Chapter 23
Chapter 23
Mad Black Mage's Tower Strategy
Chapter 23
The next day.
[The current remaining participants are 35.]
The number of test participants had decreased again overnight.
Jamal spread open his notebook to check the data and frowned.
"The elimination rate is much faster than the statistics. Could there be other variables I've missed?"
The number of participants decreasing at a noticeably faster pace than usual.
This was something that concerned Seo-jin as well.
'This is not normal.'
Seo-jin knelt on one knee and handled the sticky mud.
The jet-black mud clinging to his fingertips.
Seo-jin slowly rubbed his fingers together, detecting the mana felt from the mud.
'Reverse Heaven's mana.'
This was definitely a trace of black magic.
'The mana harbored by the Black Forest is quite ferocious for a lower floor, but the demonic energy content isn't this high.'
There was a high probability that it was either the influence of the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree, the boss monster of the Black Forest, or another black mage was active.
Or it could be both.
Seo-jin stared quietly at his blackened fingertips, then drew out the internal energy of the Primordial Unity Technique to push away the Reverse Heaven's mana.
PASSS-.
The surrounding grass that came into contact with the Reverse Heaven's mana immediately corroded and crumbled.
Jamal, who had been watching from the side, asked.
"Is that black magic by any chance?"
"More precisely, it's like the ash left behind after using black magic."
When Seo-jin stood up from his position, Jamal approached his side and asked pleadingly.
"Could, could I learn it too? That thing called black magic."
Jamal's earnest gaze.
Yesterday's advice from Seo-jin seemed insufficient.
He might be thinking that Seo-jin's strength came purely from black magic.
"I understand you're eager, but it's better to lose interest in black magic. Unless you want to end up like this."
Seo-jin rolled up his sleeve to show his blackened arm.
The mana circuit that rose clearly above his skin like a tattoo, writhing.
Although it had improved considerably thanks to the Primordial Unity Technique, it couldn't be said that the mana circuit had returned to a normal state.
"......!"
Seo-jin looked at Jamal, whose eyes had widened, and continued speaking.
"You might end up with something bigger while trying to remove a small growth. And you, have you ever killed anyone?"
"Wh, what kind of ominous talk is that. I've never even hit anyone in my life."
Jamal waved his hands frantically in horror. Seo-jin nodded.
"That's fortunate. Black magic is magic that requires sacrifices. The most efficient among sacrifices is the life of others. Do you have the confidence to take that?"
"......"
"Or you could offer your own body as a price like me. But I guarantee the end won't be beautiful at all."
Seo-jin said while rolling down his sleeve.
"Just doing what I taught you is enough to cure your leg. So don't do anything pointless."
"Then, when would treatment be possible?"
Jamal asked carefully while limping.
Seo-jin shrugged his shoulders.
"That depends on you. I told you yesterday."
He had told him everything he could.
What remained was for Jamal to solve on his own, so saying more wouldn't change anything.
Instead of explaining further, Seo-jin patted his shoulder to instill confidence.
"I wouldn't have told someone without talent in the first place. You have enough potential, so work hard."
***
Seo-jin and his teammates cleaned up the campsite and moved on again.
Like on the first day of the test, Seo-jin's party stayed one step ahead of others by predicting the magnetic field's path.
Their skill at waiting on the enemies' predicted path and ambushing them, as well as their previously clumsy coordination, had improved considerably.
Now it was to the point where Seo-jin didn't need to step forward.
"Enemy ahead! Noona!"
"Yeah."
When Evan's spirit discovered an enemy, Colin's Gwangsi would steal the enemies' vision.
"Now it's my turn."
Next, when old man Paulo jumped in to buy time.
"Undine!"
Evan would trap enemies in a water prison or create a swamp under their feet to bind them.
After that, Colin's arrows and Jamal's magic would eliminate the enemies one by one.
"Damn it!"
PUEONG-!
The basic framework of combat was no different from yesterday, but occasionally there were irregular enemies that ally attacks didn't work on.
"KUOOOO!"
A barbarian warrior charging at Seo-jin through Undine's interference and ranged attacks.
He seemed like a considerable expert, one of the best on the 3rd floor, but to Seo-jin, he wasn't even worth a single punch.
"You're noisy."
PAJIJIK-!
In such cases, Seo-jin would step forward directly to deliver the final blow.
PUEONG-!
When the black lightning struck directly, jet-black explosive smoke burst out with a roar.
After a moment, when the explosive smoke disappeared, not a single person remained in that spot.
HU-.
Seo-jin blew on his fingertips and smiled.
The number that Seo-jin's team had defeated in this manner had already reached five teams.
Adding the few climbers who had been wandering around unable to join teams, they had already brought down 28 people.
They had defeated nearly 30% of the 100 test participants.
Considering that this was a team formed by those who hadn't been chosen by anyone and were left behind, it was an unimaginable feat.
***
34 hours after the test began. Seo-jin's team's campsite.
"A, a new record?"
When Evan, sitting in front of the campfire, gasped and asked back, Jamal adjusted his glasses and answered.
"Yes, the previous best record was the Sword Star's record of defeating 31 people. Of course, the Sword Star is said to have played solo, so it's not a perfect comparison. If we catch just one more team tomorrow, we might achieve a new record."
At the mention of possibly achieving a new record, Paulo, who was lying on a pile of leaves, let out a hollow laugh.
"Heh, a new record. It doesn't feel real. It doesn't seem like we fought that well."
"I'm also bewildered, but... if you think about it carefully, it's not that strange."
TEOP-.
Jamal closed his notebook and explained.
"To defeat nearly thirty people, you need not only strength but also great tracking ability to find enemies. But we efficiently solved that problem by preempting the magnetic field's position, so this kind of result is understandable."
While Jamal spoke confidently, Colin looked at Seo-jin and smiled softly.
"And, somehow I never thought we would lose."
The previous analysis was certainly accurate too.
But the most important thing was confidence in victory.
They were able to fight with all their might without any worry, trusting Seo-jin as their reliable backing.
To this, Seo-jin answered while throwing a branch into the campfire.
"Of course we can't lose. Who do you think I am?"
"Who are you?"
"You don't need to know."
"......"
The team members chatted among themselves while taking out emergency rations to fill their stomachs.
Although they had only met two days ago, the team members had become quite close through sharing hardships together.
Old man Paulo, who finished his dinner first, made a suggestion to the team members.
"How about we get a meal together after the test ends? I'll treat you juniors to a grand feast."
"Yes, let's exchange contact information too. It's good to have even one friend when climbing the Tower, right?"
Jamal also agreed with Evan's opinion.
"That's a good idea. Isn't this also fate? Let's contact each other occasionally and exchange information too."
"Will you do it too, oppa?"
To Colin's question, Seo-jin shook his head.
"I'll pass."
Seo-jin was currently being pursued by the Association.
It wasn't for anything bad, but since he was a fugitive for now, there was nothing good about becoming too familiar with too many people.
When Seo-jin expressed his refusal, old man Paulo frowned.
"Goodness, how difficult could exchanging contact information be. Are you on a wanted list or something?"
"......"
The campsite fell silent for a moment at the mention of a wanted list.
Paulo, who had been staring blankly at Seo-jin for a while, slowly opened his mouth.
"Come to think of it... there was talk of a newcomer who recently set consecutive climbing records and made the Tower noisy. A mage who uses black lightning. An Asian who's quite tall..."
Evan and Colin also looked at Seo-jin with sparkling eyes.
"Now that you mention it, the description seems to match too. You're that person, right hyung? The one who set the new record!"
"Is, is it really you?"
To Jamal's question, Seo-jin looked away, pretending not to know.
"Who knows."
But it was too late to make excuses.
With just the given information, they could sufficiently deduce that Seo-jin was the rumored rising star.
Among that information, the strongest evidence was the godlike magic that Seo-jin had shown.
The team members who had witnessed up close that power that instantly defeated enemies were already certain of his identity.
Seo-jin couldn't withstand the team members' fervent gazes and finally nodded.
"Right, it's me."
"I knew it!"
Actually, if Seo-jin had meticulously tried to hide his identity, he could have hidden it sufficiently.
He could have just controlled Baduki from a distance instead of using black magic, or he could have used the Primordial Unity Technique he learned from Hyeon-wol.
'But that would be a bad move.'
Because if he demonstrated his abilities to pass the test, the fact that the rising star of the moment possessed yet another ability would obviously spread to the world.
If that happened, the pursuers who had focused on his appearance and mage identity would also keep martial arts and necromancy in mind when conducting searches.
It would obviously become much more difficult to escape the encirclement or pass surprise inspections.
Therefore, at least within the test site, it was better to use only black magic.
'Hiding the cards I possess is more important than reducing a few witnesses.'
"Well, that's how it is. So I can't give you my contact information."
Moreover, Seo-jin currently had neither communication magic tools nor a unique number.
To access Marduk, the climber communication network inside the Tower, one had to purchase a dedicated magical tool separately.
To this, Evan hung his head low.
"It can't be helped, if that's the reason..."
"Kekeke. Still, I've got something to brag about. Who would have thought I'd meet the rumored rising star."
"It's unfortunate that contact is difficult. I have many things I want to ask."
Following Paulo and Jamal, Colin carefully opened her mouth.
"Then, what if we want to see you later?"
To this, Seo-jin stared blankly at the sky.
"Who knows."
Seo-jin planned to flee to another location as soon as the test ended.
As soon as news of breaking the 3rd floor climbing record was heard, Association personnel would swarm like bees.
Association staff and reporters would also follow these four people who set the record together with Seo-jin.
If he told them something now, there might be a possibility of having his tail caught.
Of course, there was also the possibility that they would keep quiet.
Seo-jin sighed inwardly and hardened his gaze.
'...I no longer trust people.'
Seo-jin was already a person worn down to the core.
Even in his previous life, he met his end betrayed by the colleagues he trusted and the countless masses he had saved.
He didn't want to repeat the mistakes of the past anymore.
Nevertheless.
'Giving them a chance once wouldn't be bad either.'
Having finished his thoughts, Seo-jin conveyed his words to the team members.
"10th floor. When flowers bloom again, come to the Spring Garden. We might be able to meet there."
"The 10th floor..."
"But flowers don't bloom there."
At the team members' reaction, Seo-jin smiled slightly.
"You'll find out if you wait and see."
Even if they couldn't meet directly due to different climbing speeds, he could at least leave a message for them.
Then the announcement voice flowed out.
[10 people remain. Regardless of remaining test time, the final battle will commence. The zones are shrinking.]
The test participants who had been 100 were reduced, and now only the final 10 remained.
Seo-jin stood up and encouraged his team members.
"This will be the final battle. Let's steel our hearts and go."
***
"Ah. You're still here. What a relief."
The final location they reached while avoiding the shrinking magnetic field.
A familiar face was waiting for Seo-jin there.
Pale face and flowing blonde hair. It was Vernon wearing a black robe.
As soon as Vernon saw Seo-jin, he bared his teeth in a grin and greeted him warmly.
"Nice to meet you again. I'm Vernon. My profession is... black mage."