Dragon's Legacy

The results of the first-floor Ascension Tower exam rocked the Magic Tower.

"Did you hear? Someone broke the Tower Master's record in this first-floor Ascension Tower exam."

"What? The Tower Master's record was like 22 seconds, right? And it got broken?"

"Yeah. Apparently, that kid who awakened gold-attribute mana last time broke it."

"Insane. I heard he couldn't even reach 1st Circle for ten years."

"That's why everyone's losing their minds right now."

"Whoa... so it's not just a pearl necklace on a pig's neck after all."

Perceptions of Kim Jehyun began shifting once more. From a lucky guy who awakened attribute mana to someone who might truly represent the Magic Tower as a rookie.

The preconception that he'd only just reached 1st Circle after ten years started to fade.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

The news reached even those residing in the Magic Tower's uppermost levels.

"My record was broken?"

"Yes. Who would've thought a rookie would break the Tower Master's record."

"Impressive. Even I had to push hard to set that record back then. How many seconds? 21? 20?"

"19 seconds, they say. Want to see the video?"

Tower Master Choi Hanseom let out a hollow chuckle and nodded at those words.

19 seconds. He was curious how it had been done.

Taking the tablet handed to him, he played the video, and Kim Jehyun's exam performance appeared on screen.

"Oh ho."

As the short video ended, Choi Hanseom's eyes sparkled.

"This kid's interesting."

Tower Master Choi Hanseom. For the first time in ages, he took a real interest in a rookie.

"No matter how I look at it, it's insane. Check out that last part where he connects all the Lightning Bolts into one. I've never seen anything like it. Totally crazy! So sexy!"

"I've seen it too, so quiet down a bit. But seriously, how did he have that kind of skill and still fail to reach 1st Circle for ten years?"

"Maybe something like, one day he wakes up and the seal that's been holding him back for ten years suddenly breaks? He had insane talent, but someone sealed it away..."

Yun Jaeyong of the Daon Faction shook his head at Lee Jia chattering beside him.

'She's read too many novels.'

But he did agree on one thing.

'Insane talent.'

The countless Lightning Bolts floating ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in the air. When he saw them weave together into one, he doubted his own eyes.

Because he'd never heard of anything like it.

"He's definitely a once-in-a-generation genius. I guarantee it!"

Yun Jaeyong unwittingly nodded at her words.

Right. Only those called geniuses could pull off something that defied common sense.

Those who always advanced magic further, breathing new life into it—they were the geniuses like this.

If the previous generation's protagonist was the current Tower Master, then maybe this generation's was Kim Jehyun.

'There are plenty of rookies touted as the next generation's leaders... but somehow, I think Kim Jehyun will surpass them all.'

His long-honed instinct for recruiting top talent into his faction was screaming it.

Kim Jehyun. He was a truly remarkable rough gem.

'It'd be great if we could bring him into our faction.'

For mid-tier factions like theirs to catch up to the major ones, they had no choice but to snag exceptional talents like this.

But he wasn't the only one thinking that.

Looking around, countless others shared his thoughts, waiting for Jehyun. Not just those aiming to recruit him into their factions, but even reporters from Magic Tower media outlets itching for interviews.

'But is he really coming here? Why hasn't he shown up yet?'

He tilted his head. It was past time, but Jehyun was nowhere in sight.

"What's going on? Is he really coming up today?"

Murmurs rippled through the crowd waiting for Jehyun.

Other exam passers had already started trickling in one by one, but Jehyun hadn't even poked his head out. It was nearly evening already.

"Maybe he's not coming today?"

"Yeah, should we head out?"

"Ahem, yeah, let's go soon. Everyone stand up."

After a long wait, people were starting to glance around awkwardly and drift away.

In that moment, Yun Jaeyong made up his mind.

In situations like this, the one who stuck it out to the end—the ultimate 'holdout'—claimed victory.

'Yeah, everyone else leave. Better this way. I'll be the last one standing. I'll camp out all night if I have to, glued to this seat until he shows.'

With that resolve, Yun Jaeyong shouted inwardly.

'Holdout wins!'

"The entrance isn't just one?"

"No, sir."

Jehyun looked surprised.

A fact he'd never known in his past 26 years. There was more than one entrance to the first floor.

Jehyun was entering the first floor from the opposite side of the main entrance. This back gate was reserved exclusively for the Magic Tower's high-ranking officials.

"Hyung, give me your number."

Jehyun punched in his number and handed the phone back to Jo Yeonho, thinking to himself.

'So this is what privilege feels like.'

The reason Jehyun could use the back gate? All thanks to Jo Yeonho.

Right after the exam ended, he'd received the Fearfire Stone from Jo Yeonho. And as they were parting, Jo Yeonho had grabbed him.

'Good thing I didn't brush him off coldly back then. You really do have to see the heart in people.'

―Wasn't it more like you figured there might be more to squeeze out of the little brat?

'Ahem. Quiet.'

While Jehyun was chatting briefly with Jo Yeonho, members of the Jupiter Faction approached.

They were clearly executive-level, with an air of authority. They brought Jehyun and Jo Yeonho here, saying it'd be a hassle through the main gate.

"We look forward to a fruitful relationship with the Jupiter Faction going forward. These are the documents related to the first-floor Ascension Tower."

Among those who came to pick up Jo Yeonho, a young man with his hair neatly slicked back handed Jehyun the papers.

Documents that needed processing at the administrative office after ascending to the first floor. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠They'd prepared everything neatly in advance.

Not for nothing was it a top-tier major faction. Their handling was impeccably efficient.

"Thank you. You've saved me a ton of hassle."

"No trouble at all."

"Hyung, see you next time! I'll definitely win next round!"

"Yeah. See you."

Jo Yeonho and the Jupiter Faction group loaded him into a waiting mana car and departed.

Thanks to the Jupiter Faction, the time for first-floor formalities was drastically cut.

The message appeared the moment he entered the first floor. It had been popping up intermittently for a while now.

As if calling out to Jehyun.

―What will you do?

"Hm..."

The timing was tricky. Even if the Magic Tower was a tower, each floor was as vast as a major city.

Searching for the legacy could take him until nightfall.

It was almost evening, and he was getting hungry.

But Jehyun didn't want to delay any longer.

"It's not like I can't find the legacy just because it's dark, right?"

Heading toward the resonance point should lead him right to where the legacy slumbered.

A bit of fatigue, sure—but for a legacy? No big deal.

―Good attitude.

Alkasha seemed pleased with Jehyun's proactive stance.

"I can book lodging on the way."

Securing a residence on the first floor wasn't easy yet. And commuting from his old place every time would be a pain.

He'd use temporary lodgings for now, earn points, and get a proper place later.

Jehyun set off immediately.

The artificial sun hanging in the sky was setting, and the artificial moon began to glow faintly.

An environmental setup to match the outside world's time difference. But this technology, indistinguishable from reality, never failed to amaze him every time.

'Oh, right—I need to check these too.'

Jehyun recalled the Fearfire Stone and Jindo Island's treasure chest he'd obtained earlier.

The Fearfire Stone from Jo Yeonho. Just carrying it boosted fire-attribute power.

Using it with golden mana for fire spells would ramp up the destructive force even more.

'But just carrying it is a waste.'

―Then how should it be used?

'With a few specific ingredients, it can be made into an ingestible elixir.'

―Hoh. Turning this rock into something edible. Setting aside the effects, that's intriguing in itself.

'It'll grant even higher attribute power than just holding it.'

Plus increased mana capacity. No risk of loss, and repeatable consumption.

Of course, efficiency would drop with repeats.

―Impressive. How did the one who discovered that even figure it out?

'A mage named Vutallek found that out too.'

Indeed. This was another proper use uncovered by the explorer king Vutallek, who'd found the hidden piece in Hamlet Dungeon.

Most of the hidden pieces and opportunities Jehyun would claim ahead of time had been revealed by Vutallek.

Jehyun stowed the Fearfire Stone and pulled out Jindo Island's treasure chest.

Jindo Island's treasure chest gleamed silver. Visible only to Jehyun's eyes.

The emerald Sotoso's treasure chest.

The golden Elun's treasure chest.

The silver Jindo Island's treasure chest.

Each yielded fixed reward types.

If Sotoso's gave skills and Elun's gave magic tools or artifacts...

―Jindo Island's gives special rewards.

With Alkasha's words, Jehyun placed his hand on Jindo Island's treasure chest.

A flash of silver light poured out, ejecting an orange ticket the size of his palm.

―Congratulations. You've obtained a Primitive Goblin Dungeon entry ticket (E) from Jindo Island's treasure chest.

'This is...'

―A ticket that opens a portal to an instant dungeon. E-grade isn't bad for you right now.

Jindo Island's treasure chest yielded tickets for instant dungeon portals.

A huge long-term boon.

Soloing decent dungeons got harder with higher ranks.

'Now I can secure solo dungeons via Jindo Island's chest.'

Jehyun's eyes lit up.

He'd already felt the benefits of leveling firsthand. Now he had a way to accelerate it.

'Nice.'

A grin tugged at Jehyun's lips.

How long had he traveled? Borrowing a mana car as a transport within the tower, heading toward the resonance...

He arrived where the echo grew stronger.

Stepping out of the mana car, Jehyun gazed ahead.

Beyond here, no vehicles could go. The landscape was a mountain blanketed in rocks.

The desolate, rock-strewn peak felt eerie, almost ghostly. Without the moonlight illuminating the night sky, it would've been downright spooky.

"Here, huh..."

Jehyun murmured softly as he began climbing the rocky mountain.

He'd come here many times in the past. From the summit in daylight, you could overlook the entire first-floor metropolis.

He'd visit whenever his chest felt tight.

"No way."

A sudden thought struck him.

The massive rock at the peak resembling a dragon's head. The one called Dragon Head Rock.

Step by step.

As he neared Dragon Head Rock, the resonance in his body intensified.

'It was real?'

Standing before Dragon Head Rock, Jehyun looked up.

This was it. No doubt.

His instincts, the tremor within— they all screamed that the dragon's legacy was right before him.

Reaching out toward Dragon Head Rock, he took one more ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠step forward.

That instant.

Rumble.

The rock-formed dragon head turned, locking eyes with Jehyun.

"...!"