Chapter 84
Chapter 84
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: Bronze Rank 99
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“My Lord, as of today, I have successfully learned all the spells. You may stop by the library to receive the update whenever you have a moment.”
Harman spoke as he drank coffee with Lee Si-woo at a cafe inside Barathrum.
For a fortnight, Harman and his assistant, a bird-person mage named Lime, had studied the grimoires day and night. They had managed to master all the magic Lee Si-woo purchased from the Coin Shop before the evaluation match began.
The only downside was that their combat proficiency would inevitably be low, as they hadn't had a chance to use the spells in real battles. But that was a problem time would solve.
“Hmm, that was a considerable number of spells to learn in just two weeks… You’ve worked hard, Harman.”
“Not at all. I was merely doing what needed to be done.”
Feeling he should reward Harman for his efforts, Lee Si-woo asked.
“How is life in Barathrum? I wonder if it isn’t too quiet, perhaps lonely or boring. Hmm, are there any inconveniences?”
Grateful for Lee Si-woo’s consideration, Harman replied in a gentle voice.
“As for food, clothing, and shelter, the Butler has taken care of everything, so I am more than satisfied. It’s just…”
As Harman trailed off cautiously, Lee Si-woo prompted him to continue.
“If there’s something you wish to say, please speak freely. You’ve earned that right, Harman.”
“Then, if you’ll forgive my forwardness, I must say something. I need more Cells to assist with my research. Lime is doing her best to help me, but she’s only a former wandering mage of the 1st Circle…”
In short, he needed new talent, which was understandable.
Lee Si-woo’s last predation had been the Tentaclo, and even then, he had discarded the soul and body, taking only the Talent.
“Would a 2nd Circle or higher suffice?”
“Considering the speed of your growth, my Lord, a 2nd Circle mage likely wouldn’t be of much help as an assistant… If possible, I would prefer someone of the 3rd Circle or higher.”
Devouring a mage of the 3rd Circle or higher?
It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t an impossible task either.
Armed with the Dimension Knife and having newly acquired ten spells and a Forbidden Art, Lee Si-woo’s capabilities were now beyond even Harman’s ability to gauge.
“Understood. I’ll find one for you soon.”
“Thank you. Ah, more importantly, I understand you are heading to the training camp today.”
“Yes, the evaluation match is about to begin.”
“How unfortunate.”
Harman continued, a meaningful smile on his face.
“For those who will be competing against you, my Lord.”
* * *
After leaving Barathrum, Lee Si-woo packed his belongings into his inventory ring and left his quarters.
Isabelle, who had been waiting for him, raised a hand and spoke.
“Damn it, you’re slow as hell! Can't you hurry up?”
“My apologies. I had a few things to pack and was slightly delayed.”
Isabelle personally straightened Lee Si-woo’s clothes, which had been rumpled while he was packing.
“What happened with my father the other day?”
“Why are you asking me? You could just ask the Tower Master.”
“I’m too dutiful a daughter to speak with my father. Because the moment I see his face, I want to swear. How could a daughter curse her own father to his face? I’d rather just shut up.”
“…How have you not been disowned?”
“That’s how terrifying blood ties are.”
As Isabelle fixed his clothes like a doting lover, Lee Si-woo spoke with a wry expression.
“The paparazzi must be out in full force. Seeing as you’re doing things you never do.”
At Lee Si-woo’s jab about her uncharacteristically affectionate behavior for a show-window couple, Isabelle’s forced smile twitched.
“Yeah, it’s so damn dirty and cheap it’s driving me crazy. But what can I do? I'm swamped with people asking if our relationship is real.”
“Well, it’s no loss for me. It actually feels pretty good.”
“…How about you just shut up and answer the question? Before my hands are around your neck.”
Lee Si-woo said in a calm voice.
“The Tower Master asked me. He offered me an Ascension Pill and asked if I would consider breaking up with you.”
“What? My father really said that?! That son of a… that old bastard, really…! Hey! But why didn’t you tell me until now? It’s been over a week since you met him!”
“I already refused, so it became a non-issue. Why would I bring up something so pointless?”
“…You refused? Hmm… Really?”
Pleased with Lee Si-woo’s answer, Isabelle smiled contentedly like a well-fed cat.
“Yes. Why would I trade someone as valuable a connection as you, Lady Isabelle, for a mere Ascension Pill? The Tower Master probably knew I would refuse. This offer was likely a way to test me.”
“To test you? Why do you think that?”
“Because it was an offer that would have been irresistible to a snob swayed by elixirs or wealth. If I had shown even a moment of hesitation before refusing, his assessment of me would have plummeted.”
“…And now? What do you think his assessment of you is?”
Lee Si-woo flashed his signature crescent-eyed smile and said in a sly tone.
“Who knows? Wouldn’t he think I'm good enough to be his son-in-law?”
*Thwack!*
Isabelle landed a dainty uppercut on Lee Si-woo’s abdomen. He feigned agony, though it didn't hurt much, and she snapped at him.
“Don’t be ridiculous. This bastard hits 2nd Circle and suddenly he’s got so much damn sass. Hey, that’s enough. I sent some profile files to your phone, so read them.”
Lee Si-woo gently rubbed his stomach, making a show of it for Isabelle.
“Profile files?”
Isabelle’s smile vanished, and her tone turned serious.
“Allen is making a move. And… it seems his target is you.”
The ace of the Senior Magic Tower.
The youngest elder and a 5th Circle Beginner, Allen.
At Isabelle’s words that the man touted as the next Tower Master was targeting him, Lee Si-woo’s face tightened slightly as he muttered.
“It’s because of you, Lady Isabelle.”
“That’s right. The fact that you, who obtained an elemental stone and are building a rapport with Yahalong, are my person is getting on his nerves. Be careful. There are more than a few followers of Allen among the 3rd Circle mages. And among them, there’s even one ‘Bronze Ranker’.”
“A Ranker… you say?”
In the Main Dimension, there were several mysterious systems influenced by incomprehensible beings. The most famous among them were the ‘Universal Market Price,’ which provided real-time prices for every item in existence, and the ‘Battle Ranking.’
Public interest in the Battle Ranking, in particular, was beyond imagination. After all, gossip about who was stronger or weaker than whom was the hottest topic of all time, regardless of era or place.
Lee Si-woo let out a hollow laugh, as if in disbelief.
“That’s strange. If a Ranker had joined the Magic Tower, it should have caused an uproar by now, shouldn’t it? And how could I not know? As out of the loop as I am, I’m not so clueless as to be unaware of a Ranker in the Magic Tower.”
“It’s only natural you wouldn’t know. He’s a prodigy personally scouted by Allen, and he only joined the tower two days ago.”
“Two days… Then it makes sense I wouldn’t know. I’ve been busy preparing for the evaluation match. And Allen scouted him personally… Tsk, this is not a good situation. What’s his rank?”
“99th.”
The Battle Ranking was divided into the ‘Main Ranking,’ tallied on the central continent, and the ‘Sub Ranking,’ tallied on the outlying continents. Only mages of the 3rd Circle or higher were eligible to be ranked, and the lowest tier was Bronze.
The tiers were determined by Circle level—3rd Circle was Bronze, 4th Circle was Silver, and so on.
Furthermore, each tier had rankings from 1st to 100th. Thus, being 99th in the Sub Ranking meant he was, without exaggeration, the 99th strongest 3rd Circle mage on the outlying continents.
The Battle Ranking was updated in real-time based on the results of all battles occurring across the continent. So, unless a Ranker-level mage had never fought a single battle, any combat-experienced mage would inevitably be listed.
“99th. It’s a relief the rank is relatively low.”
“Hey, what do you mean, a relief? 99th or not, just being a Ranker means he can chew up and spit out any ordinary 3rd Circle Master.”
Lee Si-woo shrugged as if to say there was no point in worrying.
“What can I do? The Ranker isn’t going to run away just because I’m scared. I’ll just have to think positively and handle it well. It’s not like I can just skip the evaluation match, can I?”
“…If it comes to it, just forfeit. Knowing Allen’s personality, he might order the Ranker to kill you.”
Lee Si-woo did not answer Isabelle’s advice to forfeit if things got dangerous.
Seeing his dark eyes, as calm and still as a tranquil lake, Isabelle let out a frustrated sigh.
She could tell just by his gaze.
Far from forfeiting against the Ranker, Lee Si-woo would never back down.
Frustrated by Lee Si-woo’s pride in a fight he couldn’t win, Isabelle thumped her chest, but he simply enjoyed the afternoon sun with a nonchalant expression.
*I might have to use the Forbidden Art sooner than I thought.*
* * *
A plain far from the city center of Granada.
A lone four-story building rose like an isolated castle in the middle of the vast expanse.
Hundreds of mages began to arrive one by one in front of the training camp, where the 2nd and 3rd Circle mages were scheduled to live and eat for the time being.
Some arrived via portals, others on mounts, but all of them began sizing each other up.
They scanned for familiar faces, scoffing at those they deemed weak and whispering with nearby friends to belittle those they found formidable.
‘A gray robe? I don’t get it. What the hell is a mere 2nd Circle mage doing here?’
‘Isn’t that guy a 3rd Circle Beginner? And from the School of Spatial Magic? The madman came to an evaluation match without a single offensive spell? Unbelievable.’
‘Hey, remember that guy. Karis of the 3rd Circle. I did a quest with him once, his senses are insane.’
‘Damn, I’m screwed. There are so many big names. Forget winning a prize, I won’t even make it into the top ten.’
Their tense murmuring did not last long.
It was because of a couple who appeared with the brilliant light of a portal.
‘That’s… Lady Isabelle and Lee Si-woo.’
‘Lee Si-woo? That guy who got the elemental stone?’
‘That’s him. The bastard has nothing going for him but a shitload of luck.’
‘A portal? Wow, that bastard is so damn arrogant. How dare he, in front of his seniors… that son of a bitch got lucky with one connection and now he’s acting all high and mighty.’
‘This is why humans are a problem. Coddle them a bit and they think they’re hot shit. Tsk, why is Lady Isabelle with a guy like that…’
Their envious gazes intensified with Isabelle’s next action.
In front of everyone, Isabelle gave Lee Si-woo a light hug before pulling away.
Was it because they were a visually striking pair?
Though of different species, they looked surprisingly good together, and sparks of jealousy flew from the eyes of the onlookers.
“Alright, I’m heading out. Do well in the evaluation.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t disappoint you.”
“Yeah, yeah, if you perform just half as well as you run that mouth of yours, it’ll be perfect.”
As Isabelle waved and left through the two-way portal, a large, green-skinned man strode over and slung an arm around Lee Si-woo’s shoulder.
“Brother, you’re here?”
When Yahalong, the grandson of Elder Yashio, acknowledged Lee Si-woo, those who had been secretly watching him were stunned.
‘Holy shit, did you hear that? Yahalong called him brother. What is with that guy? Why do all the big shots keep flocking to him?’
‘Lady Isabelle and now Yahalong? His connections are insane. It’s not easy for a human to pull that off.’
‘Fuck, how is this possible without some serious lobbying? How can a loser like that…’
Just then, the mages parted like a flock of sheep before a wolf.
A centaur walked through the gap, his muscular equine lower body rippling with every step.
The man, with long brown hair like a mane and sharp features reminiscent of a leopard, approached Lee Si-woo.
As the centaur, who stood at an average height of two meters, came to a halt before him, a dark shadow fell over Lee Si-woo’s shoulders.
The surroundings fell silent at the appearance of Ixion, a 3rd Circle Master and the 99th-ranked Bronze Tier centaur.
They were crushed by the Ranker’s presence.
Looking down at Lee Si-woo as if he were a small child, Ixion drew a thumb across his own neck.
One would expect to be intimidated by such a threatening gesture, but Lee Si-woo simply smiled brightly and raised his middle finger.
Gasps of shock could be heard from all around.
Even Yahalong was no exception; he flinched at Lee Si-woo’s audacity in flipping off a Ranker and froze like a stone statue.
At Lee Si-woo’s bold, almost insane, behavior, Ixion’s eyes widened before he suddenly burst out laughing.
After a long, hearty laugh, he left with a single, heavy word.
“An interesting one.”
As Yahalong stared blankly at Ixion’s retreating back as he cut through the crowd of mages, he finally registered what had just happened and snapped back to his senses.
He roughly jabbed Lee Si-woo’s side with his elbow and roared.
“Dude! Are you crazy? Why would you provoke a Ranker?”
“Why are you blaming me? He’s the one who started it.”
“I know, but still! You could have just ignored him! Why did you have to provoke him? How are you going to deal with the consequences?!”
Lee Si-woo shrugged his shoulders.
“Who knows? He was already threatening me so openly. Do you think he’d spare me if I groveled?”
Hearing that he might as well go all in if cowering wouldn't help, Yahalong was dumbfounded.
Suddenly, he recalled the events at the ruins and conceded the point.
Come to think of it, Lee Si-woo hadn’t been intimidated even in front of an Ancient, one of the Four Great King Species. It was unlikely he would be scared of a 3rd Circle Master, even if he was a Ranker.
“Ugh, whatever. It’s your problem, so you deal with it. But I’m telling you now, if you end up fighting a Ranker, I’m staying out of it. Don’t get upset about it later.”
“Don’t worry. I wasn’t expecting you to.”
Lee Si-woo said nonchalantly, clenching and unclenching his fists.
Even from that brief confrontation of wills, his palms were slick with sweat.
But, for some reason…
Though he was tense, he didn’t think he would lose.