The entrance to the Tower of Growth is on Monday of the fourth week.
The day I was sent off by Baek Ahrin was on Tuesday night of the third week.
That morning, I was struggling with a magic book, barely making it through to dawn.
I wanted to just let fatigue take over and fall asleep, but the urge to grow as much as possible before moving to the Tower of Growth was too strong.
In the end, I didn’t get any sleep and struggled through the entire dawn. From the dungeon’s point of view, I practically pulled an all-nighter for two days straight.
The next day.
Dragging my tired body to the entrance hall in the early morning, it looked quite bustling.
Even though not everyone had arrived yet.
If you listened closely, half the conversations were about dungeons. Complaints like “It hurts my shoulders to sleep in the dungeon,” and “Tracking monsters is ridiculously difficult,” floated around.
Many were boasting to their friends about the struggles and achievements of the past couple of days.
“…Hae-yul.”
And then, I found myself getting pinched by Hong Yeon-hwa, whose face looked as shattered as a fragile vase.
“Ugh…”
My cheeks stretched sideways, making me resemble a freshly kneaded rice cake. A slight pain transmitted through.
“What happened last night… huh? Why does your face look worse than yesterday…?”
The attention of the other students in the entrance hall turned towards us. But it wasn’t the sort of look you’d get for something bizarre—it was more like observing an everyday sight.
At first, everyone was shocked, but it seemed they had adapted to these kinds of scenes lately.
“Ugh…”
It was impossible to say anything. I wanted to rebut that I couldn’t even help my hologram, but I couldn’t go against Hong Yeon-hwa, who was worried about me like that.
It felt a bit absurd, but I didn’t really mind being pinched like that. In fact, there was a good side to it.
I felt a soft, indescribable emotion that made my heart warm up a little.
After a five-minute whine filled with complicated feelings, I finally broke free. I patted my flushed cheeks, trying to cool them down.
“…Come here.”
Perhaps feeling sorry for me, Hong Yeon-hwa reached out and gently stroked my cheek.
Her hand, filled with a minor guilt, was surprisingly soft. As she kept touching me, I had the strange illusion that my cheek was sinking in.
It was an ordinary start to the morning.
“Hey?”
An odd voice interrupted the typical morning. Hong Yeon-hwa turned her head.
There stood Baek Ahrin, crossing her arms and staring at us as if saying, “What is this nonsense?” Her hair was tied back in a single ponytail that swayed as she nodded.
“Ahrin?”
“Yes, it’s Baek, who’s been abandoned by Hong for a few days.”
“Wha—what the heck… why are you making such weird noises?”
“…Why not just curse?”
“Curse? What curse? Why are you talking nonsense? When did I ever do that?”
Baek Ahrin shook her head with a dumbfounded expression. Then she fixed her expression and flashed a bright smile at me.
“Good morning, Hae-yul.”
[Yes, good morning.]
I responded to her greeting while managing my expression.
It was a typical morning greeting. A common conversation you could share with anyone. I hadn’t really built a close relationship with Baek Ahrin, but it was the kind of conversation you could have even with someone you just met.
Hong Yeon-hwa tilted her head, wondering why Ahrin was acting like this, but it was a conversation that didn’t seem particularly strange.
While she was thinking that, a playful smile appeared on Baek Ahrin’s lips.
“Did you get home okay last night?”
“…What?”
“I mean, I walked you to the dorm, but you never know.”
The atmosphere changed with her next words. The nuance was certainly peculiar. And thus, the emotions in the gazes around us shifted.
If interpreted straightforwardly, there was nothing wrong, but injecting another emotional layer made it strangely ambiguous. Baek Ahrin’s unusual tone amplified that ambiguity.
Hong Yeon-hwa tilted her head in confusion, blinking several times as if doubting her ears. Her expression then hardened like stone.
Click, click. Hong Yeon-hwa’s head turned stiffly.
Her gaze toggled between the smiley Baek Ahrin and my heavily fatigued face.
I felt Gop-hwa suddenly rising within her.
Desperately, I shook my head.
.
.
.
“Ouch. That hurt.”
“Why are you speaking in such a confusing manner that makes people misunderstand?”
Baek Ahrin’s head showed a slight bump as she pouted.
With a cautious touch, she rubbed her head. Thanks to the magic contained in her hands, the bump quickly disappeared.
“Then why do you speak like that?”
“What did I say? It’s you who misinterpreted it, Yeon-hwa. Wait, what were you even thinking to commit such an offense?”
“Shut up!”
Baek Ahrin, startled at the thought, quickly put her hands together to cover her mouth. Hong Yeon-hwa glared at her, grinding her teeth.
Hong Yeon-hwa and Baek Ahrin always had this playful bickering between them.
The problem was, their quarreling attracted even more stares in the already crowded space.
I sat at the back by the window. Hong Yeon-hwa was right next to me, and now Baek Ahrin was added to the mix.
Hong Yeon-hwa shot insults while Baek Ahrin acted wronged yet countered subtly. This kind of exchange continued until class started.
.
.
.
A few days passed.
As usual, it was a busy life with hardly a moment to breathe.
With the ongoing bickering of Baek Ahrin and Hong Yeon-hwa as background noise, I welcomed the morning in the entrance hall.
In the morning, there was a theory lecture, and in the afternoon, a one-on-one session with Professor Atra.
“To activate magic, you need to use magical energy to construct the spell, and depending on the difficulty of the spell’s construction, it is classified into six grades.”
It was Friday during the “Basic Magic Theory (I)” class.
A middle-aged professor, whose long robe and distinctive mustache made quite an impression, was passionately engaged in lecturing from the podium.
“At that point, low-level and low-grade magic are often underrated. It’s true that their effectiveness is indeed weaker compared to higher-grade magic. But there’s a saying.”
The professor locked eyes with the attentive students as he spoke.
“A true magician is one who prepares. The most powerful and dangerous magician in this world is the ‘magician who has finished preparing.’”
A hologram displayed on the wall behind him was plastered with complex spells. It wasn’t just one single spell; various spells interconnected in an organic manner.
“Delaying the activation of your constructed spell is a simple example—like a magic tool. By this method, a magician can create a space of their own through their spells. Such areas can boost the efficiency of even lower-grade spells.”
This is what we commonly refer to as a magician’s workshop.
Coating their surrounding area with their distinct magical style to establish dominion over a space. Claiming a realm of magical power and unleashing the prepared spells.
In short, it’s about creating an environment tailored to oneself through magic.
In the original work, the route that focused on magic was in the fifth playthrough.
Moreover, that character wasn’t a pure magician but a rogue type, so they never quite managed a proper workshop or stronghold.
I did more demolishing than constructing in terms of magic. Thus, I had a bit of an idea of how utterly useless a well-prepared workshop could be.
“Phew…”
As usual, I tried to focus on the theory lecture despite having my personal issues with magic these days.
The professor’s explanations were complex yet not overly difficult.
The professor wasn’t a top-ranking hero during his active years but was the type who dedicated himself wholeheartedly to academics and education after retirement to become a scholar.
Thanks to that, his explanations had a certain finesse, making it possible for even a novice like me to reap plenty of benefits just by paying attention.
“─That’s it for today’s lecture. Please prepare well for the next one in your spare time.”
The roughly two-hour lecture came to an end. As I mindlessly tapped my pen on the desk while seeing off the departing professor, my mind drifted.
Today was the Friday of the third week.
The dungeon training had resumed on Wednesday after the practical sessions ended on Tuesday, primarily focusing on lessons about the Tower and magic.
It was welcomed news, especially concerning magic.
I couldn’t deny it was beneficial. There’s no reason to dispute this. The explanations about magic classifications and uses of various low and lower-grade spells were thorough yet relatively easy to grasp.
However, the reason behind my magic output remained unexplained. I let out a deep sigh without realizing it.
Once the lecture ended, the surroundings became lively. Some students were quietly preparing for the next class, while others were engaging in conversation.
The topics of discussion were more or less similar.
The Tower of Growth.
Now, there are only a few days left. Besides, today was the last day of class before entering the Tower. The next time I meet my peers will be just before entering.
‘Ahh…’
The issue of magic output. I wanted to resolve it before entering the Tower, but things hadn’t gone as hoped.
I had been attentive and engaged during the lecture, and even after the theory lesson, I flipped through books whenever I had the chance.
At some point, I even sought advice from Professor Liana whenever I found an opportunity, but it turned out even she was clueless about this phenomenon.
My head throbbed. Maybe I was feeling this way because I hadn’t been sleeping well for days.
To ease the headache, I pressed my temples firmly with my hand.
“Hae-yul.”
In the bustling surroundings and with a pounding headache, strangely enough, I heard Hong Yeon-hwa’s voice distinctly.
When I turned my head, she was glancing my way with an outstretched hand. In her palm, there was, unsurprisingly, a piece of exquisitely wrapped candy.
[Thank you.]
It was her usual kindness. Once I unwrapped the luxurious packaging, I popped the smooth-candy into my mouth.
Initially, the price made me hesitate to dare putting it in my mouth. But after receiving one every other day for a few days, I had grown indifferent to it. My sense of economic values felt shattered.
As I rolled it around my tongue, the round candy danced in my mouth.
Always the same flavorless experience. Comparing it with the sweetness of the past didn’t leave a good impression.
But right now, I didn’t particularly feel bad about it.
Was it too greedy to want to resolve this matter quickly?
While absentmindedly sucking on the tasteless candy, such thoughts crossed my mind.
Thinking back, it probably isn’t feasible for me to uncover an issue even Professor Liana didn’t know that quickly.
Maybe my eagerness to find the cause was the actual problem. Was I being too impatient with the upcoming entrance to the Tower?
Perhaps the fear of falling off the growth curve in the Tower was narrowing my thought process.
Lately, I had a lot to think about. Various issues kept filling my mind.
‘…It wouldn’t be good to be too hasty.’
The entrance to the Tower of Growth was truly just around the corner. If I pushed my body and mind too hard now, I might end up in a miserable condition when I finally enter.
If I were to get poor results because of that… there’d be nothing more ridiculous than that.
“Hm-hm.”
While I was self-reflecting, Hong Yeon-hwa suddenly coughed, having been closely watching me roll the candy.
“Hae-yul, do you have any time after the major lecture today?”
[Time?]
I tilted my head while swallowing the last bit of the tiny candy.
Time? I probably have some.
Considering that Professor Atra was rigid about lecture schedules, there wouldn’t be any interruptions afterward.
“Then… could you spare some time today?”
After a moment of contemplation, I nodded. Hong Yeon-hwa’s previously tense expression brightened instantly.
“Thank you! I’ll text you the meeting place.”
[May I ask why we’re meeting?]
“Oh, I should’ve mentioned this first.”
Hong Yeon-hwa let out a sigh, giving an awkward smile as she scratched her head with one hand.
“I just wanted to give you a present… or something.”
‘A present?’
I was already receiving a lot of candy, wasn’t I? Couldn’t you have just informed me beforehand? I subtly nudged, but Hong Yeon-hwa was evasive as ever.
For some reason, she had an air of both worry and anticipation.
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