Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Mad Black Mage's Tower Strategy
Chapter 28
Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree.
Among the bosses on the 3rd floor, it's the strongest monster and also the ruler of the Black Forest.
'It was set to be one of the ancient spirits that once ruled the forest, but became corrupted after receiving the curse of the demon Malpas.'
As the representative monster of the 3rd floor, many had attempted to subjugate the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree.
However, not a single one has succeeded to this day.
The reason for that is.
'The conditions for its appearance are unclear.'
Seo-jin raised his gaze to survey the dense forest.
The Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree scattered a thousand eyes throughout the Black Forest to monitor every corner.
The only condition to meet it is to reach its territory while avoiding these surveillance eyes, but no one has figured this out until now.
"But why are you suddenly telling me to catch that thing?"
"I need materials. Defeat it and bring back the Demon Tree's seed."
"Ah."
At the mention of a seed, Seo-jin immediately caught on to her intention.
"You're planning to use the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree's traits to cultivate artificial crops."
Circe nodded, showing the elixir crystal in her hand.
"That's right, there's nothing more suitable than the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree's traits for cultivating crops in this land."
Having kept the Black Forest under its dominion for a long period, the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree would possess traits and mysticism most compatible with the earth's mana.
Using the mana contained in its seed, they could cultivate artificial crops of the highest quality.
"And didn't you say so yourself? That you saw a black mage corrupted by madness in the tower climbing test site. That too would be the influence of the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree. If we subjugate it, such incidents will decrease."
"That's true as well."
The Black Forest is a treasure trove of diverse vegetation and a place with high mana concentration, making it an optimal training ground for mages staying on the 3rd floor.
However, since this entire forest is under the influence of the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree, prolonged exposure to the Demon Tree's gaze greatly increases the possibility of being corrupted by madness.
They would soon contract with demons and become black mages.
Especially for those with evil hearts like Vernon.
If they subjugate the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree, the frequency of such malicious black mages being born would greatly decrease.
Circe pointed toward the forest and asked.
"But my disciple. Do you know the conditions for the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree's appearance?"
"Yes, it's to reach its territory while avoiding the surveillance eyes spread throughout the forest. For that, several items are needed."
With those words, Seo-jin extended his hand toward Circe.
Seeing Seo-jin's sparkling eyes, Circe asked with a dumbfounded expression.
"......Hand it over?"
"Yes."
"......"
Circe sighed lightly as if having no choice and tossed an artifact over.
Seo-jin checked the artifact and his eyes lit up.
'The Fairy King's Talisman?'
An intricate talisman made by intertwining the golden leaves and stems of the World Tree.
This was a rare item that couldn't be obtained on the floors humanity had currently pioneered, a supreme artifact imbued with the highest grade curse removal magic.
Circe said.
"Using this, you'll be able to repel its authority spread throughout the forest, albeit briefly. Quickly handle it and return during that time."
As Circe said, using this would repel the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree's surveillance spread throughout the forest and allow easy access to its territory.
However,
"Isn't this cheating?"
What Seo-jin had hoped for was a consumable item like a presence-concealing potion, but she was giving him something this incredible.
At this level, it wasn't just a cheat sheet but favoritism close to fraudulent admission.
When Seo-jin asked jokingly while hanging the talisman around his neck, Circe frowned.
"Hey, you. Didn't you ask for it yourself!"
"There are limits to everything."
"If you don't like it, give it back."
"I didn't say I didn't like it. I'm just worried it might catch the administrator's eye."
"Hmph, who do you think I am? I'm the one who decides what's the rules and what's cheating!"
Circe crossed her arms and shouted confidently.
"Ooh."
As expected of Master.
What boldness, not even caring about the Tower's administrator despite being just a (former) floor administrator. Amazing.
Just as Seo-jin was impressed, Circe added in a shriveled voice.
"......Still, hurry back before Nimrod notices."
"......"
Though there was much he wanted to say, Seo-jin left the cabin without complaint for his master's honor.
***
Black Forest outskirts.
Unlike her sister who returned to the association after completing the crime scene investigation, Han So-yul, the guild leader of Taebaek, decided to stay on the 3rd floor for a few more days.
'Why suddenly?'
'There's something I want to look into. I had a hunch, a hunch.'
After parting with her sister, So-yul began searching for traces while staying in the Black Forest for several more days.
Wearing long boots and moving through swamps where her feet kept sinking, she was absorbed in one thought.
'That man is definitely in the Black Forest.'
The supernova shaking up the entire Tower.
He had a history of not immediately going to the next floor but stopping by the Yellow Rock Forest before.
After that, he was presumed to have destroyed Chinatown's Black Snake Gang and climbed to the 3rd floor through the Bat Cave.
What could be inferred from such a route was.
'For him, the tower climbing test is merely for gaining fame. Nothing more, nothing less.'
But fame only has meaning when one reveals themselves.
Why would such a person maintain anonymity while sharing records?
And for what reason would he avoid the association's tracking and climb the tower through different routes?
What intention could there be behind it?
After pondering this, So-yul soon shook her head.
Reading that intention was still impossible, but predicting his next destination was something she could do.
'The unofficial tower climbing route he's looking for is likely within the Black Forest.'
He would wander the 3rd floor again without going up to the 4th floor.
He would travel around the 3rd floor obtaining everything he could, and when he thought the time was right, he would seek out boss monsters that grant tower climbing rights for subjugation.
If she had to pick the most likely candidate among those boss monsters......
'The Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree.'
The master of the Black Forest that no one had been able to subjugate, the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree.
Considering his habit of trying to make his presence known by setting new records, he would surely have gone to defeat the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree.
'No one has been able to figure out the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree's appearance conditions until now.'
But she had a feeling that person might be able to do it.
So-yul headed toward the Shadow Territory, the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree's appearance point, with confidence that she would meet him this time.
***
Black Forest center.
Seo-jin advanced step by step, recalling old memories.
Then he stopped in front of a particularly shaped large tree, examined it thoroughly, and soon discovered the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree's eye.
The yellow eyeball that monitored the forest under any circumstances was closed as if in deep sleep.
The Fairy King's Talisman had taken effect.
Following these closed eyes, he would soon arrive at its territory.
SPLASH- SPLASH-.
As Seo-jin was silently moving through the swamp for some time.
Hyeon-wol, who had been floating beside him, spoke up.
[Hey. What exactly does your master do?]
Seo-jin stopped abruptly and asked back.
"Why suddenly?"
[Just curious. There are many things I can't understand.]
Well.
Both the guy who suddenly showed up claiming to be a disciple and the person who accepted it as is.
From Hyeon-wol's perspective as a third party, it would be full of incomprehensible things.
Seo-jin thought about Circe for a while, then defined her in one word.
"She's a good person."
For Seo-jin, there was no clearer definition than that, but it was an answer that didn't help resolve Hyeon-wol's curiosity at all.
[Don't joke around.]
"I'm not joking."
For Seo-jin, Circe was like a lifelong benefactor.
Previous life.
The Seo-jin of his past life had gone through all sorts of hardships on the Floor of Beginning and succeeded in entering black magic.
But that didn't mean a path of roses was laid out after that.
Rather, what awaited Seo-jin after his successful tower climb was the temptation of demons urging contracts, and death that accumulated in his body bit by bit each time he refused.
Thus corrupted by the Black Forest's mana and the Demon Tree's gaze, Seo-jin wandered the forest and collapsed.
A thick swamp that seemed to drag his entire body down to hell. And crows and monsters that quickly gathered around the fallen Seo-jin.
Seo-jin closed his eyes thinking he would die like that, but when he opened them, he was inside an unfamiliar cabin.
Circe, who happened to be passing nearby, had brought him to the cabin and treated him.
Through that incident, Seo-jin learned the basics of black magic under Circe and became more determined not to contract with demons.
"I owe Master my life three times over."
Once when he collapsed in the forest and nearly died.
Another time when he avoided the side effects of black magic that had reached his chin through Circe's teachings and elixirs, postponing death.
And once more when he avoided the soul harvest during the Tower's collapse thanks to not contracting with a demon.
This was why Seo-jin regarded Circe as his benefactor.
Next was the story about Circe's personal history.
"You asked what kind of person my Master is?"
Seo-jin closed his eyes and spoke quietly.
"As you know, the Tower is originally ruled by seventy-two demons."
If Nimrod is the being that manages the entire Tower, demons are the beings that oversee and manage each floor of the Tower.
Specifically, demons are assigned to manage each floor from the 31st to the 100th floor.
"However, for floors up to the 30th, great tower climbers are selected and assigned management duties."
[Then your master is......]
Seo-jin nodded.
"That's right, Master previously held the position of administrator managing the 3rd floor. Though she's retired now."
If Nimrod, the administrator of the entire Tower, is a divine being, then each floor's administrators are like demigods.
Circe was a great being who had occupied that position.
[She's no ordinary person.]
"Of course. Whose master do you think she is?"
[......Then what history lies behind that puppet body?]
Why would such a great being move around with her spirit contained in a mere puppet?
Seo-jin answered.
"Master hasn't particularly revealed anything about her puppet body. But from what I speculate, she seems to have fought a life-or-death battle with a demon in the past."
[With a demon?]
"Yes, after that battle, her achievements were recognized and she became an elder of Pandemonium and gained administrator qualifications, but her real body must have weakened due to that battle. Sealing her main body and releasing a surrogate body in the Tower to transfer only her spirit must have happened after that."
At Seo-jin's explanation, Hyeon-wol nodded as if she roughly understood.
Still, questions seemed to remain.
[But Circe looked like she didn't know you at all. When exactly did you become her disciple?]
"That's......"
He couldn't yet reveal the master-disciple relationship formed in his previous life.
After thinking for a moment, Seo-jin shook his head.
"I can't answer that yet."
[I see.]
Hyeon-wol didn't pry further either. She just thought he would tell her when the time came.
Then Seo-jin asked with a sly smile.
"But you've suddenly become quite curious about things. Did Master ask you for some favor?"
[Wh, what are you talking about? There's nothing like that.]
Hyeon-wol waved her hands and hid, avoiding Seo-jin's gaze.
It was highly suspicious, but he decided not to ask further.
"How boring."
After that, Seo-jin continued chatting with Hyeon-wol as he headed toward the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree's territory.
However, what awaited him wasn't the thousand-eyed ghost tree.
"Oh my, we meet again."
Han So-yul, guild leader of Taebaek.
She was standing there with a staff in hand, smiling brightly.