weapons, the Magic Book stands out as an unusual item. All weapons except the Magic Book are, indeed, weapons—but the Magic Book is not one of them. It’s not useful in combat. Can it even be used as a blunt object?

Yet, despite this, the Magic Book is managed under the same rules as the other weapons.

Until now, it hasn’t mattered much whether these rules applied to the Magic Book or not. However, once research began on how to use the Magic Book in battle, problems arose.

There are only two Magic Books in existence, including Doyugeon’s. They aren’t replaced.

To experiment and see if magical power can accumulate in the Magic Book, some of the magical circles inside need to be damaged. But what if damaging them permanently ruins the Magic Book? There are only two of them.

Though not immediately pressing, preparations should be made to conduct experiments in the future without destroying any of the Magic Books. In the early days, the Magic Book was carelessly damaged out of ignorance, but now the risk is too high. If all else fails, I suppose someone might know someone who can provide help.

A solution has emerged: mass-producing the Magic Book. The magic in the Magic Book doesn’t belong to the book itself but instead originates from the magical circles within it. So, if those circles could be copied onto other notebooks, wouldn’t they function as Magic Books too? It’s a plausible theory.

At the moment, I’m observing and measuring the magical circles to copy them onto notebooks. This is done with a regular pen, not with magic power. I’m drawing them to better visualize the circles, as magic requires memorizing the circles clearly before inscribing them.

The magical circles are now fully drawn. I glance at the picture and commit its shape to memory. Good, I’ve memorized it all. Shall we create a Magic Book now?

I retrieve the notebook I had prepared ahead of time and place it on the desk. The objective is to copy the magical circles exactly from the Magic Book. I need to replicate not just their location but also their size and shape.

I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and move my magical power. I intuitively locate the appropriate position and gather the magical energy. Again, using intuition, I gauge the size and expand the magical power into a circular form. Once more, I mentally compare the circle and the magical circle, dissipating the unnecessary parts of the magical power, leaving it full of holes in the shape of the magical circle. Perfectly done.

Opening my eyes, I look at the finished product. Hmm? This isn’t a magical circle; it’s just a pretty lump of magical power. I check the magical circles in the Magic Book next to it. They look the same, yet that one executes magic, while this one is just a beautiful lump of magical power.

What’s the difference? Was it slightly off because it was made by trial and error? Or is there another issue?

The magical power disperses.

Chahaneul met up with a friend at the café, chatting before parting ways. Checking her phone, she saw a chat message.

It was from Doyugeon.

—Today, I’m staying at school to study.

So, what am I supposed to do about that? I had no plans with this guy today. I wondered if he mistakenly sent it to his parents, but his parents are both working, so such a message wouldn’t mean much to them. I guess this is just him boasting about his studying. Amateur.

After contemplating what to reply, I sent an approving emoticon since I had nothing particular to say.

As I stepped into the subway station to head home, I had a sudden thought: should I go see him at school? Yes, I’ll go. I got on the subway.

Recently, I’ve developed a concern. Doyugeon has been visiting frequently. Though it’s partly due to the fantasy phenomena, he stops by for other reasons too.

There’s no problem with him visiting, but the more time he spends with me, the less time he’ll have to spend with his school friends. I’m curious if he’s maintaining a healthy school life. Since he used to attend an elementary school nearby, I doubt he’s friendless.

If I go now, I can see if he’s doing well. As the subway approached, I saw the middle school he attends. Entering through the gate and walking further, I found students playing soccer on the field. I always think it’d be nice if they put some grass on the playground. The sand flies everywhere, yet they keep it as it is.

Walking toward the main building, I heard a familiar voice from the field. It was Doyugeon, shouting instructions to his teammate. He said he was studying but here he was playing soccer.

I sat down in the stands. The atmosphere of his team seemed off, while the opposing team was in high spirits, so it looked like Doyugeon’s team was losing.

As Doyugeon glanced around, he suddenly looked my way. Then, he went to the spectators sitting on the other side of the stand and had a conversation. One boy observing from the stands entered the field—a player substitution, perhaps.

Doyugeon approached me.

“Just play soccer.”

“The team balance is off, so we’re going to lose anyway.”

He sat next to me.

“More importantly, I’m about to head home.”

With this confirmation that he was playing fine, I no longer felt the need to stay longer. He seemed surprised and suggested we leave school together, heading toward the main building. I dusted myself off and followed him.

He asked me:

“How’s the reading by magic coming along?”

“Ah, that? It still isn’t working.”

Until now, the problem was that the book shook slightly when I used magic to hold it, making it hard to read. This issue was solved with practice, which enabled me to hold the book steadily without shaking.

However, a more fundamental issue arose when I started reading.

Magic requires concentration. Reading also demands concentration. Problems arise here.

You can only concentrate on one task at a time. Magic and reading cannot be done simultaneously. As soon as I start reading the book, my focus shifts to the content of the book, losing the concentration on the magic, causing the book to drop. This means every time I become absorbed in reading, the book falls.

In the end, in order to read while using magic, I must not focus too intensely on the content of the book and should instead focus on maintaining the magic. If I want to read properly using magic, do I need to give up on proper reading? What a backwards situation this is.

After thinking about it, there are two solutions.

One is to have someone or something else maintain the magic while I read. The obvious method that comes to mind is the use of a magical circle. But my understanding of them is still incomplete.

Two is to make using magic as effortless and natural as possible. When you read normally, you naturally hold or rest the book—something you can do without losing focus on reading. Similarly, if I could use magic as effortlessly as moving your hand, it would solve the problem. Of course, gaining such proficiency is daunting. This level isn’t just a magician, it’s a grand magician. A grand grand magician.

It’s absurd how difficult reading by magic has become. Isn’t this a bit excessive?

Doyugeon spoke up.

“Since even a genius like you is stumped, it must be an incredibly hard problem.”

“I’m not a genius! And yes, it’s a tough challenge. That’s why I’ve been focusing on magical circles lately, though I’ve hit a wall on that too.”

“Magical circles?”

“Right. Magical circles. But I’ve also hit a roadblock there.”

What is the difference between the magical circle made with magical power and the magical circle in the Magic Book? Why does one fail to work while the other does?

Is it an error in the minute details due to creating it by intuition? Or is there another process involved in making magical circles that can’t be replicated just by mimicking their shape with magical power?

Since I don’t understand the theory or the rules of magical circles, neither the cause nor the solution is clear.

Still, I don’t think it’ll remain unsolvable forever. If I take my time and think it through casually, there’s a chance I can solve it. Though, if it doesn’t work, then it doesn’t.

Still, I’d like to be able to read somehow.

After logging in, Doyugeon and I stroll through the forest, chatting aimlessly. Since killing goblins doesn’t take much time, we spend more time walking than fighting.

As we were walking, Doyugeon kept glancing at me before speaking.

“Let’s take a break.”

“Sure, that’s a great idea.”

I casually sat down on the grass. After walking for such a long time, I’m thoroughly exhausted.

He giggled.

“You’re levelling up, yet your stamina stays the same?”

“It’s not the same! I’m just tired now. Don’t push me, or I’ll get angry.”

“Alright.”

Patrolling the forest to fight goblins is tough, especially since it’s a forest. But it’s a decent and enjoyable activity in its own way.

I’ve always known that I need better stamina. I contemplated exercising, but never followed through—not in this life or the previous one.

But now that I log in every time and walk around, it’s become a form of exercise. This is what exercise is.

Additionally, according to the Explorers’ Guild, levelling up improves physical abilities. Whether it’s true or not, when you level up, you can feel the system adjusting your body, so it must be true. Doyugeon also claims to feel the effects.

“That should be enough rest. Let’s go.”

We began walking again.

Today, I’m experimenting with goblin behavior patterns. I noticed something unusual while observing them.

Why do goblins wander alone? There are plenty of other goblins around, so why do they roam alone?

Do they have no need to be together? Or is it that, though they appear similar, they’re fundamentally different, preventing cooperation?

When I mentioned these thoughts to Doyugeon, he dismissed them casually.

“They’re monsters. Do you really think game monsters think while moving? They just follow action patterns; goblins are no different.”

“But even if we’re in a fantasy world, it isn’t exactly like a game. To begin with, the way goblins act doesn’t seem like a simple pattern.”

They instinctively dodge magic and target weaponless opponents. They even have basic swordsmanship. Considering these actions, their patterns are too complex to be just simple routines.

He laughed,

“Artificial intelligence.”

“Artificial intelligence, huh? What a universal word that can be applied to everything without requiring proper logic.”

Are goblins powered by artificial intelligence? I tested this during the last login. While Doyugeon was sparring with a goblin to give me time, I tried talking to the goblin.

The goblin didn’t respond or make any sound indicating understanding. They only glanced at me briefly, looking for weaknesses.

I tried talking to several goblins multiple times, but since there was no response, I decided to assume they are powered by artificial intelligence. Although it is far too complex to be just AI, it’s a fantasy world, so there must be some elaborate method behind it.

Today, I don’t intend to delve into the fundamental question of whether goblins are intelligent beings or AI. Instead, I’m observing whether their patterns change when two goblins are together. This is more of a casual hobby rather than a serious endeavor.

Doyugeon mentioned that when two goblins are together, they cooperate to attack. According to him, during the chase, the situation was too urgent for him to remember clearly, so today’s experiment confirmed that they do indeed cooperate when they’re together.

If they work together when in pairs, why do they wander alone?

Doyugeon then spoke up.

“The story circles back to the beginning. It’s not an intelligent being but artificial intelligence. In games, if monsters grouped up randomly, it would throw off the balance, so the system might have set it to have them wander alone.”

“Right. It is a fantasy world after all.”

Fantasy makes everything simple.

Let’s check if they are really set to wander alone.

After gathering two goblins and making sure they won’t be killed, I made Doyugeon chase them while I stayed far back and observed through my senses.

The two goblins chased Doyugeon for a while but stopped at some point, seemingly giving up. Then, instead of sticking together, they split and dispersed.

Yep. Very strange, but it’s fantasy, so this was expected.

I jotted down the results in my notebook, leaning against a tree. Once back inside the room, I’ll organize the information in the Magic Book.

Doyugeon approached me.

“Is that all for today?”

“Yeah. It’s time to eat, so I should log out.”

After finishing the notes, I closed the notebook. He let out a sigh.

“Your leveling is slow. At this rate, when will you reach level 100?”

“Isn’t that goal too high? Reaching level 100 will take a very long time. Set lower goals.”

“But that would be meaningless. I’m aiming for the max level.”

The doors in the preparation room are marked with the numbers 1, 25, 50, 75, 100. People online debate whether the maximum level is 100 or 125, using these as references.

This guy has a strange notion that in games the maximum level is always 100, so he considers level 100 the max.

“Well, then just take it step by step.”

I stretched. Time to log out.

Then, something happened.

The status window popped up.

[System Update Completed]

A skill window has been added to the system. Call out the skill window to activate skills.

Huh?

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