Chapter 149
Chapter 149
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 149
Chapter Title: The Tower of Sensation
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While crossing the bridge.
Stiepe, from the Tower of Perception, was quiet the entire time.
His mind simply could not comprehend what Loan had accomplished.
He didn’t feel negative emotions like envy or jealousy.
What followed the wonder and admiration was a greater sense of regret, reflection, and self-pity.
It was similar to the Tower Master, Anke.
Josef, who had been sneaking glances at him, spoke to Loan to lighten the mood.
“I never imagined we would pass through two towers in such a short time. What are your thoughts? I imagine your impressions are quite unique.”
“The Tower of Phenomena and the Tower of Perception were both incredibly enjoyable. I’m really glad I came.”
It had been a time when he could be completely immersed in magic itself.
Those who had shared the experience with him did not understand his sentiment.
Josef said with a wry taste in his mouth.
“Next is the Tower of Sensation. I’m from here.”
“Ah, I see. What kind of place is it?”
“As the name suggests, it’s a place that primarily researches and trains in linking and utilizing the five human senses with magic. The use of Freaks has been significant since ancient times, and when I was here, some even served as instructors and assistants.”
“Ah, that already sounds fascinating.”
Finally entering through the wide-open doors, the Tower of Sensation seemed more than enough to meet Loan’s expectations.
It was as if they had stepped into a rainforest, with green filling their vision in every direction.
The intense late-afternoon sunlight poured in from all over, and the interplay of light and shadow amidst a myriad of colors created a truly mystical atmosphere.
He looked around, his gaze drifting upward.
Like the Tower of Perception, it was completely open to the very top, yet it was also divided into floors.
Stairs spiraled up along the inner wall, and the huts nestled between them like fortresses marked the division of each floor.
“We have been waiting, Mage Loan.”
“Hello. I am Loan, a Runner of the Union’s Faith Division.”
“This way, quickly.”
The mages of Sensation greeted Loan and led the way, as if in a hurry.
Unlike the previous two towers, the mages’ attire was remarkably simple.
Men and women alike wore just enough to cover the necessary parts, leaving everyone except Josef and Loan at a loss for where to look.
They were led past a path of long, flowing vines.
In the center of a wide hall, similar to those in the previous towers, stood the Master of the Tower of Sensation.
He recognized her at a glance.
Her mana was one thing, but her excessively revealing attire stood out remarkably.
A confidence that she could sufficiently protect her body with her own abilities, without the need for armor.
That was how Loan interpreted the meaning of her dress.
The woman’s smooth lips parted slightly.
“I am Ingrid Kling, Master of the Tower of Sensation. The guardian of this tower will give you your task.”
There were no customary greetings for a first meeting.
Without even a moment to reply, Loan followed her gesture and looked at the large painting behind her.
A painting whose colors seemed not yet dry.
Within it, the sky—a chaotic mix of the sun, the moon, countless stars, clouds, rain, and wind—occupied one half, while a lake with calm ripples occupied the other.
The world contained within the lake was even more complex. It held flowers, birds, trees, humans, and all sorts of animals and insects.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that all of creation was captured in that single painting.
His first encounter with the painting evoked various thoughts and emotions, but Loan didn't send any particular thought toward it.
This time, it was the painting that spoke first.
-I, the Manifestation of Sensation. I shall test you.
In many ways, this was an impatient tower. The guardian, the Tower Master, and the mages of Sensation were all the same.
Loan’s feeling was not an overreaction.
As if they had already known this would happen, dozens of mages behind them had begun to move about busily.
He was at the point where he wanted to tell them to take a breather.
-Is everyone busy? I hope I haven’t committed a breach of etiquette by showing up unannounced when you have urgent matters to attend to.
He couldn't help it if they took it as sarcasm. Their conduct seemed rather rude.
He thought it was all a matter of perception, but the guardian’s response was interesting.
The painting changed in an instant.
The not-yet-dry paint grew wetter, as if time were flowing backward.
The forms that made up the image blurred, and the colors mixed.
And yet, looking at it, he wondered if that too was just an illusion.
Planes became lines, then points, before flowing and mixing until they transformed into an unrecognizable clump of colors. The flow itself resembled free-spirited mana.
Loan couldn’t help but think of the perfect word.
‘Abstract.’
The change displayed by the Manifestation of Sensation also brought about a change in the behavior of the Tower Master and the other mages.
The tower, which had been bustling with activity, suddenly fell silent.
The once-lively atmosphere now felt calm.
A thought entered Loan’s mind.
-I know that you have communed with the previous guardians.
-Are you in the same space? It doesn't seem like it.
-We have never been apart. I understand it as something we naturally comprehend and feel through the resonance between the towers.
As they conversed, he found the guardian to be quite receptive.
Loan voiced his intentions directly to the Tower Master, loud enough for the guardian to hear as well.
“You’re proceeding with this already knowing what I want, aren’t you?”
“The Tower of Sensation is different from the towers you have passed. Here, there are more who share the same opinion as Josef, who came with you. Among the five towers, this place is somewhat peculiar.”
Ingrid’s gaze fell upon Josef.
Loan looked at Josef as well, and the expression he saw was somehow different from before.
It was beyond stoic, almost cold.
Ingrid continued with an awkward smile. According to her.
This Tower of Sensation was indeed different.
While they all strove to break the world’s prejudices against mages and to raise their pride, the mages here were seeking a method on a path similar to the one Loan envisioned.
They had a strong desire to seek and learn new things. They refused to remain stagnant.
Loan asked.
“Does that mean you have no hesitation about going out into the world?”
“We already train with that resolve. We have a goal to pioneer a new path for mages through the training of our senses. When we are ready and the opportunity arises, we will open the tower’s doors at any time.”
“That’s welcome news. Then you must be well aware of what I desire.”
“Proposing a test to you has nothing to do with your wishes. If anything, it is for our own.”
“Is there something the Tower of Sensation desires of me?”
“It is because you said you felt a difference in time while looking at the other side of phenomena. That is why we are so excited.”
“Ah, so you already knew, since the guardians commune with each other. But was the time difference that special?”
Loan tilted his head slightly.
Ingrid, in turn, raised a corner of her lip slightly.
“If it’s true that you felt a time difference, then I have no choice but to admit that your eyes are better than mine. An impossible feat.”
“Is that so?”
“I am the Master of the Tower of Sensation. By maximizing the use of my mana, I have raised my five senses to their absolute limit. Among them, my sight is unparalleled. For you to say you saw something I could not, that is the only possible conclusion.”
“Is it a problem if I saw something you didn’t?”
“It is not a problem. It merely arouses curiosity and a competitive spirit.”
It seemed she wanted to prove that her senses were superior.
While he understood that feeling, he also found it puzzling.
To what extent had these people, who had honed their five senses within the tower, truly reached? Had they really surpassed their limits to the point of calling something impossible?
And how would training their senses contribute to raising the status of mages?
As his questions naturally piled up, a small sense of anticipation bloomed within Loan.
Hoping for a good match, he offered a compliment.
“I thought that wearing less rather than more was a proud display of one’s abilities, but it seems there was a deeper meaning.”
“A deeper meaning?”
“Isn’t it to increase the exposed surface area to receive sensory input more keenly?”
No.
The biggest reason was her confidence in her appearance. She wanted to show off. The joy that came from self-satisfaction boosted her confidence.
‘This kid, what is he?’
Ingrid was puzzled.
Did he feel no attraction when looking at her?
There should have been a definite sensual pleasure to be experienced visually, so how could he be so unfazed?
Instead, he was attaching a strange meaning to it, as if expressing respect.
Whatever the reason, now was not a good time to tell the truth.
Nor could she say that the mages’ attire was enforced according to the Tower Master’s personal taste.
“That is correct.”
Impressed by the mages’ efforts, Loan looked around at the scantily clad men and women and gave a light nod of respect.
He found it fascinating how they were trying so many different things to train their senses.
It occurred to him that he himself had never made any particular effort to develop his five senses.
They had largely developed naturally as his mana and Circles increased.
Since he could see mana, there were many times he didn’t need to rely on his five senses at all.
He turned back to Ingrid and asked.
“I’m very curious about the training methods here. How can you improve the five senses?”
He asked a sensitive question so innocently. In other words, it was a brazen question.
Fortunately, the moment the words left his mouth, Loan realized he had committed a rude act.
It was something he usually strictly pointed out in others.
“I misspoke.”
The guardian and the Tower Master simultaneously read the fleeting change in Loan’s expression.
-That’s it.
“This is perfect.”
-Now, accept.
“If you win, I will teach you our training methods.”
As if they had been waiting, the two of them spoke their words and thoughts.
Loan, who had been momentarily embarrassed, couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
“Understood. I like that we both have something to gain. So, what is this contest?”
Ingrid gave a slight nod, her gaze directed behind Loan.
Once again, the mages became busy preparing something.
“We will see how quickly you can identify a moving object through a device.”
While they prepared the device.
Loan focused on the rotation of his Circles. He intended to distribute mana evenly throughout his body to sharpen his five senses.
However.
Loan wasn’t the only one preparing.
The Master of the Tower of Sensation also stood still in her spot and began to artificially circulate the mana within her body.
‘Her mana flow is interesting.’
It was different from Loan’s and from the circulation he usually saw in others.
For Loan, the paths of circulation he chose were vertical and horizontal.
One flowed vertically between his lower lip and his dantian, while the other flowed horizontally around his dantian, the two overlapping.
Any other flow simply spread to the necessary parts of his body.
But the Tower Master was circulating her mana as if she had created a separate main artery just to enhance her vision.
A strange path of mana that seemed to start from the inner ankle bone, travel up the inside of the body along the calf and thigh, and extend toward the eyes.
As he observed this intently, a sudden realization struck him.
‘I’ve already created two paths from one. There’s no reason I can’t make more.’
Couldn’t he develop that path into a new path of circulation?
It was a thought that suddenly occurred to him regarding his Circles.