At last, the fifth-floor trial.

'This is the most detestable trial I remember. Demanding I use flight magic out of the blue!'

Just as Anton's diary described, the fifth floor was a test of a mage's flight ability. Below me was nothing but a black, bottomless abyss. The mere thought of falling was terrifying. Dotted throughout the void were thin, precarious strips of land—the only places to rest. They looked so fragile that a single touch might shatter them, and their length gave a rough idea of just how deep the chasm was.

If I had come in blind, this would have been a nightmare. The trial was brutally difficult even for someone who knew fourth-order flight magic; I couldn't imagine the hell it would be for someone forced to learn it from scratch here.

-Tower Master. Another 'Cancellation' is coming.

"Okay."

For a split second, the world flashed white. Every active spell in the field was dispelled, reverting to raw mana. My wings vanished, and I plummeted downward. As if on cue, magic circles bloomed in the air, loosing a volley of mana arrows.

Normally, this would be an incredibly difficult maneuver: recasting flight magic without a single tremor while in a high-speed fall, all while dodging a barrage of projectiles. It was a viciously designed challenge. I wanted to have a word with whoever designed it.

However…

'Why do I feel so relaxed?'

I didn't need to chant a spell. All I had to do was press a button on the device strapped to my back.

-Wing golem reboot complete.

Responsive wings of magic erupted from my back. A blue ring of energy pulsed from them, and I shot upward. From there, dodging the mana arrows tracked by my Deva's Eye was child's play.

[Predictive Evasion has reached Lv. 6.]

[Willpower has increased by 3.]

[Agility has increased by 1.]

As expected of a trial, my traits and stats were rising nicely.

-Tower Master. The 'red lines' are coming.

A web of lasers, like something out of a spy movie, spread across the entire field and converged on me. This, too, was easy. I switched the wing golem to hover mode, then simply bent backward and tilted my head to let them pass.

-Tower Master. 3,850 projectiles are incoming.

I'd already dealt with this during the Classic Gate Disaster. I mapped a safe route with Deva's Eye and followed it at high speed.

-Cancellation!

Just like before. The wings vanished. I waited a beat, then pressed the button.

-These magic circles deliver an electric shock on contact.

An upgraded version of the projectiles. Of course, as long as I didn't touch them, it was fine.

-Gravity will reverse in five seconds. Prepare for the subsequent mana arrows.

Mixing it up didn't change a thing.

[Flight has reached Lv. 5.]

[Agility has increased by 15.]

[Magic Power has increased by 5.]

[Focus has increased by 3.]

"Ea."

-Yes, Tower Master.

"This is too easy."

-So it seems.

"Hehe. Have I gotten that much stronger? Or is this trial just that boring?"

I could feel her disdain, but it couldn't be helped. This was supposed to be a challenge, yet it felt like a walk in the park. Of course, the mages of Erendel who designed this could never have conceived of the wing golem, a fusion of hunter and golem technology.

"Already at the boss fight."

The end of the stage was blocked by a massive rock wall with a single platform jutting out from its center. On it, I could see the portal to the next area.

"Well, that was fun."

I landed on the platform and deactivated the wing golem, then casually stepped onto the transportation magic circle.

[Moving to the trial's final boss room.]

[Clearing the boss room will open the Magic Tower's 5th Floor, the Dimension Hall.]

[Once you enter the boss room, you cannot leave.]

[Do you wish to enter the boss room?]

I briefly stepped off the circle.

"Alright, Ea. Give it to me straight."

-Yes, Tower Master.

"Is there any point in going back to the start and running through it again?"

-Data analysis complete. At your current pace, there is almost no potential for further stat growth by repeating this stage.

"That's what I thought."

-Indeed.

I stepped back onto the magic circle.

"I accept the challenge."

My body shimmered and was transported to the next location.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, I was in a new space. It was indoors, with a floor, a ceiling, and four walls. After fighting for so long in that dizzying void, the solid ground was a relief. I stomped my foot for good measure.

A stream trickled through the area. Flowers and grass grew in abundance, and butterflies fluttered through the air. It was a beautiful, sanctuary-like cavern. But there were clearly artificial elements as well. A closer look at the walls revealed they were covered in dense script.

'Not Erendelese… Ah, it's Haimic.'

It was the language used by high nobles in Erendel to distinguish themselves from commoners. It wasn't a language I was fluent in, so translation took a moment longer, but it wasn't difficult to read.

But this…

-It's a magic circle.

It was definitely a magic circle. A rare one, at that—a second-order lightning spell, something not even found in 'The Fundamentals of Magic'. Not just the wall in front of me, but every surface of the sanctuary—walls and ceiling alike—was covered with detailed explanations of different magic circles.

"…Wow, this is insane."

A cheer escaped my lips with every new wall I examined. Any mage would be consumed by a burning desire for knowledge here. I brushed some dust from a wall and began to interpret the text. The formulas weren't common or public; they were constructed in a completely unique style. Even if I never used this magic in combat, the academic value of simply studying these new formulas was immense.

As I was engrossed in my discovery…

'Rumble!'

A giant statue in the center of the sanctuary began to stir, shaking off ancient dirt and roots as it rose.

"Avert your filthy eyes, grave robber."

I clicked my tongue in disappointment and watched it. The boss fight had begun.

"I will not allow you to steal the precious heritage of my ancestors!"

A boss that could talk. The statue rose to its full height. It was enormous, at least fifteen meters tall—so large it would hit the ceiling if it jumped. In its hands, it held a massive glaive. I knew a fight was inevitable, but maybe there was room for negotiation?

"Wait a minute! I didn't come to steal anything. I'm just here to appreciate the wonderful legacy your ancestors left behind…"

"NONSENSE!!"

The thunderous voice shook the entire sanctuary. I covered my ears.

"Reading our legacy with those 'eyes'—what is that if not grave robbing, candidate for Tower Master!"

Well now. Like the virtual Anton from the fourth floor, this boss possessed a certain degree of knowledge.

"BEGONE!"

A single, gleaming blue line of energy shot toward me. The line expanded, becoming a world of its own, and just before it swallowed me, I activated the Devastar I had planted in my right foot.

'SWOOOOSH!'

The glaive sliced through the air, and the shockwave was so powerful it reached me even as I dodged upward. 'Oof, one hit from that and I'd be dust.'

The Guardian's swing instantly corrected its form, transitioning into a thrust. I frantically kicked off the ceiling to propel myself away as the blunt end of the weapon slammed into the spot where I'd just been.

"You dodge well, like a little mouse!"

I activated the wing golem and planted my feet on the wall. My throat went dry as tension mounted. This wouldn't be easy. The boss fight was a battle to the death, and this thing had no intention of letting me live.

-Tower Master! It's coming!

Once again, the blue line of energy streaked toward me, seeming to wrap around the world itself.

* * *

Twenty-four hours after Kim Yusin entered the trial.

The three of them were still camped out on the stairs, waiting. Bora had a dungeon assignment, so she didn't have to go to the academy. She had stopped by the dummy factory, brewed the day's potion quota, and returned to her post. Seojin had dropped Eunsol at her player education center, then immediately returned to the stairs to work. Time flew by. When he went to pick Eunsol up and brought her back to the tower, Yusin was still gone.

"Bora, you should at least get some sleep," Seojin finally said, unable to watch her any longer. "We're not staging a hunger strike. I'm sure he's fine."

She stared at the black portal Yusin had entered and shook her head.

"When he goes into a trial, he usually comes back after a few hours. Why isn't he back yet? Ea isn't responding, either…"

"He might have challenged the boss room immediately."

"Even for a boss fight, doesn't taking over twenty-four hours seem strange?"

This time, even Seojin had no answer. He bit his lip. Bora hung her head, and Eunsol hugged her tightly.

"Bora, be strong."

"Okay, Sol."

Seojin was desperately racking his brain. Yusin had never been this late. The second-floor trial had taken several attempts before he'd faced the boss. The same for the third and fourth floors; he always challenged the boss only when he was in perfect condition. That was his way. Had something gone wrong before the boss fight? But if something had happened to Yusin, Ea should have returned to tell them. Her complete silence meant she was still busy supporting him. No news was good news.

But then another unsettling thought surfaced: if the current Tower Master dies, the current homunculus is automatically disposed of. 'Could her silence mean…'

'Thud!'

The thought was so jarring that Seojin unknowingly banged his forehead on the floor. Bora stared at him in shock.

"Wh-what's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Seeing even the ever-stoic Seojin begin to waver sent a chill of fear through Bora. It made her feel like she wasn't just being overly sensitive—that the situation was genuinely dangerous.

"Hey, seriously! Don't do that! You scared me!"

"My apologies."

Seojin lifted his head and pushed up his glasses, his gaze returning to his laptop, but his expression was distant, half-dazed.

"Bora…" Eunsol, nestled in Bora's arms, burst into tears. The anxiety was contagious. "Yusin is coming back, right? He can come back?"

"Yeah, yeah. He'll definitely be back," Bora replied, her eyes fixed on the portal.

* * *

While everyone was anxiously awaiting his return…

"Hahahahaha!"

Yusin was out of his mind. For twenty-six hours, he'd been fighting the trial boss on an empty stomach, without a wink of sleep. The battle showed no signs of ending. The reason for that, of course…

"A new fire-type magic, got it!"

…was simply his own greed.

'Ea! Did you record all these magic formulas?'

-Yes, Tower Master. But perhaps it is time for you to return…

'Next up is that one! An acceleration magic circle! Unbelievable!'

Yusin's eyes were wild with avarice. And next to him…

"You bastard! There is a limit to how much you can ignore me!"

The Guardian shrieked as it swung its glaive, but Yusin dodged without even looking back, then stuck himself to the ceiling again to scan the magic circles. The Guardian, completely outmaneuvered, had been reduced to nothing more than a background prop.

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