episode_0232

After entering the Tower of Knowledge, I repeated a certain routine.

I spend roughly half of my day with Ariel.

Although I studied thoroughly, I also supplemented the basic knowledge that Ariel found lacking.

I was even taught magic that I had never been able to master before.

Magic that was difficult to learn even when you just banged your head against it or worked hard in a magic class.

But with Ariel’s teachings added, progress was made with ease, as if the wind was setting sail.

“Since the foundation is solid, it is easy to build on top of it.”

On the third day, I was even praised for having a good foundation.

“You might have neglected the basics by relying on your innate affinity, but you laid the foundation really well. You are great.”

After being taught the basics of magic and sorcery by Professor Riana.

There was also the temptation to skip things that I could just do by feeling since I didn’t have the time or the leisure.

It was worth overcoming that and studying each and every one of those things diligently.

Thanks to this, I was able to reduce the time it took to go back and lay the foundation.

Since this is a tower of knowledge with limited time, my complexion brightened up right away because I was able to save time.

[Ehehe…]

I also liked the feeling of hands stroking my hair.

The caressing on my head, which had already been lonely for the past few days, made me feel even better.

So, for half of the day, roughly 12 hours, I stayed by Ariel’s side.

We sit across from each other at the tables on the first floor, or sit next to each other and study.

I went to the practice room and demonstrated my magic in front of Ariel, and I also watched the demonstration with interest.

As a result, my magical skills were rising so rapidly that it would be an understatement to say that they were improving by leaps and bounds.

Every day, the smile blossomed to a level that was clearly felt.

It was a natural thing to think about when you think about who the person teaching is.

The tower of knowledge himself spends half of the day teaching with all his heart.

Even the most dull of people would see noticeable results if she taught them directly.

If I, who am not talented, do not show any noticeable growth, it means that my attitude is the problem, so I should just bury my head in the floor and die.

And the remaining half is the time spent practicing alone.

Ariel spends half of her day sitting at a table on the first floor, quietly closing her eyes.

I didn’t hear the reason, but whenever Ariel did that, the air current in the tower seemed to change, so it seemed like the tower was doing something.

During this time, Ariel wanted me to take a short break and spend some time reviewing what I had learned.

So I’m investing in review and preview.

.

.

.

After finishing one lesson.

I also sit quietly next to Ariel and take the time to reflect on what I learned that day.

Although the teachings are so excellent that they are easy to understand, it is difficult to say that you have fully mastered them.

So, I spent an hour or two reviewing the day’s teachings over and over again, digesting them to fit my needs.

When you feel like you’ve digested it to some extent, go upstairs and indulge in several books.

The tower of knowledge is full of books.

There are many books made up of powers, regardless of genre, but magic books are particularly varied and numerous.

From very basic magic books that I don’t need to read anymore, to advanced books that are too difficult for my current level to interpret.

Materials that were difficult to obtain outside were widely available.

Even though I was stuck here for a month without Ariel-sama’s guidance, I was able to achieve quite a bit of success.

‘Slow…’

The only regret is that it is slow.

These are not just books, but a mass of information made up of powers, so they cannot be easily scanned and stored through observation.

If it were a normal book, I would have quickly observed it, saved it, and then studied it repeatedly.

I pick out the books one by one and open them. Only then do I begin to read the pages, scanning them with observation and storing them in my memory.

Once you read it in such detail, pour your magic into it and accept it as information.

I compare what I have read with what I have taken in as information.

Differences inevitably arise.

Whether I am right or the information in the book is right, I compare and analyze each one.

After repeating that about four or five times, pick up the next book.

This process took time.

That’s what it’s supposed to be like.

Rather, it is a much faster speed if you think about observation and information acquisition.

But for me, who had been reading books through observation even while sleeping in the cradle, the pace was truly frustrating.

Still, I turned the pages of the books I read myself to maintain humane habits.

The moment I read at a really normal speed, I felt so suffocated that my whole body felt like it was going to tingle.

– Even taking into account growth corrections, the growth rate is incredible.

After entering the Tower of Knowledge.

My growth rate was so fast that even Ariel, who is known for being stiff in expressing her emotions, was surprised.

One of the reasons is that the path I am walking is similar to the path Ariel walked in the past.

The essence of magic is to use magical power in a formula to manifest phenomena.

How the ritual is structured at this time ultimately depends on the performer.

Like the official spells included in the Magic Circle… there is an original that can be commonly referred to as the national rule.

If you look at it in detail, it can be improved little by little depending on the user.

Even within power units such as families, they sometimes modify their own techniques and elevate them to their own style.

That is, if you delve deep into magic, it will eventually reveal individual characteristics.

For example, I am a form of intuitive magic that has been enhanced with a focus on the purity of magical power.

In the process, the procedure becomes more complex than intuitive results.

The burden on the manifester and the possibility of going out of control have also doubled… but it’s okay because I can control it.

This is a magic that is intuitive and simple, yet has decent output and is often used in battle.

This is a strange magic for Ariel, who once wandered the world in chaos.

Thanks to that, I was able to efficiently receive many answers from Ariel that I would have otherwise obtained through trial and error.

I was amazed by the vast amount of magical knowledge accumulated over a period of over a hundred years, which was on a whole other level than my meager magical knowledge of less than a year.

I realized anew that the person right in front of me was a great person from the past who played a major role in history.

For some reason, a feeling of hesitation passed over Ariel’s face during that passage…

Anyway, Ariel also pursued the same method as me in the past, and there are some parts that fit.

“I can’t be sure, but I might be able to teach you my unique magic within the time limit.”

Unique island.

Just as some martial arts have their own unique abilities and expanded abilities.

Magic can also be recognized as unique and treated as a unique ability.

At that time, there was a culture among magicians that called those with such unique characteristics ‘wizards’ rather than ‘magicians’.

It is a name that praises those who forge their own unique path rather than following the path that someone else has already taken…

Whatever it was, Ariel’s words were enough to motivate me.

It is the unique magic of the tower of knowledge.

Especially after receiving a demonstration right in front of me, I had a strong desire to learn it and go out.

That’s why we have to put in effort.

I wasn’t sure if Ariel could learn this and get out.

If I fail to learn because I am lacking and put in less effort, and this leads to a big mistake later on… I will hate myself so much.

So I’m trying my best… but honestly, I’m not satisfied.

I feel suffocated, as if my healthy limbs are being restrained.

Because of this, it was inevitable that I would feel regretful about the time I spent sleeping.

If you leave this place now, you don’t know when you’ll be able to come back.

To waste such precious time on something like sleep, which is neither necessary nor unnecessary.

So I eliminated sleep and spent that time just reading books.

I feel a little more at ease now that I have more free time.

Since I have no sense of taste, I don’t need to put any effort into eating.

I just munched on the calorie bar I had left in the subspace and ate in 10 seconds, then went back to reading the book.

By cutting out all the unnecessary things and focusing solely on practice, I felt a sense of euphoria in many ways.

Should I say it’s immersive?

When consciousness is reduced, it feels as if focus is concentrated.

In fact, the reason why I cut out other things like this and focus on practicing is.

It may be to soothe the loneliness and impatience that keeps weighing on my mind.

I feel so sorry for myself for not being able to miss you even though so much time has passed.

I couldn’t deny that feeling, feeling like even my fear had sunk like a puppy that had been drenched in rain.

‘Besides, I think I’ll have nightmares if I fall asleep.’

nightmare.

In the past, it was a word that appeared every day, but these days it is a word that has no connection.

On the first day of the Tower of Knowledge, the moment I laid my butt on the bed, I realized.

Oh, if I fall asleep now I’ll have nightmares.

It could be intuition, or it could be a delusion.

But the feeling of the soft bed running up from my buttocks to my head and the ominousness was real.

I didn’t want to have a nightmare.

– Okay

The information injection is finished.

I closed my eyes for a moment to check the contents, then put the book I was holding back in its original place.

And after quickly wiping away the blood flowing down my nose, I went down to the practice room.

.

.

.

When I felt like I had gotten to a certain point, I went down to the practice room and experimented with magic until I had exhausted all the magical power in my body.

– Kwagagagagak!

In the lab, there is a magical experiment station… You can freely select and use golems scattered across the floating island.

If you set it up as a target and experiment with various magic spells, your magic power will slowly drain away.

Since my magical power was so vast, it took some time to consume it all.

After casting a spell, he let out a gasp and wiggled his hands.

The circuit that had been spitting out magical power without rest was complaining of fatigue, and I felt emptiness in my core that was scraping the floor.

In the case of magic power, it can be easily recovered by absorbing magic power, but I held back in order to build up my resilience.

Originally, I would have tried the 5th technique as well… but after hearing Ariel’s concerns and criticisms, I held back.

There is no need to finish it right now.

If you further develop your magical powers, then it’s okay to do it then.

I shook off my aching arms, sat down on the messy floor, and meditated quietly.

Although his body did not need sleep, his mind was still weak and he complained of fatigue.

But I didn’t want to resolve it by having nightmares about it, so I just did some review and meditation.

– There are three curses applied to Lee Ha-yul. Two of them were given by those who invaded. And… the other one is a curse that Lee Ha-yul was born with.

Originally, meditation meant calming one’s thoughts and seeking peace of mind.

Maybe it’s because I’m immature, but various thoughts would pop into my head all of a sudden.

Several thoughts also emerged from it.

I furrowed my brows at the thought that was needlessly disturbing my mind.

I wiped my philtrum and calmed my mind again.

‘uh?’

Tried to calm it down.

I tried to meditate as usual, but I observed information that was different from usual.

– Crack, crack

Soon, footsteps reached my ears. The sound of footsteps continuing softly gradually approached me.

Golems occasionally wander around the Tower of Knowledge, but they never let out such a light sound.

[Ariel?]

It was Ariel who opened the door to the practice room and came in.

Pure white eyes stared down at me.

‘??’

Question marks came to mind one after another.

Let alone the fact that it’s probably time to take care of the tower now.

For some reason, the clothes are a little disheveled.

The front part, which should have been completely hidden, is now clearly visible.

Because of this, many embarrassing parts were exposed.

Did he toss and turn a lot?

‘… You’ve been alone for a long time, so you might not have any thoughts about this.’

It seemed like a pretty plausible idea.

It’s an embarrassing part and all, but if someone sees it, they’ll feel something.

In fact, hadn’t she been alone for a long time?

I might have become indifferent towards this.

[excuse me…]

But now that I’m with them, I don’t think it’s right to just leave them alone.

At the moment when I was about to point out that the lead had come loose.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

As she said that, Ariel came closer and lifted me up with her hand.

[huh?]

I blinked at the feeling of floating that enveloped my body for a moment.

Center of the first floor.

Ariel sat down on the chair she always sat in and made me sit on her lap.

[Hic?]

For a moment, I shuddered at the feeling of flesh being crushed against my body.

A soft, large lump of flesh brushed my face.

[Okay, just a minute]

I flinched at the sudden action.

But my struggling was stopped by a gentle gesture of someone hugging my back and pressing my head.

“I know that everyone has different methods of resting, but it seems like Lee Ha-yul isn’t getting any rest at all right now.”

The flesh-colored valley, revealed by the loosened front, warmly wrapped around her face.

My body trembled at the sensation and temperature I had not felt for nearly ten days.

The moment I was held in her arms, my body that had become stiff slowly melted at the feeling of being warmly supported.

“Originally, practice should be accompanied by mental and physical stability. I do not recommend blindly pushing yourself.”

Ariel, looking down at me slowly melting in her arms, carefully placed her hand on my head and gently stroked it down.

The hand that had been stroking my hair for a moment then slowly ran down my face.

“… expression.”

Soon, slender fingers were rubbing the bridge of my nose.

And the moment Ariel muttered something in a voice full of magic.

The mysterious energy that arose from the tower permeated my body.

‘uh?’

My body felt warm for a moment.

My mind was blown with the sense that something empty was being filled.

– …Sniff sniff?

At the same time, I found myself twitching my nose without realizing it.

My body trembled at the slightest stimulation from the cold in my blocked nasal passages.

The smell of old books and the smell of new books that I had only imagined in my head.

A cool smell typical of cool places.

The smell of dyes mixed with various inks and colors.

A sweet and savory scent rising right in front of your nose, overwhelmingly suppressing the very faint smells that are difficult to even recognize…

“Please, just this once, please accept my request. Please, just for a moment, sleep comfortably in my arms.”

Soon the hand that had been caressing the bridge of his nose was placed on his head.

“Although I am incompetent and unreliable, I dare to claim absolute power for now. No one will be able to threaten Lee Ha-yul, who is in my arms.”

The hand pressed down on my head as if to bury my face in its embrace, but before that, it lowered its head and buried its nose between the flesh.

He stretched out both hands and hugged her thin waist, and her ample chest buried his face in hers.

“Ugh… Phew, phew…”

I took a deep breath, and the smell of milk, stronger than before, filled my nasal passages.

– Sniff sniff…

I don’t know what the situation is.

However, I realized that my fully-stretched mind was being pulled away by the strong scent of milk.

Patting my tired body and feeling comfort and trustworthiness from the voice ringing in my head.

The loneliness and burden that had been weighing on a corner of Handong’s heart were crumpled.

In that place, a sweet scent, warmth, and gentle hands were placed.

Those sincere emotions released my heart.

‘I’m sleepy…’

Consciousness gradually subsided.

It was always like that, but now I wasn’t forcing him.

While agreeing to the desire for sleep, I dug deeper into Ariel’s arms.

I quietly calmed my consciousness as I was embraced by the hands that seemed to affirm my actions.

I didn’t have any nightmares.

* * *

[The Tower of Knowledge intervenes]

[… @#@$]

[“Curse of Solitude” is conditionally weakened (Ariel Segnis Ternovsia, Olfactory, Temporarily)]

…

[Player Compensation System: Favorability]

Lee Ha-yul → Ariel Segnis Ternovcia

●●●●●○○○○○(51/100)

“Tower of Knowledge” “Head of the Magic Circle” “Complexity” “Confusion” “Question” “Doubt” “Gratitude” “Normal Person?”

▽Change▽

Lee Ha-yul → Ariel Segnis Ternovcia

●●●●●●●○○○(51▷70/100)

“Tower of Knowledge” “Head of the Magic Circle” “Who? You” “Complexity” “Confusion” “Doubt” “Trustworthiness” “Gratitude”