I Conquered the Tower with the EX-Class Character That I Raised - Chapter 95

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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 95
My chest swelled with an overwhelming sense of grandeur.
The Old Master’s former disciple—the original owner of this magnificent mobile fortress.
Iransu came to mind.
‘A disciple’s possessions belong to the master, they say.’
Consider it a worthwhile experience gained.
That bastard had devolved into subhuman garbage, a wretched insect.
The way he spouted some third-rate villain nonsense about “we’ll see next time” before making a pathetic exit was absolutely ridiculous.
Yet I couldn’t dismiss his abilities outright.
‘The power that bastard wielded… it wasn’t mana.’
I’d activated synchronization with Nopi and fought while observing the threads of mana the entire time.
If Iransu had been an ordinary mage, I would have seen mana fluctuate every time he used an ability.
Then I could have immediately dispelled it and countered perfectly…
But the threads of mana surrounding Iransu remained perfectly still throughout our entire battle.
It meant the power Iransu wielded had absolutely nothing to do with mana.
‘Is it a characteristic of power granted by an Outer God?’
The power of corruption.
That was highly likely to be its defining trait.
If so, being unable to see the threads of mana wasn’t a disadvantage.
Rather, it functioned as a uniquely decisive advantage.
‘…This is incredibly beneficial.’
I’d gained a radar to filter out the Outer God’s puppets going forward.
“If I keep Nopi active and have someone cast magic right in front of me…”
Mana threads respond—they’re human.
Mana threads don’t respond—they’re an Outer God’s puppet.
A traitor who abandoned humanity and chose the Outer God.
In other words, a ‘Corrupted Entity.’
‘Just how deeply have they infiltrated?’
The fact that I had to personally observe and judge was admittedly fatal.
Considering the nature of these cockroach-like creatures, they’d be spread far and wide.
For now, I’d be satisfied with having gained a radar with 100% accuracy.
“Nopi’s importance has grown even more.”
Which meant upgrading Nopi had become all the more urgent.
Among all the upgrades needed, the battery was the most pressing.
The battery drained catastrophically with every little thing, and constantly monitoring its status during fights caused no small amount of stress.
I’d already thought of an upgrade method.
Conveniently.
Pandemonium’s Mobile Fortress had also become ‘mine’…
Four possession tickets had materialized.
I’d decided on the purpose for one of them.
* * *
Min Ji-hee, Lee Hyung-je, and Kang Hyo-jun had returned after completing the subjugation of the Corrupted Entity in the United States…
In other words, I’d summoned the ‘three brains’.
“Apostle, are you injured anywhere?”
“This is Pandemonium’s Mobile Fortress…?”
“I’d say it’s more accurate to call it ruins than a fortress.”
I raised my hand to silence the three of them as they chattered away in their own ways.
“This Mobile Fortress has become mine.”
“!”
The three of them widened their eyes.
“Discuss how we can use it effectively going forward and report back to me.”
The moment the order left my lips, all three huddled together in a corner and began a serious discussion.
After successfully getting them out of my hair.
I called out the person who had come along with them separately.
Someone I’d made a point of summoning.
“…Um, what is this about?”
A blonde woman with a face that looked half-dead.
Happy.
The way she gauged my mood while unable to properly meet my eyes…
It was like watching a frightened borzoi.
‘Why is she so afraid of me?’
It’s not like I’d done anything wrong to Happy…
I’d gotten rid of her terrible job and introduced her to a new workplace.
I could’ve even confiscated the graphics card, but I let Billy off the hook.
I’d even created a humanitarian and grand project called ‘South Korea’s Reconstruction’ to help her find purpose.
I moved to a quieter location with the stiff-faced woman.
The whole way there, Happy trembled like a cow being dragged to the slaughterhouse.
Hmm.
I glanced around the surroundings.
The place we’d entered appeared to be the fortress’s dining hall…
Or perhaps a break room…
Rummaging through the refrigerator in this strange ruin, I found nothing to drink.
‘There’s not even water in this place.’
I figured I’d give her something to drink to ease the tension.
But there was no help for it.
I simply grabbed a chair that looked intact and sat down.
Happy watched my expression, then picked up a chair and sat beside me.
‘…Why sit next to me?’
Isn’t facing each other the basic rule for a discussion?
Is looking me in the eye really that frightening?
“Are you afraid?”
“…Y-yes?”
“I’m joking. Don’t be so startled.”
What I’d meant as a lighthearted jest had drained all color from Happy’s face, leaving her looking as though she might collapse at any moment.
Seeing her so terrified, I felt the urge to tease her further.
But the way she looked—as if she might faint if I actually went through with it—made me reconsider.
‘I’ll repay this debt without fail.’
To think someone had stolen my ability to joke around…
I stared at her in silent reproach, and Happy’s shoulders flinched, jumping visibly.
Before she could grow even more frightened, I quickly moved to the main topic.
“About that graphics card.”
“Ah. Y-yes! You’re returning it?”
“?”
I nearly reflexively asked if she’d lost her mind.
Flabbergasted, I stared at her, and Happy—who’d been nervously gauging my reaction—gasped and swallowed before reflexively stammering an excuse.
“…Ah. N-no, I, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have presumed.”
It’s mine—why would I return it?
‘No, wait!’
This wretched spirit! Get out of my body!
Let me be clear.
I didn’t steal the graphics card from Happy.
I explicitly ‘borrowed’ it.
Of course I’ll return it.
…But still, it feels a bit lonely.
Did I say I wouldn’t return it?
How petty—already thinking about getting it back after such a short time?
Is trust between people really this fragile?
I stared down at her with an expression of utter bewilderment, and Happy, reading the mood, immediately bowed her head.
“I’m so sorry! I spoke out of turn!”
“Why are you reacting as if I said I wouldn’t return it? Are you saying you see me as some kind of criminal…something like that?”
“No, no! The mere fact that my graphics card is installed in the Apostle’s laptop is already an honor to my entire family!”
“I had my reasons and uses for it, so I borrowed it temporarily. Once I’m done, I’ll return it, I promise.”
Happy’s eyes darted about hesitantly for a moment before she asked in a voice barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz.
“…Once you’re done…when might that be…”
“What?”
“It’s nothing!”
I’d settled the matter.
‘Phew. I nearly abandoned my conscience.’
For a moment, I’d been tempted to keep it out of spite and claim it as my own…but I’d managed to reclaim both my reason and my integrity.
“I did some investigating. That component—it’s no ordinary part, is it?”
“Yes. That does seem to be the case. It’s my own work.”
A brief flash of pride crossed Happy’s face.
People who customize PCs typically pledge their loyalty to those who appreciate the value of their components.
Like the generals of old literature who devoted themselves to those who recognized their worth.
“Do you have more?”
“…”
Happy’s expression hardened visibly.
“Ah, no. I don’t.”
“Hmm…”
“That one alone took an enormous amount of effort! And I spent a lot of money on it too.”
“How did you make it? Handcrafted?”
If that were the case, I’d planned to give Happy a substantial raise and keep her as my exclusive slave for life—no, my chief engineer.
“No.”
Of course it wasn’t.
“I assembled and tuned it myself, but that core chipset wasn’t made by me. It’s not something that can be mass-produced through ordinary manufacturing processes.”
“Then?”
“There’s a mad craftsman in Italy. A heretic of Hunter Society, standing at the pinnacle of both magical engineering and mechanical engineering—The Old Master. That man shut himself away in his workshop and hand-carved this masterpiece, drop by drop of sweat.”
‘Italy…’
I felt the puzzle pieces in my mind click into place with a sharp snap.
First piece.
Nopi’s upgrade.
Nopi’s battery issue was the top priority that absolutely had to be resolved.
And the components still stuck at lower grades also needed improvement.
Ideally, if I could upgrade even the S-grade components to EX-grade and aim for additional effects, that would be perfect.
The ‘Old Master’ that Happy mentioned was someone who had already created an EX-grade graphics card recognized by the system.
This person was qualified to take on Nopi’s upgrade.
Second piece.
The repair of Mobile Fortress Arachne.
I turned my gaze to survey the pathetic wreckage of the fortress and the torn bulkheads that I’d brutally smashed through in a straight line.
It was nearly half-destroyed.
I’d obtained tremendous spoils, but it was obvious that ordinary technicians wouldn’t even be able to provide an estimate for repairing the damage and, moreover, customizing it to my specifications.
I needed an out-of-spec magical engineer.
And computer components, though quiet now, were once called the flower of magical engineering.
The ‘Old Master’ had proven himself by creating EX-grade components, so there was no need to consider anyone else.
And most importantly, the third and final piece.
Possession tickets and unlocking the Constellation Corridor!
From this reward alone, I’d obtained four possession tickets.
My combat power had already reached its peak with the Sword God’s unlock.
The next step was to unlock the production and crafting series—artifacts and alchemy—which I could directly manipulate.
Specifically, the 13th series: ‘Creation’!
The problem is that I must also consider latent potential, aptitude, and disposition.
I need to extract as much as possible from a single possession.
For this, a mere neighborhood blacksmith or S-rank craftsman won’t suffice.
I must possess an outstanding artisan with overwhelming knowledge and talent, then drain every ounce of their essence.
The Old Master is perfect for this.
Three difficult problems.
All solved by the existence of a single person—The Old Master.
It feels like a blockage has suddenly cleared.
‘Bliss…!’
How perfectly do all the pieces fit together?
“Happy.”
“Yes?”
“Pack your things.”
“What? Right now?”
“Let’s go to Italy. Guide me there.”
I declared joyfully to the frozen Happy.
“Let’s go meet that Old Master.”
Oh right, there’s a fourth piece too.
I need to capture the Saint who fled to Italy.
“Apostle!”
Happy urgently grabbed me as I sank deeper into blissful fantasies.
“That Old Master—money and threats absolutely won’t work on him. He scoffed at mafia members who shoved guns in his face. Even when various Hunter Associations from different countries offered blank checks, promising gold and points, he refused.”
“Interesting.”
I like this very much.
A true artisan must have that kind of conviction.
“He bows his head only to those who demonstrate ‘divine technique’ that he cannot comprehend.”
“How were you able to commission a graphics card from such an artisan?”
“I showed him holy water. He found it intriguing since he’d never seen anything like it…”
“Hmm.”
“He said it wasn’t as fascinating as expected, and rejected every proposal from the second one onward, no matter how much holy water I offered. After that, I couldn’t even get him to see my face.”
Divine technique, he said.
The fact that he showed interest in holy water suggested his horizons weren’t particularly broad.
But the fact that he lost interest afterward suggests he has genuine discernment to distinguish fake from authentic.
At this level, there’s no problem whatsoever.
‘Alchemy doesn’t require skills to perform anyway.’
I’ll just need to adjust my schedule a bit.
“I’ll need to farm the Tower first.”
Wow.
This solves the fifth puzzle too.
A Tower farming period lasting roughly a month.
I couldn’t decide when to go farm for honey…
While I’m at it, I’ll create a ‘divine technique’ to show The Old Master.
I’ll just go farming then.
The level of consumable artifacts currently in circulation on Earth.
And The Old Master’s discerning eye—one of Earth’s finest ‘craftsmen’.
Considering all this…
‘That potion should be more than sufficient.’
I’ll make him so desperate he begs me to sell him just one more bottle.
Ah.
Once I show him that potion, his affection will skyrocket, and the ‘codex’ will unlock too.
This completes the sixth puzzle.

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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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