‘Ugh...’
I perched on my staff, observing the ground below with a disgusted expression.
On the surface of the Floating Island, it’s hard to find dirt or green vegetation. This island is an artificial one, more advanced than the Siyoram, so the material itself is different.
On that ground, golems are packed densely, like beans in a sprout jar. Golems with magic auras light up, forming a disciplined formation and fiercely chasing after me.
‘How long is this going to keep growing?’
When I first encountered the golems, I unleashed magic, even using beasts, indiscriminately pouring spells out, obliterating the golems trying to regenerate.
But even after clearing them out, new golems pop up from the ground in no time.
‘There are too many.’
It wasn’t just a few hundred like the first time; it was a number that truly filled the ground, and I instinctively recoiled.
A gloved arm suddenly emerged from the ground, pushing itself up. As if pulling itself out of the mud, the golem effortlessly joined the chase.
‘The ground and material are the same. It’s being made in real-time.’
No matter how much I destroy them, they keep increasing. After over an hour of fighting, I realized that I would just be stuck at this rate and decided to retreat strategically.
The Floating Island was vast enough. Everywhere I went, golems stationed as guards would chase after and join the pursuit. And the golems that popped out of the ground at intervals would stick to the tail.
The result was this large-scale game of tag.
At that moment, a unit of golems stomped the ground hard and stopped simultaneously. Then, as if on cue, all of them pulled their hands back.
Crack...! As magic activated, intricate lines of mana shot through the weapons held in their hands. Moments later, they fired the weapons with tremendous force.
A complicated noise followed as they cut through the air. I watched the countless weapons soaring into the sky, then waved my hand.
With a dull rumble, a beam of light was released. The straight beam shot through the incoming attacks and knocked them out of the air. Then, I swiftly waved the continuous beam sideways, cutting off the golem's ankles.
Thud thud thud! Golems whose ankles were severed skidded along the ground. Some of the golems behind them tripped, while most of them ignored it and continued the chase.
I observed the magic being activated. Immediately, I formed a contract with the beast and surrounded myself with dozens of layers of defensive shields.
The shields were violently crushed by the pressure. The sound of them crumpling and tearing from the outside was horrifying.
‘What is this? Space magic? Or wind magic?’
The interference wasn’t just from the golems, but also from the Floating Island itself.
From earlier, the magic trying to throw me to the ground, and now, offensive magic targeting me—these were prime examples.
I quickly removed the broken shield and wrapped myself with a new one. I also intercepted the attacks coming from below and bought some time.
‘Hmm...’
After a moment, I paused, confirming the growing number of golems and the periodic magical attacks from the Floating Island.
‘They’re definitely keeping an eye on me.’
The golems, the Floating Island... It seems the Tower of Knowledge’s master is allowing this.
I observed the magical formulas engraved on the golems. The structure of the golem’s body and armor, its material and components, and the engraved formulas were all stored in my mind.
There were things I couldn’t understand. There were highly advanced techniques that I couldn’t interpret with my current level, but I did recognize some magic that I could figure out.
What was clear, though, was that the golems weren’t using all of their functions. They were holding back and allowing me to escape.
It felt strange.
The golems created by the Tower’s master shouldn’t be this weak.
The golems I fought in the original story weren’t this weak.
Of course, they turned into dust after a slap from the 11th round, but it was odd that the golems were being torn apart by my rough spells.
The same went for the Floating Island.
‘This Floating Island is the Tower of Knowledge’s workshop.’
A workshop.
A place where a wizard dyes the world with their magic.
Although it wasn’t something I realized in the original story, I figured it out after observing the entire Floating Island. This island is made of magic.
The ground is made of metal and rocks, but they’re objects created with magic by the Tower’s master.
Also, intricate and three-dimensional magical formulas are engraved in the ground, with no gaps or spaces. It’s a magic so complex it could only be described as madness.
Everything is the Tower of Knowledge’s magic. The master designed this, and this is magic created for the master themselves. This place is no different from a workshop built by the Tower’s master.
Moreover, the fact that I can use my poor magic without much trouble is proof that the master is allowing it.
‘Heh...’
A workshop this big... floating in the sky? I was just amazed and overwhelmed, but anyone immersed in magic would probably faint if they saw it.
I was curious what Baije, who deals with pure magic, would think when I show him this later.
‘The Tower’s master... maybe he’s not as crazy as I thought?’
Of course, I still had suspicions, but it didn’t seem like his sole intention was to turn me into a pancake. If he truly wanted to kill me, he wouldn’t have sent weak punches from the golems but a barrage of magic.
‘Should I head straight to the Tower of Knowledge? Or should I train a bit more before going...’
I briefly pondered.
Now that I realized the Tower’s master was watching over me, a strange sense of danger subsided a little.
‘...Maybe just a little more before going.’
The conclusion came quickly. My condition wasn’t bad enough to head to the Tower of Knowledge yet.
My limbs weren’t torn to the point of no recovery, and my core wasn’t necrotic. I wasn’t exhausted either, so I decided to push myself a little more, both physically and mentally.
After all, I had come here alone, leaving Seo Yul behind. If I didn’t gain clear results, I wouldn’t be able to face her.
With that resolve, I jumped down from the staff I was sitting on.
The sensation that had been supporting my buttocks disappeared, and a dizzying weightlessness filled my body. The wind rustled my clothes and hair.
I grabbed the staff tightly with both hands and raised it above my head.
The staff trembling in my grip felt like it was about to snap.
‘Hardening.’
Crunch... The lines of mana were drawn across the staff.
The uneasy vibrations stopped.
I started to activate magic in quick succession.
‘Shockwave, Earthquake, Spread...’
I overlaid new formulas on the staff.
It wasn’t an expansion ability. I was just cramming several spells into the staff temporarily. This would shorten the staff’s lifespan drastically, but since I was going to discard it soon anyway, I didn’t care.
My body fell vertically.
I plunged straight toward the center of the golem formation below, swinging the staff down with all my might.
As the staff hit the ground, it shattered, and the magic was triggered. The shockwave spread in all directions, causing the ground to ripple like waves.
For a moment, my ears rang from the explosion.
The powerful shockwave caused the formation to stagger, and golems toppled over as the ground rocked.
[Order to suppress is executed.]
Despite this interference, a golem charged forward.
A golem, already heavily armored, rushed forward, holding a massive shield in front of it.
It felt like I was being pressured by a building as it advanced, so I discarded the broken staff and slowly reached out with one hand.
‘Hoo...’
I sharpened my focus. I couldn’t afford to make a mistake.
Carefully, I manipulated my magic.
Creeeek... My outstretched hand twitched.
The circuits twisted, and it felt like my hand would break off.
I adjusted it.
I had practiced this in secret many times.
At first, my hand would break, but now I could manage it.
I left the circuits that shouldn’t twist alone and forced only the ones that needed to be adjusted to twist.
I sealed off the flow of mana, preventing it from circulating where it shouldn’t.
The surface of my arm bulged like lava bubbling up. My white skin flushed red and swelled before shrinking and turning purple.
This was a backlash from within my body.
‘Ugh...’
The mana that had been blocked and reversed inside my body ran wild in my arm. I gritted my teeth, and with one swift motion, I opened up one side of the blocked circuits.
The mana, which had been running wild, burst out of the newly created opening.
For an instant, the sound disappeared.
The golem, caught in the surge of mana from my outstretched right arm, disintegrated without leaving a trace.
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The golems caught in the ongoing surge met the same fate.
Wherever the surge passed, nothing remained.
It was as if the ground had been scooped out with a giant spoon.
[...] [...] [...]
The golems, aware of the unimaginable power, stared at me with trembling eyes.
‘Was this what the 5th round used casually...?’
In the meantime, I observed the condition of my limp right arm and clicked my tongue.
The special ability the 5th round had chosen was "Mana Manipulation."
It seemed simple and boring at first, but after evolving into "Advanced Mana Manipulation," there was no one who could match the 5th round in manipulating mana.
‘Mana affinity and mana manipulation...’
Both receive great boosts for manipulating mana, but their directions are slightly different.
If we were to distinguish, mana affinity would be the superior ability, but mana manipulation cannot be disregarded.
Mana affinity is a versatile unique ability that affects all aspects of mana.
It changes the properties of mana, interferes with other types of mana, and is subject to all phenomena caused by mana.
But mana manipulation is, as the name suggests, a unique ability focused solely on “manipulation.”
Unlike mana affinity, it cannot easily absorb mana or dominate and interfere with another entity’s mana. However, it excels at handling "one’s own mana."
After all, time and experience are different. It would be greedy to think I could easily replicate the 5th round’s feats.
‘But I’ve got the hang of it. With more practice, I’ll improve.’
At first, my arm split in two.
Later, when I was just releasing mana, my arm fell off.
But now, it’s just a level where I end up with some scratches.
If I keep practicing, I’ll get better at it and it will become a solid skill.
‘Alright...’
Nearby, there’s a punching bag waiting for me.
With that thought, I nodded while treating my right arm and looked back at the golem formation, where one golem was approaching with a clanking sound.
‘Huh?’
I was about to strike it immediately, but something felt off.
The golem’s eyes were shaking.
The golem, which had approached, suddenly knelt and lowered its head.
[The trial is over.]
[Please do not harm the body anymore.]
[We will escort you to the tower.]
‘?’
A question mark appeared above my head.
‘What is this guy doing?’
I unknowingly blinked and used the confession necklace.
[...You hit me first, didn’t you?]
[We will escort you.]
The golem... or rather, the master beyond it, remained silent and slowly turned its body.
‘What the hell is going on?’
The Tower of Knowledge’s master might indeed be an eccentric.
While treating my limp right arm with a disgusted look, I followed behind it.
[The unique ability "Mana Affinity" is growing.]
[The Tower of Knowledge's master is shocked.]
[Ah$ why...!]
[The master of the Tower of Growth mocks you.]
[The master of the Tower of Adjustment mocks you.]