Chapter: 141
The content of the Tower of Trials officially concluded. All resources had to be diverted to the upcoming TRPG.
A multitude of martial artists needed to be simulated, and above all, it cost a lot to operate the new module. Therefore, participation was limited to just one person. Two would likely cause an overload.
So, what is this new module?
Enter the “Enlightenment Support Device.”
In martial arts, enlightenment is essential. Without a protagonist who grows and realizes their potential, it would be disappointing. However, enlightenment isn’t something you can just dictate at will, right?
The stage could be created as much as desired.
Creating a scenario a day before the public duel against the hidden villain, with honor, pride, and the fate of one’s girlfriend at stake, is simpler than flipping over one’s palm. But what if… at that point, the player fails to grasp any real enlightenment?
Neither could the villain be allowed to win, leading to a bad ending, nor would it be fulfilling for a sudden Deus Ex Machina to swoop in and resolve everything — that would be dreadfully anticlimactic.
Thus, I created a module solely to boost enlightenment. In its early stages, it won’t support many functions…but still…
For now, it displays estimated time until the user will surpass the next wall, the needed stimuli, understanding of each technique, and recommended martial arts.
I just need to prepare suitable events based on that analysis.
By the way, the Enlightenment Support Device cannot calculate fables.
Actually, I initially wanted to create a Fable Support Device. However, trying to calculate that would likely make my head explode first. The human heart has endless variables.
I can push someone, but no one knows how that will turn out.
The modeling is complete, and I’ve roughly thought of the concept.
The Demon War ended with the righteous martial artists perishing alongside the Heavenly Demon. The Demon Cult returned to their lair in the Mount of Ten Thousand Elements, and although the righteous side sustained serious injuries, they survived.
Broken buildings, elders of clans who disappeared without passing on martial arts, and the thriving secessionist forces that erupted in chaos… many disturbances followed, yet they survived.
Had they failed to ward off the Heavenly Demon, the very name of the righteous sect would have been erased.
And so, twenty years have passed since the Demons vanished into the shadows of history. The righteous sect had found some stability. A new order had come. However, strange rumors began to circulate occasionally.
There were tales that the Demon Cult had resurfaced.
Amid all this, the player would encounter a beautiful woman being pursued by remnants of the Demon Cult in the forest…
Good.
Now I just need to open it. If Envers is the player, it’ll proceed with the basic plot; if Luna is the player, it can go with “actually, the Demon Cult wasn’t that bad” development.
So now, I hope the player provides an answer soon…
Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.
My legs trembled uncontrollably. I had casually asked Luna yesterday if she wanted to play TRPG, and she had said she’d think about it slowly, taking Envers with her. This was code for a 50% chance of “Oh, I don’t wanna play.”
Was she really subtly declining?
No, no. They seemed really interested in martial arts. A tour in a parallel world where people casually practiced martial arts. I thought it was tempting — was I the only one who thought so?
Was my marketing insufficient? Should I have shared more info about the Martial Arts World to draw them in? Perhaps if I had teased them with “cheongsam” outfits, would they have shown more interest?
I explained it as a fantasy magic reproduced from the data extracted from the Heavenly Demon — did I add too much MSG? Should I have said it was a virtual experience created purely from what I imagined?
Or did I add too little MSG? Should I have set a strict concept like Bennett’s and insisted they were needed to prevent the annihilation of the martial arts world?
Should I have just claimed it was a tower-climbing adventure…?
As I pondered, Pink Balrez lightly tapped my shoulder. Were they trying to comfort me?
“What are you worrying about so much? If the students don’t want to play, why not just hold a dating sim for me? Crazy Wizard. Three heroines would be nice.”
It wasn’t comfort; it was merely pursuit for self-interest. I raised my voice at Pink Balrez’s bold harem declaration.
“Aren’t you a pure love enthusiast?!”
“It’s fantasy magic, right? In the end, it’s just data. Just because I’m keeping my love pure doesn’t mean I won’t use a cup for other things. I don’t plan on pursuing pure love with inanimate objects too. Prepare heroines based on cup sizes, please.”
“…If the Martial Arts session goes down…”
“Yay!”
Pink Balrez was rapidly absorbing modern elements at terrifying speed from the contemporary world. Yesterday, they exclaimed, “Oni-chan, if you don’t get up now, you’ll be late!” That made me jump out of bed in surprise.
They already possessed high combat power, but if they also had profound understanding across various genres, how would I fight? Is it truly destined for me to lose to Pink Balrez?
Most worrisome was that I began to accept losing to Pink Balrez as a norm. Gradually losing power left us on the brink of establishing a hierarchy between us.
This wouldn’t do. Where could the seed of a comeback lie…?
With a serious face, I asked Pink Balrez, the one who knew them best.
“Hey, Pink Balrez. Don’t you have any weaknesses?”
“You’re seriously asking me that?”
“You know your weaknesses best, right? This isn’t about asking you about your sensitive zones.”
“I’m weak against tickling. Though it’s not about my sensitive zones.”
While we were chatting comfortably…
Thud!
The door to my lab burst open with a loud bang. Red hair was flying. The one who barged in with a spoonful of rudeness was Selvier, the master magician and clothes tidier of the Red Tower.
She wore an expression mixed with 30% suspicion, 10% anger, 40% frustration, and 20% some unidentifiable emotion.
“You!!”
“Oh, the Red Tower’s here! What brings you in with that grim face?”
“Envers has become a drunkard! After seeing the Heavenly Demon or whatever it is…!! Did you do something strange?! Niolle too—”
“No, my player—!!”
I shot up from my seat, screaming.
How did my martial artist wind up sauced? I can’t accept that future! I hastily threw on my hood and rushed out of the lab.
“Lead the way! And give me detailed explanations of the circumstances…!”
“…?? Fine, I’ll get to it. To backtrack, there’s an underground market at the Academy…”
Selvier whispered about what was happening beyond my line of sight.
===============================================================
After the conclusion of the Tower of Trials content.
While the entrance magic circle was dismantled, the space of the building remained. As a result, the Envers Party frequently visited this place for gatherings.
Having grown somewhat close while climbing the tower, they became friends.
Selvier brought a basket filled with freshly warmed bread and peeked in. Luna was honing her martial arts, while Envers was nowhere to be seen. Selvier narrowed her eyes and asked.
“Where’s Envers?”
“Drinking.”
“Again?”
“Yep.”
Ever since witnessing the Heavenly Demon, the kid had been languishing.
At some point, he began to carry a bottle of liquor under his arm, blowing a drunken tune. Selvier had seen someone like that at the Magic Tower. It was a clear sign of someone who had hit a wall in their talent.
And after a few days, his whereabouts had become a mystery. He was probably meandering around a bar or the Academy’s underground market.
Ugh. Selvier sighed deeply.
“I really don’t get it.”
“I totally agree.”
“Isn’t hitting a wall a good thing? If you keep trying, eventually you’ll break through it. Just the act of trying must hold some meaning!”
“Half-agreeing.”
Luna nodded along. While both Selvier and Luna were not easily disheartened by walls, there was a slight difference in their approaches.
Selvier learned from her childhood friend not to be intimidated by walls. Walls may show up at any point in life; however, that wall doesn’t define you.
As long as you don’t stop banging against the wall, you can remain a wonderful person forever. Thus, Selvier never ceased her challenges.
A runaway locomotive bent on breaking through, regardless of the damage.
Luna was slightly different. She enjoyed the wall itself. She picked up a brush to paint on the wall, to carve out scratches, or to mark how tall she had grown.
To her, the wall was nothing more than a giant canvas. Eventually, a handhold might appear, and before she knew it, she’d effortlessly climbed over it.
For those who relish the journey, stress is nonexistent.
Selvier and Luna put their heads together, pondering how to resolve Envers’s drinking problem.
“First, he needs to quit drinking. We need to engrain in him that it’s far better to act than to brood.”
“Restart the strategy. Assign him challenges. That’s the answer.”
The sun and moon presented slightly different answers to the same question.
===============================================================
The Mad Wizard crossed his arms and nodded.
“So you’re saying you’re heading to the underground market?”
“Yes. I think he’s likely there. We should pull him out, right?”
“The environment matters…that’s true. A healthy mind stems from a healthy lifestyle. Better to have him quit drinking, eat well, and get proper rest.”
“I know that, you know?”
In an unhealthy environment, even sane people can break down. I’d probably make the same judgment. The Mad Wizard thought so inwardly, raising his inner familiarity points with Selvier by three.
It felt, well… like his own thoughts.
“And you know, that… the underground market? It gives off a really strange vibe.”
“Vibe?”
“Yeah. It smells a bit like my hometown.”
“…Your hometown, you say? Hmm.”
The Mad Wizard appeared to ponder something deeply. Odd circumstantial evidence he discovered on his way home from his hometown floated around in his mind. Signs of human trafficking or something.
The likelihood of it not being a normal town was high. If it smells similar to such a town, then the underground market is likely not quite right either…
He even sensed a bizarre fate. The Wizard rattled the dice in his palm and steeled his resolve.
Seeing this, Selvier worriedly asked, “…But wait. Is it okay not to bring along the other professors? I get that you don’t want to escalate things, but what if something, like, attacks us?”
“It’s fine. I…am strong!”
“You said you couldn’t use mirages.”
“Believing that illusions determine everything in a battle is so old-fashioned…”
The Wizard was prepared. And, of course, he had an insurance policy. Wasn’t there a butterfly fluttering around quietly nearby?
Selvier shot the Mad Wizard a skeptical glance but decided to let it slide. He had shown bizarre things countless times in his classes.
The extremes of fantasy magic capable of making students who’d reached the mirage stage flounder.
His skills had been sufficiently proven over time, leading some to question, “Fact is, has he been hiding his powers since before achieving the mirage stage?” as rumors circulated.
They walked through the humid tunnels.
The Wizard furrowed his brows. There was no need for it to be so damp and moist. If this was an artificially created environment, he could think of several traps.
“Like Eulji Mundeok.”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
Squish, squish. After a prolonged echo of footsteps, a narrow passage revealed itself, partially clearing the view. Several shabby buildings and facilities popped up, shrouded in secrecy.
Upon entering a hidden tavern, a woman clad in a hood welcomed them in a voice laced with indistinctness. Her subtle gaze scanned over the Mad Wizard.
“Oh my, you’ve brought a guest this time…?”
“By the way, have you seen Envers… that boy who was with me last time?”
“Hmm, I haven’t seen him.”
“……”
Selvier slightly fell into confusion. Though suspicion of lies crept in, she responded too calmly. There were no signs in her eyes that suggested deceit.
On the other hand, the Mad Wizard snapped his fingers and said, “Lies.”
“…What do you mean lies? I… didn’t say anything like that…”
“I can hear heartbeats from thirty meters away. I don’t want to argue, so tell me honestly. Where’s my prospective player?”
“…It was the customer’s request. That boy asked not to meet anyone. Thus, I had no choice but to tell a harmless lie. Please understand.”
The Mad Wizard ignored the tavern owner and ascended the stairs to the second floor. Moments later, he returned, crimson-faced and half-conscious Envers slung over his shoulder.
Without glancing at the tavern owner, the Wizard declared, “Let’s go.”
“…Yes, Professor.”
“I’ll be waiting for your next visit… dear customer.”
Without even answering, the Wizard left. Selvier glanced back and forth between the tavern owner and the Mad Wizard before finally following him out.
The tavern owner closely observed the backs of the three departing figures… and smiled.
A trap had been set. The boy wouldn’t be able to escape.
===============================================================
Damn it.
“Ugh, that’s a Succubus. Not a strong one though.”
“Wha?!”
Selvier gasped in surprise, her mouth covered with both hands. She looked back repeatedly, as if fearing something like a dark pursuer might be following them.
I reassured her, “It’s a succubus, and there’s no pursuit. This one… seems to have fallen under some kind of mesmerizing spell too. The methods are obvious. They must have subtly suggested it when he got tipsy. Indeed, I didn’t catch all of it.”
“…What on earth is happening at the Academy?”
“Some wretched person is preparing a summoning ritual. Red Tower, keep an eye out for any suspicious magic circles you come across.”
“…A summoning ritual…?”
She appeared somewhat shocked by the ominous shadow looming over the Academy. I was shocked too. When could a place like the Academy have secret underground facilities?
I suspected it was the work of those dark magicians. There’s no way an utterly deranged succubus would be running a bar in the Academy’s basement.
I could have toppled the place.
But if I did that, I felt like I’d just lose a piece of my tail and end up with nothing at all, so I decided to leave a bit of leeway. That succubus… had attached a chemical mark on me. Something like the far-reaching suggestion used in martial arts.
It seemed she planned to invade my dreams at night; that would be the exact moment her life as a succubus would end. Just come over and try it.
I had to squeeze out every last drop of information before uprooting it entirely.
I emerged from the tunnels, tossing Envers onto the outdoor bench at the Academy, and said to Selvier, “I’m leaving him here. Something came up. But please take care of his mental state. I’ll offer a reward.”
I had intended to personally handle Envers’s mental care, but given that something had just happened, it was more efficient for a classmate to do it.
“…Well, I was planning to do that anyway.”
“Here, this note has all his family background written down, okay? Refer to it.”
“…??”
Selvier’s expression turned bewildered. It seemed to be a question of how I knew all that.
I didn’t feel the need to answer.
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