Chapter 90
Chapter 90
Mad Black Mage's Tower Strategy
Chapter 90
Rosaria's question stabbed at Seo-jin's chest.
Whether he was confident he could climb to the top of the tower before being swept away and destroyed by his own power.
Seo-jin shook his head.
"I'm not doing this because I'm confident. I'm just doing it because I have to."
Who could be confident they could climb to the end of the tower and save humanity from the predetermined destruction?
He's just doing it desperately.
"Hmm, seems like you have your reasons you can't talk about. Well, all climbers are like that. Everyone has their own circumstances for abandoning comfortable lives and climbing the dangerous tower. I won't ask any more."
"I appreciate it."
"Let's put aside the ominous talk about life and death for now and continue examining, shall we?"
Rosaria moved behind Seo-jin and ran her hands over the circuits around his spine and backbone.
"You've connected the Demon's Heart with the pass. Impressive. Well, it is Circe's legacy after all. It's only natural for a disciple to inherit their master's legacy."
In the past, Circe had fought fiercely with a demon on the 11th floor and defeated it.
The ownership of the Demon's Heart could be said to belong to her.
Not some moral right, but causally linked to her.
If she didn't want it, no one else could have it.
That's why it had remained in that place for hundreds of years.
But Circe, the actual owner, couldn't take it herself.
Because the curse left by the demon as it died had attached itself to her body.
If she took the demon's heart in that state, the curse would only run wild.
So Circe entrusted this to her disciple Seo-jin. To take the Demon's Heart, the Energy Core.
"You stored it beyond dimensions through a servant contract. Well, you couldn't carry around something that huge. It's a very human-like solution."
After examining Seo-jin's mana circuits for quite some time, Rosaria finally made her assessment.
"There's nothing more I can do. There are various parts that could be fixed, but that's by my standards. Right now, this is the best that can be achieved given your body's condition."
The highest praise that could be given by Rosaria, one of the practitioners of magical arts and an elder of Pandemonium.
For a mage, there could be no greater compliment than this.
But this was also, in some sense, a death sentence.
It meant that even with her power, there was no room to dramatically change the current situation.
She put down her pipe and asked.
"So, what do you want from me?"
The side effects of black magic couldn't be eliminated. Then the only option was to find ways to develop it.
"Naturally, the creation of a new black magic lineage. It's closer to modification than creation, though."
"Like your necromancy?"
"That's right."
The [Summon Dead] that Seo-jin currently uses is different from the necromancy used by other necromancers.
It's closer to a new type of black magic created by combining Achievement Points with Seo-jin's talent.
"Come out."
GROWL-.
Seo-jin summoned Baduki, the Lich King, and Glize to show Rosaria.
GROWL-.
Baduki showed wariness upon seeing Rosaria.
The puppy growled while tucking its tail and backing away cautiously.
"Oh my, am I scary?"
WHINE-.
As Rosaria's hand touched him, Baduki, who was always confident, let out a pained sound.
He must have instinctively felt the difference in their levels.
Rosaria stroked the frightened Baduki while examining the principles of [Summon Dead].
"Hmm, I see. So you structured it this way? A necromancy of the elite few that minimizes mana consumption. This is closer to summoning magic. And yet through the subordinate structure and the Lich King, you can command large armies without mana consumption. This must have cost quite a few points?"
As expected, she saw through it at once.
"Good, I understand what you want. So what black magic can you currently use?"
To create a new magic lineage, it was necessary to check what could already be used.
Seo-jin drew up his mana and said confidently.
"Shall I show you directly?"
***
"This place is."
Meanwhile, Se-yeon followed behind Talis, riding on clouds.
The sky and clouds whizzed past.
Eventually, she arrived at a small island floating in the heavens.
An island where a large cabin, training ground, pond and waterfall, orchard and small hill were charmingly gathered together.
She had expected to go toward the Colosseum, but where was this place?
As Se-yeon looked around with wide eyes, Talis smacked her back.
"KAHAHA, quite the innocent little one compared to the venom in your eyes."
"......"
Se-yeon snapped to attention, gritting her teeth and taking a defensive stance.
Though she had followed this old man at Seo-jin's recommendation, she still couldn't trust him.
Even if she didn't trust him, there wasn't much else she could do... but she couldn't let her guard down.
He didn't seem like a bad person though.
Talis spread his hands and said.
"This is a training island I've temporarily prepared. You'll be staying here and training from now on."
He then explained each facility.
"The orchard. These are trees I planted myself. You can pick and eat them whenever you want. They're sweet and refreshing, plus they'll help enhance your mana."
CRUNCH-.
Talis picked two peaches, bit into one and handed the other to Se-yeon.
She touched the fuzzy peach skin and put it in her pocket.
"You can swim or wash in the pond. Nothing particularly lives in it. You can heat the water for hot spring baths too. I'll bring a tent to set up for you later."
He continued explaining the waterfall, hill, training ground, and cabin, then asked.
"Any questions?"
"No."
Even if she asked about her current curiosities, the answers wouldn't really sink in.
As she stayed here and trained, she'd naturally develop questions, so she could ask then.
"Then may I ask you something?"
Se-yeon nodded.
Eventually, Talis wiped away his hearty smile and asked with serious eyes.
"What are you climbing the tower for?"
Physique, aptitude, spirit—everything was important.
But these weren't simple warriors.
Ultimately, the essence was being a climber.
If one climbs the tower, there must be a proper reason for it.
That intense motivation is what suggests the possibility of climbing higher.
However.
"......I don't know."
Se-yeon couldn't give a clear answer. She still didn't really know her reason for climbing the tower. She just thought of Seo-jin.
"I'm just following someone......"
At this, Talis stroked his beard and tilted his head.
"Hmm, admiration? Or loyalty? Or...... did you judge it would be beneficial to follow them?"
"......"
She didn't know this either.
Perhaps all three were correct.
Loyalty to him who had shown her kindness. And admiration for the strong.
Also the benefits of being with him. It would be a lie to say she had never thought about those benefits even once.
Of course, by benefits, she didn't mean money or honor.
Even being able to see a wider world and meet good people was a great benefit for Se-yeon, who had been isolated for so long.
Was she being too materialistic?
But she didn't want to lose her current life.
She didn't want to part with Master Circe or Sister So-yul.
She had finally found a reason to live.
As Se-yeon seemed lost in thought, Talis patted her shoulder.
"Well, any of those is fine. Following someone isn't a bad thing. Rather, it means you have a clear goal to aim for."
Se-yeon's face brightened at the words that it wasn't bad, but then hardened again at what followed.
"But you need to know this. You can't follow behind someone forever. Someday you'll have to stand beside them and fight, and you might have to go ahead of them. And someday you'll face a day when you have to stand alone."
"......"
"Should I call it fortunate? Your talent seems likely to bloom when you stand alone. It would be good to practice in preparation for that time."
Talis had also seen through Se-yeon's talent. He said something similar to what Seo-jin had said in the past.
A talent or curse that was like fate.
Yes, this was a curse. A curse created from the deaths of friends, brothers and sisters from the orphanage.
The power given to Se-yeon was a cursed power that bloomed only when left alone with solitude as a companion.
Even so, to avoid experiencing such a thing again, she had to become strong.
And to stand beside him, to someday go ahead of him.
She had to become strong. That was all Se-yeon could do.
Having finished her thoughts, Se-yeon asked.
"I don't want to do it, but I have to, right?"
Talis smiled slightly and responded to her determination.
"Yes, even if you don't want to, you have to. That's how the world works. That's how you gradually become an adult."
***
A temporary space created by Rosaria.
Surrounded by pitch-black darkness on all sides, Rosaria and Seo-jin faced each other in the gloom.
Seo-jin demonstrated the magic he mainly used, one by one.
It was an opportunity to show the workings of mana circuits, the formation structure of mana, practical power, and combat sense all at once.
First, from Seo-jin's main magic at 1st Circle.
"Black Lightning."
FLASH-.
The familiar black lightning stretched toward Rosaria.
She reached forward and easily absorbed the Black Lightning.
Then she manipulated the absorbed Black Lightning in her palm, analyzing the magic's structure.
"Mmm, nice sharp power. The mana structure is very dense too, and the efficiency is good. Most battles could be resolved with just this, couldn't they?"
Seo-jin then grabbed the Black Lightning like a hand and stretched it into a thin line.
WHIZ-.
"Black Thread."
SWISH-.
Magic that reduced destructive and explosive power but concentrated mana in a single line to enhance cutting power.
Rosaria, who caught the Black Thread with her palm, shrank back as if it tickled.
"Mmm, sharp and good. It would be useful when you need to cut cleanly or concentrate on one point."
Next was the 2nd Circle Night Vision.
Then the 3rd Circle Lightning Steps.
For auxiliary black magic, since the power couldn't be known, she reverse-calculated the structure through duration or mana consumption.
This was the classification of basic black magic.
Next was intermediate black magic, the 4th Circle Black Chain.
SWISH-.
Seo-jin's second main technique poured toward Rosaria.
Jet-black chains that twisted angles freely according to Seo-jin's hand movements.
Rosaria looked at the chains flying toward her with interest.
"Oh my, are you trying to bind me?"
"......"
Seo-jin hardened his expression and sent a black cloud filled with Black Lightning toward the Black Chain.
A combination of 5th Circle black magic Black Cloud and Chain Lightning.
CRASH-!
Chains filled with electric current rushed toward Rosaria.
"It's a joke, just a joke."
Rosaria shrugged her shoulders and caught the Black Chain in mid-air.
CLANG CRASH-!
The jet-black chains easily shattered and fell.
Rosaria rubbed the residual current remaining on her fingertips and smiled.
"This is Chain Lightning in name only—it's a new technique made by appropriately mixing magic. I'll have to reference this when creating new magic later."
She skipped the 6th Circle alchemy Refinement. Because the mana circuits were too precious.
Next was the stage of advanced black magic.
High-risk, high-return magic that was difficult to use in his current physical condition.
He summoned the Gates of Hell that had blocked Lee Seo-mun's attack.
"Could you help me a little?"
"Sure, I'll supply the Circle promotion and additional mana."
Instead of Overclock, Seo-jin received Rosaria's help and summoned only the first stage, the Gate of Despair, out of the three gates.
THUD-.
The bronze gate appeared as the air tore open.
It laughed frivolously as before, looking for its summoner Seo-jin, when.
[KIHIHI! The one who brought me out...... huh?]
Seeing Rosaria floating in front of its eyes, it shut its mouth.
Rosaria removed the pipe from her mouth and scolded the Gate of Despair.
"You're still as noisy as ever~ Won't you keep your mouth shut?"
[So, sorry, Lady Rosaria!]
"Go back in."
CLANG-.
When Rosaria lightly tapped with her pipe, the bronze gate hurriedly disappeared.
It disappeared with the top part dented, making even Seo-jin feel slightly tense.
This concluded the magic demonstration.
"Whew."
Even after firing magic continuously, there was no major strain thanks to the Energy Core.
Actually, there were countless other types of black magic he could use. If you add blood magic and various other types of magic, they'd be uncountable.
But these were what he mainly used.
Rosaria wore a satisfied smile.
"Okay. I saw it well."
CLAP CLAP-.
She applauded as if genuinely impressed.
With the applause, the darkness filling all sides disappeared, and Seo-jin and Rosaria returned to the laboratory.
"Amazing. Really amazing, but the real problem is the problem. Where should I even start solving this......"
Rosaria, who had been seriously contemplating with a grave expression.
After pondering for a long while with her pipe in her mouth, she made a suggestion to Seo-jin.
"How about we just make you a new body? Big sister will clone it, no wait, modify it a bit more and make it for you. How about it?"