Chapter 55

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Translator: Ryuma

Chapter: ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠55

Chapter Title: Volcanic Mage Tower (2)

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Back then was when 'Lee Jung-jun' was swamped with part-time jobs.

After losing his last mage character in such a pathetic way, Lee Jung-jun quit the game entirely.

But even in his hectic life, Lee Jung-jun needed a place to unwind, and that was the <Blackout> community site.

It was a busier day than usual. After finishing the loading and unloading work, on a day when he could barely squeeze in a meal.

While his coworkers headed out for a smoke, he checked the community site on his phone, and the mage board was in full party mode.

Would their hard work ever see the light of day?

Lee Jung-jun couldn't dwell on it further.

"Jun! Time to get back to work!"

It was a memory from one such day.

The room they ascended to through the burning passage was a warehouse of moderate size.

But it wasn't your typical warehouse.

Magical ingredients, spellbooks, artifacts, and more.

Every single item was a treasure that would make any mage's eyes spin.

In short, this was a treasure trove.

'Just like in the game.'

The forum user had mentioned another hidden room here.

But this place was sensitive. Security spells blanketed every corner, making it hard to spread mana freely.

'What if I break them all?'

Like how he'd temporarily sealed off the passage's barrier, maybe it was possible here too?

'Impossible.'

No, it was possible. But there wasn't nearly enough time.

There were dozens of security spells here alone.

'A clue. There has to be a clue somewhere.'

After a few trials and errors, Jun spotted what he suspected was the hidden passage.

Focusing on his five senses instead of mana, he found a spot where faint air leaked out, just like at Shylock's hideout.

A particularly filthy corner of the warehouse, full of nothing worth seeing.

Packed with outdated junk no self-respecting mage would touch.

'What confidence is this?'

No proper security spells. Just like Shylock's place, only an illusion-covered wall.

'Did they not even consider intruders?'

But Jun's guess was a bit off.

This warehouse was designed so only specific items could be retrieved. Any affiliated mage would just grab what they needed and go.

No reason to glance at that junk, naturally.

So Jun stepped on the junk and entered the illusion wall.

Fortunately, no security spells registered here.

"...So this is it."

Unlike the warehouse he'd just left, this space was incredibly crude.

As if reflecting the mind of its creator.

Gray brick walls, no windows.

Apart from a circulation magic circle keeping the air from stagnating, the room was just spacious—nothing more.

And in the center of that room, something floated in midair.

"...Dimensional Vault."

He'd heard the name.

Back in his Lee Jung-jun days, while chasing Shylock's traces, he'd seen it in a newspaper article.

It reported that the Zenkhar Mage Tower's fall was due to a criminal group targeting the countless artifacts inside its Dimensional Vault.

The Zenkhar Mage Tower was famous enough that "Dimensional Vault" came to mind instantly.

And the fact that it was here, in the Volcanic Mage Tower—what did that mean?

'The downfall of the Zenkhar Mage Tower, which once drew the Imperial Family's attention, is tied to the Volcanic Mage Tower.'

Jun eyed the Dimensional Vault cautiously.

He sensed a trace of mana.

Not a clear form, but periodically, someone cast spells here.

'A ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sealed artifact, huh? Unless it's Shylock or someone on his level, breaking this won't be easy.'

The one casting here was probably the Volcanic Mage Tower's lord, Sergei. A vague hunch.

'Back then, the Imperial Family declared the Zenkhar Mage Tower's fall was the work of the Celestial Cult.'

No doubt they'd found traces of the Celestial Cult at the scene.

But the real prize was in the Volcanic Mage Tower?

'This is ironclad proof.'

With that conviction, as he stepped toward the Dimensional Vault—

The world flipped upside down.

A sight he'd never seen before in his life.

Mana that should dwell within nature had devoured it instead, extending to devour space itself.

Insanely high mana control.

No, this wasn't control. It was domination.

The landscape was swallowed by flames.

The stuffy warehouse was gone, replaced entirely by blazing wasteland.

"Hng...!"

Jun instinctively hunched over from the gulp of air.

Scorching heat rushed into his mouth, down his throat, and into his lungs.

"Kgh..."

He held his breath.

Exhaling would just mean inhaling more of this inferno air.

[Unyielding Will] and [Steadfast Heart] calmed his startled mind.

He wouldn't die yet.

Not even if breathing was a struggle for now.

Regaining his composure, Jun surveyed the transformed surroundings.

'Insane... He planted a [Mindscape Barrier] inside the Mage Tower...?'

The [Mindscape Barrier] Sergei deployed in the game <Blackout>.

But Sergei was nowhere in sight.

'Did he set this trap before leaving the tower? No wonder the security seemed ridiculously lax.'

Even Jun hadn't known this.

The veteran who'd posted the guide on the game forums hadn't warned about this trap.

'Of course. In ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the game, you could only enter here after killing Sergei.'

So this was a space born from Sergei's mind.

Without his permission, no entering or exiting.

Caught perfectly in the hunter's snare.

'But that's just the game version.'

First, breathing.

He circulated his mana.

But what should have been as natural as breathing was impossible.

This space was saturated with Sergei's mana, not nature's.

Still, there was a temporary workaround.

He reached into the sub-space pouch borrowed from Cloi.

Luckily, the item he sought was right there.

'Top-grade mana stone.'

Hard to obtain even if you wanted one, but the count had extorted it from Adolf.

'Quality's top-notch.'

He drew mana from the stone and chanted a spell.

A huge chunk of mana drained from the stone.

Summoning an opposing attribute in a space brimming with fire mana doubled the cost.

But now he had a way to resist the melting heat.

"Huuuugh, kuhk, kuheuk—!"

He gulped air desperately. Still like breathing in a sweltering sauna.

But at least breathing was feasible now.

With some leeway, Jun spread [Scan] around him.

To sustain a Mindscape Barrier this massive, there had to be a corresponding energy source.

"Bingo."

Powerful energy pulsed not far away.

"Hoo... hoo..."

Sweat poured from his body like rain.

He'd mitigated the environment somewhat, but it wasn't perfect.

Merely resistance.

'Combat in this? As bad as it gets.'

In the game, the difficulty would have spiked to the heavens.

And that wasn't all.

'With the number of mana stones I have, I won't last long.'

The one in his hand was nearly depleted already.

The moment the mana stones from Adolf ran dry would be his end.

The longer he delayed, the worse off he was.

"Hoo..."

How far had he climbed this uphill path?

The destination came into view.

"Damn it. Knew it."

And there, as if waiting, something loomed in place.

The first impression was an armadillo from Earth.

But up close, it was a lizard form.

A bipedal lizard covered in rippling muscle.

Though in this unnatural space, its appearance was far from ordinary.

"Lizardman...? No, not quite. Feels familiar."

Its body seemed to course with lava instead of blood.

It evoked the salamander, a fire spirit from games, but unlike a spirit, it had a solid flesh body.

"Even here, the Celestial Cult..."

In the game, it was a monster called the "Flame Swallower."

More precisely, a Celestial Cult chimera blending monster and human.

The creature hadn't noticed Jun yet, slurping up the surrounding lava.

Its hand, which should melt on contact, dipped in unscathed.

As it drank the lava, crimson streams glowed brighter in its veins, replacing blood.

Yet its thirst persisted, hand plunging back into the lava flow.

"..."

Jun watched it intently.

'In the game, this thing appeared when the Volcanic Mage Tower's alliance with the Celestial Cult went public.'

A mid-boss monster encountered before killing the tower lord Sergei.

Its weakness was in the heart. Looking closely, a scarlet gem gleamed there, like solidified lava.

'That's the core sustaining this Mindscape Barrier.'

Could he take it down in one shot?

He pulled another top-grade mana stone from the pouch, pondering.

'Prepping a water spell takes time... but in that state, yeah.'

Fortunately, engrossed in its lava feast, it hadn't spotted Jun approaching.

'End it in one go.'

He gathered mana.