Chapter 47: Mage’s Tower (2)

The upper levels of the Mage’s Tower.

To get here, one can only move through the transfer magic circle. With this explanation, Aei spread out her five fingers.

“The Mage’s Tower consists of five floors in total. The place we’re currently in is the 1st floor, commonly called the ‘Workshop’.”

A training ground for magical refinement.

The 1st floor of the tower is composed of various facilities for visitors, including a place set up for meditation and a space where one can freely spend time.

“Additionally, since the Workshop is a space allowed only for individuals, you don’t have to worry about running into other Mages.”

“What? Other Mages?”

Han-seong’s eyes widened.

He asked back with a questioning look.

“But don’t you need to complete the job quest to enter the Mage’s Tower?”

Job quests are only given to those who first reach 3-star rank in a specific job. Doesn’t that mean only one person per job can enter the tower?

That’s when Aei provided an answer.

“Job quests are given to all beings who reach 3-star rank. On exactly the hundredth day after the apocalypse engulfs the world.”

“Oh, then I…”

“Mage-nim has earned the qualification to enter the tower a bit earlier than other Mages.”

Ah, so that’s how it is. Now the question was resolved.

At the same time, he felt slightly deflated.

After all, it meant that all jobs could earn the qualification to enter the tower if enough time passed.

“Of course, there are differences too.”

“Yes? Differences?”

“Those who receive and clear the job quest on the designated day in the future will only get the qualification to enter the tower as a reward.”

“Ah…”

Meaning they won’t get things like the Mage’s Staff that he had received before entering the tower. Han-seong nodded as if understanding.

“Additionally, the difficulty of the job quest is proportional to one’s talent. The more outstanding talent one possesses, the harder the achievement conditions become.”

“Mage-nim’s was the highest difficulty.”

Somehow I thought it might be like that.

Han-seong let out a deep sigh.

‘I expected it to some extent, but.’

In the case of Necromancer Kim Tae-min, who is no longer in this world, he heard that the completion condition for the job quest was to create three ghouls.

He’s not sure how difficult it is to create a ghoul, but it’s probably not as hard as taking down an elite monster alone.

“For a 3rd Tier Mage to defeat an elite monster alone without a vanguard or healer is nearly impossible. But Mage-nim accomplished this splendidly. It’s truly a remarkable achievement.”

Aei clapped her hands together.

As if applauding him. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Han-seong silently scratched his cheek.

“And this is just a side note.”

“The trials of the tower that Mage-nim will face from now on will also have their difficulty set in proportion to your talent. Starting from the third trial.”

That’s not particularly welcome information.

Han-seong smiled awkwardly. Just then, a huge magic circle appeared before the two of them.

“Could that be…”

“Yes, it’s the transfer magic circle.”

Aei stepped onto the magic circle.

Han-seong followed behind her, and Aei spoke while stretching her finger into the air.

“Then we’ll move to the next floor.”

No sooner had her words ended.

A sudden vibration occurred and the surroundings turned dark. Along with this, there was a sensation of the body floating upwards.

Some time later.

The vibration stopped and the surroundings brightened.

And when Han-seong saw the scenery outside the magic circle, his eyes widened. A scene quite different from the 1st floor unfolded before his eyes.

If the 1st floor of the tower was a desolate space with nothing, the 2nd floor they had just arrived at was lively enough to remind one of a city.

‘It’s like a market.’

Streets bustling with crowds.

There were several beings visible besides Han-seong.

Though they all had the drawback of invisible faces like Aei. Just then, Aei’s explanation reached his ears.

“This is the 2nd floor of the tower, the ‘Plaza’. In the future, you can interact with other Mages who will enter the tower, such as conversing or trading items.”

“Then there’s not much to do right now, is there?”

“Not necessarily. The merchants here also sell skillbooks or rare equipment that are hard to obtain outside.”

They sell skillbooks and equipment?

Han-seong’s curiosity was piqued.

Understandably so. Outside, it was difficult to even find skillbooks for Mages.

“Then shall we move to the 3rd floor…”

“Sorry, but could we look around a bit?”

He stopped Aei who was about to move to the next floor. He wanted to meet the merchants selling skillbooks or equipment.

‘It might help with the trials.’

If he could bring powerful skills or equipment, he might be able to clear the trials more easily. Aei nodded readily to Han-seong’s request.

“Of course. Certainly.”

As soon as permission was granted.

Han-seong arrived at a shop dealing with skillbooks, guided by Aei. Then a merchant wearing a red robe tilted his head.

“Oh? Administrator? What brings you here?”

“I’m performing the administrator’s duties.”

“What? But the tower isn’t yet… Gasp!”

The merchant who turned his gaze to Han-seong inhaled sharply as if startled. He was so surprised that he even jumped from his seat.

A reaction as if he had seen a ghost.

A moment later, the merchant looked back and forth between Han-seong and Aei, then spoke in a stammering tone.

“C-could it be that ■■ mentioned…!”

Just then, a bizarre language flowed from the merchant’s mouth. A sound never heard before. It sounded like noise from a broken radio.

He wanted to hear more, but the merchant quickly shut his mouth. Because Aei had already approached and firmly grasped the merchant’s shoulder.

“That’s enough.”

“Eek! I-I apologize! Th-that, well, I mean! Ah, please feel free to look around!”

The merchant who finished his incoherent answer.

He fled the scene as if escaping.

Han-seong turned to Aei and asked about the situation just now, but she shook her head.

“I’m sorry. There are restrictions on what I can say, so I can’t tell you.”

She didn’t seem to want to talk about it, so Han-seong quickly lost interest. It didn’t seem like she would tell him even if he kept asking anyway.

Instead, he turned his attention to the skillbooks displayed on the stand. Soon after, his eyes widened in surprise.

‘4th Tier skillbooks!’

Most of the skillbooks displayed on the stand were 4th Tier skillbooks. 4th Tier skillbooks he had never seen before in shops or the auction house.

Moreover, 5th Tier skillbooks occasionally caught his eye. Although he couldn’t acquire them right away, it’s significant that they’re for sale.

‘However, the problem is…’

The prices are incredibly expensive.

The cheapest skillbook on the stand is 5,000 coins. There are even ones priced at 30,000 coins.

So expensive that one couldn’t even think of buying without saved coins. Of course, Han-seong was an exception.

‘Currently, I have about 120,000 coins.’

This is the result of just saving without spending.

It’s not that he deliberately saved, but rather that there was nowhere suitable to spend them.

Anyway, if he uses this, he should be able to acquire quite a few skillbooks. Han-seong marked a few of the 4th Tier skillbooks.

“Would you like to look at other places?”

“Ah, yes. Please.”

There was one shop that had caught his eye earlier. Unlike skillbooks or equipment, it peculiarly sold ‘characters’ called runes.

『Rune Shop』

What on earth is a ‘rune’ in the first place?

As Han-seong tilted his head in front of the shop, Aei’s explanation soon followed.

“Runes are magic itself, or engraving characters on a Mage’s body. To explain more simply, they’re a kind of special effect.”

Hearing this reminded him of the special effect attached to Magic Spear that he had used recently.

So if you buy runes, does that mean you can attach special effects to other skills too? Han-seong listened intently to Aei’s story with an interested face.

“Runes are largely divided into two types. Upper runes that can be engraved on the Mage’s own body, and lower runes that are engraved on the magic itself.”

“Upper runes and lower runes…”

“Additionally, all the runes sold here are lower runes. They only sell runes related to the skills Mage-nim has currently acquired.”

“Then where can I get upper runes?”

“You can obtain them by passing trials.”

Han-seong nodded at the kind explanation.

Seeing is believing, so it would be better to look directly. He carefully examined the products displayed in the Rune Shop.

[Name]: Forked Lightning

[Effect]: When Call Lightning accurately hits the target, Chain Lightning is activated. However, this is only effective if Chain Lightning has been acquired.

[Additional Ability]: Impact Range +50%

[Price]: 1,500 Coins

‘Ah, so that’s how it works.’

If you engrave the Forked Lightning rune on Call Lightning, this kind of special effect occurs. Also, the increased impact range looks good.

The price isn’t too expensive either.

‘Shall I look at other runes?’

Han-seong turned his gaze to the side.

Then he found something interesting.

[Name]: Splitting Spear

[Effect]: If the amount of mana charged in Magic Spear exceeds the standard value of ‘5,000’, Magic Spear splits into five.

-This special effect can be activated selectively, and the split Magic Spears have their power and impact range reduced to 1/5.

-However, the effective range is not reduced.

[Additional Ability]: ‘Reload’ function installed

[Price]: 18,000 Coins

“This is…”

An effect that allows loading five divided Magic Spears after charging is complete. Although the price is quite expensive, it seems useful.

It means being able to operate Magic Spear like Magic Arrow. After pondering, Han-seong decided to purchase the Splitting Spear rune.

But it wasn’t possible.

[Notice: Cannot purchase.]

[Reason: Unqualified]

“…Huh?”

Unqualified? What does that mean?

As he was making a blank expression, Aei added an explanation, saying she had forgotten to mention it earlier.

“To use all the shops in the Plaza, you must pass at least one trial.”

“That’s why I asked earlier. Whether you would challenge the trial or not.”

Then passing the trial takes top priority after all.

Only then can he buy runes, and reach 4th Tier to acquire skillbooks.

Han-seong immediately opened his mouth.

“Let’s go up to the next floor.”

“Understood.”

Aei turned around.

Soon after, the two arrived at the 3rd floor of the tower through the transfer magic circle. Unlike the bustling 2nd floor earlier, the 3rd floor was a somewhat quiet space.

“The 3rd floor is the ‘Archive’. It’s a place where all forms of records written in text in Mage-nim’s world are stored.”

From ancient records lost to fire to unnamed children’s diaries. Vast amounts of data were stored in the Archive.

It’s also automatically translated into a language suitable for the reader, which naturally piqued his curiosity.

But the trial takes priority now, so it would be better to look at this separately later.

“The 4th floor is the ‘Library’. There are numerous books about magic here. It will also be a place bustling with many Mages in the future.”

After finishing her explanation, Aei said she would excuse herself for a moment and headed into the library. A while later, she returned holding books.

“Mage-nim, please accept these.”

“What? Why suddenly…”

“They will help with the trial.”

What Aei handed over were two books.

At first, he thought they were skillbooks, but upon closer inspection, they weren’t.

《Aether: Basic Understanding》

《Principles and Conditions of Magic Manifestation》

‘These will help with the trial?’

Han-seong tilted his head.

Then he felt a strange sense of dissonance. He realized once again that Aei was being excessively kind to him through this action.

‘When we first met, I just thought she had a naturally kind personality, but…’

The sense of dissonance grew stronger as time passed.

Not only answering questions he hadn’t asked, but also actions like handing over books saying they would help with the trial were strange.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Han-seong immediately asked a question. Then Aei answered with a voice tinged with a faint smile.

“This is a kind of investment.”

“Investment?”

“Yes, showing favor in advance to a Mage with outstanding talent. Before other guardians set their eyes on you.”

What is this about now?

Investment? Guardians setting their eyes on him?

Han-seong asked repeatedly, but unfortunately, he couldn’t get an answer. He only received a reply that he would understand as time passed.

“Well then, shall we go to the last floor?”

Aei changed the topic.

Now familiar vibrations enveloped the surroundings in darkness, and soon they arrived at the final destination.

“This is the 5th floor, the ‘Trial Room’.”

“…There’s nothing here though?”

“This is the waiting room. When you enter that room, the trial will begin immediately.”

Aei pointed straight ahead.

An old door standing alone without even walls. Han-seong approached it. On the other hand, Aei didn’t move from the waiting room.

“I cannot go in any further from here.”

“What? What do you mean…”

“The Trial Room is an area where only the challenger and the supervisor are allowed to enter.”

I see. Then passing through that door means the trial starts right away. Han-seong nodded with an understanding expression.

Aei bowed her head towards him.

“I’ll be waiting here. I pray for a good result.”

“Alright, I’ll be going then.”

After finishing his reply, Han-seong stood in front of the door.

A creeping sense of tension. He swallowed hard and clenched his fist tightly.

‘I must pass the trial no matter what.’

For promotion, for expanding the base and using the shop, absolutely. Engraving this firm resolve, Han-seong opened the door and went inside.

The interior was pitch black.

So dark that the boundaries between ceiling, walls, and floor were indistinguishable. So he quietly held his position until his eyes adjusted to the darkness.

Flash!

“Ugh!”

Suddenly everywhere brightened.

Han-seong tightly shut his eyes at the unexpected burst of light. It was so bright that tears even formed.

And at that moment, an unfamiliar voice was heard.

“Surprised, that is.”

Along with a somewhat peculiar way of speaking.

Han-seong slowly lifted his closed eyelids. His blurry vision gradually cleared, and soon he could observe the other’s form.

“To come here before a hundred days have passed, you must be quite skilled, that is.”

A shabby-looking stuffed doll.

But somehow its appearance was quite familiar.

He had definitely seen it somewhere before, but where? As he was pondering, a sudden memory came to mind. Han-seong asked back with surprised eyes.

“…Decoy Dummy?”

“Rude one, that is!”

The doll’s face crumpled up.

But it really did look alike.

The face, features, arms and legs, everything. There were only two differences. Just the doll’s material and way of speaking.

Meanwhile, the doll jumped up and down as if displeased with Han-seong’s words.

“That is merely a derivative of me, that is! I am the real original, that is! The initial model and prototype, that is!”

“Then what should I call you…”

“Hmph! You can call me V, that is.”

This one has a peculiar name too.

Thinking this to himself, Han-seong stared at the doll that had identified itself as V. Just then, the doll dragged a stone tablet from the corner.

“Mage. There are three trials you can currently challenge, that is. The details are written here, so refer to it, that is.”

A stone tablet about the size of a tablet computer.

When V tapped the stone tablet, glowing letters were engraved on the previously blank surface.

[1st Tier Trial]: Mana Manipulation

[2nd Tier Trial]: Magic Manifestation

[3rd Tier Trial]: Combat Application

“Look carefully and decide wisely, that is.”

“Um, by the way, during the trial…”

“If you want to come out during the trial, just shout ‘give up’, that is. Then you can challenge again after ten days in tower time, that is.”

Before the words were even finished, V had anticipated Han-seong’s question and provided an answer. As Han-seong closed his mouth, the doll pointed to the stone tablet again.

“The trial content and challenge tasks will be engraved on that stone tablet, that is. Then I will now begin the 1st Tier trial, that is!”

With that resounding declaration as the finale.

V disappeared. Along with this, the surrounding scenery changed. From a dark room to an all-white space dyed completely white.

“Where is this…?”

Momentarily bewildered by the suddenly changed scenery.

Han-seong recalled V’s words and immediately looked at the stone tablet. Then the original text engraved on the tablet cleanly disappeared.

Instead, new text was engraved.

The trial content that the doll had mentioned.

[Challenge]: 1st Tier Trial

[Name]: Mana Manipulation

[Content]: Convert aether into mana, manipulate it, then inject it into the stone tablet. Or striking the stone tablet with magic will also be considered passing the trial.

Strike the stone tablet with magic?

This is too easy, isn’t it?

It’s so ridiculous that he wants to laugh.

Han-seong immediately turned his body and put about ten paces of distance between himself and the stone tablet.

“Open Map.”

To strike the stone tablet by opening the map.

But something strange happened. The map that had always unfolded in response to his call, for some reason, did not appear.

“Huh? What? Why…”

Could it be some kind of error?

He tried to activate Open Map again afterwards, but it was futile. As he was frowning, suddenly a notification message appeared.

[Combat Assistance Support System: Eden]

[Tower trial detected.]

[Temporarily suspending operation.]

“…What?”

No, what does this mean?

Faced with this unexpected variable, Han-seong froze with a blank expression.