Chapter 86
Chapter 86
Mad Black Mage's Tower Strategy
Chapter 86
An elegant tea room where sunlight shines through traditional paper windows.
Lee Seo-mun was enjoying the tea fragrance with his eyes closed in his quarters, then slowly set down his cup.
In front of Lee Seo-mun, Nam-gung Cheon and Nam-gung Rin knelt and waited for their master's mouth to open.
Nam-gung Cheon especially couldn't hide his impatience and twisted his body slightly.
In the heavy silence, Nam-gung Rin finally opened her mouth first with a voice mixed with aegyo.
"Grandfather, you know what—"
"Right now, I am your master."
At Lee Seo-mun's cold gaze, Nam-gung Rin hiccuped and stiffened her body.
It seems even aegyo won't work this time.
Lee Seo-mun looked down at the two kneeling before him and sighed inwardly.
He had indulged his disciples because they were cute, but ended up getting involved in unnecessary matters.
Of course, the battle with the supernova brought tremendous enjoyment, but that was separate.
The problem was that these immature siblings tried to catch a dangerous existence like the supernova without any sense of danger.
Fortunately, things went well because Lee Seo-mun stepped in, but if he had been a vicious villain, these two wouldn't have been safe.
Not only the two disciples but also the numerous people under Haomun could have suffered greatly.
As the leader of Haomun, and as that leader's elder brother, one must never act rashly.
"It would be better not to chase him anymore. This is not a recommendation but an order."
"Yes..."
The Nam-gung siblings had no choice but to follow their master's command.
But separately from this, Nam-gung Cheon had something he was curious about.
His master must have exchanged moves with him. He was curious about the result and his impressions of him.
"Master... could you tell us how the battle with him proceeded?"
Lee Seo-mun closed his eyes for a moment. The fierce battle of that day was vividly drawn before his eyes.
"His martial arts, especially I confirmed he uses the Shadowless Steps that you take pride in. It wasn't simply at the level of imitation. As you said, he understood the principles and was advancing to the stage of mastery. He didn't easily fall for hand techniques."
Lee Seo-mun's voice was calm, but deep admiration was contained within it.
"But that wasn't everything. His true power lay in the magic he wielded."
The triple gates that blocked the killing blow he had honed over his lifetime.
They were strange and impious, yet also sacred.
Lee Seo-mun was not well-versed in magic so he couldn't explain precisely, but that wasn't power at the level a mage climbing the 11th floor should be using.
He shouldn't be simply considered talented and strong. He is a being outside the normal category, something that has deviated from the normal trajectory.
"That fellow is not ordinary. He's not simply a genius either. He's something deeper than that."
That was the fact Lee Seo-mun realized while exchanging moves with him.
"KUGH."
At Lee Seo-mun's assessment, Nam-gung Cheon bit his lips and struggled to swallow his anger.
He already knew that bastard was great. But he never expected his master, who was stingy with praise, to give such high praise.
Lee Seo-mun smiled faintly seeing Nam-gung Cheon's competitive spirit.
"Well, that doesn't mean you need to be discouraged. Separate from him, you have your own possibilities. Don't wander around aimlessly and focus on training. That is the only path."
"...I understand."
"HMM."
Separate from her brother receiving comfort from their master, Nam-gung Rin crossed her arms and fell into deep thought.
'If he can perfectly use my brother's Shadowless Steps and gain the upper hand in a hand technique match with master, he's definitely not an ordinary person.'
Her mind became complicated with calculations.
There was no longer any need to chase him targeting the bounty. The association had also canceled the wanted order.
So if she formed a more intimate relationship, it would be good in the long term.
Master also seemed to view him favorably. Her brother also said he had interacted with him on the 9th floor.
Nam-gung Rin spoke with a voice mixed with aegyo, acting coquettishly.
"HEHE, master's words are right. Considering the future of Haomun and Hyeonryongmun, it would be wise to find ways to use him rather than chase him."
Only then did Lee Seo-mun nod with satisfaction.
"Right. For now, watch quietly. We must observe his movements and judge what we can gain. Perhaps he might bring new winds to our Hyeonryongmun, no, to the chaotic situation of this tower."
"Speaking of the situation, what happened to Yellow Dragon?"
The incident Yellow Dragon Mage Tower caused in the Great Cavity of the 11th floor was sensationalized and spread throughout the climber community and news.
Since master was at that scene, he wanted to hear about what happened at that time.
Lee Seo-mun crossed his arms and spoke as if it was nothing special.
"Yellow Dragon lost its mage tower status, so it won't be able to avoid government censure. The organization will be disbanded and personnel will be transferred to other research institutes. And the ringleader is detained in the association's interrogation room, but it seems he won't live long."
They didn't immediately take Kang Jin-tae's life for investigation purposes, but pressure from Zhang Wei-an and the Chinese government would continue.
"What about Yellow Dragon's vice guild leader?"
"Although Zhang Wei-an is a high-ranking party official, he'll suffer considerable damage since Yellow Dragon Mage Tower disappeared. At least for several months, he won't be able to pester Hyeonryongmun."
Until the party's power structure and new organizations to exert influence on the tower are reorganized.
"Come to think of it, Cheon-ah, I think I found the whereabouts of the blueprint you wanted."
"R-really?"
"Yes, I'm talking about the Leaning Heaven Sword. The main text needs divine weapons soon too. Come to think of it, I heard that one of Haomun's subordinate organizations discovered a prototype that can forge swords. Did you manage to secure it?"
At his master's question about finding the sword prototype, Nam-gung Cheon swallowed nervously and scratched his head.
"Th-that is... it was stolen."
"What? By whom?"
Nam-gung Rin turned her head sharply and glared at her brother with scary eyes.
Even in front of their master, she abandoned her pretense and showed such a reaction, so something might end up broken later.
But he couldn't hide it now.
"Who else but that bastard."
A considerable part of the reason they chased that bastard in the first place was because of that sword prototype.
"Hey, you son of a...!"
Nam-gung Rin grabbed Nam-gung Cheon's collar and shook him.
Then familiar screams echoed through Hyeonryongmun.
***
The area around the climber registration desk at the Tower Entry Management Office was bustling from early morning.
New climbers coming out with excited expressions after just finishing the tutorial, experienced climbers checking their equipment before attacking the next floor, and association support staff moving busily among them.
Seo-jin gestured to Han So-yul and Kim Se-yeon to wait for a moment and approached the desk.
"Yes, your tower entry certificate has been confirmed. You may go in."
Min-young seemed busy responding to constantly incoming inquiries.
She sent off a civil petitioner, caught her breath for a moment, then called the next number.
"Yes, customer number 177."
And immediately made eye contact with Seo-jin, who was wearing a robe pulled over his head.
"Uh, uh."
A person she had only seen directly twice but couldn't forget for various reasons.
He was the rumored supernova that many people were still searching for even though his bounty had been canceled.
"W-why are you here...?"
Despite being thoroughly scolded by her superior while hiding his identity due to the administrator's threats, he was now boldly showing his face at the Entry Management Office.
Are you crazy?
Instead of answering, Seo-jin took out a small shopping bag from his chest and handed it to her.
The 'Mana Concentration Control Mask' he had bought at Arcadia last time.
It was an item to which Seo-jin had added some functionality.
"It's a gift. Take it."
"Eh?"
Min-young blinked in confusion at the unexpected gift.
"It's a token of appreciation for keeping the secret."
Min-young received the shopping bag, checked inside, and her eyes widened.
'Th-this is the latest model Mana Concentration Control Mask?'
It was of completely different quality from the mass-produced items the association provided to guides, worth at least the price of a compact car.
It was so ridiculously expensive she couldn't even think of buying it.
"Please continue to take care of things in the future."
Seo-jin's voice brushed past Min-young's ear.
Min-young looked up in a daze.
But that man had already disappeared.
***
Thanks to So-yul, Seo-jin entered the tower again through the VIP-only passage.
Instead of immediately climbing to the 12th floor, he headed to Circe's hut.
He retrieved the Primordial Unity Technique skill book he had left there and summoned Hyeon-wol again.
Hyeon-wol, who came out into the world again, circled around Seo-jin as if she had been waiting and grumbled.
[What were you doing outside that you're only coming back now? Was it fun wandering around leaving this lady behind? Do you know how much I suffered from your master during that time... Never leave this lady behind again. Do you understand? If you heard, then answer!]
'Should I put her back in master's hut.'
Seo-jin picked his ear and headed to the Great Cavity of the 11th floor.
A secluded place slightly away from the depths of the Great Cavity where the fierce battle with Lee Seo-mun had taken place in the past.
It was a quiet place where giant blue crystal pillars rose densely.
Between the pillars, mana as thin as mist flowed like a river, and luminescent plants on the floor emitted a gentle light.
Seo-jin looked around slowly with a satisfied expression.
'It's the optimal environment for exploring new realms of magic.'
Seo-jin sat cross-legged under the largest crystal pillar and closed his eyes.
He had succeeded in making the Energy Core, the demon's heart, his familiar.
This Energy Core was a precious mana supply source that could substitute for Seo-jin's mana heart that had hardened due to cardiac vessel occlusion.
This was part of a powerful being called a demon, but it was also a pure mass of mana with the demonic nature removed.
This alone possessed power greater than the dragon hearts circulating in the world.
However.
'I currently cannot fully draw out that power.'
Seo-jin examined the state of the Energy Core bound by contract.
GOOOOO-.
Beyond the dimension connected by contract, a heart still pulsating while harboring tremendous and powerful mana.
What Seo-jin had obtained from the Energy Core was nothing more or less than a simple transfer of ownership, or loading into inventory.
With Seo-jin's current abilities, all he could do was leave it in a contractual relationship under the constraints of the system and mana.
But that would only be wasting one [Summon Dead] slot.
To avoid such an inefficient situation, and to enjoy the benefits of obtaining this tremendous item, a 'path' was needed.
A passage that could draw and use the mana of this giant heart at any time.
"WHEW."
Seo-jin sighed and fell into thought.
One consumed while using Lotus Fire in the battle with Glize, two consumed as the price of Overclock in the battle with Lee Seo-mun.
A total of three mana circuits had been consumed.
He would re-engrave the previously consumed circuits into his body while connecting the path.
And using this as a passage, he would begin work to construct it so he could draw and use mana from the Energy Core at any time.
"..."
Seo-jin closed his eyes while sitting cross-legged.
Seo-jin's consciousness gradually sank deep into his inner self.
Eventually, the mana that had been surrounding him began to be slowly absorbed into his body.