[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower":3,"chapter-the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-112":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Problematic Child of the Magic Tower",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1334908,1778,"Chapter 112","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-112",112,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>w\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 112: The Mage of Ashes (2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar lowered his gaze to the bracelet fastened around his left wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, he stared intently at Lloyd, his expression clearly asking, What’s with this tasteless thing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s handcuffs,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lloyd replied nonchalantly, meeting his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They track your location and mana usage, and can also restrict your magic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why would anyone put something like this on him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Oscar glared at him in disbelief, Lloyd responded with genuine curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why that reaction? Do you not realize you’re a hostage?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t expect to be treated like a criminal, though.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To me, you’re no different from someone who might run off and report to the imperial family at any moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that indifferent remark, Lloyd entered his massive tent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar followed him inside, taking a moment to survey the stark interior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a far cry from the room he remembered from their childhood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps it was Oscar’s wistful gaze that annoyed him, as Lloyd frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s nothing worth staring at. Why so fixated?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s just… more barren than I expected. I thought there’d at least be a flower or two, given your magic is related to them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lloyd was a mage of a unique discipline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He possessed the power of “Blooming Eternity”—capable of reviving any flower he had ever seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Because of that ability, his room was once filled with vibrant flowers of every kind.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the greenhouse on the tenth floor, bursting with colors, had been his doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While other kids were obsessed with ancient creatures, Lloyd was simply enamored with flowers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was so meticulous about them that one might think he aspired to be a floral designer rather than a mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, as a somber 30-year-old adult, Lloyd shook his head firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s a misconception. I don’t like things that wither quickly—flowers, promises, that sort of thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This promise-obsessed man claims to dislike promises?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it his fault?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Oscar hesitated over what to say, Lloyd rolled back a large rug on the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath it was a door made of thick steel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The lab is this way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a snap of Lloyd’s fingers, the heavy door creaked open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gestured with a tilt of his chin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Descending the stairs in silence, Oscar was taken aback by the unexpectedly spacious room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you create this place specifically for seed research?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a repurposed space that previous occupants used as a vault.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he examined the room, Oscar noticed another door and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s behind that door?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t need to know. And don’t open it—no matter what.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression brooked no argument or further questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar nodded and began listing the materials he needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A large pot, flasks of various sizes, a precision scale… and holy water, too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anything else? You might also need mana isolation devices or detection lenses.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For that…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar raised his left arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you let me use magic, I can handle it myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lloyd nodded slightly at Oscar’s confident demeanor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll have the equipment delivered within 30 minutes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar’s daily routine was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as he spent about 15 hours researching, the rest of the time was his to use as he pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his free time, he meditated, took walks, and ate meals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Honestly, being taken hostage by my own student felt absurd and humiliating at first…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, it wasn’t all bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, he even saw some upsides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the things that had piqued his curiosity was the concept of demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, such an idea simply didn’t exist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘To be more precise, it wasn’t that they didn’t exist—they couldn’t exist.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humans couldn’t harbor demonic energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was lethal poison to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Mana and demonic energy are fundamentally incompatible.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like oil and water, they couldn’t mix.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet somehow, these people had managed to make the impossible possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘They used that tempting bait to manipulate lunatics like the Black Fingers.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the beginning, Oscar had been skeptical of the seeds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suspected they were merely a ruse, believing the effects of demonic energy to be delayed, not eliminated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But I was wrong.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surprisingly, the seed’s mechanism was simple:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If oil couldn’t mix with water, they’d just eliminate the water entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘When consumed, the seed transforms all the user’s mana into demonic energy.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he reviewed Lloyd’s records of biological experiments, Oscar explained:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This report says some orcs died after failing to process the seed. My guess is that they couldn’t withstand the transformation of their mana into demonic energy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm. Then is there a way to artificially intervene and increase the success rate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not that I know of. If it were possible, you’d be a god.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lloyd nodded thoughtfully before murmuring,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Remarkable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, the idea of removing mana entirely—truly diabolical.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wasn’t talking about the seeds. I meant your alchemy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lloyd was impressed by Oscar’s profound knowledge of alchemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How did you manage to acquire this level of expertise at your age?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By studying textbooks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What nonsense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the past few days, they’d grown somewhat closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least, Lloyd no longer ignored Oscar’s attempts at humor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘By now, I think it’s safe to ask.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar, after a moment of deliberation, opened the conversation as if in passing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I met with the Tower Master right before coming here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What followed was an oppressively heavy silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, Lloyd let out a cold sneer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Doesn’t seem like you got the reaction you were hoping for.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, to be honest, there’s something I’m curious about. May I ask?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ask, and I’ll decide if it’s worth answering.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When I told the Tower Master I was coming to meet you, she looked utterly horrified. When I asked what your relationship was, she scolded me harshly. Told me never to even mention the existence of mentors or senior disciples in front of her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lloyd, wearing an expression that was hard to read, nodded slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can imagine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let me ask bluntly—are you two on bad terms?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course. Do you really think we’d be on good terms? I…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because you betrayed the White Tower?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>w\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Betrayal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That word clearly rubbed Lloyd the wrong way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyebrow twitched once, and he stared at Oscar for a moment before nodding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right. I betrayed the White Tower.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why did you betray them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lloyd sneered again before speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why, you ask? Are you asking why I became a disciple of the Red Tower Master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know what kind of answer you’re expecting, but there’s no grand reason. Simply put, it was the more rational choice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A rational choice—hard to argue with that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The White Tower, which was fading into obscurity, and the Red Tower, burning brighter than ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given the choice, most people would pick the Red Tower without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…It’s exactly the kind of answer he’d give.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lloyd had always been someone who valued efficiency above all else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Oscar failed to hide a bitter smile, Lloyd checked the time and stood up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s enough for today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You seem to be spending less and less time on research. Is something happening outside?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lloyd hesitated briefly before nodding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The orcs are gathering. A massive army, larger than anything seen in the last 30 years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thirty years… Do you have any idea why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Normally, I’d just think a great leader had emerged and leave it at that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lloyd glanced at the seed lying on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But now, I can’t think that way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You suspect that the orc leader also possesses a seed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not a suspicion—it’s a certainty. I obtained these seeds by killing high-ranking orc leaders.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the shrinking time for research a result of the increasing need to monitor the frontlines?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When do you think the battle will start?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Soon. At most, two weeks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lloyd’s indifferent gaze turned toward Oscar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll make sure you leave before then, so don’t worry. But you’ll have to swear on the oath parchment first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truly, he lacked any sense of warmth to the very end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afternoon, after lunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar, taking a walk to digest his meal, suddenly heard shouting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t run your mouth just because you’ve got a tongue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? Did I say something wrong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he approached the crowd that had gathered, he saw soldiers split into two opposing groups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar nodded to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Factional strife.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was obvious—one side consisted of mages, while the other was knights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the forefront, a knight standing nearly two meters tall was glaring down at a mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bet you lot in the ashes are relieved our captain went missing. Got yourselves the commander’s seat without lifting a finger, huh? Or was the whole disappearance just a lie?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Are you insulting the honor of the Red Tower?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Honor? Funny you’d mention that when you didn’t even organize a search party for your missing commander. Don’t see the orcs gathering outside, do you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hostility was palpable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So the original commander, a knight, went missing during a mission.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, the orcs began gathering, leaving no room to organize a search party.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tension between the factions only deepened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, unable to hold back his anger, the knight crossed the line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft! You fake mages are all the same.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mage from the Red Tower, his face spat on, closed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At a glance, it seemed like he was trying to suppress his emotions, but it was just a moment to prepare himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he opened his eyes again, a chilling killing intent was evident in his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air grew heavy, and fiery magic began to swirl, contrasting the coldness in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cease, all of you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Lloyd’s voice, the raging magic disappeared like a lie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Demonstrating the authority of a 7th-level high mage, he gave a dry command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Disperse. Return to your posts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tch.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No additional punishment followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed Lloyd judged that lowering morale on the brink of war would be inefficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to Oscar, the situation looked dire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rift between the two factions seemed irreparable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s like a ticking time bomb.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bomb that might explode in the middle of a battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Oscar wrestled with unease, a week passed in the blink of an eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The research on the seed had also reached its final phase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>w\u003C\u002Fp>",1753,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.789Z",1,"novelbin.me","88a661f773a0cd8e5cba11a3f0dc9fe17174b342562fbf5620b102c96a7ec85b","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-113","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-111",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]