Chapter 25
Chapter 25
Mad Black Mage's Tower Strategy
Chapter 25
[Congratulations. You have achieved a new record in the 3rd floor test site. A chain quest has been unlocked.]
['Hunter' achievement has been achieved.]
['Magnetic Field Prediction' achievement has been achieved.]
[You have obtained authorization to climb to the 4th floor.]
[You have obtained achievement points.]
[Points are awarded based on contribution.]
Notification windows appeared one after another in front of Seo-jin's eyes upon the completion of the test.
[Your record will be shared on the leaderboard. You can choose between anonymous and real name.]
"Right."
Seo-jin shared the fact that he achieved a new record anonymously, just like before.
CRUMBLE-.
As the battle ended, the earth wall that had been surrounding the team members collapsed on its own.
Seo-jin asked the confused team members.
"Is anyone hurt?"
At Seo-jin's question, Evan, who had been hiding behind Paulo, stepped to the side and answered.
"N-no sir."
The other team members also appeared to be uninjured.
After confirming that his team members were safe, Seo-jin immediately prepared to leave.
"Good. Then I'll be going now."
Let's quickly leave before the Association staff who heard the news of the new record arrive.
Seo-jin manipulated his status window while setting his teleportation destination.
'This time, my destination is my Master's cabin in the Black Forest.'
Let me show my face to Master and also complete the black mage job change.
Additionally, I plan to manufacture a secret elixir with Master's help to reduce the side effects of black magic.
Just as Seo-jin, who had decided on his future schedule, was about to quickly leave the scene.
Evan reached out his hand and urgently shouted.
"H-hyung. We also shared it anonymously."
"......?"
The other three also nodded silently, as if they had made the same decision as Evan.
Seo-jin tilted his head in puzzlement.
"......Why?"
Even though it's only the 3rd floor, setting a new record draws public attention.
Using that fame, they could not only receive support from the Association but also make future tower climbing easier.
At Seo-jin's question, Evan answered with a lively voice.
"Well, because we don't want to cause trouble for hyung."
Then the other team members added their own words.
"It's not like setting a record by riding the bus is something to be proud of. And what kind of wealth and glory would we enjoy at our old age? It would just be bothersome."
"Rather than momentary fame, isn't it more beneficial to build trust with someone like you? There's also a lot I want to learn from you."
"Because I want to see you again later."
The team members finished speaking, with Colin smiling brightly being the last.
After hearing their answers, Seo-jin chuckled inwardly.
'How utterly foolish.'
To uphold loyalty, just because it's bothersome, to build trust, because they want to meet again.
To kick away the immediate benefits and honor in front of them for such trivial reasons - truly foolish.
Nevertheless.
'These kind of foolish people are probably the ones you can trust.'
Of course, he couldn't be certain right away, but it was definitely a good first step.
If he continues to build relationships with people like these, it might lead to different results than his previous life.
"Then see you next time."
Seo-jin turned around and waved at his team members with a small smile.
FLASH-.
With that as the last sight, Seo-jin's figure was teleported to another space.
***
Some time later.
News spread that the tower climbing test record had been broken again.
The rumored rising star had succeeded in achieving a new record once more.
And this was at the 3rd floor climbing test site, which had been conducting iron-clad inspections.
"Wh-what kind of bullshit is this?"
At this shocking news, Team Leader Park Tae-hyeon and other Association staff hurriedly headed to the test site.
However, what greeted them when they arrived at the test site was not the rumored rising star, but only corpses in a miserable state.
***
"For the artificial intelligence BABEL to allow the Association's inspection. That's quite unusual."
The next day.
Han Seo-hee, the president of the Climber Association, entered the interior of The Tower with a forensics team.
The reason was undoubtedly to investigate the serial murder case that occurred at the test site.
Of course, in the interior of The Tower where hundreds of people die every day, serial murders alone are not something that requires the Association president to personally step forward.
However, the reason the Association president personally participated in investigating this case was.
'Because there's a high possibility that the recent talked-about figure who has been breaking new records is involved in this case.'
Han Seo-hee, who had changed from high heels to comfortable sneakers for the first time in a while, arrived at the crime scene.
Investigation Chief Kim Hyeon, who had arrived at the scene earlier, bowed slightly to her and reported the investigation results.
"The prime suspect is Vernon Kruger. He's a German climber, and there's information that he was involved in unsolved serial murders outside The Tower as well. This matches the testimony of four people who claim they were brainwashed by him and then released."
"......"
Han Seo-hee put on latex gloves and stood in front of Vernon's corpse.
Magi spreading out around the corpse that was decaying abnormally fast.
She knelt on one knee in front of it and narrowed her eyes while touching the surrounding soil.
'Just as the forensics team analyzed.'
This serial killer was clearly a 'Black Mage' who dealt with the power of darkness.
However, with the current forensics team's information capabilities, more detailed analysis was difficult, so Han Seo-hee personally examined the bastard's corpse.
"Huu."
Breathing that became labored just from being exposed to the residual magi remaining in the corpse.
SQUIRM-.
Due to being away from the front lines for a long time, her mana circuit, which had become stiff, began to move on its own in response to the magi.
Han Seo-hee continued to investigate Vernon's corpse despite the pain as if her circuit was burning.
At the end of that investigation, Han Seo-hee was able to discover an anomaly in Vernon's corpse.
'A mana heart that had swollen abnormally and then shriveled like a deflated balloon, and a completely destroyed brain.'
And there were traces of artificially torn mana circuits.
Judging from this, the bastard died just before 'Soul Harvest', where his soul would be taken by a demon.
The mana circuit turned to rags was the decisive evidence proving this.
Just before a mana disaster due to Soul Harvest occurred, someone was presumed to have cut the bastard's mana circuit to prevent the rampage.
And that someone would be......
Han Seo-hee's gaze turned toward the huge hole that was gaping next to the corpse.
If it's the person who made these tremendous battle scars in this Black Forest, it must be the rumored rising star.
Han Seo-hee fell into thought.
'Information about Soul Harvest is very limited.'
To notice this in advance and prevent mana rampage.
If they noticed Soul Harvest and dealt with Vernon, there's a high possibility that the rising star is also a considerable level black mage.
This also matches the witness testimony that they used black flames.
While analyzing the crime scene for quite some time.
COUGH-.
Han Seo-hee coughed roughly and withdrew her hand from the corpse.
So-yul, who was beside her, lifted Han Seo-hee up with a worried expression.
"Unni, don't overdo it."
"......Right."
Han Seo-hee stepped back several steps from the corpse while breathing heavily.
Dark red blood vessels visible inside her shirt.
Just from brief contact with magi, the residual mana from black magic she had used in the past had surfaced.
Even though she had withdrawn from the front lines long ago and was only performing office work, the curse of black magic was still binding her.
After regulating her breathing, Han Seo-hee asked her younger sister So-yul.
"So-yul, you said there was a similar incident on the 2nd floor?"
"Yeah, I covered it all up though."
The strange phenomenon witnessed in Yellow Rock Forest.
So-yul had erased the traces of that black magic by half-overturning the forest with earth magic.
"You said you encountered a man there?"
"Now that I think about it, his appearance and clothing seem to match too. The color of his robe was different, but that can be changed easily enough. His profession and level are a bit ambiguous though......"
According to Eye of Discernment, he was level 5 who hadn't even changed jobs, so she didn't find it suspicious.
'Now all the puzzles fit together.'
The mysterious rookie who was climbing The Tower while breaking the records set by Sword Star one after another.
He who achieved a new record in the tutorial room immediately completed the 2nd floor climbing test, then massacred monsters in Yellow Rock Forest and fought something.
After that, he climbed to the 3rd floor through a route the Immigration Management Office couldn't track and took the climbing test.
The time it took to reach this point was only one week.
Looking at it now, he's presumed to be a 'Black Mage' who deviates from The Tower's laws, but even looking again, it's an unbelievable course of action.
Han Seo-hee felt her spine chill as she swallowed her saliva.
'Just what kind of monster has entered?'
If they could recruit him, it might be of great help to the stagnant conquest of The Tower's highest floors.
After finishing her thoughts, Han Seo-hee looked back at the forensics team and said.
"We will exclude the rising star from the list of suspects for this serial murder case. He is understood to have stopped the prime suspect Vernon and reduced the damage."
"Understood."
"By any chance, is there any statement from those who set the record together?"
As far as Han Seo-hee knew, the 3rd floor climbing test determines the final five survivors as the final passers.
Besides the rising star, there should normally be four more passers.
However, the investigation chief slowly shook his head.
"Well...... they're also anonymous."
"You're saying all four registered on the leaderboard anonymously?"
"Yes, however, according to the testimony of other climbers who participated in the test, the rising star definitely moved together with four people who appeared to be team members."
"What about the identities of those four?"
"We couldn't identify them exactly, but they appear to be the four who couldn't find a team until the end. They said it was an old man and a cripple, and young siblings."
At the words that the rising star had formed a team to take the test, So-yul asked disappointedly.
"What, it wasn't a solo clear? Sword Star did it alone."
"No, rather we should see it as setting a new record while taking four who were about to be eliminated.
In this kind of survival game, team members become burdens more often.
Especially if he took the last four who weren't chosen by other participants as the same team."
Han Seo-hee quietly fell into thought while looking at Vernon's corpse.
'He kept all the dropouts who couldn't find a team until the end alive. Moreover, he even prevented the mana rampage of a black mage who was just before Soul Harvest. And in the midst of all that, he even set a new record......'
I thought he was just a ruffian eager to show off his power, but did he have this side too?
She becomes a bit more curious about him.
Apart from her position as Association president pursuing the rising star, it was purely personal curiosity.
***
Seo-jin escaped from the test site just before the Association staff rushed in.
Then he waited around the test site and confirmed that the Association's forensics team entered.
Seeing that Han Seo-hee personally stepped forward, it seemed there would be nothing to worry about.
[You won't have to take the blame for the crime.]
At Hyeon-wol's words, Seo-jin silently nodded.
"Mm."
Since Han Seo-hee personally stepped forward, the black mage Vernon's Soul Harvest and mana circuit scars would be properly analyzed.
Moreover, the four witnesses who had been brainwashed by Vernon were safe, and even if things got complicated, the team members who were with Seo-jin would testify to their innocence.
"Let's go."
After confirming that the forensics team entered the test site, Seo-jin immediately headed to the outskirts of the Black Forest.
Near the mangrove forest where seawater and freshwater meet.
After wandering around the area for quite some time, stepping through the sinking mud, Seo-jin soon found a familiar magic barrier.
A small lake formed in a ring shape in the middle of the jungle.
A mysterious place where trees that had rooted under the water surface formed an island-like shape.
CRACK-.
The barrier surrounding the area bounced Seo-jin back once, but Seo-jin skillfully manipulated his mana to dispel the barrier.
BUZZ-.
The barrier that became limp and lost its power when he matched the unique frequency of the barrier and mana.
Seo-jin, who easily passed through the barrier, climbed up the tree roots on the lake and entered the island.
Soon, a small mushroom-shaped cabin located at the center of the island came into view.
KNOCK KNOCK-.
Standing in front of the cabin, Seo-jin knocked on the wooden door and said quietly.
"Master, your unworthy disciple has come."
[......]
After a brief strange silence passed, soon the door opened with the sound of hinges.
Then a ball-jointed doll in the form of a young girl poked her face out.
The doll looked up at Seo-jin with a face showing no change in expression and asked.
"Who are you?"