The Mage Will Master Magic Efficiently In His Second Life (Re: Master Magic)

[Twi]

The thread for the web-novel of The Mage Will Master Magic Efficiently In His Second Life. It tells the story of Zeff Einstein, a mage who spent his whole life mastering red magic and was finally recognized for it, yet a new spell that was soon created revealed that his talent for red magic was his lowest out of five different systems. Bitter at the thought of all his wasted effort, he creates a spell to send his old self back in time to his younger body when he dies and together with the determined "genius" mage Milly and the handsome swordswoman Claude, he intends to master magic more efficiently this time.

A translation of the series is being done here and there are some differences in the mediums from the manga (which has a thread here), such as a darker theme.

The current translations are up to Chapter 20, so feel free to discuss it, and there's a Tv Tropes page in the works.

[Yoburi]

Doesn't that sond pointless he was already recognized how is possible to call that a wasted effort when he did his very best... the dude is just butthurted don't see any reason to restart his life other than a petty desire.

[BladeMancer]

Originally Posted by Yoburi

Doesn't that sond pointless he was already recognized how is possible to call that a wasted effort when he did his very best... the dude is just butthurted don't see any reason to restart his life other than a petty desire.

Dude dedicated his entire life to mastering red magic, only to discover that it was the magic he had his lowest potential on. The title of greatest red magician was taken from him by a newbie with higher potential. If something you had been trying to achieve your whole life had been for naught, could you just call it a "petty" desire?

[Yoburi]

Originally Posted by BladeMancer

Dude dedicated his entire life to mastering red magic, only to discover that it was the magic he had his lowest potential on. The title of greatest red magician was taken from him by a newbie with higher potential. If something you had been trying to achieve your whole life had been for naught, could you just call it a "petty" desire?

Hell Yeah its petty in RL there are many mathematician that spend there whole life studying and learning only to lose to some brat probably a asian less than 10 years old that was born with a IQ above 200 but even losing to the kid there effort isn't for naught.

The same could be said to this mage just because some brat took his title of the best he already decide he must have another shoot in life, what happends if he trains in white magic in his next life becames the best only to lose his title again to a more young and talent guy is he going to start a third life?

[Breimn]

And this is why he later chooses to have fun with a party and adventure compared to simply study magic his whole life again.

[Akashin]

Originally Posted by Yoburi

Hell Yeah its petty in RL there are many mathematician that spend there whole life studying and learning only to lose to some brat probably a asian less than 10 years old that was born with a IQ above 200 but even losing to the kid there effort isn't for naught.

The same could be said to this mage just because some brat took his title of the best he already decide he must have another shoot in life, what happends if he trains in white magic in his next life becames the best only to lose his title again to a more young and talent guy is he going to start a third life?

It wasn't just that he was overtaken that drove him; it was the knowledge that he could have been much more than he was. And, you know, there's also the fact that those mathematicians you're talking about didn't have the means or ability to do anything about it. He could do something about it, so he did.

And to answer your question, no, I doubt it. He's driven by the desire to be the best he can be, not necessarily the best there ever was (though he'd have no complaints over that, naturally).

[BladeMancer]

Originally Posted by Yoburi

Hell Yeah its petty in RL there are many mathematician that spend there whole life studying and learning only to lose to some brat probably a asian less than 10 years old that was born with a IQ above 200 but even losing to the kid there effort isn't for naught.

The same could be said to this mage just because some brat took his title of the best he already decide he must have another shoot in life, what happends if he trains in white magic in his next life becames the best only to lose his title again to a more young and talent guy is he going to start a third life?

Not if one's goal was to be the best, the greatest. Thing with math is (while frustrating to learn) that it has no limit and is dependent entirely on practice and material. Talent is surely a factor, but that could be overcome with hardwork. The thing with magic is that no matter how hard he worked, he had reached his limit and could not go further. He could never overcome that guy no matter how hard he tried

[cabman11]

Originally Posted by Yoburi

Doesn't that sond pointless he was already recognized how is possible to call that a wasted effort when he did his very best... the dude is just butthurted don't see any reason to restart his life other than a petty desire.

Aside from that when you're really really old and on the verge of death and you have the ability to restart your life once would you do it?

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Yoburi

Hell Yeah its petty in RL there are many mathematician that spend there whole life studying and learning only to lose to some brat probably a asian less than 10 years old that was born with a IQ above 200 but even losing to the kid there effort isn't for naught.

I'm pretty sure that never happened. Young genius mathematicians taking some kind of crown of academic acknowledgement? Sure. World class mathematician overtaken by a ten years old stereotype? No.

Originally Posted by BladeMancer

Not if one's goal was to be the best, the greatest. Thing with math is (while frustrating to learn) that it has no limit and is dependent entirely on practice and material. Talent is surely a factor, but that could be overcome with hardwork.

I think you - and Yoburi, for that matter - are only talking getting good grades in the school subject of mathematics. Which is different from being a mathematician, let alone one of the best.

The thing with magic is that no matter how hard he worked, he had reached his limit and could not go further. He could never overcome that guy no matter how hard he tried

It wasn't even about the other guy. And he barely noticed losing his title. What embittered him was how little of his own potential he realized. He could have been so much more.

Originally Posted by cabman11

Aside from that when you're really really old and on the verge of death and you have the ability to restart your life once would you do it?

I would, in his shoes. I might be able to find some kind eternal youth spell, if not on my first loop then on a susbsequent one, and then there'd be no need for the whole groundhog life thing.

[BladeMancer]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

I'm pretty sure that never happened. Young genius mathematicians taking some kind of crown of academic acknowledgement? Sure. World class mathematician overtaken by a ten years old stereotype? No.



I think you - and Yoburi, for that matter - are only talking getting good grades in the school subject of mathematics. Which is different from being a mathematician, let alone one of the best.


It wasn't even about the other guy. And he barely noticed losing his title. What embittered him was how little of his own potential he realized. He could have been so much more.



I would, in his shoes. I might be able to find some kind eternal youth spell, if not on my first loop then on a susbsequent one, and then there'd be no need for the whole groundhog life thing.

Well I guess I was wrong then. Hopefully he becomes a jack of all trades and masters all magic.

[Rasty]

Generally having the ability to turn back time in this way gives you almost infinite informations, thus you can acomplish extremely much. Most people would use this ability if they could. You never thought about becoming a baby again with all the knowledge you have now? Well this is basically the concept of tensei novels...

But reading this series was not too rewarding... After quite a number of boring comes not too good plot and a total fail after that, I stopped reading at that point.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by BladeMancer

Well I guess I was wrong then. Hopefully he becomes a jack of all trades and masters all magic.

Well, his goal is to be at the maximum level he can be on every magic.

[Twi]

Basically, here were his stats in his old life, from the prologue:

Zeph Einstein

Level 99

「Red/Scarlet」 Magic level: 62/ 62

「Blue」 Magic level: 49/ 87

「Green」 Magic level: 22/99

「Sky」 Magic level: 22/89

「Soul」 Magic level: 19/97

Red Magic was literally the lowest potential he had and he put all his life into mastering it when he could have been more, unaware that he'd hit his peak ages ago. Since it gets harder to level up your magic as your level grows, by the end he couldn't push it any further than when he was young. The Scout Scope spell only arrived at the Magic Association in his time shortly before he died, so he didn't know until it was too late.

I'm in agreement that if he can use the time travel spell more than once then it's ultimately meaningless, but I don't think the series will ever get to the point that he can use it again, presuming it took him until he reached an old age to store enough power. The time-travel spell, from my point of view, was simply the means by which he returned to the past. If he dies prior to that then it won't work, likewise, if he masters his magic completely then he'll have fulfilled his life goal and can die content with knowing he was the best he could be in life, rather than trying to do it all over.

[Breimn]

Soul magic is the one he used to timetravel right? And that is only lvl 19. Think at 97 what he may learn.

[Rasty]

Originally Posted by Breimn

Soul magic is the one he used to timetravel right? And that is only lvl 19. Think at 97 what he may learn.

It was his original magic and that is always overpowered and not sure whether it even fits directly to the system, and it shouldn' t be pure soul as it manipulates the time, it transferign just the souls was because it wasn't complete. And if I am not mistaen this aren't his final stats (well close to final though) as he starts developing the time reversng magic after he reads this.

[jmcu17]

Don't really see the need to question the protagonist's actions, do you really need a reason to go back in time? If I can wave a wand and send you back to... say last week, would you take it? I would. Cause hey, at the very least, I can win the lottery.

If I wave a wand and can suddenly have decades of my life back... it'll be like a dream come true for most people. Cause let's face it, no matter how perfect you've lived your life and how good you have it now, a part of you will always believe you could have done better.

[Okashira]

I remember this was pretty damn good and the old school rpg nods fell pretty well on an old timer such as myself; but the problem was that this was too shoonenish when it counted, like.....

Spoiler:

If I remember properly, one of the series supposedly most beautiful girls is a lone traveler, and she has the habit of getting tricked, being drugged into unconsciousness and then have all of her stuff stolen pretty much every place she went before meeting the cast... But she doesn't get raped even once even though she is supposedly pretty much exquisit. I guess thiefs in that world are all kaito level gentlemen?

Oh, and also some people that really deserve to bit it, simply don't.

The guy's shishou with her stalker tendencies is the best girl, period

[Twi]

Originally Posted by Rasty

It was his original magic and that is always overpowered and not sure whether it even fits directly to the system, and it shouldn' t be pure soul as it manipulates the time, it transferign just the souls was because it wasn't complete. And if I am not mistaen this aren't his final stats (well close to final though) as he starts developing the time reversng magic after he reads this.

At level 99, it's probably too hard to push it further. He did make the Time Square spell by the end, but the Time Leap spell itself is unstable and doesn't have a dedicated system. Either way, the only time it will likely be a concern is if the series actually makes it to that point.

Spoiler for Text from Prologue:

I struggled, to end the suffering of training even a second sooner.

On the verge of death I finally created a new spell.

I spent many years waiting, to release the magic I’ve engraved into this body.


「Time Leap」


My spirit left my body, traveling through space-time back to the past.

The spell was still incomplete though, only knowledge was passed over, and I’ll have to re-train my magic all over again.

But luckily, I like training.

Unstable, yes, and I don’t know how far back the spell will take me, but this time I’ll take advantage of my knowledge and 「Scout Scope」to the fullest.

@ Shovel Knight Avatar
I'm 26 and want to go back to redo my life from 13, and I've had a pretty okay life. I still think there were a lot of things I could have done better in High School for one. If I had that spell, I would take the risk.

@ Okashira
Rape is a special kind of evil. You don't put that in for shock value or its just poor writing. And I know he does kill people like the bandits.

[sasuke706]

I'm pretty sure what Okashira meant was, if people are willing to drug a good-looking woman and steal all her shit (quite easy to die on the roadside that way, too), they're probably willing to rape her and/or kill her. Especially since if they're tricking her, she saw their face and maybe even heard their name (alias or not). It's not even shock value, and poor writing would be not touching the subject.
That's why he's saying it's shounen-ish, because a realistic and probable scenario was neglected in order to have getting her all shit constantly stolen to be comedic.
Even moreso if it's on multiple occasions. But in a realistic scenario, the woman would also probably learn her lesson after the first time it happened.

It's not like some thieves wouldn't have the half-assed determination to do some shit like that, or that some thieves wouldn't have some sense of honor code. It's just improbable.
Not touching the subject just means the series wants to focus on comedy, or doesn't take itself all that seriously. Which both are kind of the same thing anyway.

Although this is just formed off of Okashira's comment, as I haven't actually read the series myself.

[Twi]

I can't deny that much, but you also have to consider the fact that it's not aimed for what would be a Seinen scenario in the first place. The plot alone is light-hearted in nature, he wants a chance to do it over again because he feels he wasted his life. The world wasn't ending or some other dark scenario, it was a personal crisis that hits on a personal level that some people can relate to.

In a series where rape will happen, you can't have the level of comedy this has. At least not so immature as it is. It ranks higher than murder in the minds of most, at least in terms of what is present, and would feel entirely out of place. Even if it's probably more realistic....

Then again, I have no idea when that's happened in the series since the translation is only on Chapter 20.