Chapter 221
Chapter 221
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 221
Chapter Title: Return to the Magic Tower
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“Huuu…….”
The moment I let out a deep breath, my vision flipped.
A familiar room.
It was the secret chamber Arin had used.
Of course, not the one from the magic world.
Our Earth.
In other words, the secret chamber of the Oxford Magic Tower.
“Aigoo. Tough, so tough.”
Thud!
I flopped straight down onto the floor.
Thanks to Dana’s recovery, my body was fine.
But mentally, I was exhausted.
The kind of feeling where I just wanted to lie down and sleep it off?
“No wonder it’s called a catalyst dungeon.”
Splat.
I lay flat on my back against the floor.
The worn-out ceiling of the secret chamber came into view.
Behind me, the cold sensation of the marble floor pressed right against my skin.
‘First things first.’
Since I’d cleared the dungeon, the top priority was checking the rewards.
I skimmed past the minor stat increases for the skeletons and checked Arin’s status first.
[The Magic Tower Lord ‘Eloise Arin’ acknowledges you as her true master!]
[‘Bone5’ has inherited ‘Eloise Arin’s’ memories and will intact.]
[‘Bone5’s’ name changes to ‘Eloise Arin.’]
[All stats increase by 10.]
“Arin.”
Even after awakening.
The one and only summon who called me ‘Professor,’ not master or lord.
[Name: Eloise Arin]
[Vitality: 700/700]
[Unique Ability: Skeleton Lord]
[Class: Magician]
[Grade: S]
[Strength: 70] [Agility: 72] [Stamina: 77] [Mana: 110] [Technique: 72]
[Held Skills]
-‘Fire Magic Mastery’(Lv.Max)
-‘Rune Interpretation’(Lv.Max)
-‘Follower of Ancient Magic’(Lv.4)
-‘Skeleton Summon’(Lv.Max)
‘Ooh.’
My eyes sparkled.
The massive stat boost was one thing.
But the held skills had changed drastically.
The ones I’d diligently leveled up like ‘Fireball’(Lv.Max), ‘Fire Field’(Lv.Max), and ‘Air Shield’(Lv.Max) had all vanished completely.
They must have merged into this ‘Fire Magic Mastery’(Lv.Max).
‘Well, yeah.’
Arin could now use not just Eloise’s foundational spells, but a ton from the archive she’d read.
She’d even held the inauguration for the Four Great Magic Tower Lords, after all.
If every spell Arin knew got listed as skills...?
“Whew.”
I shook my head.
It’d fill the entire view and then some, endlessly.
That passive mastery skill probably let her use any magic within the bounds of the former Magic Tower Lord’s knowledge.
‘Total cheat.’
To be honest.
Even if you scoured the whole Earth, there probably wasn’t a hunter who knew magic as well as Arin... right?
If anyone, maybe Sophia.
‘Hmm.’
Also.
Rune Interpretation seemed to be the ability to read books in the Magic Tower archive.
Next.
‘Follower of Ancient Magic?’
I’d heard of it.
From the past, Earth’s Magic Tower Lord.
It was one of the skills Sophia Silverstone had explained to me.
[Skill: Follower of Ancient Magic]
[Grade: SS]
[Effect 1: Explore the traces left by ‘Ancient Magic’(SSS Grade).]
[Effect 2: Magic comprehension increases.]
[Effect 3: Skills can be complexly applied based on research results.]
According to her.
It was a skill only Magic Tower Lords could possess.
So that meant.
Even though she’d died, Arin was still recognized as a Magic Tower Lord?
As I lay there comfortably nodding to myself.
Plop!
Something dropped from thin air.
[Rewards arrive!]
[Congratulations!]
[You acquire the item, ‘Soul of the Martial Adept’(S-Grade).]
[Ding!]
[This item is associated with your class.]
“As expected, this time too.”
A new catalyst had arrived.
What was it this time?
Soul of the Martial Adept?
On the floor lay a neatly folded pure white training uniform.
‘Martial Adept... so Bone8?’
Tsk.
A bit disappointing.
I’d thought it’d be Bone2 this time.
The first bone unsealed, the one who’d picked up a sword.
Unfortunately, his turn kept getting pushed back.
‘Still.’
We’ve come a long way.
Out of the 10 bones, six had already awakened.
From Sun-ai(2).
Eldrin(3) and Demir(6).
Caden(4) and Dana(7).
Up to Arin(5).
Skeletons who could only creak without speaking a word.
Now they were possessed by absolute beings of their worlds, sharing emotions and following my commands.
Not just as subordinates, but ones who’d reached the pinnacle of their worlds.
How could the emotions not be new?
‘Anyway.’
Shall I check it out?
I placed my hand on the training uniform.
[Item: ‘Soul of the Martial Adept’(S-Grade)]
[Grade: S]
[Type: Catalyst]
[Description: A training uniform that can uncover the secrets of hidden ruins.]
[Effect 1: Unlocks the dungeon, ‘Fist-Foot Rivalry.’]
[Effect 2: Bound to Hunter, ‘Joo Dong-hoon.’]
[Effect 3: This item activates at Hunter grade S or higher.]
[Effect 4: Requires ‘Fragment of the War God’(SS-Grade) to activate this item.]
“Fragment... of the War God?”
I furrowed my brow.
Last time it demanded ‘Ancient Magic Fragment’(SS-Grade).
Now it’s ‘Fragment of the War God’(SS-Grade)?
What even is that?
I’d felt it before, but the system was awfully unhelpful.
I got lucky finding the Magic Tower right away.
Where the hell do I even find the War God?
‘The War God too.’
Like the ‘Ancient Magic’(SSS Grade) entity.
Probably another Triple S existence?
“Whew.”
Anyway.
I’d put the complicated thoughts off for later.
For now, I should just enjoy the moment of Arin’s rebirth.
“Arin, come out.”
My new subordinate.
[Using skill, ‘Skeleton Lord Summon’(S-Grade).]
[Vitality 10 used.]
[‘Eloise Arin’ appears.]
Whoosh!
At my call, bones materialized in the air.
Having only seen her as a pale-skinned, gaunt girl, seeing her skeletal form again felt oddly awkward.
“Professor. You called?”
The appeared Arin looked carefully around.
She also scanned her own body up and down.
Her expression mixed curiosity and bewilderment.
“Do you remember? This is my world. Called Earth. There’s a Magic Tower here too.”
“Hmm. Yes, vaguely. I remember walking here through a secret passage. Anyway, it’s truly amazing, Professor. The archive’s words were true... that there are countless worlds and countless Magic Towers in the universe…….”
Arin touched the secret chamber’s walls.
She rifled through the dusty books.
“……These are the books I gathered when I cleaned the chamber before leaving as an adult. How they exist intact in this world too... that’s surprising.”
As she sank into memories.
I noticed a green light flashing persistently in the bottom right.
‘Ah, the chat window.’
Back on Earth, it was active again.
I opened the chat window right away.
It was the room where the executives of the newly founded group, Separate Realm, gathered.
[Kim Jin-ah: Praying for Guild Master’s return, day 28.]
[Kim Jin-ah: Aaaah, when are you coming back for real!]
[Kim Jin-ah: I said you could go around freely, but this is too much ㅜㅜ.]
[Kim Jin-ah: Just you wait till you get back!]
Eek!
The moment I opened the chat, Kim Jin-ah’s messages made me break into a sweat.
Last time, the catalyst portal opened suddenly.
I’d just greeted roughly and jumped in.
The vice workshop head.
No, vice guild master must have a bunch pent up.
‘Well, yeah.’
I’d asked for the Magic Tower’s internal structure, but didn’t properly relay info and vanished.
She had every right to say that.
‘But 28 days?’
More time had passed than I thought?
“…….”
Yeah.
I’d have to pick up a gift on the way back.
* * *
Oxford Magic Tower, top floor.
On the 100th floor, accessible only to the Magic Tower’s owner.
“Hmm.”
World ranking 4th ranker.
Sophia Silverstone rolled a strangely shaped orb fluidly between her fingers.
Her unique habit when stray thoughts piled up.
“……Joo Dong-hoon.”
The rookie high ranker Delaila had praised to the skies.
He’d jumped straight from outside 1,000 to high ranker, and now he uttered the name ‘Ancient Magic.’
A name even Delaila didn’t know.
‘Ancient Magic.’
The unidentified entity pointed to by her skill, ‘Follower of Ancient Magic’(SS-Grade).
Truth be told.
Following Ancient Magic was a sort of instinct.
She didn’t know why.
But after becoming Magic Tower Lord, ‘Ancient Magic’ was like a ‘god’ to her.
She naturally sought that existence.
Naturally strove to approach it.
Like an apostle spreading the gospel.
Like a scientist pursuing truth.
‘Such an existence.’
Known by a mere hunter.
And one with no connection to magic.
‘Just what is his identity?’
Why?
A super-fast high ranker.
And he knew of ‘Ancient Magic’s’ existence.
He’d said.
He knew of the ‘Eloise’s secret chamber’ he’d organized.
That his skeleton was linked to ‘Eloise.’
So they’d made a promise.
In exchange for his info.
He’d get hers too.
A mutual information exchange agreement!
And a month had passed like that.
“Hnnngh!”
Sophia writhed.
‘When the hell is he coming, Joo Dong-hoon!’
Yes.
She was antsy.
Dying to know what info he’d bring!
That info could be the stepping stone for the Magic Tower to advance another level!
‘How could work pile up like this.’
Seminars, weekly Magic Tower meetings.
Lately, she’d just shown up without giving real directions.
The world’s top magic authority was now experiencing a magic more wondrous than magic itself.
One hour felt like a day, a week like a month.
A truly rare illusion-type time magic.
She’d even had Professor Orena, his peer, check his status in case he’d slipped away secretly.
She checked daily news on the hot new group Separate Realm.
In case he returned there.
“…….”
Sophia clenched her fist hard.
The veins bulging on her forearm carried her intense desire.
Thump thump.
Her heart pounded.
Since becoming world ranking 4th hunter.
Sometimes the world felt boring.
But now, she felt alive again.
Strong curiosity and excitement.
The thrill of knowing she could grow even more.
In that moment.
“Huh?”
She felt it.
A faint ki ripple, but her senses caught it clearly.
Location: the worst Magic Tower Lord in history.
Eloise’s secret chamber!
‘That means……!’
Ecstasy filled Sophia’s eyes.
‘He’s finally here?’
The long-awaited Joo Dong-hoon had returned at last!
“Wait?”
Sophia flinched just as she was about to cast spatial transfer in her joy.
“……What?”
She soon furrowed her brow.
This too was instinct.
Something only a Magic Tower Lord, the tower’s owner, could sense.
Sophia tilted her head.
“This is a Magic Tower Lord’s aura…….”
Yes.
Like a beast instinctively sensing another invading its territory.
Sophia had felt another Magic Tower Lord’s aura.
“A Magic Tower Lord.”
Then.
His skeleton really could be Eloise?
Sophia’s lips curved up slightly.