The Problematic Child of the Magic Tower
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 142: The Inflection Point of Pure White (3)
"A duel?"
The Blue Tower mage, who had been struck against his gauntlet, hesitated for a brief moment.
‘Can I win?’
If his opponent exhibited even a single instance of mana reflux while casting a spell, he was confident of victory.
After all, that was like handling an unpredictable ticking bomb.
‘But if, by chance, he gets lucky and doesn’t show any symptoms this time...?’
Things would get complicated then.
His opponent’s basic abilities—what could be considered his raw combat skills—were quite formidable.
But before he could dwell on it any longer, he realized it was already too late to hesitate.
“What’s going on here?”
“I heard someone talking about a duel.”
“What? A duel?”
Other tower mages began gathering in the hallway, filling it up one by one.
With so many eyes watching, the Blue Tower mage erased all traces of doubt from his mind.
A Blue Tower mage avoiding a duel challenge from a White Tower mage?
Such a thing could never be allowed.
His pride wouldn’t permit it.
“You little shit, you don’t even know your place and yet you dare act up? Fine, let’s do this. A duel.”
In an instant, a crowd formed, creating a small ring in the middle of the hallway.
Verdi clenched his fists, locking eyes with his opponent.
‘Please.’
If his wretched body had even a shred of conscience or sense, just this once—
At least until this duel was over—
Let it not betray him.
Finishing his desperate prayer, the Blue Tower mage pulled out a coin.
“The moment this coin hits the ground, we begin. Any objections?”
“None.”
Tension escalated as mana surged between them.
The Blue Tower mage flicked the coin with his fingers, sending it spinning in the air.
After several rapid rotations—ting!—it landed on the floor.
Kwaaaaa!
Both spells were completed almost simultaneously.
‘I was slightly slower... but I won.’
The Blue Tower mage was certain of his victory the moment he saw his opponent’s spell.
The magic he had cast was a mid-tier Blue Tower spell: Tide of Protection.
A perfect defensive spell that enveloped his entire body in a shield of water.
Simultaneously, he could manipulate the water to launch waves like a tsunami, making it a spell that excelled in both offense and defense.
‘On the other hand, that guy also cast a barrier.’
A mid-tier White Tower spell: 『Wind Curtain』.
The key difference was that his opponent’s spell had no offensive capability.
In other words, from this point on, he held full control of the duel.
“You talked a big game, but now you’re cowering like a rat!”
He sneered triumphantly as he swung his arm.
A water stream, stretching like a whip, surged forward like a tidal wave and struck his opponent.
“......”
Verdi, watching the attack approach, began preparing his second spell.
‘Everything’s going as planned.’
He had expected his opponent to use Tide of Protection.
For a Level 5 Blue Tower mage, it was the ideal spell to use in a duel.
If Verdi had been in the Blue Tower, he would have chosen the same spell.
‘Tide of Protection has a perfect balance of offense and defense. There’s no reason not to use it as a first move.’
That was precisely why Verdi had chosen Wind Curtain.
With its low air density, it was an extremely weak barrier—
Completely incapable of withstanding Tide of Protection.
Both he and his opponent knew this.
‘And that’s exactly where the gap is created.’
This was a trap Verdi had set, and his opponent had walked right into it.
The moment Tide of Protection shattered Wind Curtain into nothingness—
Verdi cast his second spell at the perfect timing.
“Echo of the Wind.”
The remnants of what should have been a feeble, dissipating Wind suddenly turned sharp as blades.
And before his opponent could react, they began burrowing into Tide of Protection.
“W-What...?”
The Blue Tower mage gasped in shock.
But it was already too late.
Mana surged through Verdi’s circuits, bestowing a unique vibration frequency upon the infiltrating wind.
Bzzzzzz.
The entire Tide of Protection began to tremble violently.
The Blue Tower mage muttered in horror.
“N-No way...”
Because even an idiot could tell what was about to happen next.
‘If I can’t break it from the outside, I’ll just shatter it from the inside.’
Verdi clenched his fist and whispered.
“Air Explosion.”
The moment victory crossed his mind—
“Ugh!”
A surge of pain contorted Verdi’s face.
Mana reflux.
His circuits scrambled into chaos, rendering his mana flow a complete mess.
‘Damn this body—why now, of all times?!’
He wasn’t attempting a high-level spell.
He wasn’t trying to perform some intricate mana control or complex spell calculations.
Air Explosion was a spell that even a novice White Tower mage could use.
‘...Damn it.’
And yet, he couldn’t even complete such a simple spell.
The frustration was maddening.
But he had no one to blame but himself.
He had simply been born defective.
“?”
The Blue Tower mage, who had clenched his eyes shut, bracing for defeat, peeked them open—only to see Verdi writhing in pain.
A hollow chuckle escaped his lips.
“Hah... Hahaha?”
He had survived.
Relief washed over him, followed by the joy of victory.
And then—rage.
How dare this mere White Tower mage push him to the brink?
“You cocky bastard!”
He stormed toward Verdi, his Tide of Protection rapidly stabilizing.
‘...Damn it.’
Watching his opponent approach, Verdi resigned himself to his fate and closed his eyes.
—Do not give up.
A solemn voice echoed in his ears.
‘A message spell?’
His eyes snapped open.
At the same time, as if by magic, the pain that had shackled his body vanished.
A wave of liberation washed over him, making him feel weightless.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
‘If it’s now...’
With an expression like a vengeful spirit, Verdi extended his hand toward the approaching Blue Tower mage.
And once more, he clenched his fist.
“Air Explosion.”
“Tch, still trying to act tough...?”
Bzzzzzz.
This time, Tide of Protection trembled even more violently.
The Blue Tower mage glanced down at his own hands in confusion.
And then—
BOOOOM!
The air erupted, sending water scattering across the hallway.
“Gah! Cough...!”
“J-Jonathan!”
His comrades rushed to pick up his unconscious body.
“You bastard, we won’t forget this!”
Shoving through the crowd, they disappeared.
Verdi, still dazed, scanned his surroundings.
‘Who... was that?’
As if the magic had come to an end with the duel,
Pain once again surged through his body.
And then, once more, that voice whispered in his ear.
—Do you want to control your mana reflux?
Oscar recalled the scene he had witnessed just moments ago.
‘I was lucky.’
Not through a screen, but right in front of his eyes—he had seen Verdi using magic in real life.
Thanks to that, he had gathered quite a bit of information.
‘He's impressive. Now I see why Sasha said he was exceptionally talented.’
Based on his analysis, Verdi Nakwind wasn’t an outstanding physical combatant as a mage.
In other words, he wasn’t the type of mage suited for intense, fast-paced battles.
‘But that makes him even more of a mage.’
Mages were originally such beings.
Why else would they be known as the ones who prepare?
‘Verdi is a classic strategist-type mage—he predicts his opponent’s behavioral patterns, designs the overall battle layout, and enjoys setting traps.’
His approach was a bit different from Oscar’s own combat-oriented magic, but both had their advantages and disadvantages.
If one got caught in Verdi’s tactics, they would die without being able to lift a finger.
And even in their final moments, they would feel as if they were possessed by a ghost.
‘Well, it’s not like I can’t do it, but it’s just not my style.’
The complete form of magic that Oscar pursued required a balance between physical and magical prowess.
If either aspect was lacking, one could never reach that state.
‘His talent is remarkable, and his ability to orchestrate a battle is substantial.’
That meant that if his mana reflux symptoms were cured, he would undoubtedly excel in the upcoming dungeon escape.
Moreover, Oscar had already set the bait, so to speak.
‘Once he experiences it, there’s no way he’ll be able to resist.’
And Oscar’s prediction was right on the mark.
He had been waiting in the private training room—exclusively permitted for White Tower mages—for thirty minutes.
Then, he finally sensed the awaited mana approaching.
With a creak, the door opened, and, as expected, Verdi entered.
“Oscar Crucian...”
Recognizing the one who had summoned him, Verdi muttered in a low voice.
Then, with an expression of disbelief, he asked for confirmation.
“That earlier... was really you?”
“This?”
Oscar responded by pulling at the threads of space.
Immediately, the mana flowing through Verdi’s circuits started to skip over the reflux zones.
“...!”
Verdi’s pupils trembled as he relished the sensation of complete freedom.
It was a feeling he had pursued all his life but had never experienced, not even for a single minute.
As Oscar let go of the spatial threads, Verdi looked at him as if waking from a short dream.
“What do I have to do?”
“I like how straightforward you are.”
“You wouldn’t offer me such a favor without expecting something in return. More than anyone, I know this is an opportunity that not even a fortune of gold could buy.”
“You’re quick-witted, too.”
In truth, Oscar had planned to cure him from the start, but after their conversation, he realized Verdi hated receiving things for free.
If he offered the treatment without conditions, Verdi would endlessly suspect his motives.
Oscar smirked and stated his condition.
“I’ll fix your body. In return, you bring me a first-place result in tomorrow’s dungeon escape.”
“...That’s all?”
“That’s all.”
A fire-like determination ignited in Verdi’s eyes.
“I accept your offer. Even if it costs me my life, I will claim first place.”
“Good. Then let’s get started.”
“Started? What do you mean?”
“The surgery.”
“...Compared to conventional surgeries, are there any side effects?”
“None. You, more than anyone, should already know that after getting a taste of it.”
Unconsciously, Verdi nodded and said,
“Understood. Do whatever you need to do.”
“Then, take off your shirt and lie down.”
Oscar sat beside the now supine Verdi.
A direct modification of mana circuits using spatial magic.
“Take a deep sleep. By the time you wake up, everything will be over.”
After casting a sleep spell, Oscar focused his mana in his eyes and began observing Verdi’s mana circuits.
‘Hmm... So there are four reflux points? That’s quite a lot.’
With that many, it was no wonder his mana reflux occurred so frequently.
Having identified the cause, Oscar slowly but decisively pulled at the threads of space.
‘I must never touch a healthy circuit.’
Mana circuits were extremely sensitive, closely linked to the nervous system.
A single mistake could leave a person permanently disabled.
Oscar briefly looked at Verdi, who had entrusted everything to him and was now sound asleep.
‘Just how badly did he want to break free?’
He had accepted a potentially fatal surgery without a moment’s hesitation.
To honor that resolve, Oscar had to ensure the operation’s success.
“......”
Oscar shaped his spatial magic into the form of a blade, precisely excising only the reflux points.
Sweat poured down his face like rain, drenching the floor beneath him.
But despite the strain, his eyes remained unwavering, his focus absolute.
“Hah...”
He finally exhaled the breath he had been holding.
It had taken a full eight hours.
Feeling his mana reserves completely depleted, Oscar realized just how much this surgery had drained him.
‘I almost ran out of mana before I could finish.’
But in the end, it was a success.
And he had gained something from it as well.
He now understood spatial magic more deeply and could manipulate it more effectively.
Looking at the still-sleeping Verdi, Oscar murmured,
“...I’m counting on you.”
Because the future of the White Tower rested in his hands tomorrow.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]

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