The Problematic Child of the Magic Tower
Chapter 225: The Way Back (4)
At some point, Oscar had started looking behind him out of habit.
Noticing this, Edna spoke up.
“Are you feeling uneasy?”
“...A little. Is it that obvious?”
“Analyzing your facial expression, you're showing 72% concern and 28% worry.”
“Aren’t those the same thing?”
“There’s a clear difference between the two emotions. Concern is a heavier form of anxiety, while worry is a more immediate and reactive feeling.”
Oscar had known Edna for a long time and prided himself on understanding her well.
Even after time had passed, a person’s core tendencies didn’t change easily.
He let out a shallow sigh and apologized.
“Sorry if I made you feel uneasy.”
“I’m fine. But if you keep showing that kind of behavior, it could affect the group's morale.”
A leader must remain emotionally stable.
Having forgotten such a basic principle in this extreme situation, Oscar quickly composed his expression.
“Thanks for the advice.”
“Think nothing of it.”
“You’re supposed to say, ‘Don’t mention it.’”
“I’ll remember that.”
As the two conversed, Kaya walked over.
“Oscar, could you watch the monitor for me for a bit?”
“Sure.”
While Kaya, whose eyes had gotten dry, applied potion and closed her eyes for a moment, Oscar took over watching the screen.
And then let out a small groan.
It had been four hours since they realized the Eye Thief was moving.
And now its location had changed again.
“I want to see too.”
Edna, hopping slightly from below, prompted Oscar to lower the screen so she could view it.
After studying it for a moment, she nodded.
“It’s definitely not our imagination. Its position has moved forward again.”
“Yeah.”
Oscar rubbed his chin, thinking aloud.
“Why, though? It’s bothering me that it’s moving—even if only slightly.”
“There are two possible explanations I can offer.”
“Let’s hear them.”
“First, it seems we misunderstood the Eye Thief’s behavior.”
She raised two fingers.
“The first hypothesis is that the Eye Thief can move even when being watched.”
“...What do you mean by that?”
“This creature enjoys hunting. If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be strange if it created a kind of ‘game’ to let its prey run far before pursuing them, purely for entertainment.”
“That’s... really disturbing.”
Kaya, now back to normal after applying the potion, joined in.
“If that’s true, it’s downright creepy. What’s the second hypothesis, Edna?”
“It’s that we’ve slightly misunderstood the Eye Thief’s trait.”
“...What does that even mean? Either we were wrong or we weren’t.”
Still staring at the monitor, Edna responded.
“What if the Eye Thief doesn’t stop when it’s being watched—but just slows down significantly?”
“Hm.”
“Now that’s an interesting possibility...”
Oscar and Kaya both nodded unconsciously.
If that hypothesis were correct, it would explain everything they’d seen so far—
Even how the creature’s trait got misinterpreted in the first place.
“No one would just stand and stare at that thing if it appeared before them.”
Unless they had a death wish, no one would just freeze in front of a monster like that.
To determine whether it stopped or just slowed down when watched, someone would’ve needed to stare at it for hours.
‘And even if someone had figured it out...’
They probably weren’t in any condition to move.
So even if they learned the truth, they wouldn’t have been able to share it with anyone.
Kaya nodded.
“Personally, I hope the second hypothesis is true.”
“Why?”
“Because if that thing is this slow even when it’s just slowed down, it’s basically the same as being stopped.”
She pointed a thumb back toward the path they had come from.
“We’ve moved 7 kilometers in the last four hours. Unless it’s been toying with us, we’re realistically in no danger of being caught.”
“I agree.”
Edna nodded, adding weight to the conclusion.
“......”
Their reasoning was sound.
Anyone with common sense would find it convincing.
Even if the Eye Thief could move at that speed, there was no way it could catch up to them.
And yet, the unsettling feeling in Oscar’s chest wouldn’t go away.
‘What is it?’
What was he overlooking?
He furrowed his brow and tried to think, but the answer stayed vague and out of reach.
In the end, there was only one thing Oscar could do for now.
“...If everyone’s rested, let’s get moving again.”
They had to put as much distance between themselves and the Eye Thief as possible.
“How far are we from the first peak, Oscar?”
“About six kilometers, I think.”
“Then we should arrive in about three hours.”
With a hesitant look, she added,
“Sorry. It’s my fault we’re moving so slowly.”
“......”
Oscar glanced at her.
He considered offering some comforting words but figured they wouldn’t help much, so he just shrugged.
“This might work in my favor. Once we’re back at the White Tower, I can collect on everything you owe me.”
“As long as it doesn’t violate the Observer’s regulations, I’ll comply.”
From behind them, Kaya joined the conversation.
“By the way, Oscar—how can you talk so casually with Edna?”
“Huh? Is there a problem?”
“Not exactly a problem, but...”
Kaya’s eyes, still fixed on the monitor, narrowed with curiosity.
Most people instinctively feared dragons when meeting them.
Even someone as powerful as Oran, a level-7 master, was intimidated by Edna.
‘He watched her kill demons stronger than himself like they were insects—no wonder he reacts that way.’
Thinking back, even the strongest individuals at the White Tower treated Edna with extreme caution.
Probably because they instinctively understood how powerful dragons were.
‘But this guy... even after seeing that strength firsthand, he’s still completely unfazed.’
Almost too indifferent.
Now that she thought about it, this wasn’t the first time.
‘He was the same with Yuribe when they first met.’
In a situation that would’ve made a typical level-6 mage faint from fear, he not only figured out the one winning move—they actually executed it.
With that in mind, Kaya’s doubts began to fade.
‘Huh. Maybe he’s just got a screw loose...’
Because otherwise, there was no way to explain someone with zero fear in situations where any normal human would be terrified.
He wasn’t some overwhelming powerhouse either.
So thinking of him as someone with a faulty brain was the simplest explanation.
Feeling her thoughts settle, Kaya changed the subject.
“Then I guess I can speak casually to Edna too, right?”
“No.”
Edna rejected that idea without hesitation.
Kaya looked visibly disappointed.
“What? But I’ve known you longer!”
“That’s...”
Edna’s head turned stiffly, almost creaking, toward Oscar.
And the moment their eyes met—eyes trembling ever so slightly—
‘Ah.’
He remembered.
How terribly this rule-abiding dragon was at lying.
So Oscar stepped in to provide a believable excuse on her behalf.
“Maybe it’s because I saved her life? Technically, I’d be her benefactor.”
“That is correct.”
“Hmph, if that’s the reason...”
Just then, Oran, who had been silently trailing behind the group, suddenly rushed toward them at a fast pace.
At the same time, he started speaking rapidly.
“They’re severed.”
“Severed? What is?”
Swallowing nervously, he replied to Kaya’s question.
“The threads I set up around the campsite as a perimeter. They’re snapping like crazy.”
“Huh? Are monsters approaching the campsite or something?”
Threads being broken around the camp was typically a sensitive matter.
But they were already far away from that place.
Kaya, not understanding what Oran was getting at, simply shrugged.
“So what? Are you worried about the tent we left behind?”
“...Eye thief.”
The one who realized the gravity of the situation was Oscar.
Unconsciously turning his head, he zoomed in on the screen and stared intently.
The Eye of the Sky only captured visuals, not sound.
But Oscar could almost hear the noise that would be filling the campsite.
Not due to experience—but from a sense innate to him as a mage.
KWA-KWAK-KWAK-KWAK!
As the illusion of that deafening sound rang in his ears,
dozens of massive roots appeared on the screen, overrunning the campsite.
Seeing this, Kaya blinked in confusion.
“...That’s the One Who Devoured the Mountain, right? Why is it over there?”
No one had even stepped on its roots.
And yet it was actively moving—in the weakened second peak, no less.
‘Then what’s its goal?’
Just as that question arose in his mind,
Oscar imagined the one possibility he least wanted to consider.
And in that instant, he understood.
He finally grasped the cause of the lingering unease that had taken root in his heart.
“Huh?”
With Kaya’s startled exclamation, the roots on the screen attacked the Eye Thief.
But the roots didn’t drag it underground.
Rather, as if their job was done, they vanished from the screen without hesitation.
“The Red Mountain’s calamity is attacking another disaster... But if it’s not trying to absorb power, then why such a half-hearted attack?”
As Kaya voiced the confusion she couldn't shake,
a conversation she had with Oran a few days ago flashed through her mind.
—If what you're saying is true, then couldn’t one person just keep eye contact while the rest kill it?
—If it's attacked, it goes into a frenzy state and moves like a mad beast for about ten seconds, even if someone’s staring at it. Its speed doubles too.
—...So it’s the kind you must not attack.
Back on the screen, the creature’s image completely disappeared.
“Damn it! It’s in an immune state! Brother!”
“Already pursuing it!”
At Oscar’s shout, the screen shook wildly.
The Eye of the Sky scanned the surroundings, tracking the Eye Thief.
“Got it.”
Before long, the Eye Thief appeared on the screen—
racing down the mountain at a truly insane speed.
Watching it, Oran muttered,
“Ten seconds. Just don’t lose it for ten seconds. Then the frenzy will stop, and it’ll halt again.”
“I know.”
Seven seconds.
Six.
Five.
Four.
Three...
Oscar couldn’t help but wonder if ten seconds had always felt this long.
Then, the Eye Thief suddenly looked straight up—right at the Eye of the Sky.
Its massive eye curved upward like a crescent moon.
‘...It smiled?’
The uncanny response made Oscar hold his breath.
The white, wingless, armless monster pulled out its own spine.
And in the next moment—
it twisted its waist, and with all its rotational power, hurled the spine like a spear straight at the screen.
Must dodge—
Just as that thought crossed his mind—
CRACK!
The broadcast cut off.
The Eye of the Sky was destroyed.
And the backlash instantly returned to its caster.
“Khak!”
Oscar coughed up a mouthful of blood and dropped to one knee.
“Brother!”
“Oscar!”
His comrades rushed to support him,
but Oscar raised a hand to stop them.
There was no time to waste.
‘An extremely dangerous enemy, location unknown.’
If they didn’t want to be caught by the Eye Thief,
not a single second could be spared.
“...From now on, I’ll carry Edna too. Let’s pick up the pace.”
[Proofreader - Gun]

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