Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: Shin Seha (2)
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[How could something like that even happen? Everyone checks the攻略 guides before heading into a new floor....]
[It was like that back then too, but hardly anyone had climbed past the 40th floor.]
[I was the only one in Korea.]
[Naturally, there were far fewer observed patterns. And information sharing wasn't as smooth as it is now.]
[Don't other people know about this?]
[Only a tiny handful know exactly what happened inside the Tower.]
[The media would've lost their minds if they started covering it.]
[That was one of the few things the government and I could do.]
"Hoo...."
I let out a sigh.
It was nothing short of a tragedy.
There were no words for it.
A story a bit too heavy for me to bear.
[After that day, she stopped using magic.]
[She avoids people. Especially adults like me.]
[I figured maybe you, being the closest in age, might be able to meet her?]
[She'd even shown signs of wanting to meet you normally.... That's why I'm only telling you.]
But Kim Suho seemed to be hoping I'd look into it.
To be honest, I was worried about Shin Seha too.
I'd only seen her through the monitor, but feelings had built up before I knew it.
"For now, let's see if I can find a way to get there...."
I searched the internet for the address I'd just learned about Shin Seha.
For some reason, a post from some gallery popped up at the top of the results.
[Title: Sudden blackout in my neighborhood—what the hell is this?]
[We're in the middle of promotion matches, wtf???]
ㄴ It's "됐" not "됬."
ㄴ Wasn't it not?
I checked the date the post went up.
It was the day I'd left my last comment for pkacchu.
The one asking for a review of the shield.
A picture started forming in my head.
"...Did testing the shield cause this?"
Shin Seha must have used magic to answer my question.
Magic she'd been trying so hard not to use.
There must've been some issue with her control, of course.
The result: lightning struck the entire building, causing a blackout.
"That must've triggered her trauma hard...."
Using lightning on the shield, then the failure's backlash turning the surroundings to ruins.
Her horrific memories from that day would've come flooding back.
This clearly wasn't my fault or responsibility.
Yet something kept stabbing at my heart.
Sitting still started to feel unbearable.
"......"
Suddenly, I recalled when Kim Suho had despaired.
The memory of joining forces with the magic gallery folks to help him.
The joy I'd first felt from a relationship, watching him overcome his trial.
It was different from the dopamine hit from community posting—a far warmer, fuller emotion.
The magic gallery was no longer just an internet community to me.
There were only five mages in all of Korea.
A special group that only they belonged to.
Helping one of its members felt natural, in a way.
"...I kinda feel a sense of kinship too."
Shin Seha and I had a lot of similarities in various ways.
The difference was that she had trauma from an accident.
And that was purely a matter of luck.
I could've easily ended up the same way.
"Alright."
I steeled my resolve.
"I'll help her."
***
I'd decided to help Shin Seha, but I had no idea what to do.
I sat lost in thought in front of the monitor.
First, I needed to accurately grasp the problem she was facing.
I replayed Kim Suho's words in my mind.
Friendly fire massacre from magic reflection.
Loss of control from that trauma.
Flashbacks from the loss of control.
A vicious cycle of feedback spinning in a loop.
"This isn't something simple counseling can fix."
Of course, counseling would help.
But Shin Seha, who never went outside, didn't seem like the type to get it.
I couldn't introduce her to a counselor or become one myself.
"If only there was a more definite, tangible way to help...."
But nothing came to mind.
The deeper I thought, the more my head ached.
To clear my mind, I mindlessly opened the internet again.
[Title: Can you charge your phone with a lightning rod??]
[I thought about it—if you hold your phone on the roof during a thunderstorm, you get free electricity, right??]
ㄴ Do it for sure. Mom's cheering you on.
ㄴ Real-life Darwin Award lololol
ㄴ But why doesn't it work?
ㄴ Can you heat your house with fireworks?
ㄴㄴ I don't get what you're saying?
ㄴㄴ It's too much energy all at once, can't use it.
ㄴㄴ Now I get it whoosh.
I chuckled and went to scroll down.
But in that moment, a thought flashed in my head.
"Wait, lightning rod?"
I stopped scrolling and reread the post.
I opened Notepad and jotted down the fragmented ideas popping into my mind.
Lightning rod. Lightning. Battery. Charging.
If I could guide stray lightning through a lightning rod?
If I could redirect it back to one spot—back to the caster's body?
She wouldn't have to fear her magic harming those around her anymore.
And it'd save a ton of mana too.
"This is it!"
I jumped to my feet.
I'd found the key to solving it.
The issue was how to make such an item, but I had a way.
The Legendary Ring. Memory of Fire.
An item containing all the dwarves' crafting techniques.
"Let's see, magic absorption related items...."
I eagerly flipped through the blue book made of mana.
Most were massive siege weapons or city power sources.
But I wanted something small and personal, like an accessory.
"Found it."
After a long search, I found what I was looking for.
[Magic Induction Ring (Low)]
[A ring that guides specific attribute magic to the wearer's body.]
[Strongly recommended for tanks.]
[Don't give this to someone you hate.]
[Item managed under the Dwarven Grudge Law.]
"It's a bit different, but this should work."
The materials weren't too many either.
Just a small amount of mithril and a magic stone.
I quickly gathered them and started crafting.
Clang!
After a few hammer strikes, the band formed in an instant.
I was already used to making these round bands.
I'd done the grind for crafting levels.
I engraved intricate patterns into the finished body with a small chisel.
Each stroke sucked a large amount of mana into the ring.
"Whew...."
I wiped the sweat from my forehead.
Finally, a small silver ring appeared in my palm.
But it wasn't complete yet.
One last step remained.
"It needs to be filled with the desired attribute magic?"
Maybe because it wasn't top-grade, it only inducted one type of magic.
But that was actually better for Shin Seha.
I only wanted it to recover lightning magic.
If it pulled in other magic too, it'd be dangerous for her, not being a tank.
"I can do this part myself."
I smiled in satisfaction as I slipped the ring on and off my finger.
With this, it'd be a huge help in overcoming her trauma.
She wouldn't have to fear her own power anymore.
All that was left was to deliver it naturally.
"Just show up unannounced?"
I imagined suddenly appearing at Shin Seha's door and knocking.
'Hey pkacchu, how's it going? I heard about your trauma—wanna try this? I made it special for you.'
"Yeah, definitely not."
A horrifying thought.
Shin Seha would definitely see me as a threat.
In the worst case, she'd shut her heart completely and never show up in the magic gallery again.
That would truly be the worst outcome.
"Hmm.... She's probably still checking the gallery, right?"
Shin Seha was a serious gallery addict too.
Even if her mental state broke, I was sure she wouldn't stop lurking.
I thought of one method.
[Title: Made rings too with leftover materials from shield crafting.]
[Author: ㅇㅇ(444.444)]
Pretend it's an event for everyone.
That was my choice.
ㄴ냉장고: You seriously switching to blacksmith full-time??
ㄴㅇㅇ(444.444): Told you, I'm starting a company.
ㄴ냉장고: I really wanna talk you out of going into business....
ㄴ마법은화력: If it flops, I'll take you in, don't worry.
The vibe was the usual.
But the person I was waiting for didn't show.
"Guess I have to say it directly?"
I scrolled all the way down.
I found the post pkacchu had written a few days ago.
Her usual nonsense post from before the blackout.
I carefully left a comment.
ㄴㅇㅇ(444.444): Take a ring too. It'd suit a lightning mage even better?
Pkacchu's phone must've pinged with a comment notification.
Whether she'd see it and reply was anyone's guess right now.
But I kept commenting, like talking to myself.
ㄴㅇㅇ(444.444): It works on the principle of recovering spent magic?
ㄴㅇㅇ(444.444): Boosts magic precision and cuts mana cost.
ㄴㅇㅇ(444.444): Just try holding it once.
I avoided words like trauma or loss of control.
Packed it purely as an item that improves performance.
My goal: pique curiosity without touching her wounds.
I left the comments and sat frozen in front of the computer, waiting.
5 minutes, 10 minutes... The longer it went, the more anxious I got.
"Was it too much?"
Maybe she wasn't even looking at the gallery anymore.
Just as I thought to give up and brainstorm another way—
A reply came.
ㄴp깟쮸: What do you mean recover magic?
It was pkacchu.
Her usual speech pattern was broken, so her state seemed serious.
I took a deep breath and continued as calmly as possible.
This was where it really began.
ㄴㅇㅇ(444.444): Like a magic boomerang. You can recover the magic you cast back into the ring.
ㄴㅇㅇ(444.444): Even if the magic misses, recover it and you've saved way more mana.
Finally, I added the most crucial condition.
ㄴㅇㅇ(444.444): But it needs a process to register the user's personal magic. So we have to meet once to do it.
Would she accept the offer?
I swallowed dryly and stared at the monitor.