Vaitener-style Magic: The First Circle.
The first ring is called the Ring of Mind.
Its effect, as everyone knows, is the ability to freely use magic.
It is the absolute foundation of the Vaitener-style system.
Then what about the Second Circle?
The Second Circle is called the Ring of Resonance.
As the name suggests, its effect is resonance (共鳴).
It resonates with other rings, and with the surrounding mana, drastically accelerating mana circulation.
In other words—enhancement through resonance.
That is the effect of the Infinity Second Circle.
[The Ring of Resonance is powerful, but comes with a severe mental exhaustion penalty. Extreme caution is advised when using it.]
Of course, "enhancement" didn't mean it was omnipotent.
Because it forcibly accelerated the Circles through resonance between mana and one's own rings, it consumed tremendous mental strength.
"At best, I can use the Ring of Resonance twice."
And that was only if I refrained from using any other spells.
That was why I fought Adela using only first-circle magic—
to preserve my mental stamina, gather information, and unleash the Ring of Resonance at the perfect moment for maximum effect.
[One of the defining traits of the Vaitener-style is that, as one's mastery increases, the amount of information visible through mana perception also increases.]
[First Circle users can see fleeting sparks, while Second Circle users can perceive the very structure of mana.]
While enduring the battle with first-circle spells, I continued to observe Adela's mana.
The colorless aura unique to light-attribute magic, and the chilling darkness unique to dark-attribute magic.
[Even if one can see mana's structure, it's only fragmented glimpses, not the full design.]
I had long been analyzing the Arcane Council's pride—the lunar magic they were famous for.
Bit by bit, from those fragmented mana structures, I pieced together a complete understanding.
And at last—
"The structure of Halo resembles that of the third-circle spell, Light Impact."
I had succeeded in analyzing the internal structure of Halo.
A spell that disperses light in all directions to strike nearby foes, augmented with the destructive power of dark magic.
The Arcane Council's lunar magic was a delicate art built upon perfect ratios.
"The spell's effect changes depending on how much light and dark mana are mixed."
The more light mana, the greater the range.
The more dark mana, the greater the destructive power.
"Wide-area spells like Halo or Moonfall have high light ratios, while linear projectiles like Moonlight Bullet have higher dark ratios."
Light and darkness—mutual counterattributes.
Complementary opposites, leaving no weaknesses.
"No wonder the Arcane Council's magic has always been impregnable."
It could be called the very definition of an all-rounder's magic.
"But that doesn't mean it can't be countered."
Through continuous observation, I discovered a way to dismantle Adela's magic.
"Halo's composition: 78% light mana, 22% dark mana."
Thus, to destroy Halo, all I had to do was break that balance.
Ziiiiing—!
The Ring of Resonance pulsed.
The Infinity Circle spun violently within me, reverberating through my body.
The moonlight surged closer.
Facing the oncoming Halo, I cast my spell.
"Darkness Blind."
"Ring of Resonance—enhanced."
Second-circle spell: Darkness Blind.
It scattered dark mana in every direction, obstructing the opponent's vision.
Normally, it was not a spell fit for this situation.
However—
"The wavelength of Darkness Blind's dark mana harmonizes perfectly with Halo."
The mana structure I'd analyzed from Halo was shockingly similar to that of Darkness Blind.
Fwoooosh—!
Darkness erupted outward, colliding with the moonlight in an instant.
Then, the two energies began to intermingle.
"Once affected by Darkness Blind's mana, Halo's light-dark ratio collapses."
The wide-area radiation pattern of Halo began to distort.
"With the added dark mana, it's no longer radial—it's becoming linear."
The expanding moonlight abruptly reversed direction, as if someone had rewound the video, and surged back toward Adela.
"That'll shrink Halo's effective range to less than a quarter."
Gaps appeared amid the waning moonlight.
"...!"
Through those gaps, I caught sight of Adela's shocked face—
an expression that screamed she had no idea what had just happened.
I looked at her and smiled inwardly.
"You once said, 'You'll be my goal again someday.'"
That same expression now reminded me of the young Adela from long ago—
the one who had lost to me yet still shone with determination.
"Try and keep up."
This was a declaration.
"I'm back."
"This is the magic you all mocked."
A proclamation—not just to her, but to everyone watching.
Fwoooosh!
"Blast Lance."
Second-circle spell: Blast Lance ignited from my fingertips.
"Ring of Resonance—enhanced."
The ring vibrated through the lance, intensifying its flames.
"Condense."
I forced the explosive energy into stillness, compressing it into a spear of pure fire.
A lance born from every last drop of my remaining mental strength.
And then—
"Fire."
Shweeeeeeeek!
The flaming lance flew straight toward Adela.
Thump, thump—
My heartbeat thundered in my ears.
I saw Adela's silhouette waver, her body tipping backward in slow motion.
And then—
"Battle over! Winner: Shin Hayul!"
"Waaaaaaahhhhh!!"
"Shin Hayul! Shin Hayul!"
The crowd's roar drowned out the sound of my heart.
Their cheers filled that empty space instead.
"…I won."
The taste of victory was as sweet as ever.
After the match,
I took a short break to give interviews with the reporters.
I was tired and wanted to rest more,
but I needed to clear up any possible misunderstandings before they spread.
"So, does that mean you've become a fifth-circle user?"
"No. I haven't."
I used a second-circle spell in today's match.
As a result, people are now convinced I've connected the fifth ring.
There was something I needed to clarify about that.
"So then, why did you use a second-circle spell?"
"I used a secret art."
"A secret art?"
"Yes."
"You don't mean one of the Arcane Council's secret arts, do you? What kind, then?"
"A secret art with the ability to refine spells."
"To… refine spells?"
"Yes. Just like my Wind Spear."
"Ah!"
There were several reasons I said this.
First, no matter how you looked at it, an eighteen-year-old becoming a fifth-circle mage was absurd.
People were bound to be suspicious—one hundred percent guaranteed.
And later, when I use a third-circle spell, it'll cause even more problems.
Then I'd have to pretend to be a sixth-circle mage, which would be even more unbelievable.
So it was best to resolve this misunderstanding right now.
"It's certainly an impressive secret art, but what does refining have to do with second-circle magic?"
"It's simple."
I had already planned out exactly how to explain it.
"I refined Memorize."
"…Excuse me?"
"I improved the spell so that the restriction—originally allowing only up to third-circle spells—was adjusted, enabling it to use up to second-circle spells."
A gasp rippled through the reporters.
"Th-that's possible?"
"Yes. Memorize is still a spell, after all."
"Well, that's true, but still…"
They all wore expressions of disbelief.
Understandable.
Even I wouldn't believe it easily if I heard it from someone else.
Now, how should I prove it?
I was pondering that when—
"I see. So you refined Memorize before using it."
"Ch-Chief of the Blue Tower!"
"Director Kim Kang-in, why are you here…?"
Suddenly, the Blue Tower Master approached, smiling.
"It was a blind spot. I never expected anyone to improve the limitations of Memorize."
He gripped my shoulder with an excited grin.
"Ha-ha! I'm impressed. That was a marvelous performance."
"…Thank you."
The Tower Master's eyes were already gleaming ruby red—
He was activating the Eye of the Ruby, examining my body directly.
Those eyes could detect even the minute "mana quakes" produced by the collision between mana circles.
And from the fifth circle onward, mages constantly emitted faint mana quakes even at rest.
In other words, he could confirm the truth just by checking whether such traces existed within me.
"As I thought—he hasn't connected the fifth ring."
"No, I haven't."
Naturally, my Infinity Circles weren't releasing any mana vibrations.
"Ch-Chief, is that true?"
"Yes, it's true. There are no fifth-circle mana quakes around Hayul's heart. He isn't a fifth-circle mage."
"Ah!"
"Of course, he's also not using any illegal AI or doping agents."
The Blue Tower Master placed his hand lightly on my neck and smiled.
"There isn't even a hint of artificial intelligence, legal or not."
Then, after brushing his hands over several points of my body, he chuckled again.
"Nor are there any reactions typical of illegal enhancers."
"Then, that means…"
"Yes. Hayul's claim about refining Memorize is true."
"Ah!"
At last, the reporters' expressions shifted to genuine belief.
So this was the difference made by who delivered the message.
"C-can we include your statement in the article?"
"Of course. You may add that it's officially certified by me. Ha-ha!"
"Th-thank you so much!"
The reporters practically jumped for joy.
No wonder—
Getting an exclusive interview with the hottest topic of the day was already a huge success,
but now they had a verified statement from the Blue Tower Master himself.
Their editors were going to love this.
"By the way, Hayul—your last sequence, from Flame Vulcan to Blast Lance—absolutely flawless!"
The Tower Master clapped my shoulder enthusiastically, beaming.
"…Thank you."
"And Darkness Blind! I never imagined it would react that way with Halo!
So you conserved your strength during the earlier exchanges to analyze Halo, didn't you?"
"…Yes."
"Just as I thought! I wondered why you kept closing the distance on Adela—it was to provoke Halo!
Every move you made was a setup—brilliant!
It's been so long since I've been this thrilled watching a duel! It felt like savoring a fine meal to perfection…"
"Ugh… I'm completely drained."
Today, I finally understood why the Blue Tower Master was called a chronic chatterbox.
The man's mouth might as well have been powered by rapid-fire magic.
Of course, that only proved how excited he was by my battle.
Still, after being stuck in conversation for over twenty minutes straight, I couldn't help but feel exhausted.
At least thanks to him, the interviews went smoothly.
I opened the news articles on my device.
[Shin Hayul's Secret Art? Uncovering the Truth Behind His Magic.]
[Blue Tower Master Confirms Again! Has the Arcane Council Finally Joined Forces with the Blue Tower?]
[Everything Behind Shin Hayul's Victory.]
[Arcane Council's Magic Shattered! What Impact Will This Have on the Global Balance at the Magical Olympiad?]
Dozens of articles had already been published,
many of them focused on my so-called secret art.
That should clear up the misunderstanding about me being a fifth-circle mage.
"Now I can use whatever magic I want without suspicion."
By framing it as a secret art that refines spells,
no one would question me for using stronger magic later on.
When I began using third- or even fourth-circle spells,
there'd be no problem at all.
Perfect.
"All that's left now…"
…is to finish the remaining three matches in style—
and then, face my father.