C545
The 'foolery' continued a little longer.
The tests Torun had prepared were, in fact, more like exams than tests. And according to him, the overall difficulty up to the 10th floor probably wouldn't exceed this limit.
The old man concealed the perplexity he had just shown and said:
"How old do you think I am?"
"Can you tell the attribute of my main magic?"
"What hobbies do I have?"
"Do you think I'm married?"
Torun's questions continued, and Lucas replied while continuing his thoughts on this space: connected to the Three Thousand Worlds, but with potentially limited activity range.
"About 150 years."
"Fire Magic."
"Clothing making and gardening. You even made the suit you're wearing."
"Married with three children. Two sons and a daughter, in that order. You've been separated from your wife for a long time, haven't you? That's obvious."
"..."
Torun could no longer maintain a calm smile. Unable to hide his trembling facial muscles, he said:
"...All are correct answers. But how did you know?"
"..."
"Of course, you don't have to answer. It's just personal curiosity..."
"You know the way to control aging."
"Yes, but..."
"And yet, you maintain the appearance of an old man, which makes it more likely that you want to appear experienced. 'Not wanting to look young,' but 'wanting to look old,' that tendency that ordinary people have difficulty understanding usually manifests after a person has experienced death twice."
"..."
"I knew the attribute of your magic because the magic emanating from your body when you were first surprised was mixed with fire. And I discovered your hobbies through embroidery. The patterns on the tablecloth and clothing, are they based on the appearance of this garden?"
"Y-yes."
"There were gardening tools under the table and some soil on the edge of your sleeves. Evidence that you were tending the garden before I arrived."
Torun looked at the pattern engraved on his left chest and said:
"I deduced you were married because I found a part of the padding in your suit with a pattern different from the rest. Unfortunately, although it's a hobby, your ability to make clothes doesn't seem to be so exceptional. Probably your wife fixed the imperfect parts. Finally, about your children, this is what gave you away."
Lucas showed Torun's handkerchief that was now in his hand.
"When...?"
"I took it when you looked away a moment ago."
Of course, Torun had never blinked.
"Isn't that a violation of the rules?"
"...No, it's not."
"I'm glad."
He nodded once and read the letters embroidered on the edge.
"Taylor, Lucia, Morik. I simply assumed they were your children by the carefully embroidered names."
Yes. He assumed.
Most of the things Lucas mentioned were just assumptions. That's usually the result of mere observation. Nothing is certain. You can only select the most probable possibilities.
He looked at Torun, awaiting his response. Although it was foolishness, if it was for scaling the tower, he could do this kind of farce several times over.
"...Excellent."
Torun nodded. He smiled again, but this time what stood out the most wasn't the subtlety he had seen at first, but the bewilderment and disappointment.
"Is the test over?"
"It's not a test, but a trial, but... yes, it is."
Having said that, he took a deep breath and changed his expression to a serious one.
"My 'test' is over. But the 'observation' test is not over yet. Because on the second floor awaits you a trial of greater difficulty."
Torun smiled wickedly, raising the corners of his mouth.
"The test there won't be as easy as here. Hahaha..."
Torun drank from his cup with a creepy smile.
Seeing this, Residue said:
"Hasn't this old man changed his character?"
"..."
------------------------
Second floor.
"How... what...?"
The wizard of the second floor, a man who introduced himself as Kingdel, was dumbfounded, his mouth and eyes wide open.
If the "degree of surprise" could be rated, it would easily surpass Torun's.
Lucas had just repeated a question he had asked on the first floor, about 15 minutes ago.
"Is the test over?"
...It's a trial, not a test.
Kingdel thought this with a gaunt expression, but he dared not say it aloud.
"...Yes, that's right."
"..."
A test of greater difficulty. Torun had said it, but for Lucas, there wasn't much difference from the previous test.
"Well, wait a moment. It seems quantifying the climber's 'observation' will take some time."
Kingdel nodded and vanished. Lucas looked around slowly. The second floor was a cosmic space, with millions of stars scattered everywhere.
Kingdel's test was simple. Find the stars that defined Kingdel the most in this vast cosmic space.
...Just like the first floor, it wasn't difficult for Lucas.
"What can you achieve with this ascent?"
Residue murmured quietly at that moment.
'What I can achieve...'
"Even if you gain something, what does it mean? Didn't the Beginning Wizard want your death?"
'...'
"Doesn't it make sense to kill you now? Does he have to kill you 'after you've learned something or realized something'? Or maybe..."
Residue paused briefly before continuing.
"The worst possibility that occurs to me is... Lucas Traumen. That the Beginning Wizard is playing with time for some reason."
----------------------------
'Playing with time?'
[What if he made you climb this tower just to deceive you? What if his plan is to make you believe that you can obtain something from this tower and prevent you from preparing for 'what is to come'?]
What is to come. Lucas's expression hardened.
'The Destruction of Everything.'
[...Of course, all of this is just speculation. I just want to tell you one thing. Do not trust the Beginning Wizard. Blood ties, destiny like Great Mage, having observed beyond everything and gained salvation? Ha. Even if all of that were true, it doesn't make sense.]
'...'
Lucas neither nodded nor denied, and he remained silent, but he did not completely ignore Residue's advice.
Destruction.
When will the Destruction come? What form will it take?
'The First Destruction,' and 'the Void King.'
...It's different.
Diablo believed that the Destruction would be a way in which all existences would disappear like an illusion, without even being aware of it. But Lucas realized that it wasn't like that.
If that were true, there would be no reason for the Destruction to have five forms.
Isn't it a contradiction in itself for it to have a form?
'Can destruction... be prevented?'
And the Beginning Wizard, as he himself said, knows the method.
Will the Beginning Wizard tell him the method when he reaches the top of the tower?
"..."
Lucas closed his eyes and then opened them.
“You have waited a long time.”
Right at that moment, Kingdel returned.
“So, I will tell you the results. The climber's observation ability is…”
----------------------
The trivial tests continued after that. After observation came tests of analysis, creativity, application, and calculation.
Lucas showed overwhelming results in all areas. His highest score was in calculation, but it was marked with a '?'. When he asked the wizard who conducted the test, this was the response:
“With my current knowledge, I couldn't fully measure the climber's observation ability.”
It had been about 24 hours since all the tests began. The reason it took so long, despite the amount of effort, was because some tests were naturally slow.
And so, they arrived at the final data.
“...”
Lucas looked at his data and compared it with that of the 'Seven Magicians'.
As expected, his total score was higher than theirs. To be honest, it was even a bit embarrassing to compare.
However, some of them had higher scores than Lucas in creativity and application.
[Floors 55 and 77, right?]
Residue chuckled.
[Certainly, your head is a bit rigid, so it's no wonder your creativity is low. But the fact that your application is also low is unexpected.]
'These scores can't be said to be accurate. After all, they were measured using the tower's unique testing method.'
[Oh. Is your pride wounded?]
Residue's taunts were also evolving. Lucas found this kind of veiled sarcasm more annoying than outright swearing.
[That said, the stats of that guy on the 77th floor are quite impressive.]
Although he didn't say it directly, Lucas agreed with that opinion.
The stats of the Magician on the 77th floor were several levels higher than those of the other Seven Magicians.
[That guy might be the Beginning Wizard's disciple. It definitely seems difficult to defeat him on equal terms.]
“...”
[About those supposed privileges? Do you think it will help you climb the tower?]
A privilege that can be obtained by scoring higher than the Seven Magicians.
Lucas took out the privilege from his pocket.
They were three gems.
Red, blue, and purple.
They shone with a completely different brilliance than ordinary gems, as if they were going to shine brightly even in darkness.
[That's... ]
“The red one is [Expansion], the blue one is [Maintenance], and the purple one is [Skip], as I was told.”
[... Expansion? Maintenance? Skip?]
Lucas looked around.
“This place is connected to the Three Thousand Worlds, right? The wizards I've met so far have been trying to hide that fact, but it doesn't seem to be a secret that must be hidden at all costs. It's probably a structure that is naturally understood as one ascends the tower.”
[Hmm.]
“Even if it's connected to the outside world, there's a limit to the radius in which you can move... In the case of the first floor, you can't leave the 'Torun Garden'. But if I use this red gem... ”
[Really? Does it mean the radius of movement in which you can act will expand?]
Lucas nodded.
“[Maintenance] is something that increases the time you can stay on a certain floor.”
[Hmm? Was there a time limit one could stay in the tower?]
“Until now no, but it wouldn't be strange for such floors to exist in the future.”
[I see. Skip... well, there's no need to explain it.]
Residue chuckled slyly.
[So, I guess this concludes the tutorial. Now I feel like taking a look around. What about you? You'll face the first Magician on this floor.]
Lucas thought of the man dressed in a red robe.
The first of the 7 Magicians, Redrun.
It would probably be his first direct battle within the tower.
Lucas nodded once and said:
“It seems I need to adjust my attack plan.”
[Oh.]
Residue became interested. It was rare for Lucas to backtrack on his own words.
[Have you decided to follow that woman's advice, Altata?]
“…Altata. And it's quite the opposite. I need to shorten the deadline.”
Lucas looked up.
“I'm going to reach the 77th floor today.”
Tags:
TGMRA (Novel)