“How long has it been since the 1st squad entered? A day and half a day?”
“No, it’s been exactly a full day now.”
“So, just halfway. No matter how strong the 1st squad is, rushing the time would be impossible. If things go as expected, they should be out around this time tomorrow.”
The upper-tier trial on the second floor, the abandoned underground sewer, was notorious for its vast size and numerous enemies.
Clearing it typically took a minimum of two full days.
As the instructors conversed in front of a tent pitched at the entrance, their comments reflected the reality that, even with the most talented individuals, completing it would take several days.
The main issue was stamina.
The dungeon itself was designed with safe zones to allow for recovery, encouraging long, drawn-out battles.
“You’ve all worked hard.”
Amidst the bustling crowd preparing to challenge the trial, a small party emerged, having completed their strategy.
They appeared exhausted, almost collapsing from fatigue—two pale and weary individuals, a man and a woman, accompanied by a younger woman who seemed noticeably less worn out.
Seeing her exhausted comrades, the young woman chuckled softly.
“Clearing it in a single day seems like too much of a stretch. Let’s take the rest of the day to rest.”
She announced that the remaining hours of the day would be for recovery, considering the state of her teammates.
If the onlookers had paid closer attention, they would have been astonished.
The party had not only cleared the trial in an unprecedented time but had done so with just three members.
The abandoned underground sewer was typically tackled with a full team of ten, rotating fighters to conserve energy.
Even with that setup, it was a grueling challenge that took significant time.
Yet this group of three had managed to clear it in just one day—a feat that went beyond questions of time.
“But if we rest today, we’ll only have tomorrow left to complete the achievement.”
“All that’s left are two mid-tier trials. That’s plenty of time.”
When Eden hesitantly asked if resting was really okay, recalling their relentless pace over the past week, the young woman smirked.
Despite her grueling push, which left no room for leniency, her planning had afforded them ample time to spare.
They had just overcome the most difficult trial thanks to Shin Jia’s overwhelming growth and strength.
She was already confident in achieving their goal.
Unlike before, they had meticulously gathered every resource and opportunity needed to climb the tower.
“So far, no one seems to care, but the moment we complete the achievement, a signal will alert everyone. It’s something that hasn’t happened even once in the six months I’ve been back on the second floor. You’re aware of that, right?”
“The last ones to achieve it left this place a year ago. It’ll definitely be troublesome, but I’m not worried. I’ll deal with it.”
Still, her expression tightened slightly at Norha’s words.
Completing the achievement would trigger a large-scale signal flare, drawing everyone’s attention.
‘Why would they even create such a stupid system?’
Although Shin Jia had resigned herself to enduring the attention, she sighed at the thought of the inevitable commotion.
Deep down, she knew the reasons—fostering competition, boosting morale, and so on.
The tower’s system, designed to encourage climbers’ active participation, required elements to provoke and motivate them.
“You dislike it for the same reason I’m thinking, don’t you?”
“Exactly. As you know, drawing attention doesn’t benefit us. The trouble we’ll attract will far outweigh any advantages of fame.”
Eden sympathized with her feelings, sharing a similar experience as a fellow dark mage.
She had endured such situations in the past, leaving her deeply averse to them.
While Eden’s experiences weren’t as severe, he understood enough to share her unease.
“I don’t think it’ll be that big of an issue,” said their mentor, Leoden, with a dismissive chuckle after hearing their concerns.
He seemed amused by their apprehension.
“If it ever becomes a problem, you could just charm them a little, speak sweetly, and they’d likely back off.”
“What are you even saying?” Shin Jia’s cold voice betrayed her disbelief as she furrowed her brows at his absurd suggestion.
Leoden, known for his frequent joking demeanor, grinned.
“Am I wrong, though? You’ve been quite the negotiator. Giving a little extra when asked, showing leniency when begged, and even smuggling items out when requested.”
Leoden began listing Shin Jia’s actions and their results, a clear sign that he wasn’t entirely joking.
“In all my decades as a knight, I’ve never seen someone do such things. You must have known what you were doing and used it to your advantage.”
“…That’s…”
Caught off guard by his remarks, Shin Jia bit her lip in frustration.
His words rang true.
Realizing how positively people reacted to her now compared to her past, Shin Jia had started using this to her advantage.
After all, she had decided to live as a new person in a new life, free from her past constraints.
People who didn’t know her well often treated her kindly.
When she offered a soft smile and spoke gently, their goodwill increased even more, and she didn’t hesitate to take advantage of it.
‘Saint Mariana… Who would have thought the behaviors of that harlot, flirting everywhere, would come in handy like this?’
Though she wasn’t naturally adept at such actions, she had observed them firsthand from the so-called Saint Mariana before her betrayal.
Those memories served as a perfect manual for such behavior.
The Tower’s Greatest Woman
Outwardly, she was regarded as the most outstanding woman in the tower.
Moreover, her appearance rendered even her awkward behaviors endearing, as though she were a cute beginner who had just started climbing the tower.
“Use everything you have. That’s the way to survive.”
Shin Jia was simply adhering to her creed.
Using every resource at her disposal was a fundamental principle of being a dark mage.
“Fox.”
“Shut up, you perverted old man.”
Leoden, knowing her façade for what it was, chuckled at her.
His remark caused Shin Jia’s face to flush as she clenched her teeth, silencing him.
“If it’s just fleeting encounters, people might act kindly out of momentary goodwill. But you know as well as I do that we can’t expect that from the power-hungry factions in this tower.”
“Really? Is that so? Except for the strongest at the top, most mid-level factions only think about making money. They’d go to great lengths to recruit a charming face to represent them,” Leoden replied with a sly grin.
Though Shin Jia tried to deny it, deep down, she knew he was right.
Having been one of the highest-ranked climbers herself, she was well aware of how the factions operated.
“Fine. If I can use it, I should use it.”
That night, as she sat alone in her room, honing her magical power, her eyes sparkled with resolve.
If, contrary to her expectations, the factions viewed her positively, she wouldn’t forcibly reject them.
A protruding stone always faced trials.
Whether those trials turned into opportunities or misfortunes depended on one’s choices and luck.
When Shin Jia contemplated the challenges awaiting her, she concluded they would likely be a mix of both.
“The more weapons I have, the better.”
She murmured with a faint smile.
In the past, as a mere low-tier dark mage without any real power, she wouldn’t have even dreamed of such things.
But now, she realized she might already be in a position to join a faction and leverage their influence.
Joining a faction had its advantages.
It could serve as a shield against shady individuals with ulterior motives and take care of tedious and trivial matters on her behalf.
Though there were drawbacks, she judged the benefits outweighed them.
“And my second weapon… is this.”
Her gaze shifted to the glowing mark on her lower abdomen as she glanced at the book spread open before her.
“Tendrils of the Void”
This was one of the rare black magic spells belonging to witches, with relatively detailed documentation of its principles and usage.
Having already mastered most conventional dark magic, Shin Jia had focused all her efforts on learning this one spell.
She had cleared almost every trial on the second floor, investing all her rewards into enhancing her magical power, and had finally succeeded in mastering it.
This spell was considered nonexistent by the world.
When wielded by a true witch, its power far surpassed not only typical dark magic but also most existing magic.
“From now on, I’ll dedicate everything to mastering dark magic.”
For now, she was the only one in this world who fully grasped its potential.
And in her judgment, dark magic was worth staking her second life on entirely.