Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Sucker
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“Ahh, this thing?”
I muttered in a deliberately bored tone.
But inside, I was cheering wildly.
My intuition whispered to me.
The board was set. I had to suck him dry to the bone here.
I slowly lowered my head and recited quietly, like a sage who had grasped some profound truth.
“Is that so... You don’t know...”
My flat tone made the young man’s expression crumble.
...
He worked his lips for a long while, as if trying to come up with a retort.
But in the end, he couldn’t say a word.
“Heh heh...”
A moment later, a hollow laugh burst from his mouth.
For the first time, a laugh admitting his own ignorance. He muttered.
“...No. Of course I wouldn’t know. How could magic like this exist in the world? Escaping causality—what the hell does that even mean? Please, tell me.”
Causality? Escaping causality...
I caught a familiar term in the young man’s monologue.
Words from that mad old coot I’d met on the fifth floor.
‘You’ve escaped causality.’
In that moment, I realized.
The thing shocking this young man wasn’t me—it was the mysterious magic attached to my body.
Now I understood this game perfectly.
I gazed into the distance with wistful eyes and spoke like a sage burdened with a massive secret.
“Unfortunately, now doesn’t seem to be the time to tell you...”
“Not the time?! What do you mean? A hint would be fine. I’ll give you anything—my research, my equipment! Just tell me!”
The young man looked ready to drop to his knees before me.
Truth be told, I had no idea why he was so obsessed.
But that didn’t matter.
What mattered was one thing.
The power dynamic had flipped completely.
I was no longer the pitiful lab rat toyed with by this madman.
In this moment, I was the one on top.
Hiding a satisfied smile, I crossed my arms like it was a hassle and said.
“Why should I tell you?”
“What do you want? Rare magic ingredients? Ancient artifacts? Name it!”
“Hmm...”
It was time to start serious negotiations.
What could I wring out of him...
I rested my chin on my hand and eyed the young man up and down.
‘That robe he’s wearing looks pretty nice.’
“For starters, that robe you’re wearing right now. Hand it over.”
“My robe? Hmm, this is something I treasure...”
He hesitated at my demand.
“Fine if you don’t want to.”
But when I acted like I was backing off, he shed the robe he was wearing without a second thought and handed it to me politely.
“Here you go. Now, is that enough?”
I took the robe.
The texture at my fingertips was anything but ordinary.
A deep, dark black robe, like the young man’s eyes.
I flashed a satisfied smile.
[???’s Robe]
[Grade: Legendary]
[Effect: Artificial Mana Core Production.]
The status window popped up naturally for any item that qualified.
The grade was a whopping Legendary.
‘Jackpot.’
I whooped inwardly.
But on the outside, I had to play it cool, keeping a nonchalant expression.
Gritting my back teeth to suppress my rising smile, I said.
“Good. Thirty minutes. I’ll let you study for that long.”
“Thirty minutes? Just thirty?!”
The young man bristled. But I didn’t flinch.
“Like I said, take it or leave it.”
“...Fine. If it’s thirty minutes for you, then thirty it is.”
He bit his lip in frustration and nodded.
And then he immediately approached my main body to begin his research.
He didn’t touch my body directly.
Instead, he circled around me, observing the flow of mana, drawing complex formulas in the air, and muttering nonstop.
“This is unbelievable... An idea I never could’ve imagined. The foundation seems similar to mine, but...”
I watched him mutter in terms I couldn’t understand and pondered my next demand.
Once these thirty minutes were up, he’d surely ask for more time. I had to prepare for that.
‘Hmm... What to squeeze out next?’
Money or items didn’t appeal anymore.
I already had the best item in hand.
That’s when a brilliant idea hit me.
This might be worth more than money or items.
It’d be something unique in the world, mine alone.
“Back off, time’s up.”
Thirty minutes passed.
The young man stepped back from me with a reluctant expression.
“Hmm... A little more and I think I’d get it... How about it? Can’t you give me just a bit more time?”
“There’s a condition.”
“Name it.”
“Take a picture with me.”
At my out-of-left-field demand, the young man seemed at a loss for words.
Bewilderment flashed across his face.
“...A picture? What’s that?”
“Ahh. Another thing you don’t know... You put on all these airs, but you don’t know shit?”
“...Haha, today I’m feeling my ignorance down to my bones.”
I lowered my voice like I was revealing a grand secret and explained.
“It’s magic that captures a moment. Snap it like this, and your current appearance gets preserved forever.”
“Captures a moment... preserved forever?”
The young man’s eyes lit up with wonder.
“Fascinating. A concept that resists the flow of time? Fine, show me this magic.”
“Come here and stand like this.”
I manipulated my sand clone to hold the phone, then stood next to the young man.
I casually threw up a V-sign with my fingers.
While I was at it, I draped my arm over his shoulder. The height difference made it a bit awkward.
“Now, V.”
The young man stared piercingly at my hand gesture.
His expression was as serious as a scholar deciphering ancient runes.
“What meaning does this gesture hold? A mudra to activate a specific spell?”
“...It’s a symbol of victory and peace. Just copy it.”
I snapped irritably.
The young man tilted his head for a moment, then awkwardly mimicked my hand shape.
His face still screamed confusion about what was going on.
Click—
The historic moment was captured in the photo.
I checked it and grinned in satisfaction.
But something felt off.
This chance might not come again...
“Let’s take a few more. This time, stand alone. Put both hands up in Vs here...”
“...This pose feels oddly unpleasant. But fine. How many more minutes does this buy me?”
“Hmm... Thirty?”
“Deal.”
The young man nodded.
“Smile bigger! Cheese!”
“Chee...se?”
“Okay, pose looks good!”
I excitedly snapped away at the camera.
The flash went off repeatedly.
After taking over ten shots, I finally nodded in satisfaction.
“Good. Thirty minutes as promised.”
“Phew... Exhausting.”
With a sigh, the young man dove back into his research.
He sat right in front of me, starting to draw a massive magic circle in the air.
The circle forming from his fingertips was so intricate and precise that I couldn’t even begin to comprehend it.
While he was engrossed, I sneakily checked the time.
[Remaining Time: 31 minutes 15 seconds]
Once the promised thirty minutes were up, I’d have almost no time left in the tower.
I had to aim for that moment.
Time flew by.
For the full thirty minutes, the young man didn’t rest for a second, completely absorbed in his research.
A stream of incomprehensible jargon poured from his mouth nonstop.
Watching him, I started feeling uneasy.
What if he figured out the magic faster than time ran out? What if he snapped and attacked me?
The mad old man from the fifth floor flashed in my mind.
Fortunately, the thirty minutes passed without incident.
[Remaining Time: 1 minute 12 seconds]
The young man stood first, looking regretful.
“Time’s up already. Shame, but I guess I have to let you go for today.”
I sighed inwardly in relief.
Good, he planned to keep his word.
But the very next words from his mouth shattered my expectations.
“I’ve almost figured it all out.”
His voice was chillingly calm, unlike before.
The pure curiosity in his eyes was gone, replaced by a sinister glint.
“This magic isn’t yours.”
Cold sweat ran down my spine.
“W-what are you talking about?”
“At first, I thought you were a genius surpassing even me. But no. The theory forming the basis of this magic... it’s unmistakably mine.”
The young man took a step closer.
I instinctively backed away.
“This is magic completed over decades, maybe centuries, based on my research. No one else could have created it.”
His gaze swept over my body.
Sharp eyes, like he was about to dissect me.
“One conclusion. I don’t know what trick you pulled, but this much is clear. You met the future me. Right?”
Goosebumps erupted.
The atmosphere shifted in an instant.
The pushover mage who’d been handing out gifts moments ago was gone.
[Remaining Time: 10 seconds]
The timer flashed.
This was my last chance.
Without looking back, I shouted.
“W-well, that’s it then!”
And hit the emergency exit button without hesitation.
[Leave the Tower? Y/N]
Y!
My body was enveloped in light, familiar weightlessness washing over me.
Just before my vision blurred, I saw it.
The young man waving at me with a creepy smile.
[Tower 15th Floor (EXTREME) Cleared. Congratulations.]
“Phew... That was fucking terrifying for real.”
The familiar clear message.
Out of the tower, I collapsed right there, panting heavily.
My heart pounded like mad.
I really thought I was done for.
After sitting on the ground for a good while to calm down, I finally stood.
It had been a close call, but the gains were overflowing.
I looked at the robe in my hand and smiled in satisfaction.
“Too bad I couldn’t get the VPN fixed... but gotta do what I gotta do.”
As soon as I got home, I booted up my computer like always.
[Title: Just looted this item, is it good?]
Poster: ?? (V33.332)
(Mage Carver Old Man’s robe photo.jpg)
The hunter gallery exploded over the post full of typos.
ㄴ What is this? Never seen this item before.
ㄴ No way. That’s a drop from Mage Carver, right? Unique item.
ㄴ Mage Carver? That hidden boss on the 30s floors?
ㄴ Was there a team that raided Mage Carver recently?
ㄴ If there was, it’d be all over the news. What the hell?
ㄴ Anyway, that’s not the point. If they reached the 30s, doesn’t that make this guy A-rank too?
ㄴ An A-rank who spends 20 hours a day shitposting on the gallery? Makes sense?
ㄴ Knew it. AI-generated bullshit lol.
The gallery quickly filled with posts speculating about my identity.
Everyone was pretending to know it all, spewing wild guesses.
“Hmm, good reactions~”
I was savoring the comments one by one.
When something odd caught my eye, and I paused.
“Why’s everyone calling it a Unique? This is Legendary.”
Looks like I’d stumbled onto something insane.