L.E. Miranda
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SSR - Book 2 Chapter 29: Third Circle (4)
🕑 Added 2025-04-10 00:44:08 +0000 UTCOn the eleventh day after Rylan had cleared the Basilisk Wilds and the discussion had taken place.
Rylan stood in front of the Flameheart estate, outside the gates, smiling. To his right was Gerard and to his left, Elizabeth. Behind him were Aelfric and Sarah.
He nodded at Alice, who was in front of him and staring at him like she wanted to say something. The sunlight illuminated her crimson hair and shone on her back. As usual, her tight clothes were only just barely covered by a small robe. A few steps behind her were the others, including Nathan, and further back, broom-like objects floated in the air.
“Have a safe trip, professors,” Rylan said, keeping his smile. He looked at Hugo and Rebecca, who were also staring at him.
Gerard stepped forward and extended his hand toward Alice.
“It was a pleasure, Miss Alice. I hope we can meet again in calmer circumstances,” he said with a calm expression.
Alice blinked and turned to look at Gerard, then shook his hand.
“Please. I didn’t even do anything,” she replied, sounding a bit dejected.
“That isn’t true. You and the others were here to protect Cantavega until my son arrived. Without you, the town would’ve been in much greater danger.”
She flinched and nodded after a second.
“I guess so. Either way, we only did what we were supposed to do. You guys did all the heavy lifting.”
Gerard let out a small sigh. Alice went back to staring at Rylan, making him raise an eyebrow.
“Is there something you want to tell me, professor?” Rylan asked.
She continued to stare at him for a few seconds.
“…There will be questions. A lot of them,” she replied.
“That’s what I’m here for,” Nathan suddenly interjected before Rylan could reply. He smiled at Rylan. “Don’t worry, nephew. The Astassier family will fully support you, whether you join us or not.”
Rylan calmly nodded at him. Nathan glanced at Rebecca and Hugo, then looked at Alice.
“We’ve already agreed upon what is going to happen,” Nathan continued in a cold tone. “Naturally, there will be consequences for those who go against it.”
Rylan resisted the urge to frown at the barely-veiled threat. Even though they had already decided what story the Astassier house and the professors would tell when they got back to Caer Rhelon, it wasn’t pleasant in the least to need to rely on such a family.
They had already agreed upon the story that the Astassier house would spread in Caer Rhelon. In summary, it was about downplaying Rylan’s impact on the Dungeon raid as much as possible, to the point of lying about the professors’ performance.
It might be just effective enough.
As long as he didn’t show too much of his strength, it was likely that only Damian and the king would be able to tell how much stronger he’d become. No, there was one more person. Rylan furrowed his brow.
Gael Astassier.
It was only natural to assume that his grandfather would hear about this in full from Nathan himself. The fewer people who knew the true story, the better, but there was no way to avoid Gael, especially since he was relying on the Astassier family’s influence. He could only hope that he would grow strong enough to protect himself and his family before the other kingdoms or even the Empire caught wind of this.
“Yeah, yeah,” Alice snapped at Nathan with a frown, dragging Rylan out of his thoughts. “We know what’s at stake here.”
She nodded at Rylan and his family.
“Then, we’re off. I still think we should’ve done more for you guys, but I’m glad we were somewhat useful. I promise the Academy will also cooperate. And you,” Alice looked into Rylan’s eyes. “Don’t think you’re invincible just because you’ll have reached the Third Circle by the time you get back.”
Rylan smiled at his professor, who seemed to be almost pouting. Was she worried that her class would be pointless for someone like him?
“Of course. I’ll see you soon, professors,” he replied and nodded at the group in front of him.
Alice snapped her fingers. The brooms behind her group shook before getting closer to her. Hugo and Rebecca readily climbed on top of theirs, but Nathan only looked at Elizabeth with a blank expression.
“I’m staying,” she said in a firm tone, as if daring him to disagree.
In response, Nathan only nodded.
“Sure,” he replied. “I’ll return home. We’ll be expecting you when you return to the city.”
Rylan glanced at his mother. She flinched in surprise before frowning deeply. Nathan promptly turned around and climbed on top of his flying artifact.
“You,” Elizabeth snapped. “Do you really think that plan is going to work? Trying to win him over like this?”
Nathan shook his head.
“It doesn’t matter. You said you wanted to spend time with your family, so go ahead and spend a few more days with them. I have no reason to force you to return with me.”
Elizabeth clenched her fists. Before she could continue arguing, Rylan put his hand on her shoulder, making her turn to him.
“Goodbye,” Rylan said, looking at Nathan. Nathan smiled at him and nodded.
A few seconds later, the broom artifacts shot through the skies, going ever higher and faster. Soon, they became dots on the horizon.
“Well, that’s that,” Rylan continued after a second.
“Rylan,” Elizabeth abruptly said, sounding clearly worried. “You can’t let him fool you. I know exactly what sort of person Nathan is. This is all just an act. He wants to use you as a weapon.”
Rylan smiled at his mother.
“Yeah, I know. Don’t worry.”
As Roland, he had gotten to know far too many people like Nathan and Gael, to the point that he could spot them from a mile away.
Since they want to use me, nothing wrong with using them.
Just like in this situation, exploiting the Astassier house’s influence in the Ceotha Kingdom could prove to be very useful.
“…As long as you know. I’m sorry for always telling you the same thing, but… I can’t let you fall into their hands.”
Rylan put his hand on his mother’s head. She let out a breath, looking a bit calmer.
“Rylan will be fine, Mom,” Aelfric said, making everyone look at him. “There’s no way they will be able to do anything to him.”
Rylan smiled helplessly. Sometimes, his younger brother’s faith in him was almost to the point of a burden.
We need to talk about that.
But was there even anything that could be done about it? Apart from waiting and hoping that Aelfric’s opinion of him would change as time went on, what else was he supposed to do? His memories of his past life didn’t help him in the least when it came to things like this. A small corner of Rylan’s heart was tinged with pain by the thought.
He continued to talk to Sarah, Aelfric, and Elizabeth, reveling in the mere opportunity to do so.
“Rylan,” Gerard interjected as he got closer to Rylan.
Rylan blinked and nodded at his father.
“Yeah, I know,” he turned to look at the rest of his family and Sarah, then spoke louder. “Now, I should finish what I started. I’ll be back soon.”
Everyone smiled, clearly aware of what he was talking about. Sarah silently bowed, while Aelfric and Elizabeth smiled.
“I wonder how much stronger you’re going to become,” Aelfric said, tilting his head as if trying to guess.
Rylan ruffled his hair.
“Only one way to find out. We should be done before the morning is over.”
Together, the group entered the estate and went back to the manor. Once they stepped inside, Rylan and Gerard went on their way to the study, while the others went to the main room to wait for the results.
On the way, Rylan focused on keeping his breathing steady. Still, he couldn’t help but feel some anticipation. Reaching the Second Circle had been a powerful enough boost, but given the scaling nature of the Circles system, he fully expected that creating the Third Circle would be even more impactful.
Soon, they arrived in front of the door to the study. Gerard entered the room and immediately waved his wand. Rylan followed him, analyzing the surrounding mana’s movements. It was the second time that he’d seen Gerard’s barrier spell.
Is it a type of Illusion spell?
Gerard pointed at the center of the study.
“You know what to do.”
Rylan nodded and sat down cross-legged, then turned his focus inwards. The world around him disappeared. At the same time, the maelstrom of mana within him became clearer. The two whirlpools rotated, one empowering the other. His mana circulated throughout his body, flowing like water going downstream. The closer it got to the maelstrom, the faster it flowed. The slow stream became a raging flood, then mellowed out into a stream again.
Faster.
The flow became faster. The whirlpools continued to spin as the maelstrom grew stronger. His mana filled every corner of his body, granting him almost palpable power. There were no loose strands; the entirety of his mana pool followed his intent. Now supported by its Second Circle, his Mana Core resonated with his physical body.
Breathe.
He breathed rhythmically and deeply, as Roland had learned to. Every breath brought in more of the outside world’s mana, even though it had disappeared from his perception. It was as if he were floating in an endless black void with boundless energy. Every muscle, every bone, every organ, they all hummed in response to his mana’s movements.
As he reached the pinnacle of his physical and spiritual state, the only desire within him was to go further. The rate at which he drew in mana intensified. The maelstrom became bigger and bigger, raging like a fierce storm. In this infinite inner world, the heavens and sea were connected through a hurricane of power and energy. At the same time, Rylan didn’t lose control of his mana in the least. His Mana Core throbbed like a beating heart as a third whirlpool, even larger than the other two, started to take shape.
Despite this apparent success, Rylan only became more cautious. This was the critical moment. The knowledge he’d acquired through studying with his father flashed through his mind like a book’s turning pages. He gradually changed his way of drawing in mana, tempering Roland’s instincts with what he’d learned in this life. Since he was now in uncharted territory, he would need both.
Carefully.
Rylan knew he couldn’t let his concentration waver. He focused intently on his Mana Core and Circles, alert for any sign of danger or that he’d made a mistake. However, the moment never came. The third whirlpool only became larger. It was a turning point.
In an instant, the storm became even larger. Once the whirlpool touched the other two with the Mana Core at its very heart, this only intensified. Each whirlpool supported the others, while also acting as a separate entity. They resonated with each other as the seconds ticked by, affecting his physical body as well.
Rylan watched the whole process with wonder. It was as if he were listening to a song that only he could hear. He felt like he could keep watching this forever, but everything came to an end after an unknown amount of time. The third whirlpool had completely formed around the other two. It was different from when he’d created his Second Circle, however.
Their connection is stronger.
The boundaries between the Circles had grown more unclear, but that had only made them stronger. The Third Circle reinforced the other two, which in turn empowered it. It was then that he’d finally completely understood his father’s words. He, too, didn’t know what that was anymore.
Rylan opened his eyes to a System notification and a smell he was all too familiar with.
[Mana Cultivation (Beginner) has become Mana Cultivation (Intermediate).]
Nodding to himself, Rylan looked down. His skin and clothes were covered in a sticky black substance that smelled like rotten eggs and meat. He raised an eyebrow.
There’s too much of it.
The amount of impurities was far greater than when this had happened to Roland for the first time. It was an obvious consequence of the lifestyle he’d led in this life before his eighteenth birthday. Rylan frowned at the veritable crust of impurities that covered him from head to toe.
“…I was waiting for you to be done, but what the hell is that?” Gerard asked from the side in a disbelieving tone.
“Burn it all,” Rylan immediately replied. “They’re impurities.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice.”
A moment later, a wave of fire washed over Rylan. The flames flowed through the impurities, turning them to cinder without harming even a hair on his body. After a few seconds, they disappeared. Rylan nodded to himself and stood up, then looked at his father. Gerard was looking at him up and down.
“…You look different,” Gerard stated after a second. “Is it related to those impurities? Your skin looks better than your mother’s.”
Rylan nodded with a grin.
“Of course. My body is better now.”
“Better?”
“Faster, stronger, tougher, more flexible. Almost every physical aspect becomes better once the first layer of impurities is removed. There were more than I expected, though.”
Gerard stared at him for a second, silent. Rylan only shrugged and stood up.
“…So? How much stronger are you right now?”
Rylan smiled and started circulating his mana. It was as if a dam had been broken.
Comments
Some Guy
TFTC
PhantomGlitch
Thanks for the chapter!
