Chapter 5

　　Ahem. I might have gone a little overboard.

　　My initial plan was to do just enough to pass, but the whispers from the peanut gallery got on my nerves. More than that, once I started, it was just too much fun. I had to see how far I could push it. My new Unique Ability, the Sage’s Eye, combined with my recent training in creating magic circles, had clearly paid off.

　　I returned to my seat and slung my bag over my shoulder.

　　No one said anything.

　　At this school, my reputation was that of a show-off, non-combat underachiever. But the way my classmates looked at me now had completely reversed. Every single one of them wore the same expression: What the hell was that? When I glanced their way, they flinched and quickly looked away. I guess there’s a first time for everything.

　　"Hey! Kim Yusin!" A girl with brown hair rushed toward me with a look of shock. "Are you really Kim Yusin?"

　　What is she on about?

　　"You ignored my texts and calls for three days, then you show up and pull a stunt like that! What in the world happened to you?"

　　Right. This was Yoonjeong Han, the one who’d sent all those messages. As another non-combat type, we’d bonded over our shared status as underachievers, always cheering each other on.

　　"Something came up," I said. "I’ll explain outside."

　　Just then, the other students, who had been watching cautiously, swarmed us.

　　"Hey, out of the way! Yusin! That technique you used…"

　　"I’ve got to hand it to you, man. How’d you do that?"

　　"Can you teach us?"

　　"A few of us are driving out for lunch. Want to come?"

　　The sudden crowd pushed Yoonjeong to the back of the pack.

　　Do these people have no shame? After looking down on me for so long, they were now swarming me, hoping for a few scraps. It was pathetic. But I had to admit, it felt good. So this was the taste of power. After years of eating dirt, the sudden sweetness was a bit of a shock.

　　I brushed off the flies, telling them we’d talk later, and quickly made my exit. I met Yoonjeong at a quiet café on campus.

　　"Your Unique Ability changed…?" she asked as soon as we sat down.

　　"Yeah." I removed the colored contact lens from my right eye. When she saw the iris shimmering with blue light, she gasped and covered her mouth.

　　"I-It’s true! What kind of ability is it?"

　　"To put it simply…" I conjured a Shield magic circle above my palm. "It lets me make things like this easily."

　　"Wow…!" Yoonjeong’s eyes went wide as she examined the intricate diagram from every angle. Her reaction was amusing, so I showed her my other two spells as well. After a moment of excited chatter, a bitter smile formed on her lips.

　　"Mana is the flashlight, and the Unique Ability is the lens," she said. "I guess a good Unique Ability can even create things like this."

　　I wasn’t so sure. I’d only been a magician for four days, but I was beginning to suspect that magic was entirely separate from Unique Abilites. It was a skill anyone with mana could learn, one that could be improved through effort, not just innate talent. If the truth about this power ever got out, it would probably turn the entire hunter world upside down.

　　"What are you thinking about so seriously?" Yoonjeong asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

　　"Oh, nothing." I shook my head and looked at her, then froze.

　　Name: Yoonjeong Han

　　Unique Ability: Coordinate Tracking

　　Personal Traits: [Precision Calculation Lv. 3], [Collector Lv. 1]

　　Basic Stats: [Magic 16], [Stamina 10], [Agility 6], [Strength 4]

　　Special Stats: [Intelligence 5], [Endurance 5]

　　Total Stats: [46]

　　I could see her status window. I’d assumed my old detection ability was gone, but it was still there. What an unexpected bonus.

　　"Hey, Yusin." Yoonjeong’s voice was ice-cold as she covered her chest with her hands. "Where are you looking?"

　　"Your status window."

　　"You just said your Unique Ability changed! You perverted piece of trash!"

　　But it’s true… She shot me a look of utter contempt before sighing and taking a sip of her coffee. "Anyway, congratulations. Now that you can raise your grades, you’ll be able to go on dungeon expeditions, too."

　　"I plan on graduating this month."

　　"…Huh?" She scrunched up her face. "Don’t tell me…"

　　"That’s right. I’m going to take the early graduation exam."

　　"Hey!" She shot up from her seat. "Do you even know what kind of exam that is—"

　　A sudden commotion cut her off. People in the café were hurriedly packing their things and leaving. Yoonjeong glanced at her watch and winced.

　　"Ah, I’m late! We’ll talk later! And please, try not to do anything crazy! Got it?" She rushed off to her next class.

　　After she left, I headed to the student council office alone. I got an application form and began to fill it out. The Early Graduation Exam Application. I felt bad for Yoonjeong, but as the Master of the Magic Tower, spending another two years here was a waste of time. I would graduate this month and get my hunter license.

　　Application in hand, I entered the student council office. It was lunchtime, so the room was empty except for a young-looking female student.

　　"H-hello! I’m part of the student council! How may I help you?"

　　A first-year? I figured. Probably was left behind because she’s a newbie. Feeling a faint sense of pity, I handed her the form. "I need to submit this."

　　She took the document, and her eyes widened in surprise. She looked from the paper to my face and back again.

　　"Is there a problem?"

　　She jumped. "Ah! S-Sorry! I see it’s an application for early graduation. I’ll give it to the administrative assistant when they get back."

　　Her shock was understandable. A second-year, non-combat student whose physical stats barely added up to twenty was applying for the early graduation exam. She was probably wondering if I was out of my mind.

　　"Thanks, I appreciate it."

　　Of course, I couldn’t care less what she thought. Right now, my confidence was soaring.

* * *

　　I returned to the Magic Tower. The dazzling golden lobby and strange experimental equipment on the first floor were still a jarring sight. As much as I wanted to continue my magic research, I realized I needed to understand what this place actually was. Looking back, I had been far too engrossed and careless.

　　"Ea."

　　At my call, a cluster of light gathered in the air, forming into the form of the beautiful, silver-haired woman.

　　"You called, Tower Master?"

　　"Tell me more about the Magic Tower."

　　She let out a soft sigh. "Did you only think to ask about it now?"

　　"I’m aware my priorities have been a bit skewed." That’s just how I am. Once I get into something, I can’t pull myself away. Before I dive back into researching magic, I should probably get a better grasp of this place.

　　"I have no personal memory of it, but I will explain based on the recorded data," she began. "As the initial recording stated, the Magic Tower was the central governing body for all magic on the continent of Erendel."

　　"So it’s called the Erendel continent."

　　The core of the Overlay phenomenon, the event that caused monsters from another world to appear, was that Earth had somehow overlapped with another dimension. So that other dimension was the continent of Erendel.

　　"At its height, the Magic Tower’s influence extended across the entire continent, encompassing its empires and kingdoms. Not even an emperor could defy the Tower Master. It was an era where magic was economic power, military might, and culture itself."

　　"Hmm."

　　The Magic Tower was the birthplace of magic—its very cradle. Countless spells and marvels of magitech had originated within these walls, evolving into myriad forms over the ages.

　　"And all of that technology is still preserved here?" I asked.

　　"Affirmative," Ea confirmed. "The properties of mana differ from planet to planet, so I cannot guarantee that Erendel’s technology can be perfectly replicated on Earth. A significant portion, however, should be adaptable. The fact you have already reproduced the three basic magic circles, Tower Master, is a highly encouraging sign."

　　Heh. Flattery will get you nowhere, I thought wryly.

　　"So, what was this first floor used for?" I asked, gesturing toward the tangled mess of pipes and experimental apparatus.

　　"The first floor was primarily dedicated to brewing potions."

　　"Potions?"

　　First mana, then superhumans, and now potions. This world felt more like a game every day. Then again, it wasn’t so strange. The real question was, how much would a potion be worth?

　　No such liquid, like a magical elixir that could heal wounds with a single sip, existed on Earth. There were a handful of Healers with Unique Abilities of recovery, but they were exceptionally rare. Most players carried nothing more than a first-aid kit, and only the larger guilds could afford to bring a dedicated medical team on raids. Only a top-tier guild could afford a healer on its permanent roster.

　　So, what would happen if I started selling potions?

　　It would be a gold mine, no question.

　　A grin spread across my face at the thought of the profits, a complete business plan already unfolding in my mind. I even knew the perfect person for the job, but I pushed the thought aside. Making money could wait until tomorrow; today was for understanding this tower.

　　"Come to think of it, this is a tower, right? If the first floor is for brewing potions… does that mean each floor serves a different function?"

　　"Your deduction is correct, Tower Master. The Magic Tower’s floors are divided by function."

　　That was eye-opening. With nine floors in total, that meant there were eight unique technologies to uncover, excluding the Tower Master’s room at the top. Potion brewing alone could set me up for generations. How incredible must the other floors be?

　　"Then what’s on the second floor? And the third?"

　　"I do not know."

　　"…You don’t know?" I asked, incredulous. "I thought you were the homunculus who manages the entire tower."

　　"The Magic Tower is currently sealed from the second floor upward. My data and management functions for the subsequent floors are also locked."

　　Sealed? I had assumed all the tower’s seals were released when I became its master.

　　"Pardon me for a moment." She placed a hand lightly on my forehead, and a new interface materialized before my eyes.

　　[Magic Tower of Erendel]

　　Lord: Kim Yusin.

　　Development: Low.

　　Total Personnel: 1.

　　Mana Reserves: 7,550,000

　　1st Floor: Potion Brewing Bureau / [Potion Brewer: None] – Please fill the position.

　　2nd Floor: ???

　　3rd Floor: ???

　　4th Floor: ???

　　5th Floor: ???

　　6th Floor: ???

　　7th Floor: ???

　　8th Floor: ???

　　9th Floor: Tower Master’s Room / [Tower Master: Kim Yusin]

　　[Territory Unique Abilities]

　　Mana Core: The mana generator is in perpetual operation, maintaining the tower’s mana at a constant level.

　　Shape-Memory Alloy: The walls of the Magic Tower are forged from a special alloy that returns to its original form over time, even after sustaining heavy impact.

　　Natural Regeneration: Members of the Magic Tower receive enhanced health and mana regeneration while inside.

　　"This isn’t a status window."

　　"It is a similar interface. A territory version that displays the current state of your domain."

　　"Huh. So there’s something like this, too."

　　I scanned the window. Just as Ea had said, the second through eighth floors were marked with triple question marks.

　　"So how do I break the seals on the other floors?"

　　"For a detailed explanation, a book would serve you better than my words. Shall we proceed to the ninth floor?"

　　We returned to the Tower Master’s room. I rode the magic circle elevator, while she simply materialized from a gathering of light particles. She led me to the bookshelf—the very one where I’d found The Fundamentals of Magic. After rummaging through a few tomes, I found something unusual. It wasn’t so much a book as an old, worn notebook. It looked like someone’s diary.

* * *