Chapter 198
Chapter 198
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 198
Chapter Title: Magic Tower (4)
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Magic Dao World.
The Fourth Magic Tower Lord, Eloise.
The room of the worst Magic Tower Lord in history.
And.
Bueo, who had barged in as if it were his own home.
"The answer is set."
The old man watching muttered.
"This time might be tricky. Heh heh, to think Bueo's true identity is a Magic Tower Lord."
And not just any Magic Tower Lord.
A pretty tough one, it seemed...
By the way, did this Magic Tower share space with those from other worlds?
That seemed highly likely.
The world name "Magic Dao World" wasn't there for nothing.
Plus, the archive was piled high with unidentified books.
"......Ughhh."
Sunny clutched her temples with both hands.
"Fourth Magic Tower Lord? Magic Dao World? What is all this? There's only one Magic Tower Lord I know."
Ah.
This woman might not even know that beyond this universe, countless worlds were scattered.
"And it's marked as Management Target No. 1... with a caution warning? But it's in English?! Why is there English?"
Yeah.
[Magic Dao World.]
[Traces of the Fourth Magic Tower Lord, 'Eloise.']
[Management Target No. 1.]
[Room of history's legendary and worst Magic Tower Lord. Caution advised.]
Everything else was in mysterious hieroglyphs, except those words.
Flutter!
Sunny irritably flipped the parchment.
At that moment.
"Kkiii-yak!"
With a bizarre screech, she swatted the parchment away and collapsed.
Anyone could see she was startled.
"What? What's wrong?"
I tilted my head and flipped the parchment myself.
Then, the English on the next page translated into view.
[-Sophia Silverstone-]
Gasp.
My body froze too.
Sophia Silverstone? That's the Magic Tower Lord's name?
"......?"
Suddenly, chills ran down my spine.
Did that mean the Magic Tower Lord herself wrote those words?
And that wasn't all.
A mystical glow emanated from the written name of the Magic Tower Lord.
"D-Damn it! What do we do!"
Sunny, collapsed on the floor, started sniffling.
"We're screwed! Totally screwed!"
"What's screwed?"
"That glowing text! It's a basic alarm spell!"
"Alarm spell...?"
"Yeah, so the fact that we're here has already reached the Magic Tower Lord's ears. Ughhhh, I shouldn't have followed... I'm dead now."
Thwack, thwack!
Sunny flicked her own forehead in self-recrimination.
I scratched my head.
"......Is it really that bad?"
"Hey! You think only I'm screwed? You're screwed too! The Magic Tower's rules are strict! I don't know which professor invited you, but even that professor won't escape responsibility! No matter how much of a professor they are, in front of the Magic Tower Lord... Hoo, what's the point of explaining. Damn it."
"......"
If that was true.
I felt a little sorry for Olena.
'But.'
If Bueo's previous life was the Fourth Magic Tower Lord, 'Eloise'?
That changed everything.
No matter that the Magic Tower Lord was world rank 4, an ultra hyper ranker.
An awakened Bueo.
In other words, having a former Magic Tower Lord as a subordinate opened up many cards.
Beyond raw power.
It could be the trigger for the Magic Tower to advance a step.
And who knew if we could decipher those vast unread books.
Of course.
Sunny couldn't care less about that.
"Damn it, what do we do? Damn, think! Should we run? Even falling without a parachute, if I keep my wits... We'd still die?!"
"......Hmm, running away."
I shook my head.
"That seems too late already......?"
At that moment.
Rumble!
A presence stirred outside.
"Eep!"
Sunny froze in place, clamping her mouth with both hands.
"......"
My heart sank too.
A chill crept up my spine, hairs standing on end all over.
I already knew someone was coming outside... but that overwhelming aura crushed me.
'Magic Tower Lord......'
Yes.
The owner of this building.
World rank 4 hunter.
Sophia Silverstone was entering from outside.
* * *
The Magic Tower Lord's appearance hadn't changed.
Platinum blonde hair.
Snow-white skin.
Ocean-blue eyes.
And an aura so powerful it made every hair on my body stand on end.
"M-M-Magic Tower Lord......!"
Thud!
Sunny's legs gave out, and she collapsed.
"S-Sorry! It was all... this black fox mask threatening me... no, actually, I lost my senses out of curiosity too. S-Sob! I'm sorry."
Step, step.
The Magic Tower Lord approached slowly.
Her gaze wasn't on Sunny.
She stared straight through me.
"Hi, long time no see?"
Then she smiled brightly.
A soft smile at the corners of her mouth.
But her eyes weren't smiling.
They held curiosity.
How I could be here.
How I knew the hidden secret passage of the Magic Tower.
"......"
For now, I showed respect to the strong by removing my mask.
"Long time no see, Magic Tower Lord."
I bowed politely and continued.
"I apologize for the unintended intrusion."
"......Huh?"
Sunny, still on the floor, looked around in bewilderment.
"You two know each other...?"
"Child."
Only then did the smiling Sophia look at Sunny.
"Step out of the archive for a bit. We'll discuss this incident later."
"Y-Yes......?"
Sunny's dazed face quickly returned to normal.
"Ah, yes! Understood!"
She hurried outside.
So desperate she forgot her fear of heights and clambered up the original ceiling.
Whoooong!
At the same time, light flowed from Sophia's hand.
"I've set up a soundproof spell. Nothing we say here will leak out, Joo Dong-hoon."
The Magic Tower Lord stared at me.
Suddenly, I grew curious.
"What about Sunny?"
"Sunny?"
Sophia paused briefly, then continued.
"That child broke the Magic Tower's rules. She'll be disciplined."
"......"
"This can't be helped, no matter how much you plead. The Magic Tower's rules are strict. Though, well. If other merits are recognized, she might get corresponding rewards?"
"Other merits..."
"Before that."
Sophia cut me off.
"I'm curious."
"......"
"Honestly, I'm flustered. Knowing about this space, digging into ancient magic through the Korean Association."
Sophia crossed her arms haughtily.
Yeah.
It made sense she'd be flustered from her perspective.
She ignored my deflection and went straight to the point.
But.
I was just as flustered.
"Same here, Magic Tower Lord."
Bueo's secret chamber.
My low voice echoed in the narrow space.
"I'm curious how you know about this space. And how you know of ancient magic's existence......"
Sophia's expression hardened.
Did she think I was playing word games?
The Magic Tower Lord gripped her staff tighter.
At the same time, immense mana boiled up.
"Delaila spoke well of you, so I saw you in a good light. But if you're trying to mock me with that mouth......"
Rumble, rumble......
Her aura surged from her body.
'Ugh.'
The fierce energy squeezed the space, choking my breath.
"I won't see you favorably anymore."
"......"
I felt Sophia's sincerity.
'She's serious.'
She could kill me if needed.
Yes.
The opponent was world rank 4.
In a world where power is law.
It was right for me to bow my head.
Especially since I intruded first.
"Hoo, alright. I'll be honest. No beating around the bush. I...... command absolutes from other worlds as my subordinates."
As I spoke, she looked at me.
"......Other worlds?"
"Yes, you probably heard about that from Delaila? Likely, one of my skeletons is the Fourth Magic Tower Lord, Eloise, whom you wrote about."
"......What?"
Sophia looked incredulous.
"Your skeleton is Eloise?"
"Not that it is, but the probability is high. Of course, believe it or not, up to you. But...... doesn't me knowing this space prove it? Looks super twisty and hidden."
I shrugged.
"I needed the ancient magic fragment to awaken this skeleton too."
"......"
"That's the answer. End! Nothing more to reveal or say. Simpler than expected, right?"
I met her eyes directly.
A brief silence.
Whoooosh!
Her aura subsided.
"What, it's true? No lie in your eyes."
Her voice softened too.
I asked.
"......You can tell just from the eyes?"
"Live to my age. You'll know naturally."
"......"
Right.
Even if the Magic Tower Lord looked in her 20s.
She was actually an 80-year-old grandma?
Was that why Jang Dae-woong called her 'British granny'?
"Haa."
Sophia let out a light sigh.
"Fine, no helping it. You told the truth first, so I should too. Otherwise, no real conversation."
She smiled faintly again.
"But promise me."
"Promise?"
"For everything I tell you, you share all the info you get from now on without holding back. Especially anything on ancient magic."
Whoa.
True, you can't fool experience.
No ordinary person.
"Alright."
I nodded.
"Mutual information exchange agreement established."
* * *
[Skill: Magic Tower Lord]
[Grade: SS]
[Effect 1: Erect a Magic Tower in the air.]
[Effect 2: This skill can only be acquired by one person per world.]
[Effect 3: Consumes 1,000 stamina.]
"I lived 5 years solely for magic, immersed in it. The skill I luckily got was this. Magic Tower Lord. The absurd ability to build a Magic Tower in the world. And that wasn't all."
[Skill: History of the Magic Tower]
[Grade: S]
[Effect 1: Check information and history of all Magic Tower Lords in the world.]
[Effect 2: Consumes 500 stamina.]
"Things like this appeared too."
[Skill: Follower of Ancient Magic]
[Grade: SS]
[Effect 1: Explore the traces left by 'Ancient Magic' (SSS Grade).]
[Effect 2: Increases understanding of magic.]
[Effect 3: Can complexly apply skills based on research results.]
"And this. Since you revealed without lies, I'll open up too. Note, even Delaila doesn't know this."
Sophia's explanation was simple yet profound.
She ended all explanations by revealing some of her skills.
"Amazing, right? That's when it started. I explored the Magic Tower interior with 'History of the Magic Tower' skill, sought traces of ancient magic. Still ongoing, of course. That's how I heard about you."
"I see."
Who would've thought.
A ranker like the Magic Tower Lord would reveal this much detail.
Was ancient magic info that desperate for her?
"You're looking for ancient magic fragments?"
"Yes."
Rustle, rustle.
I pulled a diary from my pocket.
[Item: Diary of the Magic Flunkout]
[Grade: S]
[Type: Catalyst]
[Description: The root to uncover secrets of hidden ruins.]
[Effect 1: Can open dungeon 'Magic Flunkout.']
[Effect 2: Item bound to hunter 'Joo Dong-hoon.']
[Effect 3: Item activatable from hunter grade S and above.]
[Effect 4: Requires 'Ancient Magic Fragment' (SS Grade) to activate.]
The catalyst dungeon to awaken Bueo.
"Exactly an SS Grade ancient magic fragment is needed. To open this dungeon."
"Then we're good."
The Magic Tower Lord grinned.
"This tower."
Thud!
She struck her staff on the floor.
"This tower itself is that fragment."