Chapter 29
Chapter 29
Mad Black Mage's Tower Strategy
Chapter 29
"You are......"
Seo-jin narrowed his eyes as he looked at the uninvited guest blocking the path leading to the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree's territory.
Shoulder-length brown bob hair, a pure white robe decorated with golden embroidery.
On her chest, the word 'Taebaek' was emblazoned in large letters.
The person waiting for Seo-jin was Han So-yul, the head of Taebaek, South Korea's largest mage guild.
She was the person he had met earlier in Yellow Rock Forest.
When they met last time, she had unnecessarily given him enhancement stones, but this time she seemed to have come looking for Seo-jin with some business.
So-yul smiled brightly upon seeing Seo-jin and said,
"As expected, I knew you would come here."
"When did you know I would come?"
"I was waiting for a while anyway."
"......It doesn't seem like just 'a while'?"
Seo-jin frowned and looked So-yul up and down.
Mud smeared all over her white robe and leaves tangled in her hair.
Her face was also quite grimy, suggesting she had been staying in the forest for quite some time.
"Eek......"
So-yul, who noticed Seo-jin's gaze, hurriedly shook her hair and tidied her clothes, but it was already too late.
Seo-jin looked at So-yul with narrowed eyes.
'She looks naive on the outside. But.'
Seeing how quickly she predicted Seo-jin's route, she truly deserved to be called the head of South Korea's top mage guild.
Of course, their chance encounter in Yellow Rock Forest earlier would have helped her reasoning.
"Whatever, did you do that?"
WHOOOSH-.
Seo-jin pointed to the bright flames rising behind So-yul.
The territory of the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree burning fiercely.
It seemed that Han So-yul, who had arrived first while the Fairy King's Talisman was activated, had dealt with the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree.
"Yes, somehow the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree was summoned. It's too coincidental to be chance, so did you perhaps have a hand in it?"
"I made porridge and gave it to the dog."
When Seo-jin made a disgusted expression, So-yul hurriedly added,
"Ah, don't worry too much. I haven't defeated it yet. I only reduced its health, so you just need to go and finish it off."
"What? You haven't caught it yet?"
So-yul nodded.
"Of course. It's obvious that you achieved the appearance conditions, and I'm not shameless enough to snatch that away. Besides, what would I do with catching that thing?"
As So-yul said, at her current level of over 200, there was nothing she could gain from catching a mere 3rd floor boss.
But.
'The Achievement Points that can be obtained from the first subjugation of the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree would be necessary for her too.'
The fact that she waited for Seo-jin while giving that up meant she wanted something else from him.
"What do you want from me? What's your purpose?"
When Seo-jin asked with hardened eyes, So-yul shouted as if fed up.
"Geez, you're so stiff. I just want us to get along well from now on. Between fellow climbers, fellow Koreans, fellow mages!"
"Weren't you waiting for me to report to the Association?"
"Actually, the bounty is tempting, but I have no intention of doing that right now. I'm satisfied just with my reasoning being correct."
"......"
Well, that's right. Mages are the type of people who find satisfaction in verifying their hypotheses and reasoning, regardless of compensation.
Seo-jin nodded once and asked,
"That may be true for you, but your sister, the Association President, would want information about me, wouldn't she?"
Regardless of personal intentions, Association President Han Seo-hee, who was in conflict with various forces over dominance of the Tower, would definitely need information about Seo-jin.
To this, So-yul said,
"That's true, but there's nothing good about forcibly dragging someone who doesn't want to come. In the long term. My sister will understand my judgment. There's no need to get caught up in political strife and cut open the belly of the goose that lays golden eggs."
"Hmm......"
"Come on, let's shake hands."
So-yul suddenly approached and offered a handshake.
When Seo-jin stared at her as if asking what she meant, So-yul added,
"I'm the first person who didn't demand compensation even after figuring out your identity. Make sure to remember that."
"You're the fifth."
"Huh? That can't be right?"
Seeing So-yul's jaw drop, Seo-jin chuckled.
Well, in some sense, she could be considered the first.
Unlike the four people who passed the test with Seo-jin, So-yul had found him with her own abilities.
Moreover, despite having sufficient combat power and connections, she didn't attempt to subdue Seo-jin or leak information.
Instead of taking So-yul's hand, Seo-jin walked past her.
"I'll consider it positively."
"That's not you saying you absolutely won't do it, is it?"
"Think whatever you want."
Seo-jin, who had passed So-yul, approached the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree that was still breathing.
WHOOOSH-.
Han So-yul's flames burning fiercely in the deepest part of the Black Forest, which had been the tree's territory.
'It's hot.'
A wall of stupidly hot flames.
Even wearing a magic robe, his skin felt tingly.
Perhaps because she was a top-tier ranker comparable to the strategy team, even a low-level magic like Fire Wall had considerable power.
However.
'It seems she can't properly control the range or firepower.'
"Don't get too close! Just deal the finishing blow from far away! Just the finishing blow!"
Han So-yul was stretching her hand toward the flames, adjusting the firepower here and there.
He could understand her intention to gather the nearby flames and open a path, but watching her, she didn't seem very reliable.
Despite being over level 200, she had such poor control.
'It's not for nothing that she withdrew from the strategy team.'
Simply having strong firepower doesn't make one the best mage.
While firepower is important in magic, sustainability and controllability are also crucial.
This is especially true in raids or boss strategies where many people are entangled.
From that perspective, So-yul's flames lacked control, making them unsuitable for frontline strategy teams.
WHOOSH-.
Suddenly, a pillar of fire that escaped So-yul's control rushed toward Seo-jin.
"Ah! Be careful!"
However, Seo-jin ignored So-yul's warning and reached out to touch the sparks that flew out from the fire pillar.
A stinging sensation transmitted as soon as it touched his palm.
'Hmm.'
Seo-jin rubbed his hand where the flame had touched and analyzed the structure of the magic power.
'The structure isn't much different from ordinary Fire Wall.'
If he could reverse-calculate the unique magic power pattern of the caster, So-yul, he could easily dispel it.
Like this.
"Dispel Magic."
WHOOOOSH-.
Along with Seo-jin's murmur, waves of magic power spread out from him as the center.
The Reverse Heaven's Mana that spread from him reverse-calculated and dispelled the magical structure forming the flame wall.
The fierce flames that So-yul had created began to gradually subside as soon as they came into contact with the waves of magic power that Seo-jin had spread.
It wasn't simply blocking air to prevent combustion, but fundamentally breaking down the mana arrangement that formed the magic.
"Wha, what?"
So-yul panicked as she tried to manipulate the flame wall that was subsiding on its own.
As the caster of the magic, So-yul could vividly feel the process of the magic power arrangement being decomposed.
Literally, the magic power particles that had been forming the magic were scattering as if time had been reversed.
A situation that was unbelievable even after experiencing it directly.
So-yul asked with pure curiosity and bewilderment,
"Wha, what did you just do? Huh?"
But instead of answering, Seo-jin briefly replied and walked inward.
"When I give you a signal, increase the firepower."
Seo-jin walked through the subsiding flames and approached the dying Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree.
BLINK-.
When he arrived right in front of it, the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree blinked its eyeball, which was as big as Seo-jin's head, and showed hostility.
Originally, it was an ancient tree of tremendous size that would make one's neck ache from looking up.
But now, Han So-yul's magic had burned away all its roots and branches, leaving only a blackened trunk.
Seo-jin placed his hand on the rough surface of the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree.
THUMP-.
Suddenly, a pulsating wave of magic power was transmitted through his hand.
It contained the demon's curse that had taken control of the tree's mind and the lament of the ancient spirit suffering from that thick and disgusting magic power.
Seo-jin sighed once and then shot out black lightning.
"Rest in peace."
BOOM-!
Black lightning shot out from Seo-jin's hand and burst out behind the massive ancient tree.
SCREECH-!
The Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree, pierced by the lightning, fell beyond the flames with a death cry.
THUD-.
The main body of the tree, blackened and burning as the flames touched it.
CRACKLE- CRACKLE-.
As the main body of the tree gradually turned to ash, a notification window appeared.
[You have cleared the field boss of the 3rd floor.]
[You have achieved the first subjugation of the King of the Black Forest, the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree.]
[You have achieved the achievement, Killstealer.]
"......"
Killstealer, really.
Thanks to Han So-yul, he had caught it easily, but he had achieved an achievement that he didn't particularly like.
After dealing with the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree, Seo-jin collected items including magic stones from the creature's burnt body.
He also properly collected the tree's seed that his master had mentioned, without missing it.
"Hmm."
Although Seo-jin had collected everything there was to collect, he continued to examine the spot where the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree had fallen and dug through the ground.
As if he was looking for something more.
Hyeon-wol looked at Seo-jin and asked,
[It seems like you've collected everything, so what are you looking for?]
"Wait a moment."
It couldn't end with just this. Considering the magic density of the Black Forest too.
Given that guy's personality, surely.......
It was when Seo-jin continued digging through the ground looking for something.
SLICE-.
Something sharp stretched out from the ground, aiming for Seo-jin's head.
"......!"
An unexpected strike that Seo-jin's current physical speed couldn't react to.
However, having sensed the enemy's presence in advance, Seo-jin immediately cast Mixed Origin Steps.
Seo-jin moved backward instantly with his spirit shadow spreading dimly.
Nevertheless.
STAB-.
The black tentacle that shot up from the ground didn't miss Seo-jin and followed him, inflicting damage.
He avoided the fatal wound of having his head pierced, but instead his shoulder was pierced.
"Tsk."
When Seo-jin grabbed his wound and stepped back several more steps, a black mass slowly crawled out from underground.
HISS- HISS-.
Black tentacles writhing from under the corpse of the tree that had been burned black.
An ominousness and sinister aura of a completely different dimension from the tree.
That was the curse that had corrupted the forest spirit and turned it into the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree.
It was a fragment of the demon 'Malpas'.
Seo-jin bit his lips as he looked at the grotesquely writhing tentacles.
'It's a monster I can't face at my current level.'
No matter how much of a fragment it was, its essence was administrator-level, managing each floor.
If he risked his life like when he caught Behemoth earlier, he might be able to catch it, but.
'A demon's fragment is itself a mass of Reverse Heaven's Mana.'
For Seo-jin, who was barely preventing his body's collapse with the power of Primordial Unity Technique and trying to recover, it was the worst opponent.
Regardless of victory or defeat, just fighting with that thing would greatly worsen his physical condition.
Seo-jin touched the secret elixir in his pocket and shook his head.
'There's no need to use this.'
There was no need to waste precious elixir and risk his life fighting that thing.
There happened to be a useful high-level mage nearby.
Seo-jin raised his voice and shouted to So-yul.
"Now! Maximum firepower!"