Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Mad Black Mage's Tower Strategy
Chapter 10
A dark night filled with clouds.
HOO-HOO- HOO-HOO-.
The ominous sound of owls echoed, and thick night fog obscured the view—this place was Yellow Rock Forest.
Two novice climbers, Hyun-su and Mi-yeon, who had visited Yellow Rock Forest to progress a hidden quest, were lost and wandering through the forest.
Mi-yeon grabbed Hyun-su's collar with a trembling voice and said.
"Oppa, I told you we should gather more people for this quest."
"S-sorry."
They had come alone to monopolize the hidden quest reward, but if they had known it would turn out like this, they should have brought more people.
Just as the two people, gripped by fear, were wandering through Yellow Rock Forest.
"Sniff."
Suddenly, a thick smell of blood pierced Hyun-su's nose.
And at the same time.
SQUELCH-.
Hyun-su's foot stepped on something soft while walking ahead.
"……!"
He jumped in surprise and looked down at his feet.
What was reflected in his eyes was a pile of horribly torn Kobold corpses.
Messy wounds as if torn by sharp claws.
Moreover,
'They didn't recover the mana stones?'
He could see fingernail-sized mana stones glowing blue within the corpses.
To hunt monsters but not recover the mana stones.
This meant that dangerous magical beasts, not climbers, had hunted the Kobold pack.
'D-dangerous.'
If they encountered an elite monster like this, they might be found as corpses.
They might add a handful of numbers to the already high death rate of climbers.
"L-let's get out of here quickly."
Just as the two people who had made their decision were running around trying to escape the forest while holding their breath.
'Fire?'
A faint light and smoke beyond the bushes caught their eyes.
Hyun-su shouted inwardly with delight.
'We're saved!'
Seeing that a fire had been lit, it must be climbers or residents of The Tower. At least it would be better than unidentified magical beasts.
"Let's go over there!"
The two people, who had finally seen a ray of hope, hurried toward the direction where the light was visible.
The two people who had pushed through the bushes and found the source of the light.
"E-excuse me, by any chance……."
What greeted them was.
A man touching the corpse of some creature.
"……!"
The two people froze at the sight of the man covered in blood all over his body.
The man raised his head and reached out his hand toward the two people.
"Are you perhaps stranded? Come sit down. I've lit a fire too."
He pointed to the inverted pentagram magic circle at his feet with his blood-red hand and invited them to sit.
Surely his intention was to offer them as sacrifices.
"KYAAAAAAAH!"
"Run!"
The two people let out shrill screams and hurriedly fled in the opposite direction.
The two people who disappeared from the man's sight in an instant.
Seo-jin looked at their retreating figures and tilted his head.
'Why are they suddenly acting like that?'
As if they had seen something they shouldn't have.
They seemed lost, so I just told them to rest and warm themselves by the fire.
Seo-jin, who had been thinking about the two people's reaction for a moment, soon looked down at himself.
The bones arranged on the ground and the sinister inverted pentagram pattern drawn beside them.
A being covered in blood making something in a dark forest at night where people rarely come.
Seo-jin finally understood the position of the two people who had run away.
"Hmm."
If you accidentally meet a great demon lord making monsters in the forest, it's right to run first.
Anyway, if the testimony of those two people who ran away spreads, rumors might circulate that an elite-class boss monster has appeared in this Yellow Rock Forest.
But it doesn't matter much.
'Anyway, I'll leave once I get the secret skill.'
I've already obtained the qualification to go up to the 3rd floor, so there's no reason to stay here continuously.
Seo-jin put down the materials in his hands and clapped.
"Baduki."
GRRRR-.
At Seo-jin's call, a furry bundle in the shape of a small animal slowly walked out of the forest and bowed its head.
[Baduki]
Grade: A+
LV: 24
Race: Undead
Owner: Lee Seo-jin
An undead made from the blood and flesh of an ancient magical beast. As it was crafted by the hands of an excellent black mage, it has infinite growth potential.
The first undead Seo-jin created after his regression.
'I wanted to make a cute retriever.'
Since the material was what it was, the completed form looked exactly like a single-headed Cerberus.
Seo-jin examined the detailed characteristics of Baduki, who was lying prostrate in front of him and panting.
Unique Skills
[Intimidation]
Reduces all ability values of hostile creatures of A+ grade or below that you face by 10 percent.
[Super Regeneration]
Recovers 5 percent of lost health every second.
[Earth's Authority]
Earth-type magic aptitude increases.
[Demonic Nature]
Magic aptitude increases. A 30 percent damage reduction effect is applied to all attacks. Takes 200 percent additional damage from divine magic.
[Spiritual Being]
Can communicate with intelligent beings.
Since the highest-grade material of Behemoth's corpse was combined with Seo-jin's tremendous black magic knowledge, a magical beast was born that Seo-jin at his current level could never create.
'A+ grade and level 24 too.'
With various authorities attached on top of that, Baduki alone might be able to clear low-level dungeons.
The proof of that was Seo-jin's current level.
'My current level is 5.'
Whether it had hunted while released into the forest for a while, the level of Seo-jin, the owner, had risen considerably.
While he was sitting in place making undead, Baduki had patrolled the surroundings and hunted nearby monsters.
Even considering the experience point acquisition penalty from summoned creatures, the level-up speed was quite fast.
When he reaches level 20, he can change jobs to a black mage, so he'll be able to use more diverse and high-powered magic.
WHINE- WHINE-.
Baduki rubbed its head against Seo-jin's leg and wagged its tail.
Seo-jin petted its head and released it back into the forest.
"Hunt a little more and come back. But avoid human eyes as much as possible."
GRROOOOWL-!
It howled as if delighted and quickly ran into the forest.
'Since I don't need to hunt monsters directly, this kind of thing is very convenient.'
Seo-jin left the hunting to Baduki and looked up at the sky.
It was now a little past midnight.
But according to Fist King's words, it would be better to go early and wait for the old man.
Seo-jin got up from his seat and headed toward the bridge where he had met the old man.
***
Seo-jin, who had washed his body clean at the stream.
As he sat on the wooden bridge and waited quietly, not long after he arrived, he felt signs of people from beyond.
RUSTLE-.
The one who emerged through the darkness was the old man wearing the traditional robe.
The old man discovered Seo-jin, who had come early and was waiting, and raised his eyebrows as if surprised.
"Ho, quite a diligent young man."
To this, Seo-jin bowed his head and answered.
"You said to meet in the morning, but it seems you also have no sleep at night, old sir."
"Did you know that this old man would come this early?"
"Well. But it's a virtue to come early and wait for appointments with elders."
Seo-jin answered while simultaneously recalling his conversation with Fist King.
***
Seo-jin and Fist King, who had fought fiercely, lay down on the ground side by side and caught their breath.
Fighting with him was like a daily routine, so it wasn't particularly special.
Choi Gang-hyeon, who had caught his breath, brought up the story he hadn't finished earlier.
The old man's eccentric behavior of suddenly asking me to pick up shoes didn't end there. He said to meet the next morning, so when I went again in the morning, he got angry instead, saying I came too late.
Did you actually go late?
Late my ass. I arrived 10 minutes early. The old man, who had scolded me thoroughly, said to meet again in three days.
So?
Three days later, I woke up before sunrise and went several hours earlier than the appointment time to wait. But the old man had come even earlier than me.
Don't tell me.
Gang-hyeon nodded.
That's exactly it. The old man who had come earlier threw another fit and said to meet in five days. I sat on the bridge and waited from the night before, and only then could I receive the secret skill from the old man.
You went through hell.
But it was a skill that didn't suit me, so I declined.
So you went through hell and got nothing.
When Seo-jin teased, Gang-hyeon slowly closed his eyes.
No, I did gain something.
Fist King clenched his fist and swallowed as if that memory came back to him.
A humble mindset.
***
The old man said to Seo-jin.
"A good mindset. I'll give a gift to you who knows how to respect elders."
SWISH-.
The old man took out a book from his bosom and handed it to Seo-jin. It was a secret skill, also called a skill book.
The skill name was written on the cover of the book in neat handwriting.
[Primordial Unity Technique (混元歸一功)]
It was a skill he had never heard of before.
Just as Seo-jin was about to receive the book the old man handed him.
SWOOSH-.
The old man retrieved the book and smiled slyly.
"But before that, I need to see if you're qualified to receive this."
WHOOOOSH-.
At the same time, intense air currents swirled around the old man's body.
"Please be this old man's opponent for a moment."
The overwhelming power emanating from the old man.
Seo-jin felt the air currents so strong that his skin tingled and slowly smiled.
"……I shall learn from you."
***
So-yul, who had visited the 2nd floor after a long time.
Even though it was late at night, the fountain plaza in the center of The Land of Beginning was bright with lighting.
The nearby shops were also in full business.
The sight of loving couples and families strolling through the fountain plaza was similar to a year-end festival.
The peaceful atmosphere that couldn't be seen on high floors and the leisurely appearance of novice climbers looked quite fresh to So-yul.
"Ugh."
So-yul, who had emerged from the teleportation magic circle, stretched and yawned.
'Should I rest here for a while?'
She had told her sister that she was going to the 2nd floor to get information about the newly appeared supernova, but her true intention was to use that as an excuse to rest a little.
This was because she had accumulated a lot of stress due to the sluggish upper-floor strategy and the operation of the guild and magic tower.
Recruiting new mages was difficult, and existing mages only repeated complaints about not being able to afford potion and item costs.
Moreover, the guild and magic tower finances were perpetually in the red due to research costs, so So-yul, caught in the middle, was having a hellish time.
"Sigh."
She didn't become a guild leader to see this kind of situation.
An ivory tower of knowledge where those walking the same path share research and enlightenment and head to higher places.
The fun and value of magical research that delves into the world's principles.
The thrilling romance of steadfastly advancing toward truth without caring that everyone avoids it.
She had founded the mage guild hoping for such things, but reality was brutal.
Reality was harsh—without investment from large corporations, they couldn't even secure personnel costs, let alone research funds.
Since they had to receive investment, they couldn't even touch pure magical studies that explore truth, and were always tormented by pressure for profitable research and performance.
Not only that, but the government that issued excessive regulations compared to other countries while demanding results.
It was really maddening.
'Ah, forget it. Let's just take a walk first.'
She should walk around the 2nd floor after a long time, do some mentoring for newbies, and do some business for the mage guild.
There was nothing more fun and rewarding than helping newbies.
While she was at it, if she could recruit new members and even find traces of that supernova her sister wanted, nothing could be better.
Just as So-yul was strolling through the plaza with these various thoughts.
"HUFF, HUFF."
So-yul's eyes caught sight of a couple running frantically toward the Immigration Management Office.
The two running with faces pale as if terrified.
What could be happening at this late hour?
So-yul approached them and asked cautiously.
"Excuse me, what's wrong?"
"Oh! Han So-yul?"
The head of Taebaek, Korea's representative mage guild.
The two who had been running with terrified faces clung to her as if they had met a savior.
"So-yul-nim, th-there's a terrible demon mage in the forest over there!"
"A demon mage?"
"Yes! He was drawing magic circles with blood and had corpses laid out everywhere—it was chaos! We barely escaped after almost becoming sacrifices!"
The man beside her nodded frantically as if chiming in.
So-yul answered gently, intending to reassure the panicked two.
"Ah, I see."
Looking at the two people's reactions, it didn't seem to be a lie.
She didn't know what a demon mage was, but it was probably a black mage or a boss-level monster with demon blood.
It was understandable that novice climbers who had just entered The Tower would overreact.
Well, if you go up just a little higher, all sorts of things including human sacrifice happen, so it was a matter So-yul, who was used to such things, found quite mundane.
'Still, for such a thing to happen on the 2nd floor is interesting.'
She had plenty of time. It seemed worth checking out.
So-yul, whose interest was piqued, grabbed both their hands and asked.
"I understand. I'll go and resolve it. Where is that place?"