The Problematic Child of the Magic Tower
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 217: Eternal Moment (5)
The moment he crossed the veil, a tremendous pressure began to constrict his entire body.
He could feel the flow of blood in his veins slowing down, and his movements lagged behind his thoughts.
It felt like he had turned into wax, slowly solidifying.
Perhaps due to this dissonance, he even began to feel as if time itself was flowing differently here.
‘Hmm.’
Oscar slowly turned his neck, adapting to the sensation.
This wasn’t his first time entering the Solitary World.
He had first met her deep within this very space.
‘...But it feels a bit different from back then. Why is that?’
Was it because it had been so long?
Or maybe it was because his body had changed.
Shrugging, Oscar instantly activated six magic circuits.
The magic, which flared up like a wildfire, resisted the overwhelming pressure and pushed it back.
Clench, release.
He opened and closed his fists repeatedly, then gave a small nod.
‘This isn’t too bad.’
His speed had only slowed—he hadn’t stopped.
As long as he kept moving, no matter what happened, he would eventually reach the end.
‘But first...’
He needed to solve the issue of breathing.
In this world, even the particles that made up the air had stopped moving.
Trying to inhale resulted in nothing entering his lungs.
Naturally, ordinary breathing here was impossible.
「Wind」
Oscar created and circulated oxygen directly inside his body to resolve the issue.
Only then did he raise his head and take in the landscape within the Solitary World.
“......”
Countless demons were frozen in place.
Some with eyes wide open, some with mouths agape in a scream, some with faces twisted in terror.
It looked like the work of a deranged artist who had captured people at the moment just before death.
If these "pieces" were given a title, it might be Living Death.
‘If I’m unlucky, I might end up like that too.’
Swallowing hard, Oscar instinctively checked the cord tied around his waist.
If an emergency arose, this would be his lifeline.
After staring at the demons for a moment, Oscar resumed walking.
But as he advanced, the increasing number of demons caused his expression to harden.
‘...How many have I seen so far?’
Even at a rough count, it was over 600.
Oscar, feeling a chill, approached the nearest demon—one frozen mid-sprint toward the entrance.
「Scan」
Oscar forcibly triggered magic, piercing through the suppressive resistance to complete the spell.
A moment later, a result screen appeared before his eyes.
[SCAN: High-Ranking Demon / No Identifiable Name]
• Heartbeat: Maintaining ultra-low rate (0.2 bpm)
• Residual Demonic Energy: 0.2% / Near depletion threshold
• Neural Response: Halted
• Status: Alive – Abnormal Frozen State
“......”
After scanning dozens more demons at random, Oscar’s eyes sank with gravity.
‘Just as I thought.’
As he suspected, none of the frozen demons were dead.
They had simply been swallowed by this space, completely halting all activity.
‘That means Edna’s condition isn’t normal either.’
Dragons are born with nearly infinite mana.
But "nearly" is the key word—it wasn’t truly infinite.
‘If I’ve encountered this many already, then throughout this whole space...’
There must be at least a four-digit number of frozen demons.
Which meant Edna was bearing an astronomical burden.
‘If it’s the Edna I know, she could probably maintain the Solitary World for about 21 years.’
But that assumed she was dedicating herself solely to maintaining the space.
‘...There are just too many demons here.’
To Oscar, these were ticking time bombs.
If they recovered even a small portion of their demonic energy, they could start moving again.
Yet, according to the scans, not a single one had regained significant energy.
That meant two things.
‘First, this space itself must be unsuitable for restoring demonic energy.’
In a world where even magical particles were halted, natural recovery would be close to zero.
And yet, normally, some demons should have partially recovered by now.
But none had.
That could mean only one thing—
‘Edna is actively preventing their recovery.’
To both maintain this massive domain and simultaneously suppress the demons for 21 years?
That wasn’t something even Edna should’ve been capable of.
‘Just using magic alone wouldn’t be enough.’
Oscar bit his lower lip.
He had a good idea what additional power she had been drawing upon.
‘Her life force.’
Dragons are born blessed with near-infinite magic and a near-eternal lifespan.
But again—near-infinite is not truly infinite.
‘Then that discomfort I felt earlier... was because of this? Why would she do something so reckless?’
Did she plan to make this place her grave?
He wanted to ask her.
Why would someone as wise as her do something so dangerously unsound?
He wanted to ask her directly.
“......”
Oscar pressed onward without a word.
With every step, three or four frozen demons disappeared behind him.
He no longer saw them as mere demons.
‘Lifespan.’
They were parasites feeding off his friend’s life.
For every one of them present, her lifespan had been consumed—and still was.
Perhaps that’s why, when the count passed one thousand, his brow twitched.
At two thousand, his face twisted in anguish.
And finally, when he reached the center of the Solitary World,
He had counted exactly 3,217 frozen demons.
“......”
There, in the heart of the world, was a vast field of green so refreshing it took his breath away.
A massive dragon lay curled peacefully, in a long, tranquil slumber.
Her entire body was covered in emerald scales, their beauty almost elevating her to a divine work of art.
‘Edna Sol Laplace.’
Their first reunion in 21 years.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
“Hm-hmm, hmm-hmm~”
Sitting on the grass, Oran looked quite pleased.
His hands, gripping the magical thread Invisible Shadow, twitched in excitement.
“Did you hear that earlier, Senior? He called me a reliable older brother.”
“...I don’t think he said it that directly.”
“Huh? What are you talking about? He absolutely said it.”
“Sure, let’s go with that.”
Kaya, indulging the fool, shook her head.
Then she walked over to Sasha, who was sitting a short distance away.
“What’s he saying now?”
“...Huh?”
Sasha looked up, blinking in surprise.
“About Mind Demon. He’s probably spouting nonsense again. I mean, considering all the crap I’ve pulled, it’s usually about the forest or my dad. But you—since you’re so flawless—I’m curious what kind of trash talk he’d even come up with for you.”
“Wow, perfect? I’m really not,”
Sasha’s hands and feet, now gathered together, fidgeted slightly.
She muttered while slightly lowering her head, as if she truly didn’t believe it herself.
“Kaya, can I ask you something?”
“Call me older sister.”
“Huh?”
“If you don’t call me older sister, I’m not answering.”
Maybe it was because she had just overheard a junior call someone “older brother.”
Kaya was openly being petty.
Sasha blinked at her, stunned, then turned her head slightly and muttered softly.
“...Um, do you... remember my senior brothers?”
‘Maybe I’ll let it go for now.’
Kaya let out a small laugh and nodded as she looked up at the sky.
“Of course I remember. The first one was really annoying, and the second one was kind of exhausting, I think. Why? Did Mind Demon say something about them?”
“...Just, well... Those two were definitely more talented than I am. I sometimes think maybe they were more suited to the White Tower Master position than me.”
“Huh?”
“What are you talking about? If we’re only talking about who’s suited, you were by far the most obvious choice.”
“Ah, well... thank you for saying that, but that kind of reassurance doesn’t really help much right now...”
“No, no. You really don’t know?”
“...Don’t know what?”
Kaya chuckled at Sasha’s puzzled look, then suddenly made a face that said ah, I get it now.
“Right... I guess they never opened up to you. You were just a kid back then.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You wouldn’t know, but those guys had their own worries too. The first one was always anxious about whether his unique-kei magic was incompatible with the White Tower—wondered why he was the only one who was different. The second worried that his hot-tempered nature didn’t go well with wind magic. So yeah, both of them were envious of you.”
Sasha’s eyes widened.
“M-Me?”
“Yeah. In terms of magical lineage and personality, you were the one who resembled Oscar Sage the most out of the three.”
“......”
Sasha’s lips parted and closed, at a loss for words.
She had never known.
That her senior brothers had such doubts... or that they had envied her.
“The one who most resembled Master...”
That part, at least, was undeniably true.
Back when she was being criticized left and right in the media, the phrase “a mage who can’t escape the shadow of her master” had been repeated often.
And that criticism wasn’t just about her achievements.
It was about everything—her magical style, her personality, all too reminiscent of him.
“They envied me... the one who resembled Master the most.”
Oddly enough, upon hearing that, her mind calmed down.
It even felt like Mind Demon’s incessant voice, which had been chattering nonstop, had quieted.
Because suddenly, one question rose in her mind.
“...Do I still?”
‘It’s been 21 years since Master passed away. Am I still just an imitator—nothing more than a copy of his style?’
“Sasha. Sasha...?”
Kaya had been calling her name, seeing the dazed look in her eyes.
But she stopped.
Something told her this was a crucial moment for Sasha.
As Oran’s gaze shifted their way, Kaya put a finger to her lips and shook her head.
—Shh. Quiet. Don’t interrupt.
—Whoa, is the White Tower Master about to soar?
—No idea. How’s Oscar?
—He stops sometimes, but mostly he zips around like a busy little ant.
That’s a good sign.
If Sasha can overcome Mind Demon here, and if Oscar can dissolve this space...
Then this mission would be nothing short of a massive success.
“......”
But Kaya still felt uneasy.
Seeing her sullen face, Oran asked,
—Why? That pessimism of yours waking up again?
—Shut it. My life’s always been like this.
Whenever things seemed to be going too smoothly, something terrible always happened right after.
And just as that strange unease rose, Kaya stood up from her seat—
“......!”
“......!”
Both of them, simultaneously, concealed their magical presence as they looked at each other.
Six powerful magical signatures were approaching—fast.
‘Please... just pass by. Just go away.’
But the group abruptly changed direction—and started coming straight toward them.
As if this place had been their destination from the very start.
“...Senior.”
Six demons arrived at last.
Oran frowned when he recognized one of the wolves among them.
“It’s been a while... or no, not really. Thinking about it, it hasn’t been that long.”
The large wolf stepped down, trampling the grass underfoot.
Yuribe grinned, baring his fangs.
“I’ve missed you... my enemies.”
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]

Comments

Loading...