Chapter 30
Chapter 30
Mad Black Mage's Tower Strategy
Chapter 30
"Now! Maximum firepower!"
"Huh?"
At Seo-jin's shout, So-yul, who had been mesmerized by the black tentacles, suddenly snapped back to her senses.
'He wants me to increase firepower? Now?'
Firepower or whatever, So-yul couldn't understand this series of situations at all.
The man who suddenly jumped into the flames and nullified her magic, and those ominous tentacles that crawled out from under the debris of the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree.
So-yul gripped her staff tightly and organized her thoughts amidst the confusion.
'It was good up to predicting that man's route and meeting him.'
Although she had struggled wandering through the Black Forest for several days, the moment he appeared before her eyes, she felt rewarded for all her hardships.
The satisfaction of having one's hypothesis proven correct was something that couldn't be exchanged for anything else.
Also, it seemed like she had succeeded in making a good first impression on him.
'He's a bit slippery, but that's a characteristic of geniuses.'
Having seen so many eccentrics passionate about magical research in the guild, he seemed normal for a supernova who was breaking new records in the Tower.
But that was a mistake.
Who would have thought a mage with a level difference of more than ten times would jump into flames she created.
Unless one was insane, no one would walk into those fierce flames with their own feet.
Yet that man not only jumped into them without hesitation, but even dispelled part of her magic with some unknown power.
Even up to this point, it was a development that was hard for her mind to follow.
CHIRRIT- CHIT-.
The eerie and ominous tentacles emerging from the debris of the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree and attacking the man.
It was literally a series of incomprehensible situations.
But there was no time to leisurely observe the situation.
PABABAK-.
Seo-jin barely dodged the tentacle's attack and shouted loudly.
"Hurry! Can't you hear me?"
At Seo-jin's urgent urging, So-yul gripped the staff in her hand tightly.
But the hand that should cast magic was trembling uncontrollably.
"B-but you're too close..."
So-yul rolled her eyes back and forth as if about to cry, measuring the distance between the man and the tentacles.
The distance between that man and the tentacles was too close.
If she increased firepower like this, she didn't know what would happen.
No, she actually knew better than anyone what would happen.
'The same thing as back then again.'
So-yul bit her lips tightly as she recalled the past.
When she belonged to the Tower's frontline strategy team.
She, who was more confident than anyone in magical firepower, had been actively burning enemies without hesitation.
Even Grand Mage Gu-ren would defer to So-yul when it came to large-scale area magic.
However, on the 25th floor, during a boss strategy, she had failed to control her firepower and caused great damage to her teammates.
After that incident, So-yul, who developed trauma, left the strategy team and devoted herself to guild management and research.
For such So-yul, requesting fire support in a situation where allies and enemies were mixed was a cruel thing.
So-yul slowly stepped backward with a pale face.
'I can't do it.'
The memory of teammates screaming in pain, burned by the flames she had unleashed.
As she recalled the past, that incident overlapped with the present, making her feel dizzy for a moment.
Regardless of her will, her mind went blank and her breathing became rapid.
Just as So-yul was falling into a panic state.
"How long are you going to keep running away!"
Seo-jin's urgent shout struck So-yul's ears.
"Oh...!"
As So-yul opened her eyes wide in surprise, his voice continued.
"Your pathetic magic won't work on me, so shoot without worry!"
"Pathetic... you say?"
"That's right! It's pathetic trash magic that even a small fry like me can break through. Don't worry and shoot."
'Pathetic trash.'
CRACK-.
It was an obvious provocation meant to encourage her, but still a small vein stood out on So-yul's forehead.
Because that man had indeed easily broken through her magic.
This was definitely a scoop worthy of being reported to the academic world.
But separately from that, as a fellow mage, it was a significant matter that would scratch her pride.
She had her magic broken by a beginner who wasn't even half of half her level.
There would be no mage anywhere in the world who would stay still after experiencing such a thing.
"..."
So-yul gained confidence as her head heated up.
She bit her lips tightly and glared at the tentacles beyond those flames.
CHIRRIT- CHIRRIT-.
The dark red tentacles flickering like a blurry mosaic as if they weren't of this world.
An ominousness that she had never seen before throughout the 3rd floor, no, throughout all the floors that had been opened so far, was emanating from them.
She could tell instinctively.
That she couldn't let that ominous thing run wild like this.
So-yul gripped her staff tightly and regulated her breathing while stabilizing her mana.
WHOOOOSH-.
Eventually, the surrounding mana was drawn into her Mana Heart.
So-yul whispered to herself comfortingly as she drew up her mana.
'Don't worry. My magic doesn't work on that man anyway.'
Even the famous top-floor strategy team, even the strongest Sword Star, wouldn't be able to withstand her magic head-on.
But that person was different.
If so, she could unleash her firepower without worry and sweep away the enemy.
There was nothing to fear.
So-yul, having calmed her mind, poured out refined mana like a waterfall and cast her magic.
"Fire Wall!"
KWARRR-!
With So-yul's shout, the wall of flames blazed even more fiercely.
The pent-up emotions that had been weighing on her chest became waves of hellish fire, and that power poured directly toward the black tentacles.
KIEEE-.
As the intense wall of flames covered the tentacles, an otherworldly shriek that was on a different dimension from when the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree fell echoed throughout the entire forest.
"KUK."
Along with the bizarre scream that seemed to steal one's soul, a chilling fear ran down her spine.
Although So-yul had experience being in a strategy team and climbing the Tower, this was the first time she had felt such a sinister aura.
WHOOSH-!
Gritting her teeth, So-yul poured even more mana to increase the firepower.
How long had she been pouring flames like this?
"Huff, huff."
The otherworldly shriek that made all the hair on her body stand on end stopped.
Only then did So-yul collapse to the ground as if falling and breathed roughly.
TING-.
[You have achieved an accomplishment...]
Her vision was spinning and becoming blurry from mana exhaustion.
She couldn't even hear the system's voice properly.
'W-wait. What about that person?'
Even in the dizzy situation, she remembered the man who had been swept up in the flames along with the tentacles.
Just as So-yul was startled and tried to get up.
STEP-.
Someone walked leisurely out of the flames.
Fortunately, he didn't seem to have a single burn mark on him.
"Y-you're safe."
So-yul greeted him happily, but instead of responding, Seo-jin immediately sat cross-legged and began operating the Primordial Unity Technique.
GURGLE-.
As he closed his eyes and circulated the Primordial Unity Technique, black blood poured out from the wounds inflicted by the tentacles.
Seeing this, So-yul asked in surprise.
"A-are you okay? What are these wounds..."
Seo-jin half-listened to So-yul's words and fell into thought.
'To think a demon's fragment really remained.'
He had examined the debris of the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree just in case, but he didn't expect it to appear.
'This is probably a reaction due to Master's help.'
Since the [Fairy King's Talisman] he received from Circe was a loophole that far exceeded the Tower's trial laws, Nimrod must have secretly intervened in this matter.
But even so, to leave a demon's fragment on the 3rd floor that could withstand Han So-yul's flames for several minutes even when hit directly by a mage over level 200.
'What a complete lunatic.'
Still, since he succeeded in dealing with the demon's fragment, the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree wouldn't regenerate and black mages wouldn't increase.
With this, he had completed the class change quest and obtained the Demon Tree's seed, which was his original goal.
He got hurt a bit, but he also achieved the demon slaying accomplishment, so it was quite a profitable business.
"Whew."
Seo-jin slowly opened his eyes after finishing the circulation of the Primordial Unity Technique with a deep breath.
OOZE-.
Black blood flowing from the hole in his shoulder.
The wound remained, but he had extracted all the demonic mana that had seeped into his body.
Separately from that, So-yul made a fuss looking at Seo-jin's wound, the complete opposite of the calm Seo-jin.
"L-let's go to the Climber Association together. You need to get treated first."
"It's fine. This much is nothing."
"Then at least this..."
So-yul hurriedly took out a high-grade recovery potion from her inventory.
HISS-.
When she poured the potion, Seo-jin's wound began to heal with smoke.
Seo-jin slightly bowed his head to express gratitude to So-yul.
Only after Seo-jin's wound was completely healed did So-yul sigh in relief.
"Phew."
Once the situation was settled, So-yul, having calmed her mind, asked Seo-jin.
"Could you explain what happened here?"
If nothing else, she definitely needed to know about those ominous tentacles from before.
After thinking for a moment, Seo-jin opened his mouth.
"Do you know about the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree?"
"Yes, to some extent."
Although it was a monster few people knew about now, in the early days of Tower exploration, it was famous as a field boss with unknown spawn conditions.
At that time, many climbers challenged the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree, and So-yul was one of them.
"It seems a demon's fragment that corrupted the Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree remained."
"Demon... is it related to black magic?"
Observing So-yul's reaction, Seo-jin avoided giving an immediate answer.
'She doesn't know yet.'
Since humanity hadn't even broken through the 30th floor yet, it seemed they didn't know about the demons who were the administrators of the next tier.
"You could say that. You'll encounter them frequently from now on."
"I don't know exactly, but it was definitely a dangerous existence. Beyond strength, it had a terribly ominous feeling... should I say it was like something that shouldn't exist in this world?"
"That's an accurate impression. If we had left that thing alone, the entire 3rd floor would have become a demon's den."
"It's fortunate we got rid of it."
"I couldn't have caught it alone. Thanks to you, I defeated it easily. I take back what I said about it being pathetic."
"Not at all."
So-yul shrugged her shoulders slightly and asked Seo-jin carefully.
"And there's one more thing I was curious about."
Thinking this was the only time she could ask, So-yul brought up a question she had always had.
"Why do you climb the Tower while hiding your identity?"
So-yul had great doubts about Seo-jin's climbing method.
Noticing her intention, Seo-jin answered appropriately.
"I don't want to receive public attention yet."
Although he was strong compared to his current level, Seo-jin's power was still weak.
He needed time to prepare power that wouldn't be swept away by rankers or other organizations.
Also, to obtain hidden pieces and achieve hidden accomplishments without being noticed by others, it was better to keep his identity hidden.
He planned not to reveal his identity until he judged himself strong enough.
To this, So-yul asked.
"If that's the case, couldn't you just climb the Tower using only primitive methods? Is there a reason to leave records anonymously?"
Tests through climbing trial sites left records even if anonymous.
If he really wanted to avoid public attention, he could just climb the Tower by hunting boss monsters like the Vampire Bat King or Thousand-Eyed Demon Tree on each floor.
The strategy teams in the early days of the Tower, when there was no Climber Association and AI BABEL, all climbed that way.
Seo-jin shook his head.
"That won't do. Even if anonymous, everyone in the Tower must know of my existence."
"Why?"
When So-yul asked back, Seo-jin looked up at the sky and said.
"Because that is the only way to reach the end of this Tower."
Although he didn't want to admit it, what was currently leading humanity's Tower climbing was Sword Star Ju Won-jae.
He reigned over this Tower as a brightly shining sun and an idol everyone wanted to emulate.
Even now, many people were entering the Tower following his shadow, climbing the Tower in their own ways.
The more people who followed him into the Tower, the higher the probability of clearing the Tower would be.
In the end, he would definitely cut off that bastard's head, but he couldn't deny his usefulness in the climbing process.
But.
'That alone isn't enough.'
Seo-jin clenched his fist.
As the floors went higher, the Tower's strategy was gradually slowing down, and this phenomenon was getting worse.
At this rate, even if Seo-jin joined the strategy team, he couldn't prevent the predetermined destruction.
He would just repeat similar steps as before.
But if there was one unique way to prevent this predetermined destruction.
'An anonymous supernova.'
Another existence whose identity was unknown to anyone, climbing the Tower while breaking all records.
This would give fresh shock to the strategy team including Ju Won-jae, and furthermore provide motivation to climb the Tower more earnestly.
At the same time, it would bring more people into the Tower, greatly expanding the pool of talent needed for strategy.
In that process, Seo-jin would build up his true power and gather those with outstanding potential and relationships he couldn't reach in his previous life.
And he would form a team comparable to, no, far exceeding the current strategy team to climb the Tower.
'If he is the sun, then I am the shadow in the darkness.'
These two vanguards of climbing would sometimes competitively stimulate each other, and sometimes unite and encourage each other while climbing the Tower.
"..."
So-yul blankly stared at Seo-jin, who was looking up at the sky lost in deep thought.
Did he really know a way to reach the end of this Tower?
Perhaps... he was.
While So-yul was briefly lost in sentiment.
"And..."
Seo-jin said with a grin.
"It's just. Fun, isn't it."
Thinking of that bastard's face, who would be frustrated by the appearance of a supernova threatening his position, naturally brought a smile to his face.
As Seo-jin giggled, So-yul blamed herself for being somewhat moved just moments ago.
She already knew he wasn't normal, but she didn't expect it to be to this extent. Give me back my emotions.
Still, she couldn't let him go like this. Geniuses were originally full of strange people anyway.
Let's at least arrange a way to contact him.
"Ah, then since we met like this, it's fate, so could we exchange numbers?"
So-yul held out her terminal, but Seo-jin shook his head.
"I don't have a communication magic tool."
"What? You're not a primitive person, and you don't have a communication magic tool?"
But Seo-jin was indeed a primitive person.
He had lived for several years in a future where civilization was completely destroyed by the Tower's collapse.
He had reached a level where he didn't feel particularly inconvenienced by not having means of communication now.
Seo-jin shrugged and pointed to one side of the forest.
"I don't have contact information, but since it's come to this, let me introduce you to one of my acquaintances. It will be helpful to you too."