Chapter 49
Chapter 49
Mad Black Mage's Tower Strategy
Chapter 49
KUOOO,
The Minotaur collapsed to the floor with a pitiful death cry.
KUUNG-.
As the massive creature fell, the entire temple shook violently.
Once its life force completely disappeared, a quest notification window appeared before my eyes.
[You have cleared the Minotaur's Labyrinth for the first time. Would you like to share your record?]
[You have obtained permission to ascend to the 10th floor. Chain quests have been unlocked.]
[You have achieved the 'Ariadne's Thread' achievement.]
[You have achieved the 'Labyrinth Explorer' achievement.]
[You have achieved the 'Child Lover' achievement.]
"......"
Everything else was fine, but the last achievement name was a bit strange.
Anyway.
"That was easy."
If Seo-jin had been alone, he would have consumed elixirs and worn down his body to catch it, but thanks to Nam-gung Cheon, he didn't even need to step forward.
The Emperor Sword, the secret sword technique of the Nam-gung family, had sliced through the Minotaur like it was slowly melting beef.
In fact, Minos's Labyrinth was notorious for its exploration difficulty due to its gimmicks, but the boss monster's level was just so-so.
Once you found the path, Nam-gung Cheon could easily slice through it with his level advantage.
Nam-gung Cheon, who had dealt with the Minotaur, swept back his bangs and showed off.
"This much is nothing, piece of cake."
"Stop showing off."
‘With that level, if you couldn't catch this, you'd deserve to die.’
Seo-jin collected items and materials from the Minotaur's corpse.
[Asterios's Horn]
The creature's exclusive drop item, the horn, was a useful crafting material in many ways.
It specialized in health regeneration, making it useful when combined with items that had health-consuming demerits.
As Seo-jin diligently collected items and even registered Asterios's corpse with Necromancy, Nam-gung Cheon approached and asked.
"Isn't there anything for me? I'm the one who killed it."
"I already gave you something."
"What?"
"Your life."
"......"
"Saving you from dying in the labyrinth should be enough."
Even as Seo-jin said this, he gave Nam-gung Cheon all the magic stones obtained from defeating the boss monster.
"Use this as travel money. You probably don't have any money since your sister cleaned you out."
Judging by the purity of the magic stones, selling them would probably be enough to buy a couple of foreign cars.
"How tearfully grateful."
With the boss mob item settlement complete, the labyrinth exploration was fully finished.
After completing the item farming, Seo-jin pulled out the contract.
"Now we need to settle the bet too. Are you ready?"
At Seo-jin's words, Nam-gung Cheon let out a deep sigh.
"......A man keeps his word once spoken. You won the bet."
From Nam-gung Cheon's perspective, it was honestly somewhat unfair.
He had followed into the labyrinth without any preparation, and it was a bet that was half-forced.
But even that reckless judgment was something he himself had chosen.
It was his own fault for looking down on his opponent and underestimating the labyrinth.
And.
'The abilities he showed here were worthy of recognition.'
Regardless of how annoying he was, the guy's skills were genuine.
Even to someone like himself who was ignorant about magic, the method this guy used to conquer the labyrinth was truly nonsensical.
Moreover, the insight into martial arts he had shown was at a transcendent level.
To the point where his past self, who had been proud of being a genius, looked pathetic.
The rumors about the Supernova weren't exaggerated at all. If anything, they seemed insufficient.
Most people only focused on the results he had achieved, but didn't really know how he had accomplished them.
"Hmm."
Seo-jin looked at Nam-gung Cheon, who had become somewhat more docile, for a moment, then tore up the contract.
CHAREURUK-.
As Seo-jin waved his hand, the magical contract scattered in the air.
"Let's pretend the bet never happened."
"......Why?"
Facing Nam-gung Cheon who asked back with surprised eyes, Seo-jin answered calmly.
"What would change by forcing a pledge?"
What mattered wasn't submission through a pledge, but trust that came from the heart.
This must have been the same principle when Zhuge Liang released Meng Huo seven times.
Nam-gung Cheon snorted.
"What a foolish thing to do. Do you think I'll serve you as my elder brother because of this?"
Instead of answering, Seo-jin just shrugged his shoulders.
"You take care of the kids. I'm leaving."
Seo-jin patted the children's heads once and used the teleportation stone to exit the labyrinth first.
PAT-.
Using the teleportation stone, he emerged in the dead-end alley where he had first entered the labyrinth.
The quiet alley where everything that had just happened felt like a mirage.
But unlike when he first set foot here, now both his heart and steps were much lighter.
As Seo-jin walked silently, Hyeon-wol appeared and spoke.
[To actually nullify the contract. I see you in a new light. I thought you were petty, but you have magnanimous aspects too.]
"What are you talking about? The contract is still valid."
Seo-jin used magic to float the contract he had torn earlier back in the air.
[Then what was that earlier......]
Scattering the contract by hand was just a performance. The contract wasn't actually nullified.
"It was just for show. Why would I cancel that?"
He would use this again and again. Whether in a good sense or bad sense.
[......You bastard, really.]
Seo-jin shrugged his shoulders at Hyeon-wol, who was clicking her tongue in contempt.
"I don't need praise."
Seo-jin looked at the contract with Nam-gung Cheon's name written on it for a moment, then smiled and put it back in his pocket.
***
Tower 3rd floor. Circe's cabin.
"......"
Circe looked at the two people sitting in her cabin with a very displeased expression.
WAGEJAK-.
Han So-yul, lying comfortably on the sofa like it was her own home, munching on snacks.
And.
KWAL KWAL-.
Kim Se-yeon, who had finished training in Circe's practice room and was lying in the bath with water running.
The always quiet cabin had become a mess due to these uninvited guests.
Circe, who had been holding back her anger, finally spoke up.
"Do you think this is your house?"
"Aw, don't be like that. I brought delicious tea too."
So-yul placed the premium tea set she had brought as a gift on the table as if to appease Circe.
Circe frowned and said quietly.
"I don't need that stuff, so take it back."
Just then, Se-yeon came out after washing, shaking her hair with a towel and asking So-yul.
"Sister."
"Got it, I'll make tea right away, just wait a moment. Here, this is Se-yeon's. This is Master's."
"......"
As the three were having a cozy(?) tea time.
"Ah."
Circe looked at her crystal ball and spoke.
"My disciple just ascended to the 10th floor. Check the leaderboard."
At Circe's words, So-yul hurriedly opened the intranet to check the leaderboard.
A new record registered anonymously. Moreover, the Minotaur's Labyrinth that no one had been able to clear had been completed.
"Oh. Labyrinthos has been cleared?"
"Yes, the legend of the living labyrinth is now over."
Since Minos's cursed bull, Asterios, had been defeated, the labyrinth would no longer expand.
A labyrinth cut off from its mana supply was just an ordinary structure.
Moreover, boys and girls would no longer be offered as sacrifices, which was a good thing.
At the news of Seo-jin clearing the 9th floor, So-yul and Se-yeon stood up.
"Then I should get going."
"Me too."
So-yul and Se-yeon came out of the cabin and greeted Circe.
"I'll visit again next time, Master."
"Who said I'd let you in? Don't come anymore."
"Aw, you're actually happy about it."
"Get lost."
KWANG-.
The cabin door slammed shut and trembled.
So-yul looked at the door and shook her head.
"She's not being honest."
Se-yeon stood there blankly beside her, then spoke to So-yul.
"......Where are you going now, sister?"
So-yul put her hand to her chin and thought for a moment.
"Hmm, I need to report the situation to my sister and handle the 9th floor cleanup."
It might be late to say this now, but achieving a new record was a major matter for the Climber Association.
With Labyrinthos cleared, the labyrinth city's environment would change, so the association needed to prepare for this.
"What about you?"
"I promised to meet on the 10th floor."
A few weeks ago, after sparring with Seo-jin on the 4th floor, they had promised to meet on the 10th floor when they parted.
She had been training hard and even obtained the right to ascend to the 10th floor for that purpose.
So-yul smiled warmly and poked Se-yeon's side.
"Aha, so that's why you were waiting here?"
"Not really."
So-yul grabbed Se-yeon's hand as she avoided her gaze.
"You can tell me. You know how to use this, right?"
The latest terminal So-yul had given Se-yeon as a gift.
She had been in the tower for several months but still didn't have a terminal, so she bought her one.
It could access Marduk and also communicate with other climbers through communication channels.
It didn't work inside dungeons, but if communication was cut off for several days, it would automatically request rescue.
"Make sure to call if anything happens."
"Thank you."
Although they could converse without awkwardness now, it had taken an incredibly long time to open up.
She hadn't opened her heart like an injured cat.
But through regular visits to Circe's cabin, gradually becoming familiar with each other, they had reached the point where they could have conversations like this.
'Of course, I still don't know much about Se-yeon's personal circumstances or past.'
But So-yul didn't deliberately pry into this.
Everyone has one or two secrets from their past they want to hide. She planned to wait until she chose to open up herself.
Se-yeon nodded once, then asked So-yul with complete innocence.
"But...... don't you have anything to do, sister?"
Se-yeon could stay here because she could train her power safely in the practice room Circe had made, without the risk of going berserk or getting injured. But So-yul came to the cabin every day and just lounged around without any particular reason.
She said she was practicing mana manipulation, but she could count on her fingers the times she had actually seen her practice.
So-yul stammered and showed the Taegeuk pattern embroidered on her robe's chest.
"What, what do you mean? I'm the guild leader of Taebaek, the guild leader. I have mountains of work to do."
"But for that......"
"Even if it looks like I'm playing around, this is all part of research. There's no one more versed in magic than Master. Getting close to her is the best path for the magic world."
"Ah, yes."
‘If sister says so, then it must be so. In imagination, anyway.’
"Won't you go with me......"
At Se-yeon's suggestion, So-yul shook her head.
"I'd just be in the way if I went. Have a good trip."
***
WHIOOOO-.
Above the snowfield where bone-cutting cold wind howled, a man was walking.
Tower 10th floor. Primgard, the land of ice and blizzards.
"Fucking cold."
Seo-jin cursed once in the blizzard where he couldn't see an inch ahead.
He had prepared and worn winter gear, but it was nowhere near enough to endure the bone-aching, flesh-stinging cold of this place.
Finally, Seo-jin took out the Fire Grass he had received from Circe and chewed it.
HWAAK-.
The Fire Grass's energy spread through Seo-jin's body.
[Cold resistance increases for 600 seconds.]
[Body temperature is maintained.]
After chewing the Fire Grass, his body warmed up pleasantly, giving him the feeling that he could live.
Seo-jin pushed forward through the snow where his feet sank deep.
Eventually, the blurry shape of a fortress appeared beyond the blizzard.
The only domain of humanity existing in this Primgard of nothing but blizzards.
'Citadel.'
Seo-jin whipped his frozen body and steadily headed toward humanity's last fortress.