Violet Night Sky

A purple night sky swirled with a beautiful aurora. Wolf-shaped moons chased the sun, and the stars shone unusually bright. Turning my gaze, I saw a seaside I'd never laid eyes on before. The stars reflected on the water surface flickered dark red with every wave crash, proving they weren't just pretty lights.

I turned around. Countless swords were stabbed into the sandy beach. Had I ever seen so many different kinds of swords in my life? I couldn't remember. Isana liked fantasy games, but she didn't have the leisure to really play them. Between school and idol trainee life, how much room was there for gaming? So I was certain. The night sky. The seaside sword graveyard.

'… All of it, stuff I've never seen before.'

She realized it was a lucid dream. Lately, she'd been having these inexplicable dreams now and then. In them, she adventured with Han Do-yoon, saved his life or got saved by him… and got killed by Han Do-yoon. What kind of dream would this one be?

Her body moved on its own, ignoring her will. As the waves churned more violently, she gripped a sword. No weapon on her waist or back—yet somehow, the sword was in her hand… No, it was a formless immaterial sword. An immaterial sword, literally nonexistent yet existing. She swung it toward the falling stars.

The stars became comets and crashed onto the beach. At a speed current Isana couldn't comprehend. The me in the dream slashed the falling stars at light speed, wielding dozens, hundreds of swords with expert skill. The sand turned into a sword sheath, various blades moving like limbs. Katana, falchion, scimitar, greatsword, swordbreaker, rapier, sword spear… Moving like stars, slashing like light.

The nonexistent immaterial sword left her hand and obeyed her will. First one blade, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠then three, then six… In mere seconds, the immaterial swords multiplied to hundreds, guarding her side like they had souls of their own.

The horde of falling stars soon halted. Mere seconds in real time, but to Isana trapped in the dream, it felt like dozens of minutes.

'What trials do you have to overcome to gain swordsmanship like that?'

Before long, the hundreds of swords scattered across the sand began merging into one. The unified blade took a familiar shape. The sword Han Do-yoon had foisted on her like an afterthought on their first day challenging the tower.

'… That's this one?'

It looked identical to the one she held. But the edge was different. Just holding it seemed to split the air. Sand grains carried by the wind veered away from the blade, light refracted.

The me in the dream said something to Han Do-yoon, who was sitting butt-down on the sand. I could hear the explosive sounds of slashing stars moments ago, but not their conversation. But after Han Do-yoon vanished post-talk, I could eavesdrop on me swearing on the sword.

… Flash!

Like being expelled from the dream, she bolted awake. Isana shuddered, her muscles screaming in pain.

'Dreams like this always leave me sore all over.'

Muscle pain is worst at the start of training, eases with familiarity, hurts less later. But after these dreams, her whole body ached like day one every time.

After rubbing her body for a while, the dream flashed back, so she pulled that sword from her inventory.

'Yeah, it's different.'

Definitely the same weapon. But the power felt when dream me gripped it versus now. Starkly different.

'No, even compared to usual, something's off…'

As she calmly inspected the sword, sensing some change, beyond it—in the hut with her master. A presence in the room that should be empty alone.

- … You're some bitch who rolled in from god-knows-where?

That was dream me.

@

Han Do-yoon left the passed-out Karia Redheart in the workshop and proceeded to floor 6. A trial testing senses and deduction… but boring for someone with prior experience. If Karia hadn't invaded as Tower Blade, the record would've been even shorter.

'Still, I updated it.'

After clearing floor 6, the invasion status lifted. He could finally eject Karia from the tower… Dropping her at the familiar Choice Inn, the dwarven clerk jumped in surprise.

"A half-dragon this time…? Impressive."

"Keep it from Isana, yeah?"

"Yessir, yessir, got it."

Leaving the cheeky hobbit behind, he headed to Summer's Grand Triangle. Between tending his own workshop and such, days had passed since last visiting his master. He'd worried about her mana depletion, but she was fine.

"Mana circles recovered already?"

"… No, surviving on your bodily fluids."

Evelyn showed the drink she'd been suckling… Better not to look.

"Anyway, you… raided my storeroom, didn't you?"

Thought he got away with it, but busted. Too shady to lie, so he owned up boldly.

"Yes, sorry. Needed a few things."

"Ask next time. Or… yeah, perfect timing. No rush, so how about the Heavenly Tower exam?"

The Heavenly Tower. Mecca for alchemists. In the Tower World, easiest for alchemy materials or trades. Even Han Do-yoon couldn't start from scratch synthesizing everything.

'For the future… better get qualified.'

Normally, serve multiple masters for years to earn recognition. But shortcut: Evelyn's "Heavenly Tower exam".

Past Han Do-yoon, clueless then, couldn't dream of it. Now? Different. He had 20 years of Tower World "masterpieces" in his head.

"Guess so. Can't keep mooching off you forever."

"Call me teacher?… Anyway, with your skill, qualification's easy."

"Minimum req's clearing floor 10, right?"

"Knew already? Can you?"

"With your materials and full prep… Lend the storeroom? Teacher."

At the material request, a playful smile crossed her face. Golden bob swaying seductively as she shed her alchemist shawl. Pale nape, shoulders, cleavage exposed.

"… Come to think, forgot basics. You might know, but remember: Alchemy is equivalent exchange. Want something? Pay equal price."

"Price?"

Playing dumb, he approached and removed her glasses. Evelyn averted from her advancing disciple's face.

"… You know, don't make me say it."

Her trembling eyes dodged his gaze, then met it.

@

Heavenly Tower exam minimum: ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠clear floor 10. Give examinees same recipe, pass/fail by results.

… Exam itself not hard. Reaching floor 10 was the issue.

'Tower Blade like Karia might show… Full prep?'

Luck held. Current "magic bullets" effective attack power: 19. Good to floor 19. Useless on 20-floor monsters; if Tower Blade came with 20+ defenses, he'd counter with crude 6-circle magic.

'Chanting one 3-circle spell took like 20 seconds.'

20 seconds? Plenty for Karia to rip him apart. Better avoid personal spellcasting.

'Gotta mod Last Wish first.'

Fortuitously, materials for modifying hand cannon Last Wish arrived recently. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Half red dragon unfertilized eggs.

'Didn't expect 'em so soon.'

Not one, but five. Grateful to Karia, who'd laid over five clutches. Pray that baby factory wasn't strained.

'Three for furnace boost.'

Smashed unfertilized eggs into alchemy cauldron furnace. Crimson gas burst, seeping in… Not "Eternal Flame", but no ordinary fire now.

Boiling mana stones maximizes mana content, amps pros, minimizes cons… If Karia learned her hard-laid eggs went to furnace upgrade, what face? Better not see.

'Now the last two…'

Into [Basic Distiller LV 3], boiled. Low heat shrank the eggs; lava-like liquid trickled from hose, filling beaker. Han Do-yoon smelled familiar scent. Definitely from Karia's pussy.

Placed Last Wish and refined liquid on transmutation array table, reinforced array. Meticulous coating of gun interior with egg extract… Familiar task, easy.

'Herb garden?'

Safe House spots for fields: only outside hut. Opened door—small plot by babbling stream.

'… Seedlings easy to get, but no caretaker. No time myself.'

Artificial spirit crafting far off. Minimum floor 30 viable. Even buying post-exam… Heavenly Tower has rules. Low-floor alchemists restricted on high-floor materials.

'Gotta think how to use this.'

Distiller's mana refinement unremarkable. Tower workshops explain fancy, but Heavenly Tower has better. Evelyn's has soul-splitting mortar/pestle, life-fusing array for chimeras. Still insisting on Safe House tools: hypothesis.

'… If these keep growing, I can get late-game stuff through effort alone.'

Elixir tools sourced everywhere: Elemental Tower by battle mages, tower city underground, dwarf forges, even asked elves for world tree roots via "Return". Surpass that? Worth leveling workshop from 1.

'Now magic bullets… wrap up?'

Prep near 100 for possible Tower Blade. But Han Do-yoon entering trials faced…

No invaders at all.

'… Overconfident?'

Debated straight to 10, but fatigue piled. Floor 10 boss: no trial, just strong monster. Called it, exited tower.

Record messages flooded vision. Obviously mine, shrugged off.

'Wait, I started at 7, so mine should pop from 7?'

Checked who smashed from 2: familiar name.

1st safe, unrelated to me. But the target? Very related. Isana this early couldn't be a monster.