Chapter 292: Isaac's Situation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 292: Isaac's Situation
- H-Hieeeeeeeeeek!
Her reaction far exceeded my expectations. I never imagined she would hate it this much, which, for some reason, made it all the more amusing. The moment I grabbed the staff and approached her, a light burst forth from it.
[ You have overcome all the trials and tribulations of the Magic Tower and have been acknowledged as the master of the Archmage Isaac's Staff. ]
[ Verifying gender. Confirmed as male. The ownership ritual will be completed with a Vow Kiss. Please begin the Vow Kiss with the spiritual entity. ]
“Huh…”
This was a first.
“So you were a cheeky little brat.”
- W-Who are you calling a cheeky little brat?! I have lived for over ten thousand years—!
Before she could finish, I quickly closed the distance and reached out. I thought she might resist with magic, but it was funny how she just stared at me blankly. Choi Seulgi was glaring, but I figured I could just explain that this was part of the ownership ritual.
She was incredibly short compared to me, so I simply grabbed Isaac's arm and lifted. Her body was naturally lifted into the air, and just as our faces were about to meet, I kissed her. Of course, the closer our faces got, the more her face turned beet red.
- W-Wha?!
She tried to scream, but the moment our lips met, a strange sound escaped instead. The ownership ritual hadn't completed yet, so I frowned slightly and pushed my tongue in, which elicited another bizarre noise.
- Euaaah-aaaaah.
I'd never seen a reaction like this. Looking at her face, I saw she had a nosebleed. Absurdly, I could taste blood in my mouth. It seems she wasn't just a simple spiritual entity. As our tongues intertwined, the strange noises began to quiet down. To my surprise, she was suddenly gripping my face tightly with both hands. Her lips were soft, and just as I was thinking it wasn't half bad, the voice sounded again.
[ Ownership ritual successful. The Staff of the Archmage Isaac has been unlocked. ]
[ Staff of the Archmage Isaac ]
[ This staff contains the full essence of the Archmage Isaac. Granted only to those who pass the trials and tribulations of the Magic Tower, this staff was created after a long period of great anguish and deliberation. Having been sealed for over 10,000 years, it has lost some of its immense power, but it still contains various functions. You become the master of the Magic Tower. You gain ownership of all items and magical creatures within the Magic Tower.
You become the master of the spiritual entity Isaac, who can use various forms of magic. From the moment she leaves the Magic Tower, she will use the master's mana to maintain her form.
Increases mana efficiency. Has the ability to amplify a small amount of mana several dozen times over.
Allows the use of simple magic. View the list of available spells.
1. Combine
2. Disassemble
3. ...
4. ...
Stabilizes the body. Helps maintain a calm mind. Smoothes the flow of mana. Increases affinity for magic. Receives a positive modifier for all production-related activities.
You can travel to the Magic Tower without any restrictions. ]
[ Mana +10 ]
The specs were so good I couldn't help but laugh.
A +10 Mana stat was definitely off the charts. Not only that, but the function that allowed me to use a few spells was also quite decent. It meant I could use magic as a warrior. In truth, these spells themselves were rather meaningless. The spiritual entity who could cast magic was dwelling within the staff itself, so the moment I acquired this mage, I could dare to claim the title of Archmage.
She might be biased toward production magic, but she must know plenty of other spells as well. Of course, it said she would use her master's mana as soon as she left the tower, but for me, who had more than enough mana to spare, that was a non-issue.
As long as she didn't spam magic every single day, it was perfectly manageable.
I smiled at Isaac, who was still making strange noises with a nosebleed running down her face. She even had her eyes closed and her mouth still open, even though I had already pulled away.
The sight of Isaac, mouth agape, nose bleeding, moving her tongue around in the empty air, was bewildering. Deciding I couldn't just leave her like this, I spoke quietly to her.
“What are you doing?”
Isaac's eyes shot open, and she slapped both hands over her mouth. She was probably having all sorts of thoughts.
- E-Eh... U-Uwaaah...
Just as she'd said, Isaac had lived for over ten thousand years, but this sudden situation sent her into a massive panic. She shook her head repeatedly before cautiously uttering a single phrase.
- Uwaaaaaaaah! The... The corrupted Isaac!
Watching her, I nodded in satisfaction. The trial was already over. It was time for the "corrupted Isaac" to make her exit. If she didn't give some kind of reaction, the story wouldn't have a proper conclusion. She looked quite pitiful, having to act before the shock of having her kiss stolen had even faded, but it was also amusing.
Her eyes were welling with tears, and her nose was still bleeding. I don't know what kind of magic she used, but a bright light began to radiate from her body.
- The corrupted Isaac is... d-disappearing!
All the Green Skins and humans were watching the spectacle.
“Hmm…”
Her reaction didn't exactly look like a corrupted being was receding. It was because of her face, red as a ripe persimmon, and the blood trickling from her nose. Still, no one pointed out that something was strange.
A great deal of emotion could be read on her face. She was no doubt wrestling with a storm of complex emotions: Do I really have to go this far? What kind of situation am I in? How did things turn out this way? Why did this happen to me?
She had no choice. The staff had acknowledged me as its master, and the trial was over. While I continued to grin, Isaac lowered her head as if in resignation.
After the light faded, Isaac's expression was quite serene, but her body was trembling uncontrollably.
- Th-Thank you... challengers. Th-That... sob... sob... Th-Thank you.
The tears that finally burst forth seemed to be from the shame of her recent disgraceful behavior, but they also seemed to stem from the injustice of having no choice but to serve me as her master. But the humans and Green Skins sent up a cheer. Goff, looking the most moved of all, applauded Isaac.
“Don't cry, Isaac! You've held on so well all this time!”
“She must be overcome with emotion. It's understandable, after being in the tower for so long…”
“Hmm… Not bad.”
They were all reacting quite positively. The faces of Storm Shadow and the other Green Skins showed a sense of accomplishment from having completed the dungeon. The humans were the same.
“A true love's kiss saved Isaac.”
Even Park Ah-jung was muttering things like that, which just goes to show how absurd the situation had become.
Naturally, Choi Seulgi's expression was quite twisted. Thinking it was because she'd seen the kiss, I casually spoke to Choi Seulgi and Choi Eunju.
“It was just a condition of the contract.”
“Well… I figured as much.”
It was then, as we were talking, that a deeply resentful voice echoed in my head.
[ You thief! That was my first kiss, which I've protected for over t-ten thousand years! How could you say it was just a condition of the contract! How could you! ]
It was just like talking with Jang Ye Ri through the Ring of Covenant. It seemed this function existed as well. I immediately sent a thought back to Isaac.
[ Didn't you set the conditions, Isaac? Besides, for a first kiss, weren't you a little too eager? I can't believe the great Archmage Isaac is just a little brat who's obsessed with kisses. ]
[ Th-Th-That's... Th-That... ]
The two of them nodded, but Isaac was glaring at me. In truth, I had merely fulfilled the terms of the contract. The one who enjoyed it with all her heart and soul was Isaac herself. Seeing her stagger as if shocked by my words that it was "just a condition of the contract" made me laugh again. I spoke to Isaac once more.
“Still… corrupted…”
At my words, she squeezed her eyes shut and resumed her act.
- Th-Thank you, B-Blood Dagger. The corrupted Isaac has vanished completely.
Isaac shed tears of emotion.
I smiled as I watched the Green Skins all approach Isaac to pat her on the shoulder one by one.
‘Perfect.’
It had been a rather satisfying dungeon expedition.
All that remained was the reward room. I demanded that Isaac give them their rewards, and she reluctantly accepted my command. The humans were all provided with equipment and other things they wanted, and the Green Skins were also able to receive items of their choosing.
Those who already had weapons suited to them didn't seem to want anything in particular, but I was able to give a decent accessory to the Werewolf, who preferred fighting bare-handed, and a large two-handed axe to Earth Wave.
Storm Shadow also picked out an accessory, and only after Goff, Black Spear, and Broken Bow had all taken items they found acceptable did it feel like this long dungeon expedition was finally coming to an end.
“Not bad. Indeed, a dungeon like this is something other Green Skins could certainly enjoy. I feel as though I've learned a great lesson.”
“We must inform the other chieftains of the importance and necessity of dungeons.”
“It may be a slight downgrade from what I was using, but what I've gained is nothing to scoff at… It was a thoroughly satisfying dungeon.”
Everyone was showing a positive reaction. The humans, who had suddenly acquired supreme items, were in a downright festive mood. One interesting thing was that Storm Shadow and Park Ah-jung had grown a bit closer. Thanks to Storm Shadow's considerable efforts to befriend the humans, they were able to open their hearts as well.
“Thank you so much.”
“Not at all. We also had a much more enjoyable time because we were with you. Yes. We shouldn't just end it like this. I will invite you as guests of my tribe soon.”
“Ah… y-you don't have to go that far…”
Unlike when they first met, her expression wasn't one of fear. During their not-so-short time in the dungeon, they had come to understand one another.
“I would prefer if you didn't refuse.”
“If you insist, we will make sure to visit as soon as you call. Um… could we get your contact location…?”
It seemed Park Ah-jung and those humans would be meeting again soon. And so, we headed for the dungeon's exit with the humans.
“What are you doing?”
Even then, I caught sight of Isaac, hesitating at the dungeon's exit.
- W-Well…
“Are you going to stay there forever?”
- It's just that…
I didn't know what she was thinking, but it was quite funny. Her expression was like that of a frightened child. I couldn't tell if she was scared of leaving the dungeon, scared of seeing the new world, or scared of going with me, but I gave her a light push on the butt.
- Aahk!
Isaac shrieked as she stepped outside. I spoke to her again.
“Don't feel so wronged. That's just how life is. Nothing ever goes your way.”
- I… I guess so.
Her voice trembled. I grinned again, and Isaac looked like she was about to cry. I had a feeling life was about to get a lot more entertaining.