Chapter 49: Mage’s Tower (4)

What was inside the chest.

It was something familiar to Han-seong’s eyes.

Nine uniquely shaped characters.

They were the ‘runes’ he had seen in the shop on the 2nd floor plaza. When he mentioned this, V nodded.

“These are truly in a different league from the runes sold in the plaza, they are upper runes.”

Come to think of it, Aei had mentioned this before.

By passing the tower’s trials, one could obtain upper runes that could directly grant special effects to a Mage’s body.

“There are nine upper runes in total. Refer to the stone tablet for detailed effects.”

V, continuing his explanation, placed the stone tablet used in the trial in front of the chest. Soon, the names of the runes were engraved on the tablet.

[Mana, Economy, Rapidity, Sustain]

[Remote, Amplification, Enhancement, Breakthrough, Expansion]

Just looking at this, I can’t tell what the effects are.

Han-seong placed his hand on the chest and asked:

“Are you giving me all of these?”

“As if that would happen!”

“Oh, then do I choose…”

“You’ve got it wrong. The upper runes choose their own master.”

In other words, Han-seong had no choice in the matter.

By the way, runes choosing their master? That’s an unheard-of method. As he was looking at the chest with curious eyes, V urged him to act.

“Put your hand into the chest.”

He followed the instructions for now.

Then the runes moved as if they were living creatures, circling around Han-seong’s hand. Soon after, a blue rune was engraved on his wrist.

“This is…”

“The Rune of Mana.”

Along with V’s answer.

The rune’s information appeared before his eyes.

[Name]: Rune of Mana

[Effect]: The amount of mana that increases with each level up doubles from the original. It also applies cumulatively to the levels the current owner has already achieved.

[Additional Ability]: Mana Recovery +0.5% per minute

Until now, Han-seong’s mana had increased by 50 with each level up.

But now it would increase by 100.

Moreover, since it applies cumulatively to the levels already achieved, it essentially means his mana would double.

‘Not bad.’

He had been thinking about ways to increase his mana capacity anyway.

Looking at the Rune of Mana engraved on his left wrist, Han-seong smiled with satisfaction. Meanwhile, V closed the chest and stared at Han-seong.

“Now only the final trial remains. If you want to challenge it, please say so.”

“I’ll challenge it right away.”

After all, he needs to pass this trial to become a 4th Floor Mage and leave the tower. Han-seong met V’s gaze with eyes full of determination.

That’s when the creature warned:

“By the way, the difficulty of the 3rd Layer’s trial is set in proportion to your talent.”

“…Ah.”

Right. Didn’t Aei say something like that too?

But no matter how extreme the difficulty, he couldn’t run away from the trial. Han-seong shook off the momentary anxiety that had risen and nodded.

“I understand. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Your spirit is good. Then I’ll start the 3rd Layer’s trial. Please be extra careful this time.”

V, issuing another warning.

The moment his voice stopped, the surroundings changed to the familiar white space. Han-seong naturally approached the stone tablet to check the trial’s contents.

[Challenge]: 3rd Layer’s Trial

[Name]: Combat Application

[Content]: Without the help of the Combat Support System ‘Eden’, annihilate the enemy before you.

‘Ah, I see.’

If the first was realizing mana, and the second was manifesting magic, then the third is practical application.

Han-seong nodded in understanding.

Meanwhile, something huge appeared near where the scarecrow had been before. A being obscured by misty smoke.

“That is…”

He narrowed his eyes.

At that moment, a whip-like arm blew away all the smoke. Then the identity of the opponent was revealed. Han-seong’s eyes widened involuntarily.

The being Han-seong had to defeat was a monster with an appearance very familiar to him.

It was the elite monster, the Collector.

The theme of the 3rd Layer’s trial was combat.

Han-seong was greatly surprised by the appearance of the opponent that suddenly appeared before him. He never dreamed that the Collector would show up.

Then a question suddenly occurred to him.

‘But why isn’t it moving?’

The distance to the Collector was about forty paces.

With its physical abilities, it should be able to close the gap in the blink of an eye.

Yet the Collector just stood there motionless, showing no signs of attacking.

‘Ah, perhaps it will stay still until I attack first?’

This speculation seemed the most plausible.

Even after 1 minute passed and 5 minutes went by, it remained motionless. During this time, Han-seong recalled the Collector’s information in his mind.

A monster with excellent physical abilities.

Its most threatening attack is the strike with its whip-like long arms. He knew this better than anyone since he had controlled it as a Replica.

‘The Collector’s weak spot is…’

Deep in the upper part of its torso.

The area where the heads of past victims were transplanted.

Based on this, Han-seong began to formulate a plan on how to attack the Collector.

‘Call Lightning would be most effective.’

It was the most effective in past battles too.

First, hit it with lightning, then follow up with other magic. Having finished planning, he immediately began preparations.

Converting aether to mana, he visualized the image of lightning in his mind. As a result, he completed the preparations for magic manifestation in less than 30 seconds.

“Call Lightning!”

Han-seong used magic towards the Collector.

Dark clouds gathered above its head and blue light flashed. And it was at that moment that the Collector, which had been standing blankly, moved.

Han-seong was greatly surprised.

He didn’t expect it to attack before the lightning even struck.

Rumble! Boom!

But the situation had already unfolded.

The lightning struck the empty space where the Collector had been, and the distance to the Collector had narrowed to right in front of him. Han-seong converted aether to mana to activate Wind Cutter, which he had thought of next.

And…

Slash!

The scenery before his eyes split in half.

His body wouldn’t move as he wished, and soon after his vision rotated greatly. Then, seeing his headless body was the last thing he saw.

The world before his eyes turned dark.

Then suddenly it brightened again.

“Huff!”

Han-seong exhaled the breath he had been holding.

What was that just now? He was sure his head had been separated from his body, but? Hurriedly reaching out to touch his neck, fortunately, his head was still firmly attached.

‘Was it my imagination?’

Such a thought crossed his mind, but sadly it wasn’t imagination. Because the text on the stone tablet at his feet had been updated.

[3rd Layer’s Trial]: In Progress

An item for death count had been added.

And the fact that the number had been counted meant that Han-seong had indeed just had his head cut off.

But why was he still alive?

Is it because of the special environment of challenging the tower’s trial? Or because he’s a consciousness form? Various questions filled his mind.

‘One thing is certain…’

Just before his head was cut off.

In that fleeting moment, he had tasted the pain of his neck being torn away. And inside the tower, all sensations are felt vividly.

Through this, Han-seong realized.

‘I don’t die, but I feel the sensations.’

Is it because his neck had returned to normal?

The excruciating pain of amputation he had just felt was now completely gone. Thanks to this, he could avoid writhing in pain.

‘If it had been the old me…’

I would have lost consciousness at the point my ankle was cut off. Maybe I would have given up on the trial.

But Han-seong had changed.

Having experienced vivid combat through the fierce battle with the Vampiric Tree. Remembering this experience, he was able to suppress the pain and prepare a counterattack.

‘Alright. Let’s try again.’

With eyes flashing with determination.

Han-seong prepared for another attempt.

How much time had passed like that?

After that, Han-seong had faced death five more times. And in the process of repeating the battle, he had realized a few things.

‘When I die, everything resets.’

Just as the pain from previous battles disappears, the Collector’s wounds are also fully healed. The cooldown times for magic are also reset.

The next thing he realized was that the distance from the Collector couldn’t be more than a certain amount.

‘Originally, I was planning to set up a base as far away as possible and bombard it with concentrated fire, but…’

This plan also failed.

A maximum of one hundred paces from where the Collector is.

If he moves further than that, the Collector attacks first regardless of whether magic is being manifested or not.

Probably to prevent attacks from a distance.

‘…They’ve blocked all the tricks.’

Han-seong let out a deep sigh.

A total of five failures. He realized there was only one way to break through the trial.

Overwhelming the Collector with firepower before it could blow off his head.

In other words, a quick decisive battle was the only solution.

‘For this plan to succeed, I need to minimize the time needed for magic manifestation.’

There are three stages to manifesting magic.

Converting aether to mana, visualizing the image of the magic. Then projecting it in the form of a spell formula to manifest it.

He needed to minimize this series of steps to finally see victory. Having made his resolution, Han-seong embarked on his eighth attempt.

Whoosh!

Tinder manifested in mid-air.

Tinder, which used to take about 30 seconds from mana conversion to manifestation, was now down to 10 seconds.

Other magic was in a similar situation. But this alone wasn’t enough.

‘This won’t do.’

Even faster. The magic needs to manifest simultaneously with the completion of the image.

8 seconds. 7 seconds. 6 seconds. By the time he faced his fifteenth death, he was able to manifest the magic he had thought of in about 5 seconds.

Of course, the side effects were just as severe.

Death in double digits.

Perhaps due to the pain experienced in the process, he felt his mind becoming worn out.

“Huff, huff…!”

Han-seong tried to calm his ragged breathing. But it wasn’t all losses. Not only had he drastically reduced the time for magic manifestation, but he had also figured out the flow of battle and the Collector’s behavior patterns.

‘When a certain amount of damage accumulates on its body, it always retreats.’

To regroup.

That’s the golden opportunity.

Han-seong predicted the Collector’s actions by reviewing the flow of past battles. And after thorough calculations, he embarked on his eighteenth attempt.

The first attack was Tinder. Just 5 seconds after converting aether to mana, flames erupted.

The Collector’s body was engulfed in flames, and Han-seong created distance while preparing the next magic.

Slash! Slash! Crunch!

Wind Cutter created in 4.5 seconds.

Six out of seven blades carved into the Collector’s weak spot. The Collector tried to counterattack by extending its arm, but Han-seong’s attack was faster.

Crackle!

Chain Lightning manifested just over 3 seconds. The living lightning unleashed a series of attacks on the Collector’s weak spot.

“Kieeeeee!”

In just over 10 seconds.

During that time, the Collector, hit by three spells, retreated with a bizarre scream. The golden opportunity Han-seong had been waiting for had arrived.

Rumble! Boom!

Lightning falling from the sky struck its body. There was only one reason for this. It was because he had predicted the coordinates where it would move.

Meanwhile, the Collector struck by lightning had its movements drastically slowed. Of course. Lightning is much more powerful than Chain Lightning.

Han-seong didn’t miss this.

‘Focus.’

Victory is within reach.

He exhibited a level of concentration he had never shown before. Perhaps because of this, he even felt as if time was flowing slowly.

0.5 seconds to convert aether to mana.

1.2 seconds to visualize the image and construct the spell formula. Finally, after about 1.5 seconds had passed, a shining spear appeared before him. This was the most powerful magic Han-seong had learned so far.

“Magic Spear!”

Han-seong shouted towards the Collector’s weak spot, which was standing helplessly. The spear, rotating in mid-air, flew towards the Collector as fast as a flash of light.

Although he hadn’t charged it with mana, its power was considerable.

Boom! Thud!

Magic Spear penetrating the Collector’s weak spot.

Due to not receiving the Blessing of Remote Support, it didn’t lead to an area attack.

But that alone was enough. Because Magic Spear had penetrated the Collector’s weak spot directly.

“Gu, guooooo…”

The Collector, shaking its body, staggered for a moment before collapsing to the ground.

Soon, the awaited notification appeared.

[You have passed the 3rd Layer’s Trial.]

[Moving to the Trial Room.]

[Time Taken: 01:57:35]

“Finally…!”

He had successfully passed the third trial as well.

Han-seong’s face lit up with joy.

But perhaps because the tension had eased?

Suddenly his vision darkened and his consciousness was cut off for a moment. And so, with the trial completion notification as the last thing he saw, Han-seong lost consciousness.