Chapter 10

"Old man Gilkunis, why are you all staring at me like that? It's making me feel awkward!" After opening his eyes, Sordil found everyone staring fixedly at him and asked in confusion.

"Are you really Sordil?" Gilkunis stared at Sordil in utter disbelief, cautiously seeking confirmation.

"Old man, don't tell me you can't recognize me anymore? Just wait until I tell old man Radel to beat you up!" Sordil glared furiously at Gilkunis. As for this old man who had forgotten what he looked like, Sordil decided he would have to punish him properly.

"Radel? By now, I'm afraid no one besides the three of us would recognize you as Sordil!" To Sordil's surprise, Gilkunis was not frightened at all. Instead, he said something baffling, while Hissell and Zeref hurriedly nodded in agreement behind him.

"You should take a look for yourself!" Seeing that Sordil did not believe them, Zeref condensed an ice mirror with magic and held it before him.

"Ah!"

"Th-this... is me?"

Sordil stared at his reflection in stunned silence. The scales that had once resembled transparent crystals had been replaced by larger, rainbow-colored scales. The wings on his back gave off a faint Purple Light, while the pink horn that had once looked like a bamboo shoot had transformed into something golden, resembling a bull's horn. His dark golden pupils had been completely filled with violet-gold. More frightening still, his body had unknowingly doubled in size, and his limbs and tail had become far sturdier than before. Only then did Sordil understand why Gilkunis had questioned him earlier. But what was he supposed to do when he saw Hadessta and the others in the future? Looking like this, he would definitely scare them senseless.

"Um... Sordil, you awakened magic, didn't you?" Just as Sordil was lost in thought about the future, Zeref timidly asked. The other two also pricked up their ears. Though they already had their guesses, they still wanted confirmation.

"Yeah, I did. One kind can control time, while I have no idea what the other kind is..." At Zeref's question, Sordil snapped out of his thoughts. Recalling the sensation from when his magic had awakened, he answered casually.

"Magic that controls time?" The three shouted in unison at Sordil's words, startling him into trembling all over.

"Y-yes! Is there a problem?" Sordil asked with a baffled expression. Seeing how unconcerned he looked, Gilkunis and the other two dearly wished they could pin him to the ground and give him a savage beating, so he would understand just how rare Time Magic was.

"Wait, you don't know what the other magic is either? Does that mean you awakened two kinds of magic at once?" Hissell recalled Sordil's earlier words and carefully asked.

"Yeah. What's so strange about that? Doesn't Zeref know lots of magic too?" Thinking of all the different magic Zeref had used during their journey, Sordil felt that this old man was rather ignorant.

"Of course it's different. The only magic I initially awakened was Fire Magic; I learned the other kinds later!" Hearing Sordil's words, Zeref immediately stepped forward to explain, making Sordil realize in an instant just how abnormal he was.

"Now you know how different you are, don't you?" Hissell stepped forward at that moment. At the same time, the old man grew even more interested in Sordil's unknown magic, so he asked Sordil to use it. That way, he could help determine its type, making it easier for Sordil to study it in the future. Under the expectant gazes of the three, Sordil began to draw upon the unfamiliar magic power within him. Transparent magic power surged forth with a buzzing hum. Then, before their eyes, Sordil vanished from where he stood and reappeared more than ten meters away.

"Space Magic! This is Space Magic! I never imagined that the two great magics of time and space would appear in the same person. It's simply unbelievable!" Hissell stared at Sordil in the distance and said in extreme shock.

"Space Magic? What is that?" Zeref asked Hissell in confusion.

"Space Magic is a type of magic with an extremely broad range of applications. Based on its uses, it can roughly be divided into several categories: summoning, teleportation, defense, attack, and storage. Strictly speaking, my Quality Magic is also a type of Space Magic." Looking at Sordil, Hissell cleared up the confusion for Zeref and Gilkunis.

"So my magic is teleportation-type Space Magic? Doesn't that mean I can teleport directly into the library from now on and never worry about being discovered again?" After teleporting back, Sordil heard Hissell's explanation and said excitedly.

"You can't put it that way. For now, your magic appears to be teleportation-type, but that may not be the case in the future. After all, you can try learning offensive and defensive Space Magic as well, and it's also possible for you to acquire summoning-type and storage-type Space Magic. Besides, even if you wanted to teleport directly into the library right now, that would be impossible. First, your teleportation range is insufficient. Second, you are not yet proficient enough with your magic. You need much more practice." Watching the excited Sordil, Hissell criticized him without mercy.

"Uncle Hissell, you said earlier that your Quality Magic is also a type of Space Magic. Does that mean I can learn it too? Then I won't have to trouble you to take me into the academy every time. I'll also be able to enter and leave the library more conveniently, without worrying about my identity being discovered." Though Hissell had just poured cold water on him, Sordil's enthusiasm did not diminish in the slightest. Instead, his eagerness to learn burned even more fiercely, greatly pleasing Hissell. The old man immediately decided to teach Quality Magic to Sordil, and Zeref decisively joined their ranks as well. Only Gilkunis, seeing that the matter was settled, returned to his great hunting endeavor.

"Quality Magic is a branch of storage-type Space Magic. It increases or decreases the mass of a target's body or an object."

"However, the mass of any existence in this world cannot appear or disappear out of thin air. Therefore, Quality Magic uses spatial magic power to simulate the target's physical structure, then fills it with magic power to increase its mass. Reducing mass is the reverse process: the target's body is converted into spatial magic power and stored within a Magic Space."

Hissell earnestly explained Quality Magic to Sordil and Zeref, occasionally posing small questions to test whether they had been paying attention. Having the guidance of one of humanity's foremost magic masters, how could the two possibly be distracted by anything else? Thus, Hissell's questions did not stump them. Instead, they gave incomparably accurate answers, showing Hissell their passion for learning Quality Magic.

As Hissell continued his explanation, Sordil and Zeref's understanding of Quality Magic gradually deepened. Hissell then told them that knowing the principles of Quality Magic alone was not enough; they also needed to observe the structures of things in daily life if they wished to master it better. As the three continued their magic lesson, time steadily passed, and before they realized it, night had fallen. Hissell therefore took his leave, telling Sordil that he could go to the academy with Zeref tomorrow, where Hissell would continue explaining Quality Magic.