The Problematic Child of the Magic Tower
[Translator - Clara]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 49: Variable (3)
Boom!
The first punch that landed made a loud noise, but Kaya didn't even blink.
"......Ugh!"
Instead, Killian's fist trembled beneath Kaya's chin.
It was blocked by her mana, unable to advance any further.
"Dream big, huh? Did you really think you could land a hit on me?"
Before she could get an answer, a second bullet darted through the forest towards her.
Whoosh!
As she lightly dodged it and tried to locate the shooter, her eyes wavered.
'......He's not there?'
The mana of the sniper, Oscar Crucian, couldn't be felt anywhere in the forest.
It felt as if a ghost haunted her.
'No way. I can't locate the mana of a mere 3rd-level mage?'
Something happened that defied common sense.
The reason why the stages of beginner, intermediate, and advanced mages exist in the world is because their limits are clear.
'A beginner mage is just starting to master and apply basic spells.'
An intermediate mage goes a step further, beginning to understand and manipulate the essence of magic.
A 7th-level advanced mage needs no explanation.
They have created their own universe, essentially becoming a creator of a world.
'But a beginner mage already understands the essence of magic?'
And it's not just a superficial imitation.
He was showing an overwhelming understanding, enough to gain the upper hand against her, a 7th-level mage.
For the first time in a while, she felt her heart race.
'......So, this guy is a 3rd-level mage, right?
If he advances to an intermediate or advanced mage, just how far would his control and understanding of magic go?
She was starting to understand why people called him "the greatest genius of the White Tower."'
'Interesting.'
She couldn't help but feel intrigued, even though it was at the expense of her younger sibling.
Her left arm's tattoo, marked with a 『Scan』 started to glow, and her magic swept over the Hoover family estate.
'......Even the Scan spell can't detect him?'
Under normal circumstances, Kaya would trust the result and assume the opponent was outside the estate.
But not now.
With the mana of a mere 3rd-level mage, it was impossible to snipe from that distance.
'He truly is a genius at controlling magic.
In other words, he's hiding his mana through some method but is still inside the estate.'
As she reached this conclusion, she felt a menacing presence behind her.
"I won't let you escape."
This time, Killian charged forward with silver claws on both hands.
Each time she dodged, thud! crash!—several unfortunate trees were cut down, shaking the ground.
'This is troublesome.'
Right then, the third『Wind Sniping』attack flew in, perfectly timed.
Without thinking, she deflected it with the back of her hand, her eyes widening in shock.
'......What?'
Her hand stung.
The mana covering it was melting away in real-time.
In other words, the bullet of wind contained an『Erosion』spell.
This spell is specialized for weakening energy, structural collapse, and internal penetration, making it excellent at piercing shields.
But it typically requires a 5th-level mage to use it effectively in combat.
'This is getting absurd.'
Kaya let out a dry laugh, her eyes narrowing into half-moons.
She was dying to know what expression that genius had on his face while toying with her like this.
'This won't do.
If I'm that curious, I guess I have to go see for myself.'
Having made up her mind, she activated her 『Acceleration』tattoo for the first time since the battle began.
"You take your time catching up. Or don't. I don't care."
And with that, her fist, moving far beyond Killian's perception, slammed into his solar plexus.
She moved so fast that she left an afterimage, making it seem like there were two of her.
Boom!
"Ugh!"
Killian, pinned against a tree, coughed up blood just as the anticipated fourth bullet came flying in.
"......So, that's roughly where you are."
She would find him physically if she couldn't locate him with magic.
Confirming the direction the bullet came from, she kicked off the ground.
"Killian......."
After finishing his fourth shot, Oscar immediately stood up when he saw Killian coughing up blood.
He quickly repositioned himself and altered his magical signature.
In fact, he'd been continuously switching his magical code without pause.
'I need to make sure she can't detect me.'
His new magical code matched that of the forest's trees.
In other words, unless someone laid eyes directly on him, they would never be able to find his location.
He had been mimicking the magical energies of the trees, fruits, and vines in the forest.
'Damn the royal family, those slowpokes. When is the support they promised going to arrive?'
Clicking his tongue in annoyance at their delayed assistance.
Boom!
A massive explosion rocked the area as a woman landed right in front of him, slowly rising to her feet.
Oscar let out a small groan at the unbelievable sight.
'......Did she just cover a distance of over 1 kilometer in a single leap?'
Her light body was able to do what his father only managed after reaching the 8th level.
As the dust settled, a pair of red eyes scanned him from head to toe, frozen like a statue.
"Oh, I see. You copied the magical code of the trees exactly and pasted it on yourself? No wonder I couldn't find you."
The only fortunate thing was that there didn't seem to be any hostility emanating from her.
For some reason, she even felt slightly friendly and curious.
'......Like a child wondering what's inside a box.'
In a way, that made it even scarier.
Children have no qualms about breaking a toy they've never seen before.
"We've met before, haven't we?"
Oscar slowly nodded at her question.
He couldn't believe that the walking bomb he once saw across the street turned out to be her.
"......Yes, I remember seeing you from across the street."
"Knew it! We made eye contact back then, didn't we?"
She beamed, smiling brightly, seemingly pleased.
Watching her cheerful expression, Oscar cautiously asked.
"What is your purpose here?"
"To destroy the documents that Jake Hoover possesses."
Damn it.
He asked in case there was some misunderstanding between them, but it was just as he feared.
"Could you back off, for the sake of your brother's face?"
"Nope, can't do that. We have our own reasons for getting involved in this mayoral election."
Negotiation was out of the question.
With a sullen expression, Oscar asked.
"How did you end up as a subordinate of Mark Sweet?"
"Huh? Me, a subordinate of that guy? Are you nuts?"
Kaya burst out laughing, clutching her stomach.
"I'm a tattooist. There's no way I'd work under some druggie."
Seeing the confused look on his face, she blinked her eyes.
"You've really never heard of me? Of the tattooist of the Violet Brigade?"
"Violet Brigade? Does that mean... the one with the designer?"
"Are you kidding me? This is insane."
She spat out the curse right away.
It seemed she couldn't comprehend how a mere designer overshadowed her fame.
"You've heard of that lunatic, but you don't know who I am? Seriously? This is scratching my pride a lot."
‘Well, sorry, but I've really never heard of you.’
At that moment, the bushes behind them rustled, and Killian emerged.
"Oscar! Are you okay?"
"Yeah, for now."
He approached, eyes fixed on Kaya.
He subtly moved his lips.
'I've clashed with her briefly, but this is no ordinary monster. Even if we join forces, I can't see a way to win.'
It was a message spell.
Encrypted with magic, it was a communication Kaya wouldn't be able to hear.
'If you know how to use this spell, you can nod or shake your head in response.'
'I know how to use it.'
What do you take me for?
Of course, I can use it.
'Good. So, what do you plan to do now?'
'What do you think? We fight. We made a promise, didn't we?'
They made a vow to Jake Hoover, to that crying child.
They promised that Mark Sweet would pay the rightful price for his sins.
Oscar glanced at Killian.
[Translator - Clara]
[Proofreader - Gun]
"Killian, if I give you the signal, can you create an opening for just three seconds?"
"Three seconds... that's not going to be easy."
Killian hesitated for a moment before answering honestly.
The only reason he wasn't dead yet was that Kaya had been holding back against him.
But if they were to attack in earnest, it was certain she'd get serious too.
"I'll try."
"Are you sure you can do it?"
"Whether I can or can't is not the issue, is it?"
Killian's gaze looked more reliable than ever.
It resembled the look of his father.
"I'll do it no matter what."
"…I'm counting on you."
Nodding, Killian stepped forward towards her.
"Finished with your strategy meeting? I was getting a bit bored."
"Thanks for waiting. I guess there's still some warrior spirit left in you."
"It's basic manners. Besides, I'm curious about what else you might show."
Her gaze briefly shifted their way.
Ignoring it, Oscar swiftly began preparing his spell.
'Even if I create a perfect void using the Isolation Garden, it won't work against a 7th-level mage.'
The difference in their fundamental abilities was immense.
And currently, he was only at level 3.
'I can't maintain that space for hours like I could in my prime.'
He was sure after using it to break her『Increasing Morale』earlier.
At most, he could hold it for two seconds.
That's the maximum time his mana circuit could sustain before burning out.
'Two seconds. It's not enough time to do much, but...'
But against a forest warrior, the story was different.
Tattoo magic was a technique developed by one of the Great Tower Masters of the White Tower and taught to the forest warriors.
Naturally, the copyrights belonged to the White Tower, and as the previous Tower Master, Oscar had access to all its secrets.
"Killian!"
At Oscar's shout, a surge of immense mana erupted from Killian.
Dozens of tattoos carved into his skin activated all at once.
"Total tattoo activation...? You're really going that far?"
Even Kaya clicked her tongue in disbelief.
This was a technique that activated all the tattoos inscribed on the skin to their maximum limit in one go.
It was not only difficult to control but also put an enormous strain on the body, something she surely understood.
"Graaahhh!"
Killian's body trembled violently.
The excruciating pain far surpassed any physical suffering he'd ever endured.
But in return, he gained a momentary power so immense it could overpower even a 5th-level mage.
'I can feel it.'
The pulsation of this overwhelming power within his body was palpable.
Yet he wasn't afraid of this uncontrollable force.
Even if it was just a fleeting illusion like a mirage in the desert, even if it was an unattainable hope...
'For now, it's mine.'
And he believed that one day, he could make this power his own.
His confidence pushed back the fear and pain.
Five layers of acceleration stacked, and five layers of enhancement magic overlapped.
Countless spells orbited around him like satellites, enhancing his physical capabilities and more.
"This is the best I can show right now..."
Kaya Lockwood saw the resolve in her brother's form.
Seeing this, for the first time, she adopted a stance and gathered her mana.
"Come at me, forest warrior."
As her call dropped, the distance between them closed in an instant.
No, it would be more accurate to say the space between them vanished entirely.
Bam!
Killian's fist struck Kaya's crossed arms in an X-block.
Her body was pushed slightly back.
And that wasn't the end.
"Take this!"
Dozens of attack spells from the White Tower rained down on her.
Kaya clicked her tongue but didn't evade the spells pouring down on her like a storm.
She took them head-on.
"Ugh!"
It's still not enough.
Killian realized the gap between them as he collapsed, fainting with his arm still outstretched.
"This is... frustrating."
Kaya grimaced as if she had swallowed a bitter pill.
'Now.'
Oscar, who had been watching everything from start to finish, moved at that moment.
When she had momentarily forgotten his presence while blocking Killian's magic.
Oscar crept up silently behind her, suppressing every trace of sound and presence.
'Now that Killian's down...'
It was then that Kaya noticed Oscar was missing from her line of sight.
'Where did he go?'
As she frantically scanned her surroundings, a spell completed from behind.
『Isolation Garden』
Oxygen vanished from the space, and the mana dissipated.
In this void, where everything disappeared, Kaya turned around, unable to breathe.
It was a spell so high-level it was hard to believe it came from a mere level 3 mage.
Kaya Lockwood recognized it.
She couldn't help but be captivated by the complex and elegant structure of the spell.
Beautiful, finely woven, like a tapestry.
'Impressive and beautiful. But...'
That's all.
This kind of magic could not defeat someone who had reached the 7th level.
The difference in their fundamental abilities was simply too vast.
Not to mention that a trained forest warrior could hold their breath for over ten minutes.
'A genius, but still only at this level?'
Even so, her heart raced at the thought of how this sprout might bloom, how far this budding talent might reach.
But...
'Not yet.'
With a slightly regretful look, Kaya began gathering her mana.
Then a sudden electric sensation jolted through her entire body.
'What... is this?'
It felt as if her control over her own body had been taken away.
And indeed, that was the case.
'I can't activate my tattoo magic?'
She stared at Oscar with eyes widened in disbelief.
The principle behind tattoo magic was different from ordinary spellcasting, which processes everything internally.
The tattoos required the mage to release mana externally first.
'He's reading the flow and timing of my mana release, cutting it off at every turn...?'
A cold shiver ran down her spine as if cold water had been poured over her head.
Could this really be dismissed as mere talent or genius?
She didn't think so.
'This is... dangerous.'
In that fleeting moment of realization.
Oscar, having closed the distance, had already prepared a second spell.
A finishing move that bypassed all defenses and targeted the internal structure directly.
Oscar's Special Technique, Secret Chapter 1: Sound of the Waves.
Shwooooosh!
The sound of crashing waves engulfed the winter forest.
[Translator - Clara]
[Proofreader - Gun]

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