Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Mad Black Mage's Tower Strategy
Chapter 21
[The climbing test begins. You will be transported to the test site.]
Along with the announcement, Seo-jin was transported to the test site.
When he came to his senses, he found himself in a forest once again.
The muggy air and the humidity that stuck to his skin raised his discomfort level naturally.
"Tsk."
Seo-jin clicked his tongue briefly and looked around while pulling his feet out of the swamp.
Vegetation so densely grown that sunlight barely penetrated even in broad daylight.
A swampland where his feet sank up to his ankles and the hot, humid climate. It was unforgettable even if he tried to forget.
This was the most feared zone in the vast forest of the Tower's 3rd floor.
'Black Forest.'
Compared to other areas of the 3rd floor, the mana concentration was high, so the monsters' levels were also high and their disposition was very aggressive.
Furthermore, this was also the place where Seo-jin had learned black magic from his master.
To think such a place would be assigned as the test site.
It wouldn't be very good news for the other test participants.
'But for me, it's as familiar as my front yard.'
Since the geographical advantage was with Seo-jin, it seemed he could achieve a new record smoothly this time as well.
While Seo-jin was briefly looking around.
BEEP-.
The test terminal attached to his waist rang.
CRACKLE-.
[......Where are you?]
A young voice came from the terminal.
It was the young boy who had exchanged terminal numbers just before being transported to the test site.
Seo-jin replied playfully.
"Would you know if I told you where?"
[Ah, no. I'm sorry.]
"Nothing to be sorry about. Let's see, what's your name?"
[It's Evan.]
"Right, Evan. What about your sister?"
At Seo-jin's question, Evan answered with a trembling voice, seemingly anxious.
[I can't contact her right now. That's why I contacted you first, hyung.]
"Can't contact her......"
Since the terminal couldn't be broken, there was a high probability that she was caught up in combat immediately after being summoned and couldn't answer the call.
In the worst case, she might have been eliminated right away.
Seo-jin nodded and said.
"Got it. You stay put right there. I'll come find you."
[What?]
CLICK-.
There was no time to waste.
Seo-jin hung up and immediately called Baduki.
"Baduki."
GROWL-.
At Seo-jin's call, Baduki slowly revealed itself from beyond the magic circle.
Seo-jin commanded Baduki.
"Baduki, invisible mode."
WHINE-?
Baduki tilted its head at Seo-jin's unreasonable request.
Unfortunately, Baduki currently had no invisibility magic, optical camouflage function, or spirit form ability.
So Seo-jin opened the magic circle just a little bit, letting only Baduki's nose stick out slightly.
And when the slightly protruding bridge of Baduki's nose was covered with a robe, it was perfectly hidden to the point where it couldn't be noticed with just a glance.
"From now on, this is invisible mode. Got it?"
GROWL-.
Baduki snorted as if it understood.
Seo-jin smiled with satisfaction and pointed to the forest.
"Good, now we need to find someone. You remember the scent from earlier, right?"
***
Thanks to Baduki's activity, he was able to find the team members one by one.
It took less than an hour for all five people to gather in one place.
Considering that the test site was about 10 kilometers long and wide, it was an incredibly fast speed.
When all the team members had gathered, the old man looked at Seo-jin and asked.
"How on earth did you manage to find us? The terminal wouldn't have been much help, would it?"
Indeed, the location sharing function of the test terminal was very limited.
It only made beeping sounds to alert when team members approached nearby.
Gathering team members scattered throughout the test site relying on such a crude function was extremely difficult.
That's why there were countless cases where team members couldn't all gather and were eliminated one by one.
Just having all five team members gather quickly like this could be considered a significant lead over other test participants.
The one who had made outstanding contributions here was naturally Seo-jin.
'Using invisible mode Baduki to track the scents of the other four, I quickly gathered the team members together.'
Of course, Seo-jin didn't reveal such trade secrets.
"There are ways to do everything. Please think of it as 'what's good is good.'"
"If you don't want to tell me, there's nothing I can do."
The old man shrugged his shoulders once and extended his hand to Seo-jin.
"Well then, shall we start with introductions? I'm Paulo. My level is 31 and my profession is blacksmith. Please take care of me."
Starting with the old man, the team members took time to introduce themselves individually.
Paulo, a blacksmith who climbed the Tower to feel the health and vitality of old age after being widowed.
Mustafa Jamal, a mage who climbed the Tower to find a way to cure his lame leg.
Evan and Colin, siblings who were war orphans and wanted to start everything anew in the Tower after leaving their homeland.
They were a Spiritualist and an archer respectively.
After hearing the team members' introductions, Seo-jin fell into silent thought.
'A blacksmith and two mages. A Spiritualist and an archer.'
Although he had formed the team in a fit of anger because he didn't want to see the face of the guy who was showing off in the waiting room, it was definitely an unsuitable combination for passing the test.
'First of all, the old blacksmith's profession itself doesn't match combat.'
He could wear armor and stand in the front line, but that would be about it. He couldn't expect much activity from him.
Next, mages were a profession everyone knew to avoid.
Moreover, Jamal had a lame leg, so his mobility was also weak. Black Forest, being a swampland, would be the worst stage for him.
The same went for the archer.
In a forest with such densely grown vegetation, visibility couldn't be secured, so even an archer couldn't exert their full power.
Evan, being a Spiritualist, had some potential for utilization, but because the siblings were tied together, they weren't chosen by other teams.
Looking at the team members' faces, Seo-jin soon smiled.
'Still...... it should be interesting.'
There needed to be this level of penalty to make taking the test worthwhile.
Also, even though they had formed a team, the test was graded on a relative basis.
The gold and Achievement Points they would receive were determined by their activity level, so there was no loss.
And
'They might seem insignificant to others, but they are people who have at least climbed up to the Tower's 3rd floor.'
Moreover, if they were challenging the climbing test, they met the minimum level requirements.
These were people who didn't settle for reality and had the desire to climb higher.
Everything depended on how you used it.
If he utilized them well, not only surviving the survival test but also setting a new record wouldn't be much of a problem.
After the team members finished their introductions one by one, it was finally Seo-jin's turn to introduce himself.
But just as Seo-jin was about to speak, an announcement suddenly came.
[80 people remaining.]
"What, already 80 people?"
Paulo the old man was surprised to hear the number of remaining survivors.
At this, Jamal the lame mage adjusted his glasses and said.
"Twenty people have already been eliminated, so we need to start moving. The test time limit is 48 hours. A magnetic field will be generated 2 hours after the test begins. The test site's range will shrink until only about 100 meters of space remains in the end."
Jamal poked the swamp with the staff in his hand and continued.
"It's painful that Black Forest, a swampland that's difficult for me to move through, was chosen as the test site, but I have a strategy to pass this test."
"A strategy?"
When Paulo frowned his white eyebrows, Jamal took out a notebook and showed it to him.
"Yes, this is a table that probabilistically predicts the magnetic field's zone reduction based on test information so far. I compiled it separately for today."
Evan and Colin, the siblings, also approached Jamal and stared blankly at the notebook.
Seo-jin also glanced at his notebook and nodded slightly.
'It's more useful than I thought?'
Based on statistical analysis, he had calculated the unique mana amounts of each test site and even the variables of the constantly changing magnetic field, so Jamal's analysis was quite close to the correct answer.
He was a mage with promising future growth.
Seo-jin patted Jamal's shoulder with a satisfied smile.
"You're smart. Very promising."
"?"
Jamal tilted his head once toward Seo-jin as if asking 'what are you?' and continued speaking.
"Anyway...... if we predict the magnetic field's location and secure a good position in advance, we should be able to avoid combat and survive for a long time."
"Mister, don't we still have to fight at the end to survive?"
At Evan's question, Jamal nodded.
"That's right. The core of this strategy is to avoid combat as much as possible while preserving our strength. On the other hand, other teams will gradually become exhausted from continuous fighting. It's obvious that we, who conserved our strength, will have the advantage in the final battle."
At Jamal's explanation, the other team members nodded.
A policy of avoiding fights as much as possible and giving their all in the final battle.
It was the best choice from the perspective of the relatively weak.
However,
"No, that won't work."
Seo-jin's position was different.
For Seo-jin, who was aiming for a new record, such passive combat was nothing short of the worst option.
"If we've secured a good position, we shouldn't hide like cowards but should deal with approaching enemies. That's the only way to pass this test."
At Seo-jin's bold proposal, Jamal said sarcastically.
"What tremendous confidence. By the way, what's your name and profession? What's your level? You must be outstanding enough to make such a dangerous proposal?"
Just when Seo-jin was about to introduce himself, the announcement had interrupted him.
At Jamal's question, Seo-jin belatedly introduced himself.
"I'm also a mage like you."
Only then did Jamal begin to show interest in Seo-jin.
"Ho, so that's why you spoke as if evaluating my notebook. I majored in mana analysis and changed jobs to become an Elemental Mage. My specialty is wind. What about you?"
Jamal rattled off his career as if boasting.
In contrast, Seo-jin had no major and hadn't changed jobs.
The only thing Seo-jin could present was just one thing.
Seo-jin answered confidently with a smile.
"Me? Black Mage."
***
Inside the climbing test site. The opposite side from where Seo-jin was located.
"Guh, GYAAAAK!"
A terrible scream echoed from the darkness of the jungle, and startled flocks of birds hurriedly flew up into the sky.
FLUTTER-.
A test participant collapsed into the swamp with a death rattle.
Attacked by an unidentified assailant, he died looking like a dried-up mummy.
It was a miserable sight, drained not only of blood and bodily fluids, but also of stamina and mana.
A team member who saw this from the side shouted at the approaching assailant with terror-filled eyes.
"D-don't come! Don't come closer!"
The participant showed the test terminal in his hand and shouted at the assailant, but.
THUD-.
The assailant didn't stop walking.
An assailant with pale skin and blue eyes contrasting with his black robe.
He was Vernon.
He was the person who had earlier extended his hand to Seo-jin, then mocked and withdrew upon learning he was a mage.
He looked at the terrified participant's terminal with a strange smile.
"Test terminal. This has a barrier function that blocks various external attacks. When the barrier's mana is completely depleted, you're automatically eliminated, and it seems like an item that guarantees safety, but that's not particularly the case. Like this......"
Vernon's hand passed through the terminal's barrier and touched the man's body.
BZZZZT-.
"Simple contact without hostility cannot be blocked. And."
CRACKLE-.
When black light emanated from Vernon's touch, the participant screamed in agony as if all the blood in his body was boiling.
"GYAAAAK!"
"Once penetration is allowed, the barrier's effect doesn't activate again."
SQUIRM SQUIRM-.
The participant's mana and blood being sucked into Vernon.
This was completely absorbed into his body through the blood vessels and mana circuits that clearly emerged on Vernon's skin.
And soon.
THUD-.
The participant also collapsed on the ground, dried up like a mummy like the previous victim.
Vernon, who had absorbed the mana and blood, frowned as he looked down at the mummy.
"This one didn't taste very good. Then......"
When Vernon's gaze reached her, another female participant who had been watching the carnage with her mouth covered stepped backward and said.
"Wh-why, why!"
Vernon shrugged his shoulders while looking at the terror-stricken woman.
"It's not such a grand reason. The great one I contracted with likes screams, fear, and blood."
Black shadows spread like paint in Vernon's blue eyes.
That blurry silhouette definitely resembled a demon.
"KYAAAAK!"
When Vernon's black touch reached her, the woman also met the same fate as the previous team members.
"Haah."
Vernon, who had absorbed the mana and blood of innocent victims.
He clenched his fist and savored the intense power raging within his body.
THUMP- THUMP-.
His heart pounding as if it would burst, the thrilling omnipotence felt through his brain.
A sense of fulfillment at having become part of something greater filled him completely.
"Whew-."
Having completed mana synchronization, Vernon detected the mana of other participants felt throughout the forest and smiled a bloody smile.
With so many prey overflowing, it couldn't help but be a joyful thing.
'There are few places as suitable for absorbing sacrifices as this test site.'
Since they were all climbers taking tests to advance to the next floor, they could be called the highest grade sacrifices available on this floor.
Moreover, this was a test site beyond the reach of outside eyes.
The Association or other vigilante groups couldn't intervene.
Furthermore, since the artificial intelligence BABEL didn't care about anything happening inside as long as it didn't violate the test site's internal regulations.
For the Black Mage Vernon, it was the perfect hunting ground.
Having finished searching for prey in the surroundings, Vernon said to his team members.
"Let's go now. We're in a hurry."
"......"
At Vernon's command, the bulky figures standing around silently moved their steps.
But there was no intelligence dwelling in their eyes.
These had long since become Vernon's puppets.
THUMP- THUMP-.
Vernon followed behind the puppets leading the way and looked up at the sky.
That bald thunder guy who had confidently warned him.
If he could capture that guy, make him wail in pain, and drink his mana and blood, there probably wouldn't be such fine dining again.
He twisted the corners of his mouth viciously and said quietly.
"......I just hope he hasn't been eliminated."