Chapter 118: I’m a Mage. I Told You I’m a Mage! (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 118: I’m a Mage. I Told You I’m a Mage! (3)
Seol Ga-yeon felt like she was going to die of embarrassment as her disciple stared at her with a look of utter bewilderment.
However, since she was the one who had created this situation, she felt the professor next to her nudge her with an elbow and spat out the prepared lines.
"He who cannot overcome the trials shall not reach the knowledge of the Magic Tower. Are you prepared to face our ordeal?"
Standing beside the disciple, Jeong Yeon-woo tilted his head as if he couldn't understand what was happening.
Seol Ga-yeon wanted to run away and hide immediately.
Among mages not affiliated with the Magic Tower, the most popular person right now was Jeong Yeon-woo.
It wasn't that the Magic Tower was petty enough to check or exclude someone just because they weren't from the same background, but Seol Ga-yeon found him unpleasant.
Jeong Yeon-woo’s achievement in developing the concept of condensing mana into bullets to fire magic was significant.
It wasn't a revolutionary idea.
Any mage with a bit of skill would have thought of it at least once, but he was the only one who had actually adapted it to reality.
During a televised interview, she had spoken out of concern that Jeong Yeon-woo might be overlooking certain aspects of mana condensation.
She didn't know if he would watch the broadcast, but she even left a message saying he was welcome to visit the Magic Tower anytime so they could conduct research together.
But the public thought otherwise.
Jeong Yeon-woo continued to excel, compensating for any flaws without needing her concern, and the more he succeeded, the more people used the broadcast Seol Ga-yeon had appeared on to mock her relentlessly.
He hadn't done anything wrong, but the more she encountered those videos and memes, the more her resentment toward Jeong Yeon-woo grew.
While she was suppressing her boiling anger, her disciple asked if she could bring Jeong Yeon-woo to the Magic Tower.
It was an opportunity for vindication.
It was time to show this arrogant brat just how high the standards of the Magic Tower were.
Jeong Yeon-woo had never made any remarks belittling the Magic Tower, but Seol Ga-yeon, who was being constantly ridiculed on the internet, was suffering from a persecution complex, imagining that he was mocking her too.
As soon as the appointment was made through her disciple, she gathered the professors and proposed that they test Jeong Yeon-woo.
A test wasn't really necessary for a mage who was already active, and since the Magic Tower was generally generous to those who knocked on its doors, her suggestion was an unusual one.
She had intended to go through with it alone even if the professors opposed it, but the reaction was unexpectedly positive.
"Ooh—a trial? Indeed, a trial is essential for one who seeks to climb the Tower."
"...?"
Seol Ga-yeon realized the reaction was strange, but she couldn't stop the professors who were already excited.
"A mage's trial! Gah—isn't there a certain romance to it?"
"No, I just meant a simple test..."
"Exactly, exactly! When our Jeong Yeon-woo arrives, we'll stand at the entrance like Archmages and bestow a trial upon him."
"I like it! It reminds me of the old days. I was recognized by my master only after overcoming a trial when I first started learning."
What kind of outdated, '80s-style thinking was this?
Seol Ga-yeon, who was on the younger side among the faculty, was feeling a serious generation gap.
The professors of the Magic Tower were usually dignified, but once they got excited, there was no stopping them.
In the end, the professors, fueled by excitement, set up a "trial event" for Jeong Yeon-woo.
Seol Ga-yeon, who was standing at the front acting solemn simply because she was the one who suggested it, felt like she wanted to die.
‘This is all Jeong Yeon-woo’s fault...’
Gritting her teeth, Seol Ga-yeon glared at Jeong Yeon-woo, who was quietly whispering with her disciple.
Maybe it’s because this is a game world, but there’s a strange tension here.
Perhaps the professors are bored because life in the Magic Tower is too monotonous, but they said they would observe my test... no, my "trial."
"I'm sorry. They aren't usually like this."
Eom Soo-hyun apologized to me with an embarrassed expression.
"It's okay, it's fun. But if I fail the trial, do I get kicked out?"
"The Magic Tower doesn't turn away those who seek it. But... I've never seen anything like this before either..."
Eom Soo-hyun trailed off, sounding uncertain.
Hmm... am I being given special treatment?
Either the Magic Tower dislikes me, or the fact that I created the concept of a Gunslinger piqued their interest.
I suppose it falls into one of those two categories.
Since I'm here to learn, I hope it's the latter.
The first test was a duel.
A C-rank Hero from the Magic Tower stepped forward, holding a staff.
Outside the circular sparring arena, the professors were watching us with intrigued eyes.
I caught a glimpse of Eom Soo-hyun talking to Seol Ga-yeon before looking back at my opponent.
"I look forward to a good match. Our professors are a bit... up there in years..."
The Hero who had been called out also seemed embarrassed, offering an awkward smile.
A professor with snow-white hair had spoken solemnly as if telling me to go slay a Demon King or something, but honestly, I didn't understand a word of it.
Anyway, I just have to win this duel, right?
"Let the trial begin!"
As soon as a dignified voice rang out from somewhere, the Hero immediately backed away and began forming magic.
Seeing her create a fast-casting spell for harassment, she seemed experienced in dueling other mages.
Since I still haven't adapted to Astra, I pulled out Poltsmith’s pistol and aimed at the walls.
Bang—! Bang! Bang!
Ignoring the Hero in front of me, I fired bullets at the surrounding walls. The professors observed me as if finding it fascinating.
The Hero, wary of my inexplicable actions, fired a small mana sphere at me.
Dodging the mana sphere that trailed blue light particles, I continued to fire at the walls and floor, embedding bullets everywhere.
Thinking she had gained enough distance, the Hero began forming a spell with a long casting time, and I activated my magic as well.
Pshhhhhhh—
White smoke began to pour out from the magic circles embedded all around the arena.
The flustered Hero tried using wind magic, but this was an enclosed space.
No matter how much she pushed it away, the smoke just surged back, filling the arena.
I could barely see my own hand in front of me, but with Mana Detection and Presence Detection, pinpointing the Hero's location was easy.
Maybe it would be different for a higher-ranked Hero, but a C-rank would have spent most of her time just casting spells from the backline.
Approaching stealthily behind the Hero, who was casting wind magic in all directions to clear the smoke, I put her in a chokehold.
"Gack!"
I considered just striking her jaw to knock her out, but I chose the chokehold over causing unnecessary pain.
A real choke is different from the movies.
In movies, the victim struggles and resists before falling unconscious, but in reality, if a choke is applied properly, there is no room for resistance—you just black out immediately.
You faint before you even feel pain, and after that, death follows.
There was a slight stat difference, and it required a clean execution, but the Hero caught in my grip merely grabbed my arm reflexively before losing consciousness.
Since it was a brief blackout, she opened her eyes as soon as I laid her on the ground.
"..."
The Hero rolled her eyes around, trying to grasp the situation, then looked at me and gave a bitter smile.
"I lost... It happened so fast, I didn't even realize I'd been caught."
"I just used a cheap trick. I'm sorry."
"No, regardless of the method, I lost. I need to devote myself to more training."
I held out my hand, and the Hero took it to stand up.
How heartwarming. Is this that cringey atmosphere unique to the Magic Tower?
The professors, who had cast eye-enhancing magic to watch the situation as soon as the arena was enveloped in smoke, were all whispering in surprise.
"Can we really consider that winning with magic...?"
"The smoke that blinded her was magic, wasn't it?"
"But he choked her. No matter how you look at it, he's a melee Attacker. I felt like I was watching an assassin."
There was some debate, but since the opponent was the one on the floor and I was the one standing tall, it was decided that I had passed the first trial.
I saw Eom Soo-hyun waving at me with a bright face, while Seol Ga-yeon, standing next to her, gave me a cold stare.
Maybe I should have won using only magic? She seems to hate me even more now.
But as you go up in rank, there are plenty of mages who fight on the front lines.
The next trial was opening a safe.
"He who unlocks the ancient chest shall reach forbidden knowledge. Pour all your magical prowess into satisfying your curiosity."
What are they talking about? That's not an ancient chest.
The chest, made of reinforcement material, looked brand new no matter how I looked at it.
The hexagonal faces were decorated with elegant parts like the inside of a watch, but they didn't seem to have any particular effect; they were just for show.
"Do I just have to open it by any means?"
"You may pick the lock or break it. Ah, you do know that physical strength is not allowed, right?"
Perhaps because I won the duel with a chokehold, the professor whispered the warning about physical strength at the end.
The flashy chest floated in the air, illuminated by a single spotlight.
Stop wasting magic on useless things.
I looked around at the darkened arena, which they had set up for atmosphere, and then observed the chest.
They said I could break it, right?
Since my mana couldn't handle firing enough bullets, I formed magic in the air and fired it at the chest.
Clang—!
With a loud sound, flashy sparks flew, but the chest remained floating in the air without a single scratch.
"It's made of A-2 Reinforcement Material, so breaking it will be difficult. Undo the locking magic and crave the knowledge within."
The professor spoke with a satisfied nod.
Dispel magic isn't exactly my specialty.
In my previous world, there were specific roles dedicated solely to dispelling.
I wasn't part of a special forces unit for dungeon conquest; I was in the bomb disposal squad, so that kind of knowledge is foreign to me.
Well, it doesn't matter.
Even if I don't have the talent for dispelling, I have a talent for breaking things.
I've breached the barriers blocking dungeon paths hundreds of times.
I grabbed one side of the chest and froze it, just like Yoon A-young would.
It was the same method I used when dealing with the Pharaoh.
It would have been harder if they hadn't added those useless decorations on the outside, but with so many gaps, it was simple.
Since I couldn't produce as much power as Yoon A-young’s skill, I cooled it for a long time, then applied an explosion spell and stepped back.
KABOOM!!
With a massive roar, the chest tumbled across the floor with a metallic clatter.
The chest, with one side mangled like popped corn, spun across the floor before coming to a stop.
"There's nothing inside."
"..."
As I spoke while looking at the palm-sized hole in the chest, the professor finally snapped out of it and spoke.
"True knowledge is your effort and wit in the face of adversity and trials! Continue to devote yourself with that heart!"
Ah... yes...
Hearing those overwhelming words again, I nodded with an awkward smile.
The professors, who had been momentarily flustered because they hadn't expected me to actually solve it by breaking it, suddenly got excited and started chattering away.
Eom Soo-hyun waved at me excitedly, but girl, I think you need to pay some attention to your master next to you.
Seol Ga-yeon was glaring at me with a deep scowl.
I guess I've really made a bad impression.
The professors, eager to see what else they had prepared, led me to a lecture hall.
It was a place with a large green chalkboard and desks arranged in a tiered semi-circle, the kind you'd see in foreign universities.
Teaching in a place like this would actually be quite enjoyable.
The next trial was to solve a problem on the chalkboard.
The professors all sat in the students' desks, staring intently at me.
How should I put it... they looked way too expectant.
It didn't feel like they were judging me; rather, they couldn't hide their excitement to see what I would do.
Some looked mischievous despite their age, while others had eyes sparkling with curiosity—their expressions varied, but they were all dying to see my next move.
I'm sorry, but I'm just an Awakened, not a researcher.
There's no way someone like me, who spent his time hunting monsters, would be researching magic theory.
In my previous world, my role was to use the skills after others had analyzed them and established a solid theory; research wasn't my specialty.
Even if I know some theory from studying various things, it's a bit much to compare my knowledge to what PhDs have researched for decades.
I looked at the chalkboard with a troubled face.
There were five problems in total, and I only had to choose one to solve.
Was this their way of being considerate, since everyone learns different things?
I looked back at Eom Soo-hyun, and judging by her expression, these were quite difficult problems.
Should I just politely say I can't solve them, or should I at least pretend to try...?
Wait?
My eyes sparkled as I looked at one of the problems.
This is Wave Control.
It was hard to recognize because of the complex equations, but it was the wave cancellation technology created by our supreme leader, the "American Big Brother."
It was a problem asking to prove the technique I had used when fighting Madam.
What? There shouldn't have been any record of my fight with Madam. How did they find out?
When I turned around to look at the professors, they were all smiling warmly as if they already knew.
They're scary people you can't underestimate.
" I'll do this one. However, my knowledge isn't that deep, so I can't solve it with equations. I'll just create the magic instead."
I knew the principle, but if they asked me to solve it with complex calculations, I'd never be able to do it.
Before the professors could say anything else, I immediately generated the magic and showed it to them.
"Will this do?"
"..."
Why the reaction? Isn't this what you wanted?
As I held the hemispherical mana sphere containing the spell formula in my hand, the professors just stared blankly.
Damn—did I get caught hiding something? Are they telling me to bring out something better?
Thinking I had only shown them the most basic formula, I was about to quietly change the magic when a professor shouted.
"The conundrum has been solved!"
At the same time as the professor's shout, the faculty members leaped over their desks and rushed toward me.
Whoa, what's going on...?
Dozens of professors shoved their faces toward me, and one professor even grabbed my wrist so I couldn't move my hand.
Behind the professors, who were looking at the magic formula with terrifying intensity, I saw Eom Soo-hyun and Seol Ga-yeon.
The two women, who had been wearing completely opposite expressions until now, both had their mouths hanging open in the exact same look of shock.