Chapter 22

Chapter 22

I Became the Only Non-mage in the Academy.

Episode 22: Mine (2)

Whoosh.

I felt an odd sense of buoyancy.

At the end of that sensation, I stepped into the tower.

Before me was a peculiar labyrinth, stone walls enclosing all sides but the front.

The Tower of Dreams had a unique layout.

It was a thirty-story structure designed for solo challengers.

But that was the case only for the moment.

-This sensation is odd.

“It’s the illusions at work. The Tower of Dreams casts illusions upon all who enter.”

This place was literally a world of illusions.

However, the Black Heavenly Demon Sword, infused with the Energy of Defying Heaven, was largely unaffected.

I surveyed my surroundings.

Enclosed by stone walls, the maze was capped on the top and sides.

I advanced boldly.

Soon, I encountered a T-shaped junction. Instead of picking a direction, I approached the wall.

“I’ve found it.”

-Hm? What do you mean?

Without replying, I placed my hand on the wall.

Black Mirror.

The Energy of Defying Heaven began to coalesce in my palm.

The dark energy enveloped my hand completely. Then, I tapped the wall lightly.

Thud.

The faint sound reverberated. But when the Energy of Defying Heaven burst forth from my hand, it sent ripples that tore through the wall of illusory dreams.

Boom!

Behind the wall lay a small altar-like space. Bingo. I wasted no time entering.

The shattered wall began to mend itself swiftly.

-My master seems to be quite knowledgeable.

The Black Heavenly Demon Sword commented with heavy meaning.

“It’s foresight.”

I had already concocted an explanation for the curious.

Foresight.

Such a power was already known in this realm.

-Master, isn’t it rare for mysteries to reside in one with the Heaven Defying Body? And yet you possess foresight, an especially potent enigma?

“Regrettably, my foresight is innate, whereas the Heaven Defying Body was acquired. As a result, I have lost my foresight.”

-……

The Black Heavenly Demon Sword shut its eyes for a brief moment.

-The master is truly unique. Or in this case, perhaps he gained the power of Defying Heaven through foresight. Having experienced the mystery of foresight first, you handle the Energy of Defying Heaven well.

The Black Heavenly Demon Sword started to theorize.

Although everything was wrong, I nodded for the moment.

-Then you must also know what is inside here.

“Of course.”

I nodded my head.

Within this hidden stage of the Tower of Dreams, there was an object with very special power.

I approached the altar.

On it rested a box.

A pink-colored box.

A strange vibration surrounded it. Yet, it seemed trivial compared to the earlier wall.

I channeled the Energy of Defying Heaven and wrapped it around my hand. Then, I lifted the box.

Crackle.

The sound of something breaking echoed as I opened the box.

Inside was a pink bead.

Appraisal.

[Magic Bead (B+)]

Increases the consumer’s magic power.

: Increases magic by 10 if below 30.

: Increases magic by 5 if above 30.

-Hm? Isn’t this for magic power?

“There’s always a use for it.”

I retrieved the elixir I had obtained from the shadow snake.

This, too, was a type of Spirit Elixir that boosted magic power.

I placed the snake’s elixir on top of the box and returned it to the altar.

Flash!

A burst of light erupted.

-So, offering a sacrifice on the altar results in receiving a true reward. Interesting.

The Black Heavenly Demon Sword quietly admired the process.

I waited for a while before taking the box again.

When I lifted the lid, there were characters etched inside.

Appraisal.

[Mark of Dreams (A+)]

A token from the Tower of Dreams.

Can be engraved on the body like a tattoo to exert its power.

: Adds 10 to mental strength.

: Grants the innate skill “Illusion within Truth.”

: ??? (Unlocks after clearing the 10th floor of the Tower of Dreams)

: Qualification of Truth.

[Qualification of Truth (A)]

Having seen the truth within the illusion, you are now qualified to see the end of the tower.

: Absolute mental resistance obtained in the Tower of Dreams.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to climb the tower now.

I engraved the Mark of Dreams on my right forearm.

I opened the status window to check it.

I wanted to see if my Nyeom stat, which had evolved alongside mental strength into the Heaven Defying stat, had increased.

‘It hasn’t increased.’

Nevertheless, I had become better at handling the power of Defying Heaven.

This met the minimum requirements to face a more challenging Mine.

Then I exited through the portal.

“Hm? You’ve come out. Would you like to stay at the exclusive Mage Tower lodging?”

“No, it’s fine.”

The exclusive Mage Tower lodging was ridiculously expensive.

Staying there for just one day would cost over 10 million won.

While I could afford it, I didn’t want to waste money unnecessarily.

I turned on my phone to find a nearby hotel.

I browsed through the options and selected the best hotel available.

Hong Yu-hwa made her way to the dressing room.

Thanks to her father’s wealth, which rivaled that of a chaebol family, her wardrobe was replete with glamorous clothes.

‘Let’s keep it simple.’

Her relationship with Lee Seo-ha was nothing more than that of rivals. Nothing more, nothing less.

She glanced at the photo of Lee Seo-ha pinned to one side of the dressing room while contemplating.

-Get ready and come.

Hong Yu-hwa suddenly recalled that message.

Get ready and come? She pondered the intention behind such a cryptic message sent to her.

She assessed Lee Seo-ha objectively.

Though his fashion sense was really poor, he had looks and proportions to compensate.

But more than external appearances, Hong Yu-hwa valued inner qualities.

An ability that was hard to fathom.

It felt like a power that drew one deeper into a maze the more they were together.

‘What am I thinking?’

Hong Yu-hwa sighed and chose a plain white blouse and a neat high-waisted skirt.

Korea Hero School was too difficult a place to have a romantic relationship. At least until graduation.

Thinking of the words of rejection she would utter to Lee Seo-ha, she called her butler.

“Butler.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s depart.”

“Yes, understood.”

Hong Yu-hwa called her butler with a haughty tone, recalling her words of rejection.

‘We are still students, let’s focus on our studies.’

That sounded too nerdy.

‘If you want me, maintain the top rank for at least three years before confessing.’

That didn’t seem right. Lee Seo-ha actually had the capability to achieve that.

“Miss, we have arrived.”

“…Alright.”

As she pondered over her lines of rejection, they had already arrived. Hong Yu-hwa sighed inwardly and got out of the car.

In front of the coffee shop.

Ershil was seen.

A tight-fitting black long-sleeve shirt with a brown and white checkered skirt, topped with a brown coat.

Clearly, an effort was made in dressing.

“…Oh, it’s Hong Yu-hwa. Hello.”

“Hello.”

Followed by silence.

But the problem didn’t end there. A tall woman, striking even from a distance, was seen.

A dress typically referred to as a “milf look,” clinging tightly to the body.

However, the exaggerated midsection made the attire seem more provocative.

If Lee Seo-ha had been there, it wouldn’t have been surprising to comment on her resembling a giant.

Hong Yu-hwa blankly stared at her.

Unlike usual, her bangs were swept to the sides, not covering half of her face, giving her a more elegant appearance.

“Just wondering, you’re here because Lee Seo-ha invited you too, right?”

Ershil’s cool voice reached Hong Yu-hwa.

Hong Yu-hwa flinched involuntarily but pretended otherwise and nodded.

“Yeah. I was told to get ready and come.”

“Hah.”

A sigh of disbelief escaped Ershil.

Though the sigh was cool, Hong Yu-hwa, not wanting to show weakness, pretended to be strong.

Kim Ara was present too, creating a frosty atmosphere outside the coffee shop for a moment.

From a distance, they saw Lee Seo-ha leisurely yawning and approaching.

“What’s this, everyone’s early. I was…”

Lee Seo-ha stopped mid-sentence.

His gaze was fixated on the void.

After tilting his head in confusion, panic crossed his features.

Maybe he realized he said something wrong—Hong Yu-hwa thought so.

Swoosh-

As Lee Seo-ha turned his head, Ershil reacted.

“Why?”

Boom!

An explosion echoed from the opposite direction.

“Aaaaah!”

“An explosion?! Why in Seoul…”

Citizens trembled in fear.

But the explosions didn’t stop with just one.

Boom!

Boom!

Two more explosions followed, each with a brief gap in between.

Hong Yu-hwa’s eyes trembled as she looked towards the source of the explosions.

Why in Korea, of all places?

“Everyone, snap out of it!”

Lee Seo-ha’s shout broke through the chaos.

Then, as if waking from a trance, everyone turned to look at him.

“The current attack is probably a terror act by Mine. It’s difficult for monsters to operate properly in Korea, given its structure.”

“That’s true. There are many powerful heroes in this small land.”

“Right. The heroes must already be aware of this situation. So, we fight the Mine to buy time.”

“Time? Isn’t it the opposite?”

“No, it’s more dangerous if they run rampant.”

Lee Seo-ha’s gaze was firmly set in one direction.

Main Quest Chapter 2: Stop the rampaging Black Magic Alliance in the city.

◈ Reward: 5,000P, with additional or subtracted rewards based on performance.

◈ Failure: Death of Kim Seo-hyun.

Black Magic Alliance.

It was not an organization that should have appeared at this point.

“Probably… their identity is the Black Magic Alliance.”

“Black Magic Alliance!”

Ershil exclaimed as if she were screaming.

“Those terrorists? But do they have the audacity to terrorize Korea?”

“No, they shouldn’t. But judging by the magical energy, it seems like it’s the Black Magic Alliance.”

He didn’t know that for sure.

But right now, he needed an excuse to ‘persuade’ them.

“So we leave immediately. If anyone’s scared, it’s okay to stay here.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not weak enough to run away from them. The same goes for the others, right?”

“Of course.”

“…Yes.”

Ershil responded, followed by Hong Yu-hwa and Kim Ara.

Fortunately.

Lee Seo-ha internally sighed with relief.

Boom!

From afar, a building collapsed as a black light and a red flame dragon (炎龍) clashed.

Kim Seo-hyun was fighting with a Mine.

“Let’s go quickly.”

Lee Seo-ha desperately hoped that Kim Seo-hyun was safe.