Chapter 67
Chapter 67
Mad Black Mage's Tower Strategy
Chapter 67
Seo-jin returned to his lodging after emerging from the ruins.
He took out the [Fragment of Time Distortion Magic Book] that he had brought with him.
THUMP-.
The fragment emitted a faint light along with the intense pulsation of magical power.
Without hesitation, Seo-jin placed the magic book onto the additional material slot of [Tears of Siyul].
[Would you like to equip the item to the additional slot?]
"Yes."
WHIRRRR-.
As he nodded, the robe's core reacted by emitting a blue light, and Seo-jin carefully brought the magic book fragment over the slot.
CRACKLE-.
The moment the slot and magic book made contact, an intense ripple of magical power occurred.
"……!"
A sensation as if the world had turned into a black and white screen centered around the spreading ripple and had stopped just like that.
However, this sensation subsided in an instant.
When he came to his senses and checked, the magic book fragment was perfectly fused within the core.
[Tears of Siyul (Time's Law)]
Grade: S
Classification: Robe
A work by Black Mage Lee Seo-jin
A masterpiece completed through an excellent mage. Possesses powerful protective abilities and magical power amplification effects.
Magical Power + 10
Agility + 10
Unique Effect: [Dragon's Scale]
Reduces all damage by 25 percent.
Unique Effect: [Magical Power Amplification]
The final damage of all magic attacks increases by 10 percent. The effect is amplified when striking an enemy's weakness.
Unique Effect: [Future Sight]
Through magical power consumption, you can intermittently observe the future 3 to 10 seconds ahead.
'Good.'
The unique ability successfully granted to the robe.
Seo-jin put on the robe and injected magical power into it.
POP-.
Along with the consumption of possessed magical power, afterimages of space that overlapped hazily in his vision.
Future Sight had been activated.
"……."
However, due to the static scenery of the lodging, it wasn't easy to realize that Future Sight was activated.
Therefore, Seo-jin decided to call Hyeon-wol to check it definitively.
"Come out, ghost."
Hyeon-wol appeared with a huff at Seo-jin's call.
Due to the influence of Future Sight, Hyeon-wol's appearance was shown in advance, so he could tell from which direction she would appear.
And.
"You called me properly earlier, so why are you calling me a ghost again this time?"
Before Hyeon-wol could even complain, Seo-jin recited her voice that he had heard in advance at his ear.
Then Hyeon-wol complained like a round song.
[You called me properly earlier, so why are you calling me a ghost again this time! Huh……?]
Hyeon-wol's eyes widened as she felt déjà vu. Before she could even speak, that bastard had stolen her lines first.
Seo-jin continued to hear Hyeon-wol's next words in advance and speak them aloud.
"What, what was that just now?"
[What, what was that just now?]
"You! Don't copy me!"
[You! Don't copy me!]
'This is fun.'
Perhaps because of the brief prank, Hyeon-wol flew around Seo-jin huffing and puffing.
Seo-jin smiled with satisfaction at Hyeon-wol's reaction.
"The effect is definite."
***
Three days later.
The entrance to The Great Cavity located on the outer coastline of the 11th floor.
The entrance was bustling with investigation teams gathered from various countries.
Amid the tense tension, the gazes of each country's investigation teams clashed as they kept each other in check.
First, Yamato, Japan's psychic guild.
They were emitting a sharp momentum while armed with cutting-edge equipment resembling samurai armor.
The main force was naturally Yamato's guild leader Kusanagi and Grand Mage Tsuchimikado Gu-ren of the top-floor strategy team.
"You guys handle this kind of thing yourselves. Don't you know I'm busy?"
"This is a government-level request. Please don't be angry."
Next to Gu-ren, who seemed annoyed by everything, Rei in neat shrine maiden clothes was attending.
On the opposite side, the Chinese investigation team was maintaining order under Zhang Wei-an's command.
True to China's reputation for quantity tactics even outside the Tower, the exploration team and porters filled the maximum number of people.
Besides them, formidable forces such as Fernando's team from the Central and South American Union, Shelly's team from the European Union, and the North American team were each showing off their majesty.
On the other hand,
"Everyone, don't lose heart, come on, cheer up!"
Han So-yul and the South Korean investigation team positioned among them looked somewhat shabby.
While the individual capabilities of the researchers weren't inferior to other countries, they were somewhat intimidated due to various reasons such as the mage tower's poor financial situation and internal betrayal.
"Ohh……."
Therefore, there was no particular response even to So-yul's encouragement.
And in one corner of that formation stood Seo-jin with a stiff expression, dressed in ordinary porter clothing.
"……."
'Damn heavy.'
Always roaming the Tower with an empty body thanks to his S-grade inventory, carrying a backpack weighing dozens of kilograms felt like his shoulders would fall off.
After waiting for a while, a meeting of representatives from each country began regarding the selection of entry routes into The Great Cavity.
Several entry routes classified according to previously predicted danger levels and resource reserves were displayed on a huge holographic map.
As expected, the Japanese representative raised their voice first.
"As announced previously, we will head to the Alpha Route."
Kusanagi, the leader of the Japanese investigation team, naturally demanded the Alpha Route, which was the safest and had the highest possibility of securing resources.
Behind them was Grand Mage Gu-ren of the strategy team, so no one could refuse the demand of the Yamato Mage Tower, backed by that reputation.
Moreover, Grand Mage Gu-ren was also nominally the head of the International Mage Tower Association, a consultative body of mage towers from various countries.
The Japanese team's demand was passed without objection.
Next came Zhang Wei-an from the Chinese investigation team.
"Our Yellow Dragon Mage Tower will take the Beta Route."
He claimed priority for the Beta Route, which was as stable as the Alpha Route.
It was fitting for the Yellow Dragon Mage Tower, which maintained the largest and most powerful influence through aggressive technology theft and talent recruitment.
Following this, other countries also engaged in heated debates to secure advantageous positions for themselves.
However, those debates were just for show. The rough route selection had already been mostly decided behind the scenes.
It would have been decided at the banquet hall after Seo-jin and So-yul left.
Kang Jin-tae's earlier provocation of So-yul might have been for this reason.
Amid the noisy arguments, Seo-jin naturally pressed his ear in the crowd.
The communication terminal connected to Seo-jin's ear.
STATIC-.
Along with the connection sound, Seo-jin's voice rang in So-yul's ear.
[Go to Gamma (Γ).]
"Hiek."
So-yul, startled by the sudden sound piercing her ear, trembled and tilted her head.
'Gamma?'
According to the holographic map, the Gamma Route was essentially an abandoned passage with the highest danger level but almost no expected resources.
'Go there?'
Her eyes wavered briefly.
If someone else had made such a claim, she would have kicked their butt immediately.
But if it was Seo-jin, the story was different.
He was the rumored supernova and a disciple of Witch Circe, one of the elders of magic.
There must be a reason for such a decision.
[If you don't like it, other places are fine too. The decision is your authority.]
Seo-jin's voice followed, saying it was okay to refuse, but So-yul shook her head.
Anyway, the Gamma Route was also an exploration location that So-yul had always kept in mind.
It would be good if she could examine it in detail using this exploration as an opportunity. If not now with Seo-jin's help, when would she look into it?
And all the good exploration routes had already been taken.
Without taking risks, there would be nothing to gain.
"……."
After a while, when her turn came, So-yul took a breath and stepped forward.
The noise in the conference room quieted for a moment. She declared with an unwavering voice.
"The South Korean investigation team will enter through the Gamma Route."
As soon as those words fell, laughter and ridicule erupted from all directions.
"Hmph, are they sane? Going there?"
The Gamma area was dangerously treacherous yet had no worthwhile rewards—a garbage route.
According to exploration results so far, it was just land with uselessly dense magical power concentration.
The academic consensus was that it was an area created like a trap to lure outsiders due to The Great Cavity's structure.
No normal person would choose that place.
Kusanagi snorted, and Kang Jin-tae openly let out a mocking laugh.
"Could it be that your head got a bit strange because of yesterday's incident?"
Representatives from other countries also showed similar reactions or sent pitying glances.
"Isn't that too much of a gamble?"
"They must be that desperate."
Of course, some predicted that they might have obtained special information or had a hidden ace, but their number was extremely small.
Such reactions didn't stop only from the outside.
Immediate backlash also erupted from within the South Korean investigation team.
Team Leader Jung Hee-won, an experienced veteran, couldn't hold back and protested to So-yul.
"Guild Leader! The Gamma Route is too dangerous. There are better paths, so why of all things."
Other team members also wavered and looked at So-yul with anxious eyes.
Deep distrust regarding the leader's decision spread throughout the entire team.
But So-yul was resolute.
She glared at the protesting team members and said.
"This decision was made by me as the guild leader. If you won't follow my instructions, I'll immediately exclude you from the investigation team."
"……."
An unusually resolute voice unlike So-yul's usual gentle nature.
The team members could no longer continue speaking and closed their mouths.
So-yul briefly looked toward where Seo-jin was.
Seo-jin nodded as if to say she did well.
"Now, let's enter~ Everyone, let's meet alive!"
With encouraging voices, investigation teams from each country began entering their designated routes.
The Taebaek investigation team also took their first step toward the Gamma Route with So-yul in the lead.
***
The sight of the Taebaek Guild's investigation team disappearing into the entrance of the Gamma Route.
Kang Jin-tae, who had been watching this from a distance, clicked his tongue and said to Zhang Wei-an standing beside him.
"Cluck cluck, that stupid bitch is finally going to her death. The Gamma Route, she's not in her right mind."
The humiliation and deep resentment received at yesterday's banquet hall felt like it was completely going down.
The sight of her leading her team members and mage tower down the path of destruction was truly pitiful yet exhilarating.
Kang Jin-tae smiled viciously.
'Yesterday's provocation was planned.'
Although that porter bastard interfered in the middle, as planned, Han So-yul couldn't bear her anger and left the banquet hall, missing the exploration route selection meeting.
Thanks to that, they could divide up the good routes well, and Taebaek had no choice but to select the remaining scraps.
'But still, the Gamma Route.'
It was the worst decision that even investigation teams from Africa or Southeast Asia wouldn't choose.
Of course, for Kang Jin-tae, it was the best situation.
Zhang Wei-an crossed his arms and quietly stared at the disappearing backs of the Taebaek Guild.
"Well. She seems to have a tougher side than she looks. Maybe she has something to rely on."
Though Taebaek might be a setting sun now, it was a guild that ran at the highest stock price until just a few years ago.
However, due to their belief in maintaining research ethics and the righteous path of Tower climbers, they gradually fell behind other mage towers that didn't discriminate between means and methods.
In addition to this, they were dragged down by corporations and political circles that only valued momentary achievements. The capabilities possessed by Han So-yul and other mages themselves couldn't be ignored.
Well, now that they had taken away Kang Jin-tae, who was the core of research, it wouldn't be a big threat.
Kang Jin-tae said confidently.
"Whatever she relies on, the possibility of surviving in the Gamma Route is slim. There's no need to worry about it."
Yellow Dragon had already infiltrated the ruins beneath the Taebaek Mage Tower and obtained an S-grade artifact.
'According to analysis results, that artifact is a seal that was sealing The Great Cavity's abnormal magical power and a kind of trigger.'
Using this, they could either cause disasters in The Great Cavity or make them subside again.
When abnormal phenomena occurred in The Great Cavity with the seal gone, the responsibility would fall on Taebaek and Han So-yul.
Even if they achieved something in the Gamma Route by any chance, it would only be momentary joy.
"Yes, I'll trust only Teacher Kang."
Zhang Wei-an withdrew his gaze without regret and gestured toward the investigation team.
Soon, the Yellow Dragon Mage Tower's large-scale investigation team entered the Beta Route in an orderly manner.
***
DRIP-.
DRIP-.
In the terrible silence, the regular sound of dripping water echoed around.
Cold and damp air felt immediately upon passing through the entrance.
Unidentifiable liquid flowing down the walls.
Added to that, visibility where it was difficult to distinguish even an inch ahead.
The atmosphere of the South Korean investigation team that entered the Gamma Route was heavily subdued.
A few magical lights barely illuminated the surroundings, but even that light was swallowed by the unfathomable darkness.
It seemed to represent the gloomy atmosphere of the investigation team.
Not long after the South Korean investigation team entered the Gamma Route.
BEEP- BEEP- BEEP-.
The magical power detector that Han So-yul was holding made a warning sound.
It was the sound alerting high-concentration magical power and atmospheric composition changes.
At that sound, someone from the rear asked in a trembling voice.
"Are, are we really going the right way?"
That voice contained resentment toward So-yul's decision.
So-yul tried to maintain a composed expression, but couldn't hide the cold sweat flowing down her spine.
So-yul herself wasn't confident either.
'The Gamma Route is one of the passages left unattended because we couldn't dare to develop it due to its danger.'
According to Taebaek's independent research results, The Great Cavity's identity was presumed to be the corpse of some giant creature.
And this Gamma Route was presumed to be a place that served as both a trap for that creature to lure prey and a pouch where it stored food.
It was literally stepping into a trap with their own feet, but.
'There's definitely something here.'
A mage's intuition kept whispering.
Also, this route was the route that Seo-jin had suggested, so it definitely wouldn't fail.
She bit her parched lips while repeating her resolve internally.
"Keep your minds straight and follow me! If you fall behind here, it's over, so brighten the lights and thoroughly guard the surroundings!"
So-yul deliberately commanded in a louder and more resolute voice.
If a leader showed signs of wavering, the entire team would collapse.
At her shout, the team members hesitated briefly, but soon continued their steps while guarding all directions from their respective positions.
"SNIFF."
Seo-jin, who had been silently following behind mixed among the porters, looked around and sniffed.
The heterogeneous smell wafting through the air.
Very faint but sweet, this fragrance that gradually eroded one's mind to turn the target into a puppet was definitely.
'Luring fragrance. A demon's…….'
Seo-jin narrowed his eyes.
He had smelled it countless times in his previous life, and countless people had been lured by this fragrance to die meaninglessly, so he could never forget it.
Seeing the luring fragrance being emitted, there must be a food pouch or mana sac existing nearby.
It was then that Seo-jin raised his vigilance.
Team Leader Jung Hee-won's urgent cry came from the front where he was scouting the path.
"Stop! Ahead, there's no path ahead!"
At the sudden cry, the entire formation stopped dead.
When they urgently illuminated the front with magical lighting, a pitch-black and enormous crack was revealed just a few steps ahead.
Originally there would have been a path, but whether the ground had subsided, unfathomable darkness spread down below.
It was a dizzying situation where they would have fallen straight down if they had stepped forward hastily.
"Damn, what is this from the start!"
"We should go back, Guild Leader! This place is too dangerous!"
The team members' agitation raised its head again.
Having encountered difficulties right after departure, the suppressed fear and complaints burst out.
So-yul bit her lips tightly.
Entering inside the crack was out of the question.
They had to find a way to cross over to the other side somehow.
But how?
While she desperately sought a solution, Seo-jin approached the edge of the crack and carefully examined below.
"Hey, don't leave the formation!"
One of the researchers shouted at Seo-jin, but Seo-jin ignored him and knelt on one knee to analyze carefully.
'It's not simply collapsed. There's something below.'
And the passage visible beyond that crack was a trap.
Since the luring fragrance was flowing from there, entering the crack below was the correct exploration direction.
Seo-jin got up from his position and spoke in a whisper through the communication terminal.
[You shouldn't jump over the crack but go down inside it.]