Chapter 61
Chapter 61
Mad Black Mage's Tower Strategy
Chapter 61
Immediately after subjugating Glize, the murderous cold of the ice palace gradually began to fade away.
The bone-chilling cold and the blizzard that had raged through the space both disappeared together.
And that change was not limited to just the ice palace deep underground.
Citadel F District, by the window of Tito's shabby house.
Tito's younger sister was blankly staring outside when her eyes widened in surprise.
The snowfall that had been tapping against the window had stopped.
"Brother, the snow has stopped."
The snow stopped?
A heavy snow warning was still in effect and it was currently the long night cycle.
There was no way the snow would stop.
Tito scolded her without even looking at his sister, organizing the magic stones he had received from Seo-jin.
"Tsk. Lize, you can't lie like that."
At this, Lize raised her voice as if she felt wronged.
"No. It's true, brother. Come and look outside."
Unable to resist his sister's whining, Tito went to the window and his mouth fell open.
"Huh?"
It was true.
The detestable blizzard had stopped. Moreover, the bone-chilling wind had also quieted down.
Tito wasn't the only one surprised.
People startled by this strange occurrence came out one by one to look up at the sky.
From beyond the sky that had always been filled with gray blizzards and dark clouds, a faint blue light was seeping through.
Someone shouted in overwhelming emotion.
"Sun, it's sunlight."
"Sunlight!"
That voice spread instantly like a contagion, creating small ripples of hope in the frozen city.
Windows that had been tightly shut due to the cold opened, and people who had been holed up in their houses rushed outside one by one.
Those ripples of hope also reached the rooftop of Primgard's central government building, the 'Spring Garden.'
The legacy left by heroes of the past, flowers crafted from cold steel.
Warm energy seeped into the steel petals that had lost their luster buried under blizzards for so long, and the ice that had been frozen solid began to melt.
And for the first time in decades, real flowers bloomed in the Spring Garden.
Small but resilient life force was announcing the end of the long harsh winter.
***
Underground in the Eternal Snow Ice mine.
Immediately after subjugating Glize, above the pile of collapsed ice fragments, the hazy form of a woman rose like a mirage.
Her intimidating presence from life had disappeared, but her eyes held deep sorrow and regret.
This was Glize's lingering thoughts.
A pitiful being born to punish human greed, yet ultimately used by that very greed and finally subjugated by human hands.
She asked Seo-jin, the victor of the battle, in a hollow voice.
[Can you... truly restore this land to its original state?]
"Since I subjugated you, spring will come to this land again."
[You know that's not what I'm asking.]
"......"
[The recovered spring will bring prosperity to your civilization again. And that prosperity will be stained with greed and lead this land to ruin once more. Do you have confidence to prevent that predetermined destruction?]
Seo-jin put his hands in his pockets and looked up at the ceiling.
"Well."
Complex thoughts flickered through his eyes. Human greed was endless, and ultimately its end was destruction.
Although he didn't know the full past of this icy land, just looking at what Primgard's three families had done was enough to get a rough idea.
Even the real world where Seo-jin lived wasn't much different.
Seeing those who only looked after their own interests even in the face of extinction, he couldn't easily give a positive answer to Glize's question.
So Seo-jin spoke of possibility in a low voice.
Asking for one more chance.
"Still, give me one more chance. So that I can correct what's wrong."
At least the current supreme leader Ella had the good will to correct what was wrong.
Glize slowly nodded and disappeared, transforming into ice crystals.
[......I will believe.]
Seo-jin watched the spot where she had disappeared while fidgeting with the elixir cigarettes in his pocket for no reason.
[......]
Meanwhile, watching their conversation from afar, the 10th floor administrator, the white bear Bjarnir, slowly turned his head and disappeared beyond the melting ice wall.
***
After Glize's phantom disappeared, Ha-yeon approached while brushing off the Eternal Snow Ice powder on her hands.
"With this, you've saved another world?"
"I'm not particularly going around saving worlds."
Seo-jin answered halfheartedly while picking up the item that had fallen where Ice Queen Glize had disappeared.
[Heart of Winter]
Seo-jin put it in his inventory and continued speaking.
"It's all part of filling my own belly."
"So what if it is? There are those who only fill their own bellies whether the world ends or not."
Ha-yeon glared at Seo-jin with narrowed eyes.
"But why do you so naturally collect the items?"
"Well, I worked the hardest. I also dealt the finishing blow. This is mine. You can take the rest."
Most of it was ice chunks that would melt away soon, but magic stones and Eternal Snow Ice crystals would be worth money.
"You. You have a way to make Eternal Snow Ice, don't you?"
"......What are you talking about? Eternal Snow Ice is no longer being produced."
Although Eternal Snow Ice could no longer be obtained on this 10th floor, if he made Glize into an undead and used her, he might be able to obtain Eternal Snow Ice separately.
While Seo-jin was quietly thinking, Ha-yeon nudged him with her elbow and spoke as if she knew everything.
"You don't need to play dumb. I won't tell anyone else, so just make me a few when I need them later. That's all I need."
Ha-yeon added one last thing.
"Exclusively."
***
Three days later.
Primgard was still experiencing a time of upheaval.
The warm sunlight and spring breeze that came after the detestable winter ended breathed warmth into the frozen hearts of the citizens.
Although the 10th floor's specialty, Eternal Snow Ice, could no longer be obtained, that wasn't even a problem for the citizens.
The warmth that came after the winter that seemed like it would last forever ended.
The warm sun and spring breeze blessed their path forward.
Of course, the spring breeze didn't only awaken warmth.
It also awakened their dormant anger.
The high walls of the Citadel, the massive drills, and the steam engines that constantly spewed black smoke.
The ironclad power of the three families that symbolized these things crumbled helplessly with the return of spring.
The Ice Queen, collusion with external mega-corporations, exploitation through Eternal Snow Ice monopoly, embezzlement of aid supplies, and even suspicions of assassinating supreme leader Camel.
Their ugly history was exposed to the world by Ella and Seo-jin's group.
The enraged citizens poured into the streets.
"Kill them! Kill!"
The nobles who had once treated them like slaves were now being dragged around by the angry crowd.
Eventually, they ascended the gallows.
Ella watched the execution scene with cold eyes.
It was the moment her long-held revenge was fulfilled.
"......"
On the other hand, Seo-jin, who was in the central government building, looked down at the angry crowd with complicated feelings.
Although it was a completely different situation, seeing that scene reminded him of his past life when he was wrongfully hanged.
The angry crowd, the moment of execution, and the death that followed.
It was not a pleasant memory at all.
[......]
Hyeon-wol, perhaps sensing Seo-jin's wavering emotions, remained silently quiet.
"You don't need to be considerate."
[Does that scene have something to do with your past?]
"You could say that. Though I was in a wronged position unlike those pieces of trash."
Seo-jin's cold gaze turned toward the nobles of the three families.
Although they were ultimately receiving justice's judgment, this was actually because things had gone very well.
If Ella had faced them alone, she would have been ousted under pressure and eventually disappeared without a trace.
Even if she had sought external help, it wouldn't have led to the same result as now.
Without knowing the ecology of this land and the darkness of the Tower as well as Seo-jin did, they wouldn't have been able to properly dig into the three families.
Even if they had attacked the three families while pretending to be crazy, they would have been eliminated by corporate hunting dogs without anyone knowing.
Their alliance was solid enough to be confident of this.
It was ultimately a good outcome, but it was also somewhat melancholy that it took not only Seo-jin as a regressor but also Ha-yeon from the strategy team to uproot the deep tentacles of the Tower.
While Seo-jin was leaning against the railing lost in thought, Ha-yeon tapped his shoulder and said.
"The association president says she'll visit the 10th floor soon too. She says she'll negotiate with Ella to quickly build a climbing management office and test site."
The management office construction that had been repeatedly canceled due to corporate lobbying and opposition from the three families was finally about to become reality.
"Not bad."
Seo-jin only nodded briefly at those words without showing any particular reaction.
Ha-yeon stared at Seo-jin before suddenly throwing out a question.
"What are you going to do from now on?"
"I have to go to the next floor."
"That's obvious. I'm asking if you have any special plans."
"Not yet."
Just finding hidden items and achievements on the 11th floor and defeating boss monsters as always.
Following the indifferent answer, angry shouts from citizens toward the three families continued to echo from below the government building.
Ha-yeon took a short breath as if making some big decision, then suddenly held out her terminal.
"Here, this is my number. Contact me if anything happens. This is really hard to get, you know?"
However, Seo-jin stared at the terminal Ha-yeon held out and shook his head.
"I don't need it."
'Since I don't have a terminal anyway.'
And he still remembered the number.
Ha-yeon's number from outside the Tower, the number she used when working as a Saintess, and even the number she used when wearing a rabbit mask.
But Ha-yeon, who couldn't know such inner thoughts, asked in surprise.
"What? You really don't need it?"
"Yeah."
At Seo-jin's cold response, Ha-yeon seemed hurt and quickly pulled her hand back.
"......Fine, forget it if you don't want it."
At her sulky appearance, Seo-jin smiled faintly enough that Ha-yeon couldn't notice.
Then he looked down and asked about her next destination.
"Where are you planning to go?"
"I have to go to the next floor too."
Ha-yeon answered curtly.
The top-floor strategy team she belonged to was preparing to tackle their next target, the 30th floor.
Although it was a world with sweltering tropical climate, they had secured plenty of Eternal Snow Ice so they didn't have to worry about the heat.
Seo-jin nodded silently.
The paths he and she would walk were clearly different.
Seo-jin would climb the Tower alone, finding and piecing together hidden fragments while growing stronger, and Ha-yeon would move toward set goals as a member of the strategy team.
Their methods were different, but their ultimate goal of reaching the top of the Tower was the same.
They would meet at that end someday.
"I wish you good luck."
"You're being formal."
Ha-yeon still had a curt tone, but it was mixed with playfulness and faint worry.
With those words, she turned around sharply and walked into the government building with her cloak fluttering.
***
That night, Seo-jin went alone to the Spring Garden on the government building's rooftop.
He left a small message along with some items for the climbers who would come here in the future.
Then he felt a quiet presence behind him. When he turned around, Ella was standing there.
Ella held out a small box with a mysterious expression, as if she didn't know whether she felt refreshed or regretful.
"This is a thank-you gift. It's both my personal gift and something I'm giving on behalf of the Citadel's citizens."
Seo-jin nodded and received the box.
CLICK-.
Inside the box was a beautiful rose made by precisely carving transparent Eternal Snow Ice.
The rose, which emanated a subtle cold energy, gave off a mysterious aura.
On a small nameplate placed under the rose, the phrase [Guardian's Proof] was engraved in powerful handwriting.
Ella explained.
"It's a proof that has been passed down through generations to the supreme leader. Though only my father and I have used it."
"This couldn't be......"
Seo-jin vaguely guessed its identity, and Ella confirmed that his guess was correct.
"Yes, it's something that Han Kyeong-cheol, our hero, left in Primgard. I heard he said it should be passed on to the 'true Guardian' who would appear someday. Since it originally belonged to an outsider, it would be right to return it to you."
Ella's words contained deep respect for Han Kyeong-cheol.
She must have been convinced that Seo-jin was the 'outsider' hero qualified to receive this proof.
Seo-jin quietly looked down at the Eternal Snow Ice rose emanating cold energy.
A weight beyond a simple item.
The sense of responsibility contained in the hero's legacy seemed to weigh heavily on his shoulders.
However, this was also the direction of the faint dream that Seo-jin had once harbored.
Seo-jin carefully put away the box and opened his mouth.
"I won't let you regret your decision."