Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: The Gate of Awakening
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The main tower of the White Tower was practically the symbol of the organization itself.
It was a building that Jeon thought surpassed any skyscraper he'd seen in his previous life.
At its pinnacle lived the Tower Master, the top authority of the White Tower.
As such, it wasn't a place you could just visit on a whim.
Unless the Tower Master came out to meet you, accessing the uppermost floor where he resided required passing through a gauntlet of verification procedures.
"I've already obtained clearance for entry. Please follow me right away."
But for this visit, Jeon didn't need to bother with any of those cumbersome checks.
Not only had the Tower Master formally invited him, but the one guiding him was the Vice Tower Master himself.
Such a big shot acting as my escort...
The Vice Tower Master of the White Tower, Morgan Priud.
He looked about forty on the surface, but he was actually well over sixty—and a powerhouse who'd reached the very edge of the 6th Circle.
His parents had been mages of the White Tower, and he'd entered the tower as a child, serving it faithfully ever since.
Most of the White Tower's mages respected and followed him, a testament to his character and skill.
Why would even the Vice Tower Master personally come to fetch me?
For such a figure to step forward and escort him to the Tower Master was astonishing, whether at the Tower Master's orders or on Morgan's own initiative.
"This is the direct elevator to the top floor. Step in."
Despite the significant age gap, Morgan never treated Jeon condescendingly. Following his guidance, Jeon boarded the elevator to the summit.
Unlike ordinary elevators, this one existed in its own isolated space and only connected two floors: the first and the top.
"Your ears might feel a bit clogged, so brace yourself."
With Morgan's brief warning...
The elevator carrying Jeon and Morgan shot upward toward the top floor.
Oh.
Sure enough, as Morgan had said, his ears popped.
Yet the ride itself was smooth and comfortable, free of noise or vibration.
Magic really is something else.
What science had achieved in Jeon's previous life, magic accomplished here.
Of course, even as he marveled, Jeon pinched his nose and blew forcefully a few times to relieve the pressure.
Ding-.
In the meantime, the elevator chimed, announcing their arrival at the top floor.
Shh...
The doors slid open, gradually revealing the uppermost level.
"Whoa... wow?"
Jeon let out an ambiguous exclamation at the sight.
He'd expected something like a typical office, given it was the Tower Master's residence.
But this is... a garden? No, a forest?
Instead, the top floor resembled a vast expanse of woodland.
A small stream trickled through, and densely grown trees and grasses were meticulously maintained.
"Impressive, isn't it?"
"Yes."
Jeon nodded without hesitation at Morgan's question, who watched his astonishment with an amused fondness.
The tower's architecture alone had been astonishing enough.
But that wonder had been more about 'a structure like this in such a world' than pure awe.
I've never seen anything like this before.
A real forest inside a building? It was a first for him.
Jeon was genuinely stunned.
"Then I'll guide you to where the Tower Master is waiting. Be careful not to lose sight of me—you could easily get lost."
After giving Jeon ample time to gawk, Morgan resumed leading the way.
Jeon finished admiring his surroundings and followed.
It's huge.
The path was quite long, winding through the woods rather than straight.
Even accounting for that, the forest on the top floor was impressively vast.
Probably some space-related magic at work.
The ceiling height allowed full-grown trees, and the area housed a forest's worth of flora.
It seemed less like ordinary space and more like a magically enhanced domain.
After some time following Morgan, they arrived before an especially massive tree.
Its surface featured windows and even a door, suggesting the interior had been hollowed out as a home.
Or maybe it's naturally shaped like that.
If they could fit a forest inside a building, conjuring or transforming a tree like this was entirely plausible.
"Tower Master, I've brought Jeon."
Creeeak.
Morgan's quiet announcement prompted the tree's door to open, revealing a figure.
"You arranged the meeting right away, I see."
"Yes. Fortunately, he agreed."
The one who emerged was a white-haired elder.
Of course, it wasn't Jeon's first time seeing an old man here.
Khalid looked young for his age but was still elderly, and Chiron was well-advanced in years.
Yet the Tower Master before him seemed far older.
His long white beard and hair framed wrinkled skin, and unlike a high-circle mage, he stooped markedly.
The staff he carried was so plain it could pass for a mere walking aid, not befitting a Tower Master.
Without prior knowledge, no one would believe this was the White Tower's leader.
His mana presence was utterly absent, making him seem like any elderly passerby.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Luke Elinder, Tower Master of the White Tower."
He greeted Jeon lightly.
"Likewise. I'm Jeon, currently working as an apprentice with the White Tower's dispatch team."
Jeon bowed politely in response.
He might look utterly ordinary, but Luke was still a senior and the White Tower's Tower Master.
"Ho... I heard you were impressive, but at your age, you're already on the verge of breaking through a wall?"
"Pardon? What do you..."
"The 4th Circle. You've grasped the key to surpassing it, haven't you?"
"Ah, yes. That's right."
To discern Jeon's level with just a glance and greeting...
I knew he was an archmage, but...
Perhaps he was beyond the 7th Circle—maybe an even greater archmage.
"Ah, I've kept my guest standing too long."
With those words, Luke tapped the ground lightly with his staff.
Tree roots rose smoothly from the floor, intertwining to form a table and chairs.
"Come, you must be tired from the trip. Sit."
"Yes, sir."
Jeon took a seat on one of the conjured chairs at Luke's urging.
Morgan sat nearby, completing a trio around the round table.
"I've heard all about your exploits on this dispatch mission. Ralph came by, practically bursting with excitement as he told me."
"Ah, I see."
Jeon had wondered who reported it, prompting this sudden summons.
Apparently, Ralph had rushed to the Tower Master right after their encounter with Connect.
"A 3rd Circle mage wielding 6th—no, even higher—magic... He raved about it so much that even I got thrilled listening."
Using 6th-Circle-equivalent power as a 3rd Circle mage.
And an unidentified spell that mutually destroyed a 7th Circle archmage's magic.
If true, it was the kind of tale to stun and excite anyone versed in magic.
"So at my age, I couldn't help but shamelessly summon you to see for myself."
Luke's eyes sparkled faintly as he spoke.
"And seeing you up close, I can tell you truly have talent worth the hype."
Yet he didn't pry about it.
Not out of disinterest, but...
It feels like he already knows just from looking.
Like when he'd faced Marymore at the ruin's end.
Luke's gaze pierced right through him.
Do you gain eyes like that once you surpass a certain realm?
Chiron had roughly gauged Jeon's potential too, but without that penetrating stare.
Perhaps only those at the 7th Circle or higher possessed such vision.
"Ah, of course, I didn't call you just to gawk. From the reports, it seems this mission wouldn't have succeeded so brilliantly without you."
"Thank you for the kind words."
In truth, the mission might have failed without anyone present.
But by contribution, Jeon and Khalid were easily top two.
Rather than false modesty, Jeon bowed gratefully.
"So as Tower Master, I felt it right to reward you accordingly. That's why I brought you all the way here."
To give a reward, summoning him to the top floor?
As Jeon puzzled over the implication, Luke tapped the ground again with his staff, still planted there.
Shh...
This time, roots sprouted a short distance from the table, forming a circular ring standing upright—like a portal from games in Jeon's past life.
"This is...?"
Jeon shot Luke a curious glance at the sudden wooden portal.
Luke smiled gently and continued.
"You could call it the reason this top floor exists."
"The reason?"
"Do you know that our White Tower was built as one massive artifact?"
"Pardon? What do you..."
The entire White Tower as a single artifact?
Jeon's face went slack at the staggering scale; his mind couldn't keep up.
"Since you carry White blood, you must have some idea. From the start, this tower was constructed to form an elite force against the Ruin Church. Thus, it needed special facilities to nurture and manage such talents."
As Luke spoke, mana began condensing in the portal's empty center.
It drew steadily from the ground, gathering without end.
"Back then, we planned for a small elite group, so the core function was designed for once-a-year use. Regrettable in hindsight, but its performance is impeccable."
Hummmm...
Eventually, the mana within shimmered with a mystical blend of silver and white, rippling between the roots.
The sheer volume was unlike anything Jeon had sensed before.
Yet it felt familiar somehow.
The Silvermont mages made this.
The aura unmistakably carried Silvermont mana.
Jeon faced the immense power without fear, instead feeling a comforting warmth.
"Its name is the Gate of Awakening. It assesses the user's current state and limits, then uses accumulated data to create the most needed training environment."
"Something like that... is really possible?"
"Of course, it doesn't manifest in reality. It simulates the scenario in your mind—a virtual world."
Like a VR game? Jeon interpreted it his way and stared at the Gate.
Seeing it calmly hold that vast mana, he realized his heart was pounding.
"What do you say? Shall we try it?"
Thus, at Luke's question...
"Yes. I'd love to."
Jeon nodded without a second thought.