Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Manaso
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I was afraid to fall asleep.
Because I had to dream.
I hated dreaming.
Because I had to see faces I didn't want to see.
-My name? It's Ha-yun.
She was more plain than pretty.
She had a lot of freckles, wore horn-rimmed glasses, and was clumsy with her makeup.
She was introverted and timid, a woman of few words.
Yes, she was what you would call a boring woman.
But, she was still alluring.
Because her Korean-Chinese father was a high-ranking executive in a triad that controlled the underground economy of China's Hunan province.
-Smile. You look better when you smile. When you don't, you seem so cold. Hmm, is it because you're so handsome?
Perhaps my true feelings were showing on my face.
After all, I couldn't always be warm to a woman I'd approached solely for her background.
-Sometimes, I'm scared. Scared that you'll leave me. Promise me. You'll stay by my side forever, won't you?
I didn't love her, but I coveted her background.
The wealth, power, and influence for my revenge.
Because I thought I could obtain it all through her.
So I promised.
That I would stay by her side.
-My father doesn't like you. He always condemns you, saying you're a con man who's just using me and will throw me away. But, I know. You're not that kind of person.
Her father was an accurate judge of character, while she had no eye for people.
Instead, she loved to cook, and she was especially good at making tomato and egg stir-fry.
I can still remember it now.
The taste of the food she made for me.
Is that why?
Even in a dream, I regret it once more.
That I couldn't keep my promise to her.
“Wake up now. The sun is already high in the sky.”
At the elderly voice, Lee Si-woo’s eyes shot open and he sat up.
His body creaked and groaned; there wasn't a single part that didn't ache.
The corners of his eyes felt damp and unpleasant. As he wiped them with the back of his hand, Autoreu, who had been gazing at him from the bedside, asked.
“Tears often come when you see someone you miss. You must have had a good dream.”
Lee Si-woo blinked his hazy, somewhat vacant eyes and spoke in a dry voice.
“I'd rather have a nightmare.”
“Why?”
“Because it's better to just feel awful than to have an old wound reopen.”
“Reopen…. Yes, perhaps so. But even if the wound reopens time and again, stinging and throbbing, I still wish to see them. At least that's better than forgetting that child.”
The phrase "that child" struck a chord with Lee Si-woo, who asked in a low voice.
“You're talking about your first disciple. The one you said resembled me.”
“That's right.”
“You said he died in the ruins, didn't you?”
“Yes, it was my foolish mistake. I didn't realize that child was the most precious thing to me. Heh, the value of something you only realize after you've lost it... a truly unpleasant experience.”
As Autoreu trailed off, the voice of the yellow eye, which had been buried deep beneath the surface of his memory, suddenly surfaced as if a pistol trigger had been pulled.
-Normally, I would have to take what is most precious to you as payment, but I will let it pass. I have already decided to take *him*.
A sharp pain, as if an awl were being driven through his brain, washed over him.
Lee Si-woo gasped for breath as a wave of memories surged forth, like thorns sprouting inside his mind.
The voice, the Hexagram, the conversation.
The shape of an eye like a full moon.
The remains of what were once living things, scattered on the floor.
As Lee Si-woo clutched his chest, struggling to breathe, Autoreu gently patted his back with a warm hand.
“Breathe. And calm down. It's all in the past. The eye is no longer here.”
“Hah, hah... I, I didn't make it out, did I? I-I'm sure I passed out while climbing the stairs...”
“No, you climbed all the stairs. And you were collapsed at the exit. Another mage might have found you first, but I was waiting just in case after receiving a message from the slums, and I was able to get to you first by a hair's breadth.”
Only then did Lee Si-woo roughly grasp the situation, but he still had no memory of climbing the stairs, as if he'd had a blackout.
‘What in the world was that eye? And... why are there ruins in the basement of the Magic Tower...?’
The only thing he could deduce was that since the yellow eye had appeared through a black portal, it must be related to the black hand that brought him here.
Other than that, he knew nothing, except that it was indescribably dangerous.
After racking his brain to no avail, Lee Si-woo let out a sigh of resignation.
He realized that thinking about it now was pointless.
Instead, Lee Si-woo asked about something else.
“The yellow eye planted a mana technique in my head. Master... did you know that techniques could be transferred this way?”
“I did. I too have encountered the yellow eye, and part of the knowledge of the Forbidden Arts it embedded in my mind included information about the mana technique for controlling six magic roots, the Hexagram.”
Hexagram.
An unknown technique that increased mana absorption by resonating six magic roots.
He was certain that those who knew of its existence in the Main Dimension could be counted on one hand.
Because it was a technique whose very existence was unknowable without meeting the yellow eye.
Lee Si-woo looked at Autoreu with a cold gaze and said.
“Then... you must have known. That I could have died.”
“Do you resent me?”
“I don't know. I'm not sure about resentment, but I'm still deciding whether or not to hate you.”
A moment of silence.
Followed by an uncomfortable awkwardness.
Soon, Autoreu spoke with a bitter expression.
“Fine. You have every right to hate me. It's true that I pushed you into a death trap. But, let me tell you this one thing. I was certain you wouldn't die.”
“Why is that?”
“You know now, don't you? The sixth magic root isn't strictly a magic root, but more of a pathway connected to the yellow eye.”
“A pathway... Indeed, it would be hard to find a more fitting description.”
Slowly reviewing the knowledge the yellow eye had embedded in his mind, Lee Si-woo finally understood what it had meant by a ‘connection’.
The sixth magic root.
This was the very pathway that connected the yellow eye and Lee Si-woo.
And, after his encounter with the yellow eye, Lee Si-woo could feel that his sixth magic root had been activated.
As if a dead communication tower had been brought back to life.
“You possessed this pathway even before meeting the yellow eye. And I thought that the yellow eye... would find that fact interesting and spare you.”
However, the yellow eye hadn't shown any interest in Lee Si-woo's sixth magic root.
It had simply taken an interest, a liking, to the existence of Lee Si-woo himself.
But Lee Si-woo didn't bother to voice that fact.
“You said it was the first time you'd actually seen a natural sixth magic root. In that case, was your sixth magic root created after you met the yellow eye?”
“Precisely. That's why I now have two magic roots. One is my innate Elemental School magic root, and the second is a Forbidden Arts School magic root that the yellow eye artificially created in my body.”
“Forbidden Arts School? Is that the name of the sixth school?”
“It's not really a name. I just called it that arbitrarily.”
“What are the Forbidden Arts, and what kind of magic is it?”
Lee Si-woo continued to ask questions, but Autoreu avoided talking about the Forbidden Arts.
“It's too soon for you to know about the Forbidden Arts. You need to be at least 2nd Circle to wield them. So... head to the 'Manaso'. Train your technique there and reach the 2nd Circle. Then I will tell you about the Forbidden Arts.”
Seeing Autoreu's stance, Lee Si-woo knew it was useless to ask further and nodded.
“Understood. I'll do that. And... Master.”
“Hmm, if you have any other questions, speak.”
Lee Si-woo looked at Autoreu with eyes as dark and clear as an autumn night's lake and asked.
“You said you were certain I wouldn't die. But you must have known that I would have to sacrifice what I hold most dear. Isn't that right?”
Autoreu didn't answer, and as if he hadn't expected one, Lee Si-woo immediately turned and left the room.
In the place where Lee Si-woo had stood.
Only Autoreu's deep sigh remained.
***
Manaso.
A place where the purity and density of mana were exceptionally high.
Training one's technique in such a Manaso increased growth speed by several dozen times, so mages often sought them out for training.
However, the problem was that the places where Manasos formed were limited, while the number of mages looking for them was countless.
It was a structure that inevitably led to competition between Magic Towers, whether they liked it or not.
‘Looks like I'll have to form a party.’
Since all sorts of mages from other cities gathered there, to reduce indiscriminate slaughter and unnecessary sacrifices, the Manasos were classified by Circle according to their mana purity and density.
And there were three Manasos where Granada's Magic Towers focused their efforts.
The Niam Mountains for 1st and 2nd Circles, the Zaira Swamps for 3rd and 4th Circles, and the Charon Sea for the 5th Circle.
High-Circle mages had no need to go to places with low purity, and it was suicide for low-Circle mages to go to high-purity areas, so the territories were established within a reasonably logical framework.
Therefore, Lee Si-woo, a 1st Circle beginner, had to go to the Niam Mountains, but the problem was that it was a ‘dispute zone’ with Magic Towers from other cities.
‘No matter how much I've reached the Platinum stage and gained skills comparable to a 2nd Circle, going alone to the Niam Mountains, which are teeming with 2nd Circle mages from other Towers, would be insane. Hmm, but... I wonder if there are any mages willing to go with me, a human.’
He could ask Isabelle for help if necessary, but unless it was an emergency, it wasn't a good idea right now.
It was a case of a kids' fight turning into an adults' fight; a 4th Circle mage appearing in a 1st & 2nd Circle dispute zone could easily spark a much larger conflict.
After all, Lee Si-woo wasn't the only one with a 4th Circle or higher mage as a backer.
Not only that, but Isabelle's nagging was also an issue.
Given her personality, if he asked for help for such a reason, she would undoubtedly chew him out for not being able to handle his own affairs.
‘I'd rather struggle through it alone. Getting an earful from that fiery woman is the last thing I want.’
So, in the end, what he needed most right now was a companion.
Lee Si-woo reluctantly opened the quest app.
His plan was to find a party using the Magic Tower's internal network.
“Hmm……”
Fortunately, there were many party recruitment posts on the quest app.
They were all posts looking for fellow mages to go to a Manaso for training.
Lee Si-woo tapped on the one with the most provocative title.
[Recruiting guys looking to make a real score. Only those confident in combat should read.]
I'm Yahalong, a 2nd Circle beginner and the grandson of the 5th Circle Elder Mage, Yashio.
Let's cut to the chase. You all know how the Magic Towers turn a blind eye to us taking out guys from other cities in the dispute zones and looting their inventories, right?
So, I'm recruiting skilled mages to go with me to the Niam Mountains and make a big score.
We'll be targeting only 1st Circles and avoiding 2nd Circles as much as possible, but just in case, only those strong enough to crush your average 2nd Circle beginner should apply.
I won't take a shred of responsibility if some weaklings get themselves killed trying to act tough.
Oh, and the pay is 14 coins per head. We'll be gone for about a week, so with hunting and training, a daily wage of 2 coins shouldn't be too shabby.
“This one looks good.”
It was a quest with many risks, but he liked it because the potential rewards were just as great.
He especially liked that the leader was an Elder's grandson. In other words, a pure-blood mage.
As a direct descendant of an Elder, his skills would be unquestionable, and considering his background, even skilled mages from other Towers would have to think twice before making a move.
‘Besides, as a 2nd Circle, he'll likely choose a training spot with fairly high purity in the Niam Mountains, so it's killing two birds with one stone. Even though I'm a 1st Circle beginner, with my Mineralization ability my level is over 250. It would be foolish to train in a low-purity area like the foothills, as other 1st Circle mages do.’
Lee Si-woo smiled and checked the address Yahalong had written down.
As if planning to test skills on the spot, the address was a training hall.
It was a quest that suited his tastes perfectly.
***
When Lee Si-woo arrived at the training hall on the second floor of the Magic Tower, countless gazes filled with undisguised malice and hostility fell upon him.
At this point, it seemed that as long as he lived as a human mage in the Magic Tower, conflict was his destiny.
Because he hadn't seen a single person show him any goodwill.
‘Good grief, I'd be better off showing up at a KKK rally. A red carpet gets rolled out for me everywhere I go. I'm a regular superstar.’
Sure enough, a cat-kin mage approached, bumped Si-woo's chest hard with his shoulder, and snapped.
“Hey monkey, why don't you go home and suckle on your mommy's teat? This is no place for a little kid like you.”
Knowing from experience that words were useless against such people, Lee Si-woo let out a faint sigh and activated his Mineralization ability.
After reaching the Platinum stage, Lee Si-woo had gained control over the levels of his Mineralization, and now he released the Gold stage.
Instantly gaining the physical abilities of a 1st Circle Master, Lee Si-woo's golden hand pressed down on the cat-kin mage's shoulder.
“Huh? Wh-what?”
Forced to his knees by Lee Si-woo's absurd strength, the cat-kin mage's face turned red.
His pride was wounded by the fact that he, a cat-kin, was being overpowered by a human.
“This bastard…!”
The enraged cat-kin mage tried to use magic, but he was a step too slow.
Lee Si-woo, already having seized the momentum, grabbed the cat-kin mage's throat.
“Ghk…”
His windpipe crushed by Lee Si-woo's grip, the cat-kin mage thrashed about like a fish on a line.
He tried using a mana shield and struggled with all his might, but Lee Si-woo's hand held him like a snare, refusing to let go.
Soon, the cat-kin mage's eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out. Lee Si-woo tossed him to the floor like a bag of recycling and said.
“If there's anyone else who has a problem with me, please come out all at once. It's a pain to deal with you one by one.”
At Lee Si-woo's provocation, five or six nearby mages glared daggers at him, their eyes blazing with killing intent.
But when a troll who was squatting among them and smoking a cigar raised his hand, they all calmed their anger as if it had never been there.
Blue skin with writhing red veins.
An appearance so grotesque it would give you nightmares.
The troll mage revealed teeth that looked like they were embedded with shark's teeth and laughed heartily.
“Kekeke, so you're the one, huh? The winner of the selection tournament. Lee Si-woo.”
At the words "winner of the selection tournament," the other mages began to whisper and glance sideways at Lee Si-woo.
No matter how much the selection tournament was a league of its own for wandering mages, considering the remarkable skills the winner had displayed within the Magic Tower since then, they couldn't look down on Lee Si-woo.
Lee Si-woo smiled faintly and asked.
“I didn't expect someone to recognize me already. So? Am I in or out? Or do I need to be evaluated by sparring a few rounds with the others.”
The troll mage threw a giant cigar, the kind a heavy smoker would puff on, to the ground and said.
“The winner of the selection tournament has graced us with his presence, what more is there to say? Of course you're in.”
At the troll mage's hearty reply, Lee Si-woo shrugged his shoulders.
It seemed that, for the first time in a while, he had met someone he could communicate with quite well.