Chapter 003…..
Master of the Tower (3)
A felt the weight of his mistake profoundly.
“I let my emotions get the better of me.”
He had lost control, letting his anger flare at those who dared to covet this blessed place. That failure in pacing was unforgivable.
Not knowing the boss’s existence was no excuse. Even the simplest minds would likely have a leader. It was obvious.
A realized just how much inexperience he had.
But no matter how much he reflected on his mistake, there was no “next chance” in a real battle.
Clenching his fists, ready to self-destruct, a voice resounded in his mind:
[How can a newborn bird fly freely through the sky, or protect itself?]
“I feel sorrow for disappointing you.”
[Ridiculous. No parent is disappointed by a child’s mistake. A, you must learn and grow. I shall bless you for it.]
“This is…”
A looked at the vial that had appeared in his hand.
Though small, the mana within it was ferocious.
He instinctively understood: this was a gift from the god, meant to protect him so he could defend himself.
“Your mercy covers the earth and reaches the sky.”
Kieek!
The crude spear held by the leaping goblin warrior glinted sharply under the sunlight.
Yet within, A’s mind remained calm, like a still lake.
Gulp.
The potion slid down his throat, sending unprecedented mana surging through his body. The mana that had been draining away in an instant overflowed, swirling outward like a storm.
Instinct screamed:
“This is power beyond my control.”
If he didn’t release it immediately, his body would explode.
Quickly, A extended his staff. The mana twisted violently, releasing its mystery.
Ignition.
“Burn!”
Flare!
In that instant, A wielded divine power, a living embodiment of flames.
The emerging fire consumed not only the charging goblin warrior but all surviving goblins as well.
Efficiency was forgotten entirely; all focus went into transforming mana into flames.
The plain became engulfed in fire in a single instant.
“Ha… haha.”
A watched in disbelief at the scene he had created before collapsing backward, exhausted.
The cost of using power far beyond his capacity had arrived.
“I must extinguish the fire quickly…”
But his body was too weak even to lift a finger. With a sense of apology, he looked up at the sky…
Plop.
Raindrops began to fall, starting with a slap against his cheek.
Who could not feel awe at such power and mercy?
Thus, A prayed sincerely:
“I hope that one day I may, even in a small way, be of help to you.”
At that moment, elsewhere…
Shinwoo quietly thought:
“This is insane.”
[Magic Tower-affiliated mage’s gate conquest detected.]
[“Master of the Tower” activated. – The one who stands atop the tower shall claim all within it.]
[“Swarming Forest (F)” conquest reward granted.]
[Tower Master, Sung Shinwoo’s body and mana have grown.]
[15 Low-tier Mana Stones granted as reward.]
“…Seriously insane.”
Even mages under his command level up when he does.
The sweetness of it all was almost too much to bear.
Yes, this is good.
Humanity has always wielded the blade of knowledge to carve out the world.
They illuminated the unknown, recorded it, and brought it into the realm of understanding—as if to know everything.
Yet the world remains full of mysteries.
We still haven’t fully understood the depths of the oceans.
We don’t even fully know how our own bodies work and react.
And then there are suddenly appearing gates and systems.
Religious circles claim gates are the work of demons for the apocalypse, while systems are divine blessings—sparking controversy.
Modern medicine can’t explain patients healed by awakening after cancer—doctors just repeat that it’s unknown.
Lab directors claim the system perfectly understands intelligent beings’ behavior, proving the existence of a great entity—
For 25 years, humanity has tried to understand gates and systems, learning only that they cannot.
Still, not knowing the principles of a smartphone doesn’t stop one from using it.
“I don’t know why, but a gate appeared in the Magic Tower, the mage dealt with it, and I get the leftovers.”
Evidence lay before Shinwoo: mana-infused stones.
Fifteen low-tier mana stones in total.
“The going rate for these nowadays… about 50,000 won each?”
He checked—Oseong Group had entered the semiconductor industry using mana stones, driving the price to 60,000 won each.
That’s 900,000 won falling from the sky.
“And it’s all mine.”
Hunters usually share rewards among a team. But Shinwoo would claim all the spoils alone.
Timing couldn’t have been better. The PC café he worked at had closed due to the recession.
900,000 won was a lifesaving windfall for his parched wallet.
“Wow, didn’t expect A to handle this with just a single bottle of Bacchus.”
Seeing A sweep through goblins while mana nearly depleted was astonishing.
Even Shinwoo, who had drunk Bacchus himself, had tried a bottle just in case—and nothing happened.
“Lucky that it rained, too.”
He had spilled water from a bottle onto the system interface in a panic, nearly causing a disaster. By the time he got fresh water, the area would have burned entirely.
“Maybe it was actually the rain that saved things…”
Splash.
“…I need to clean this up.”
Water alone only wet the floor. Shinwoo sighed and went to fetch a rag, his tension leaving him limp.
Yet he endured when seeing someone in even worse condition.
[Mage A suffers “Mana Overload”.]
“Good job. Go rest.”
[Mage A moves to “Meditation Room”.]
A stumbled into the half-destroyed meditation room and sat cross-legged.
The magic circle on the floor glowed emerald green, indicating recovery.
Yet the scene was… pitiful.
“Yes, meditating in a dusty room is pretty sad.”
Cracks ran across the floor and walls; one might even fear the building collapsing.
“Is there a way to repair the meditation room?”
At that moment, a message appeared:
[Meditation Room Lv.1 (Damaged)] – Recovers health and mana through meditation.
Note: Efficiency greatly reduced in its damaged state; risk of mental strain.
Repair materials: Logs 0/10, Rocks 0/5, Mana 0/30
Required personnel: Low-tier mage 0/1
Materials existed, but not the items themselves. Sending real-world items would deplete the tower’s mana.
The system offered a solution.
Ding!
[Insufficient materials.]
[Dispatch Mage A to “Swarming Forest (F)”?]
[Dispatching can yield repair materials, and rare items may be discovered inside the gate.]
“Oh.”
Like a hunter, A could be sent to gather resources.
Yet…
[Mage A is in “Mana Overload” state.]
[Efficiency will decrease, and risk of injury rises if dispatched.]
[Send anyway?]
“…Then don’t send him.”
A, unaware of the situation, remained calm.
Fast! Fast! Fast! Pa-pa pa-ba-ba-bat!
“Ugh!”
The bugle jolted Shinwoo upright like a spring.
Even half a year after leaving the military, the sound still woke him instantly.
“Oh, when did I fall asleep?”
A had apparently dozed off while meditating.
Still, must be the awakening… I slept well for the first time in ages.
Stretching, Shinwoo checked his phone, reassured by the modern habit.
Several missed calls—Kim lady from the countryside.
“Oh, good morning, Ms. Kim.”
Early call, huh.
“I was asleep.”What about work?
“…I said I was resting. Ms. Kim knows I wouldn’t work even on my birthday.”
Sometimes, a good lie is necessary.
Don’t just laze around—clean your room too.
“Yes, yes… But are you sleeping well yourself? Christmas must be busy with the church.”
Ms. Kim was always busy helping at the church during holidays.
Bought the seaweed soup?
“Of course~”
Shinwoo glanced at the seaweed ramen in the kitchen. It counted, at least.
Send a photo as proof.
“Mom… must you doubt me so? God teaches trust…”Just take the picture. Now.
“…It’s seaweed soup.”
He sent a photo of the ramen; the reply came instantly:
You know how bad ramen is for you!
“Real seaweed soup isn’t much different… but of course I can’t say that, haha.”
Send proof today or I’m coming.
“Alright, I’ll send it for sure.”
After a few minutes, the call ended with laughter.
Shinwoo exhaled at the cold air seeping through the window.
“Ah~ don’t want to go out.”
But he couldn’t rely on delivery alone, especially on his birthday.
Better get more Bacchus while I’m at it.
And maybe buy anything useful I see.
His mood brightened at the thought.
[Mage A awakens from meditation.]
[“Mana Overload” cleared.]
Shinwoo immediately gave orders:
[Dispatch Mage A to “Swarming Forest (F)”.]
[Estimated duration: 5 hours]
“One movie, a quick trip to the mart, and we’re back.”
Thanks to the mana stones, he could even treat himself. Shinwoo whistled happily down the Christmas streets, unaware of what A might bring back to make up for his earlier mistake.
