Climbing the Tower with Multidimensional Avatars - Chapter 31

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 31. The Tower – Magic Tower Branch

“Let’s head back to the 10th Floor to rest for now. We’ll tackle the 12th Floor tomorrow.”
Lee Su-young appeared somewhat exhausted.
It made sense—just this morning, she’d been fleeing from a goblin horde in the Forest Outside City.
Though the combat on the 11th Floor hadn’t lasted long, the frantic sprint through the forest had been draining enough.
As for me, a bit of breathing cultivation would restore me quickly, but I did need to wash the blood-soaked clothes.
“Alright. Let’s head to the 10th Floor.”
Lee Su-young and I placed our hands on the crystal and returned to the 10th Floor.

* * *

Upon returning to the 10th Floor, Lee Su-young parted ways with me and settled comfortably onto the sofa in her Hunter Association-affiliated Inn Room.
She wanted nothing more than to collapse onto the bed, but the thought of lying down without washing first made her uncomfortable.
“Ugh, I’m exhausted. I really need a shower.”
Lee Su-young undressed and stepped into the shower attached to her room, letting warm water cascade over her body.
Cheaper Inn Rooms either lacked bathrooms entirely or combined them into one space, but the more expensive establishments offered spacious rooms with separate bathrooms and showers.
Of course, such amenities came at a premium—1,200 Credits per night (roughly 120,000 won)—but for climbers, that was easily covered by hunting just one or two Horned Rabbits outside the City.
Lee Su-young smiled contentedly as the warm water melted away her fatigue.
“I’m so glad I found a good party member.”
At first, armed with only weak slimes, the prospect of climbing The Tower had seemed hopeless. But meeting Han Ji-woo as a reliable party member had given her confidence.
He’d saved her without hesitation when danger struck, and his combat prowess was solid.
Most importantly, she appreciated how he’d prioritized her safety and Milio’s—sending them across the suspension bridge first before cutting it to cross the Ravine himself.
That’s why, when she spotted her first ability stone after entering The Tower, she hadn’t hesitated to yield it to Han Ji-woo.
She didn’t want to lose this precious partnership over greed, not when she could barely handle weak slimes.
Yet Han Ji-woo had refused to simply pocket the rare ability stone, insisting instead on dividing it fairly and asking for her input on their next steps.
Recalling the cautionary tales her mother—a WPTO staff member who mediated between hunters—had shared about partnerships destroyed by greed, Lee Su-young realized that finding someone fair and principled was far rarer than finding someone skilled.
In that regard, she considered herself extraordinarily fortunate.
“Good. Now I just need to do my part.”
Unlike yesterday, tonight promised deep, restful sleep.

* * *

I returned to the 10th Floor and immediately secured an Inn Room.
Lee Su-young had apparently reserved an Inn in advance for an extended stay spanning several days, and it was ridiculously expensive.
1200 Credits? What kind of hotel room is this?
No, these days hotels run about 180,000 won per night, don’t they?
Regardless of how well I was earning, I couldn’t fathom burning that much money on a single night’s stay when I wasn’t even on vacation.
So I secured a 600-Credit Inn Room a short distance away from where Lee Su-young was staying.
Compared to her room, mine was likely smaller and lacked a separate shower and bathroom, but it was clean and comfortable enough.
After securing the room, I used my Reincarnation Clone’s body to obtain specialized detergent and a basin effective for removing blood, then soaked my combat gear in cold water.
Fortunately, the outer layer of my combat gear had a protective coating, so the blood came off easily.
The joint areas without coating had slight bloodstains, but since they were black, they weren’t very noticeable.
After washing and drying my combat gear and practicing my breathing technique, my stamina recovered quickly.
“Martial arts really are something special.”
There was still considerable time before sunset.
It was an awkward time to venture outside the City for hunting, but it was a perfect time to visit the Magic Tower Branch that the Librarian Elder had recommended.
Since it was right near the Inn I’d secured, I dressed quickly and headed toward the Magic Tower Branch.

* * *

The Magic Tower Branch was quiet.
The Magic Supply Shop directly across the street had about twenty customers despite the late hour, but the Magic Tower Branch was completely empty.
It wasn’t even easy to tell this was the Magic Tower Branch.
There was only a small sign with a staff drawing hanging outside.
The only thing inside was an empty space and a Middle-aged Man dozing at what looked like a reception desk.
There were no books, potions, or even magical staves.
The Magic Supply Shop didn’t seem to sell magical tools specifically either, but rather appeared to deal mainly in catalysts and materials used for magic.
Just as martial arts existed as an ability, there must be people who received magic as an ability too.
As I approached the dozing Middle-aged Man, he sensed my presence, wiped his mouth, and looked at me with sleepy eyes.
“The magic-related shop is right out front. This is just a supply warehouse.”
“Isn’t this the Magic Tower Branch?”
At my question, the Middle-aged Man glared at me in surprise before speaking.
“No, it’s not.”
“Really? I was told it was here.”
“Who told you this was the Magic Tower Branch?”
“The Librarian Elder at the Library told me.”
At my answer, the Middle-aged Man muttered “The Librarian Elder…?” and suddenly jumped up from his seat as if remembering something.
Crash!
The chair he’d knocked over as he stood made a violent noise, but the man paid it no attention.
“You better not be lying! If you are, you should be prepared!”
“I’m not lying, but… who is that person?”
At my question, the Middle-aged Man spoke with a pale complexion.
“If he hadn’t told you, I couldn’t say anything.”
His vehement reaction caught me off guard, but the Middle-aged Man paid no attention to my response.
“Tell me how you met him and why he told you to go to the Magic Tower.”
I glossed over the back-and-forth questions and the story about receiving ability stones, instead offering a vague account of how our meeting came about.
After hearing my explanation, the Middle-aged Man stared at me intensely, his eyes burning with jealousy.
“…He really told you that you have talent for magic? That you have talent?”
“It seemed like mere words to me, but he said it would take a thousand years to master magic, so I’m not sure what talent he’s referring to….”
I trailed off under the Middle-aged Man’s fierce, jealousy-laden gaze.
Worried, I added hastily.
“I’m a climber, sir. On the Common Floor, if native residents and I commit crimes against each other, the Tower’s Messengers will intervene, right?”
“I know. If that weren’t the case, I wouldn’t be able to control these feelings.”
Damn, his expression is absolutely terrifying.
“…That old man…”
“Don’t you dare refer to him that way!”
“Ah… yes, but who is he that you’re reacting like this?”
The Middle-aged Man washed his face with his hands and spoke.
“As I said, if he hadn’t told you, I have no reason—no, I’m not allowed to tell you.”
He looked like he was praying reverently, and I found it absurd.
After taking a deep breath, the Middle-aged Man made a request of me.
“Could I see the magic bullet he taught you?”
At his request, I obediently created and fired a magic bullet.
As the Middle-aged Man observed it intently, he seemed to perceive something within it and broke down, tears streaming down his face.
“Ah, with my meager talent, it’s difficult to fully comprehend the profound meaning contained within it. Heavens! Why did you bestow upon me such inferior talent!”
“What meaning does the magic bullet have?”
At my question, the Middle-aged Man looked at me with an expression of disbelief, his gaze burning with intense jealousy and an inexplicable reverence.
“Treasure that magic bullet dearly. Within it lies knowledge so profound that I, a mere mortal, can barely interpret even the surface—but the magic bullet you’ve learned is like a great grimoire filled with sublime wisdom.”
Is this man insane? A magic bullet is a magic bullet—what grimoire is he talking about?
I stared at him as if he were truly mad, but the Middle-aged Man paid no heed and sat down in seiza position, entering meditation.
After sitting silently for about twenty minutes, he spoke with his eyes still closed.
“As it is said, ‘Hear the Way in the morning, and one may die content in the evening.’ Though I was not born with talents as great as yours, I happened to be born before you and walked the path of magic first, so I may offer you guidance like a firefly. I am grateful that though I have received such great favor, I can at least repay a portion of it.”
With those words, the Middle-aged Man opened a hidden door in the floor and retrieved several books, handing them to me.
“These are introductory texts on magic and grimoires suited to lower-tier levels. I’ll show you the fundamentals, and with your talent, you should be able to master them through self-study alone.”
After handing me the grimoires, the Middle-aged Man summoned his mana and demonstrated the circulation of mana and several spells.
A spell that ignites flames.
A spell that creates water in midair.
A spell that summons wind.
A spell that raises the earth.
A spell that produces sparks.
A spell that makes light shimmer.
A spell that shrouds the surroundings in darkness.
Observing those spells, the flow of mana was certainly far simpler than the Magic Bullet the Librarian Elder had shown me.
“Ah… is this how you do it?”
As I mimicked the Middle-aged Man’s mana movements, a small flame flickered to life at my fingertips.
Was this a basic spell compared to Magic Bullet?
The Librarian Elder had taught me Magic Bullet instead of something this easy.
I quickly picked up the other spells as well, and jealousy tinged with rage flickered across the Middle-aged Man’s eyes once more.
“Ugh! Congratulations on reaching 1st Class Beginner level.”
Honestly, compared to the spells you showed me, this is nothing but dust. Why are you looking at me like that?
The Middle-aged Man’s spells were powerful, but mine were only useful as a lighter substitute.
Of course, if I poured more mana into it, it would have decent power, but my mana reserves were insufficient.
I’d need to increase my mana capacity.
Anyway, it seems I can use magic without needing a separate method to gather mana.
Thinking this, I glanced at the introductory manual, which contained something like a cultivation method for magic usage.
Hmm… it doesn’t seem necessary to learn this.
Qi or mana—they’re the same force, so it shouldn’t matter.
“Please don’t look at me like that. It’s frightening. The person I saw at the Library—not the Librarian Elder—said it would take me 1,000 years to reach mastery, so I’m probably not that talented.”
At my words, the Middle-aged Man’s expression twisted as though he’d suffered an impossible betrayal, and suddenly his body contorted grotesquely.
“Cough!”
Then he suddenly coughed up blood.
Like someone possessed by demonic influence, his eyes bloodshot with agony, he barely managed to suppress the rampaging mana and calm himself.
Damn, that’s terrifying. It’s like watching a ghost from a horror movie.
“Huff! Huff!”
The Middle-aged Man, breathing heavily, took a deep breath and spoke.
“The meaning of mastery differs from person to person. For an ordinary being like me, mastery means being able to roam freely without fear wherever I go in this land, in this world—whether it’s the zones you climbers call the 30s or the Common Floor. In that sense, I have achieved mastery.”
The 10th Floor was connected to the 20th and 30th Floors.
Since the Middle-aged Man before me was a native inhabitant, he would have no trouble crossing between zones.
Judging by how confidently he spoke of roaming freely anywhere, his strength seemed sufficient to advance beyond the 40th Floor, the intermediate zone.
“It takes ordinary mages 30 or 40 years to reach a mastery level like mine. But to that person you met, my mastery would be trivial. For them, mastery would mean reaching the top of this Tower, or perhaps even transcending the Tower itself.”
The Middle-aged Man exhaled deeply and continued.
“I envy you. I envy you so much. That it takes merely 1,000 years to reach such an exalted state. There are those who wouldn’t reach it even with ten thousand or a hundred million years, scattered like grains of sand in a desert.”
At his words, I reflected.
Demonic possession is dangerous. He’s clearly gone mad—thoroughly mad.

(To be continued in the next chapter)

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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