Now that I knew the trick, there was no reason to hesitate. I re-equipped the gauntlet on my right hand and charged the fallen golem. My magic had already chipped away most of its health. I dodged its flailing arms, closed the distance, and slammed the gauntlet into its head.

'KABOOM!'

The golem's head shattered into pieces.

[Strength has increased by 1.]

[Stamina has increased by 1.]

[Magic has increased by 1.]

"Hah! Hah! Hooo…!"

I braced my hands on my knees, panting heavily. I had finally won.

'Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!'

'Rumble!'

But before I could revel in my victory, three more golems rose from the ground.

'This is as far as I go.'

I didn't have the strength to fight three more. Before they could fully rise, I sprinted for the exit portal and stepped through.

* * *

'Sa… save me.'

No matter how many times I did this, an insane wave of fatigue washed over me whenever I left the Trial. I chugged the energy drink Ea had prepared, then washed my blood-soaked body in the Magic Tower's shower. After changing into fresh clothes, I felt a little more human.

I decided to regroup with the others and formulate a plan. It was late, so Eunsol was already sound asleep. We gathered in the lobby so we wouldn't wake her.

"Wow, isn't that just too much?" Bora fumed on my behalf after hearing the story. "Giving a mage a golem with magic immunity! How are you supposed to beat that?"

"Somehow, I managed to take it down with Gauntlet," I replied, downing a bottle of water.

"But, Tower Master," Seojin spoke up, "it's not as if magic is completely ineffective, is it? I heard you were able to inflict damage with Rapid Arrow."

"Yeah, that's right. Rapid Arrow has a physical component, so I can beat it with raw damage. But to do that, the golem needs to stay in one place, and I have no way to completely immobilize that thing."

"I see."

I crossed my arms, lost in thought. Why put a magic-immune monster in a mage's Trial?

"It might seem unfair, but I believe every Trial has a purpose intended by its creator."

Everyone fell silent. Seojin was the first to speak.

"Perhaps it's a message not to rely too heavily on magic alone."

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" Bora shot him a glare. "If a mage doesn't rely on magic, what are they supposed to rely on?"

"Affirmative. The Scribe's words are not without merit."

Ea, who had been watching quietly, chimed in. Bora looked stunned, and Seojin blushed… wait, why was he blushing?

"According to the records, the greatest enemy of mages on the continent of Erendel was not other mages, but knights."

"Knights?"

"Yes. The knights of Erendel armed themselves with gear that had anti-magic effects to fight mages. The effects of this gear were so significant that scholars of the time even spoke of the downfall of the Magic Tower and mages."

We nodded, listening intently.

"Of course, the Magic Tower found various ways to counter anti-magic gear. Still, since it was a power that once greatly threatened mages, I believe this Trial reflects the intent of the previous Tower Masters to prepare their successors for such a threat."

"Hmm."

The purpose of the Trial was to foster my growth. Considering the history, her words made perfect sense.

"And there is one more thing," Seojin said. "Tower Master, you are perfect as you are, but you have one weakness."

"A weakness?"

"That is…"

Seojin suddenly ripped off his shirt and struck a pose.

"A lack of muscle."

I was left speechless.

Bora made a gagging sound with a look of utter disgust, while Ea quietly turned her head away. Embarrassed, Seojin cleared his throat and sat back down.

"My apologies for that brief display, Tower Master."

"…You're a real piece of work, you know that?"

"It was a joke to lighten the mood. In any case, what I wanted to point out is the imbalance in your stats."

"Imbalance?"

"Yes. Aren't they too heavily skewed toward magic?"

He was right. I opened my Status Window.

Name: Kim Yusin

Unique Ability: Sage's Eye

Personal Traits: [Child of Mana Lv.2], [Master of the Magic Tower Lv.10], [Magic Engineering Lv.10], [Spell Lord Lv.10], [Over-immersion Lv.8], [Potion Brewing Lv.5], [Information Processing Lv.5], [Multi-Cast Lv.5], [Accelerated Cast Lv.4], [Remote Cast Lv.3], [Analysis Lv.2], [Mana Breathing Lv.1]

Basic Stats: [Magic 162], [Stamina 14], [Agility 12], [Strength 9]

Special Stats: [Concentration 25], [Intelligence 11], [Willpower 9], [Endurance 3]

Total Stats: [245]

Even I had to admit my stats were excessively lopsided. If my magic was sealed, I was basically a walking scarecrow.

"It might be different for mages, but for hunters, balanced stat growth is crucial. It's not just about the total, but the balance as well."

"That's a good point."

Stat growth increased significantly in the Trial. For my own development, it seemed necessary to shelve my powerful elemental magic for now. What if I fought primarily with physical attacks centered around Gauntlet? This was a perfect opportunity to boost the agility, stamina, and strength I was lacking.

"Of course, the most important thing is developing a new physical-type magic!"

I nodded at Bora's words.

"I've already got a few ideas."

"Ooh! What are they?"

Instead of answering, I placed my hand on her arm. Bora covered her mouth demurely.

"Oh my, so sudden."

"…It's not like that, so be quiet."

'Vwoom!'

A Gauntlet magic circle formed over her arm.

"Huh? Isn't this just a normal Gauntlet spell?"

"Try moving it."

As she moved her arm up and down, her eyes widened.

"Wow, this is amazing! It's not falling off!"

"I modified the formula slightly to add an adhesion effect. If I expand it to second-order and combine it with an adhesion rune, I should be able to use it in combat."

"You just thought of that now? Ugh, I hate people who are naturally gifted." Bora gasped.

I dispelled the magic circle on her arm and turned my head.

"More importantly, can you two spare some time tomorrow? I need your help." Yusin asked.

They both nodded readily.

"Leave it to me, Yusin!"

"I will provide my full support for the opening of the Magic Tower's upper floors."

And so, I began special training to conquer the Third Floor Trial.

* * *

Third Floor Trial. Third attempt.

'Rumble!'

Watching the golems rise from the ground, I did some light stretching. A lot had happened. Seojin had taught me some simple martial arts, and I was now wearing a Mana Suit that Bora had swiped from the student council's storage. The goal for this third attempt wasn't to clear the Trial; it was to build the body needed to clear it. And there was no more perfect sparring partner than these golems.

'Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!'

The golem charged in to crush the intruder. In response, I spread my hands. The formula flashed through my mind like lightning, and a Gauntlet magic circle with 100% proficiency formed. I equipped it and measured the distance with the Sage's Eye.

'WHOOSH!'

As the giant arm swung, I ducked so low my chest nearly touched the ground. It was a risky dodge, but the trajectory calculated by the Sage's Eye was precise, and more importantly…

[Agility has increased by 1.]

This was the best way to raise stats. Until my second attempt, evasion had been difficult, and I'd had to rely on the Gauntlet booster. But now, my own movements were faster, and I had grown accustomed to the golem's patterns. Next, its left arm swung.

'SWISH!'

I dodged the attack that swept low across the ground by stepping on a shield I created in mid-air and tumbling upwards.

[Agility has increased by 1.]

While still airborne, I cast another shield and planted my right foot on it. Just as the golem's next attack came crashing in, I bent my knees and pushed off with all my might. The golem's arm, a moment too late, sliced through empty air.

[Concentration has increased by 1.]

The golem might have thought that was a decisive blow, but this was my third round with it. Its patterns were already burned into my brain. Time to attack again. I laid a Gauntlet magic circle in front of the golem and waited. The moment its arm approached, I lifted my body slightly and pulled my left arm back, then activated the Gauntlet booster.

My body shot toward the golem's head at incredible speed. I extended my right arm, passed it through the magic circle I had set up earlier, and smashed it home!

'SLAM!'

The golem's massive body, which had withstood flame bombardments and a barrage of Rapid Arrows, staggered heavily.

[Strength has increased by 2.]

As the golem's rear hit the floor, I landed safely and equipped two more gauntlets.

'Nice, nice.'

It couldn't compare to the thrill of reaching a new level with magic, but having my body move exactly as I intended felt pretty damn good. Just then, the fallen golem pushed itself up from the ground.

"Yeah, that's more like it!"

The sparring continued. My strength and agility stats rose without end. My stamina rose more slowly at first, but as the fight dragged on and I started to tire, it too began to grow rapidly.

They say a healthy mind dwells in a healthy body. They were right. As my stamina improved, I could immerse myself in mana for longer and felt more at ease in every situation. Tricks like using a shield as a mid-air foothold now came to me without difficulty.

I was grateful to the former Tower Masters who designed this. This was a Trial I desperately needed. No matter how fast my casting was, if I couldn't react to my opponent's movements, it was all for nothing.

Of course, my makeshift movements for survival were a far cry from a systematically trained hunter's, but it didn't matter. I was releasing years of pent-up frustration, achieving in days what would have taken years at a player-exclusive gym. The golem raised both arms and began to unleash a flurry of attacks.

'KABOOOM!'

[Agility has increased by 1.]

'CRASH!'

[Stamina has increased by 1.]

My stats rose exponentially with every exchange. Seeing the golem's missed swing, I lowered my own arm to counterattack, preparing to activate the Gauntlet booster. At that moment, a thought flashed through my head.

'This is still too slow.'

Create the gauntlet, put my hand in, equip it, aim, then activate. It was too cumbersome. Gauntlet was a striking skill; using it for evasion was inherently inefficient. I needed a magic circle specialized for movement, for smoother evasion and leaps. In a state of extreme immersion, my mind began to spin. The various runes and formulas I had learned flashed through my mind. Despite being in the middle of a battle, I placed my hand on the ground and began to sketch.

Several ideas came to mind, but what I wanted was simple: to remove the power from Gauntlet and keep only the rushing force of its activation. I took the 'Rune of Impact' as the main component and began to completely rewrite its structural formula.

-Warning! The golem is attacking. You must evade, Tower Master!

No. If I ran now, I might lose this flash of inspiration forever. I would finish it here. My fingers danced like mad, drawing out the formula, erasing and rewriting again and again.

'WHOOSH!'

The golem's arm descended, but I still had to finish the formula. At this point, I couldn't dodge without this new magic circle. 'Squeeze it out.' Pushed to the brink, my brain spun furiously, pulling me back into that deep state of immersion.

'That's it! Make the trigger instantaneous…!'

I finished the last formula and completed the magic circle. I immediately stepped on it with my right leg. Not worn, but activated by stepping on it—a derivative of Gauntlet.

<Leap Boots>

Condensed pressure exploded from the tip of my foot, and my body shot out like a bullet.

"It worked!"

A thrilling sensation coursed through me.

[You have created your own original magic circle.]

[Magic has increased by 3.]

[Concentration has increased by 1.]

[<Leap Boots> <Kim Yusin Original>]

Magic Circle Rank: C+

Order: second-order

Classification: Output-type

Granted Functions:

-Leap

-Output Control

Understanding: 65

Endurance: 10

Operability: 40

Output: 134

Perfect! It was a dedicated technique that allowed me to use the physical output of the 'Rune of Impact' as a booster. I immediately chanted Leap Boots right under my feet.

'Ea. You can do this, right? Finish the formula.'

-Understood.

I entrusted the completion of the magic circle to her and focused on the golem. It reacquired my position and raised its arm.

-It is complete.

'Activating.'

My body flew like a shot put. The golem's arm, already swung with full force, cut through empty air, and once again, it had allowed me to get right in front of its head. Waiting there, in front of its already heavily cracked face, were the two Gauntlet magic circles I had set up earlier. I immediately passed both my arms through them and struck the golem's head.

'CRAAAAAACK!'

Blue sparks scattered as the golem's head was completely shattered.

[Strength has increased by 2.]

[Agility has increased by 2.]

[Stamina has increased by 2.]

[Magic has increased by 2.]

In a feat that raised my total stats by eight at once, I landed on the ground. The massive body then fell, shaking the entire temple with a 'THUD!' I felt exhilarated. Leap Boots. This was the spell I absolutely had to obtain to clear this Trial.

'Rumble! Rumble!'

Just then, new golems began to rise from the ground.

-Three golems have appeared. What will you do now, Tower Master?

"What do you think?"

I walked forward.

"The sparring is over. Now it's time to test the new magic I've developed."

It looked like I wouldn't be sleeping tonight. I was addicted to growth.

"Continue."

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