Chapter 30 : Magic Tower City (7)

The atmosphere in the president’s office was heavy.

Countless magic circles danced in the air.

The cold blue light shimmered, almost like the depths of the ocean.

“All the lost magic, forgotten runes… you are like a living repository of knowledge.”

Lucy took a step forward. The surrounding magic circles seemed to react to her emotions, swaying.

“I want to know everything. I want to uncover each and every bit of knowledge you have.”

“President, please calm down.”

She no longer listened to my words.

“In the laboratory… forever together…”

Madness began to rise in Lucy’s eyes. It was the moment when her pure curiosity for knowledge twisted into an obsessive desire.

“If I study you… I could reclaim centuries of lost knowledge.”

The blue magical power Lucy threw rained down from all directions. The entire president’s office transformed into a massive magic circle.

“It’s okay. Very slowly… I will study everything. All that you have hidden.”

The familiar, obsessive look I had encountered throughout the adventure.

My lips were parched. It was time to make a decisive move.

“Morning Star!”

The holy sword “Morning Star,” called after a long time. Sacred light materialized from my palm as the sword took form.

But Lucy’s expression didn’t change.

“Oh? You’re raising a sword in front of me…”

She casually waved her hand. The symbols etched into the walls began to shine more intensely.

“How cute. In a city of magic… using such primitive weapons.”

The holy aura of the sword clashed with the magic circles. A brilliant flash burst out.

For a moment, it seemed like the magic circles wavered. But soon, the blue light stabilized again.

“Truly like a hero. But…”

The shattered magic circles were instantly repaired, healing themselves as if alive.

“This place is a magical fortress, steeped in 300 years of history. That’s not enough.”

The symbols on the walls grew brighter and tightened their grip on me.

Cold sweat trickled down my back. If even the holy sword didn’t work…

“Now, what secret are you hiding? Let’s study each one… very thoroughly.”

Her voice was filled with scholarly madness.

The magic knowledge I knew was only superficial, meant for game strategy. But she believed without a doubt that there was something hidden within me.

From the moment I was marked as her research subject, she would do anything to claim me.

The concentration of magical power grew thicker, a suffocating pressure closing in.

Lucy’s lips curled into a victorious smile.

“Don’t think about running. The real research starts now.”

They say scholars in the Magic Tower lose their reason in the face of knowledge. Was this what they meant?

I gripped the holy sword once more. But it was still too early to give up.

I had barely found the clue to teleportation magic. I couldn’t become a graduate student… no, an experiment subject, now.

With a gesture, magic circles in the air began to glow. Sparkling ether crystals fluttered like a rainbow.

I quickly dodged.

Taking advantage of my brief opening, she tried to probe the wall with the holy sword, but it was soon restored.

“Do you know the difference between a practical mage and a theoretical mage? A practical mage’s body itself is a magic circle, a magic circuit. They implement magic as naturally as breathing.”

Magic in battle is a momentary art.

Quickly, powerfully. You can’t afford complicated preparations in combat. But with that comes clear limitations.

“But theoretical mages are different.”

Lucy’s steps were graceful. Wherever she passed, the magic circles rippled like waves.

“They draw magic circles, engrave circuits, and prepare materials. It takes time.”

The weakness of theoretical mages was clear. Time was needed. Drawing magic circles, preparing materials…

But here?

The magic towers visible through the window all began to shine in unison. Everything had already been prepared.

Her finger cut through the air, and the symbols on the walls became even more distinct.

“But that makes them overwhelming.”

Magical power emanated from each part of the walls. Even the smallest speck of dust danced, part of the magic.

“Do you see it? The flow of the blue light.”

Lucy’s voice was filled with the passion of a scholar.

“The magic circles carved by the previous generation of mages, and their disciples adding new circuits… for 300 years…”

The city of magic was instantly bathed in magical light. From the cobblestones in the streets to the tips of the spires, everything functioned as one giant magic circle.

With every breath, Lucy’s magic power pierced deep into my chest.

“This is both my laboratory and my castle, hero.”

This was the culmination of the theoretical mage. Now I understood why one shouldn’t recklessly enter a mage’s workshop.

“Do you understand now? Why the Magic Tower City is called the Magic Tower City?”

Corridors, stairs, and all structures began to function as part of one magical device.

Hundreds of ether crystals glowed simultaneously, enveloping the entire city.

It wasn’t just the president’s office. The Ether Tower, the Ether Academy, the entire place was her workshop and magic circle.

“Here, everything requires my permission.”

The flow of magic along the walls became clearer before my eyes. The legacy of the past mages still lived and breathed.

“Look. This city… is a perfect magical weapon. No one can stand against the Magic Tower City. No one can stop our curiosity. Not even a hero.”

Lucy’s smile glowed with the joy of victory. It was as though she was saying it was just beginning.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. Listening to her prideful explanation, I mentally calculated.

The knowledge I had shared, the way I triggered her research thirst, was no mistake. It was a perfectly calculated move.

‘Pretending not to know, while occasionally showing special knowledge.’

It had been enough to stir her scholarly curiosity. I had exploited the blind spot of the theoretical mage.

Their obsessive hunger for new knowledge, for the unknown.

‘Obsession should be counterbalanced by another obsession.’

A small lesson I learned while escaping with my party.

I tracked the flow of ether between the magic circles. The entire city had transformed into a magic circle.

It was strong enough. This would do.

Now that I had confirmed the true nature of the Magic Tower… the conditions were all met.

“Truly impressive.”

A small smile tugged at my lips. Lucy’s sky-colored eyes sparkled.

“But now, slowly…”

She lifted the holy sword.

“Don’t you understand yet? That won’t work.”

“Yes. It won’t work.”

“Finally, you admit it.”

A victorious smile curled at Lucy’s lips. I continued.

“But this… is a signal.”

A sacred light split the sky and engulfed the entire city.

Lucy’s eyes wavered.

“What did you say…?”

“It’s not a signal for you… but for someone else.”

I answered with a smile instead of words. Showing off the knowledge from the game and triggering her curiosity, staying in the Magic Tower to browse the Arcana Archives.

It was all for this moment.

Boom—

The ground shook. At first, it was a subtle vibration, but soon, the entire Magic Tower began to tremble.

“What’s happening? The flow of magic…”

The tower’s barrier slowly began to crumble. Her fingertips trembled. The once-proud magic spells started to crack. It was happening faster than she could restore them.

“Could it be… you? This… this is impossible! What have you done? The magic circles built up over hundreds of years… How could this happen…”

No, has it already arrived? Too quick, aren’t you?

“I’m sorry.”

A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. I had been waiting for this moment.

“I’ve already been subjected to enough obsession.”

Roar—

A roar shook my very soul. Elegant yet sharp, filled with rage, the voice was unlike any human. The pressure from it bore down on the city.

The air trembled. From the end of the sky, golden magic power flashed. The storm of magic struck the city’s shield.

Boom—!

The shockwave spread across the entire city. The windows of the president’s office rattled.

BEEP— BEEP—

An emergency alarm echoed. The hurried footsteps of mages running through the corridors.

“Quick, reinforce the defenses!”

“Prepare the magic cannons!”

“Maximize the barrier!”

Urgent cries rang out. Blue magic surged from all corners of the city.

In the distance, the sound of wings flapping could be heard. The sky darkened. A giant shadow covered the city.

The blue magic flowing along the walls turned red in an instant. It was the signal for the city’s defense systems to activate.

“I’m sorry. Aris is… quite jealous among our party members.”

The sky turned golden, as though dawn were approaching.

Golden flames swept through the city outside the window.

The barrier on the outskirts of the city shattered.

It was going according to plan.

I smiled inwardly. I had been thinking it was time to shake off Aris’s pursuit.

“President, you said you’d show the power of the Magic Tower, right?”

That’s why I chose this city. It was strong enough.

A place where I could have a proper fight with Aris.

And in the midst of the chaos, a chance to escape.

Boom—!

The dragon’s magic clashed with the city’s protective spells.

All the mages of Arcana, the Magic Tower city, were engaged in a full-scale battle.

Every time golden flames and blue magic collided, the night sky flashed.

For a moment, magic circles activated all over the city. Binding spells to hinder the dragon’s flight, weakening spells to decrease the strength of its scales, and barriers that reduced the power of flames.

Screeeech—

The golden dragon’s wings flapped. In a single motion, all the spells surrounding it were shattered.

The city turned into chaos in an instant. Explosions followed as the spells of the mages collided with the dragon’s breath.

“Well, I’ll take my leave now…”

This was the only time I could escape.

At that moment, her voice echoed throughout the entire city.

[You there.]

Elegant yet chilling, a voice filled with the pride of a dragon.

[Come back. I’m not angry at all.]

Her calm voice was even more terrifying.

[Heh heh. You can’t run away. It’s impossible.]

A chill ran down my spine. Cold sweat trickled down.

[The dragon’s treasure… must remain with the dragon forever.]