[{"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-129":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},1334925,1778,"Chapter 129","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-129",129,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 129: Artificial Island, Ivemir (6)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Veronica is in danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That thought made Oscar’s heart race as he bounded up the stairs three steps at a time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Veronica, descending the stairs leisurely, suddenly stood in his way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong? Why are you in such a rush?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Veronica?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar hurriedly examined her condition and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re fine? I heard your scream all the way up on the second floor, so I thought something happened.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, that? A gigantic cockroach came out of my room. It was so disgusting that I’m thinking of switching rooms.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All that commotion was over a cockroach?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity, but Veronica looked over her shoulder and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is the fourth floor, right? Perfect timing. Help me pick a new room.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She shrugged and walked past him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Oscar moved to follow her, a strange unease crept over him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of deliberation, he decided not to ignore his instincts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Why the fourth floor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I told you, a cockroach came out of my room.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I mean, if you want to change rooms, you could just move next door. Why switch floors?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And why specifically the fourth floor, instead of the sixth or eighth, which are closer to the seventh floor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he raised his doubts, she turned to look at him as if he were the strange one and replied,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you asking such weird questions? I just don’t want to be on the same floor as you guys. Like I said, I’m a woman. Remember when we were in the academy? The boys’ dorm and the girls’ dorm were on separate floors for a reason, weren’t they?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar stared at her as she naturally explained herself and then shook his head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s not true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Veronica came to an abrupt halt at his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She sighed and turned back to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh, what now? What’s not true?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You said the Imperial Academy had separate floors for the boys’ and girls’ dormitories.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, and it’s true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar looked at her composed expression and shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To my knowledge, the Imperial Academy built separate dormitory buildings for boys and girls when the new dorms were established. That was 146 years ago.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…So, that’s exactly what I said.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He narrowed his eyes at her attempt to smooth things over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Separating the dormitories by floor happened before that—over 146 years ago.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air between them grew tense for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, Veronica chuckled lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, my mistake. I didn’t know that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as those words left her mouth—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang! Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar instantly fired two 『Wind Bullets』 at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In response, the ‘fake Veronica’ hastily summoned a 『Water Curtain』.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You reek of being an ancient being.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wind Bullet isn’t like ordinary wind magic such as Wind Cutter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was specifically designed to pierce through objects—an archetypal penetration magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, something like that won’t be enough to stop it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Oscar muttered, the bullets tore through the Water Veil, piercing her forehead and heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hehe, heh… heheh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fake Veronica, who had collapsed on the spot, began laughing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her lips stretched unnaturally, almost touching her ears, making her appearance grotesque.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her entirely black eyes, devoid of whites, fixed on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You… Oscar Crusian, was it? You’re pretty sharp. I’ll keep that in mind for the future.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “thing,” which was difficult to define, turned into smoke and dissipated completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Smoke… Was that some kind of illusion magic?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar mulled it over for a moment before shaking his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t have the luxury to ponder it now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The others are in danger.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His heart raced even faster as he reached the seventh floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, three people were standing in the windowless hotel-style corridor, turning their heads toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm… Is that one of them too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Probably.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran and Veronica whispered to each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by the shattered walls and collapsed ceiling, the hallway was in chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed they had also encountered “it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Do they think I’m a fake too?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he opened his mouth to explain himself, Killian muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. That’s the real Oscar.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…How can you be so sure?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seriously? He looks suspicious as hell—completely different from the usual Oscar.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran stubbornly insisted on his gut feeling, but Killian firmly shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My warrior’s heart says so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar didn’t understand what that even meant, but he quickly nodded and interjected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just ran into a fake Veronica downstairs. It seems like they can mimic appearances but not memories.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why does that fake talk so much?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shut up. You learned dual casting from me in the potion lab, didn’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran’s eyes widened as Oscar brought up something only the two of them knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran awkwardly laughed and made an excuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, um… Yeah, I thought you were real from the start.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry for looking suspicious, then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar smirked and approached them, asking,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happened here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was lying down to sleep when someone knocked on my door.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Veronica raised her hand slightly and began explaining the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I asked who it was, and they said it was you. I opened the door without suspicion, but the lunatic kept trying to push into my room, saying they had something important to tell me. So, I told them to buzz off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They kept grinning and insisted on coming in, so I lost it and punched them in the jaw. But then, their jaw turned into smoke and scattered.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the same reaction as the fake Veronica he had encountered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At that moment, I remembered the monster described in the diary, so I screamed as promised...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And then we came out and took it down together with a coordinated attack.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why he suspected it was a fake even when he appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar, nodding in agreement, began explaining the creature he had encountered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, you’re saying those fakes only have knowledge from 200 years ago?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And there’s one more thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar added another piece of information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The thing knew my name. And it naturally brought up the conversation we had earlier in the dining hall. If you think about it...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That means it knows all the conversations we’ve had on this artificial island over the past five days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, the reason it didn’t attack earlier was to observe us thoroughly and gather information?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s likely the case.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was proving to be a more troublesome foe than anticipated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To think it would meticulously prepare for a perfect hunt instead of attacking the first prey it had seen in 200 years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But it’s not as frightening as it seems.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar pointed out what he believed to be its weakness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For starters, its physical strength is weak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Did you actually fight it in close combat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not exactly, but I’m confident based on what Veronica said.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Veronica, the fake Oscar had asked her to unlock the door and let it in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In other words, it couldn’t force the door open or overpower her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t that a bit of a stretch? Forcing a locked door open doesn’t really fit your usual image, does it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s some truth to that. But do you remember the last part of the diary we read?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course. It mentioned how the senior mage asked to return together and requested the door to be unlocked... Ah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was essentially the same situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If the monster had significant physical strength, it would have forced the lab door open and attacked the mage back then. But it didn’t.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly. Instead, it kept asking for the door to be unlocked and tried to persuade its way inside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In short, it didn’t have the brute strength to force open a locked door.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And when I faced it, its movements didn’t feel particularly quick.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killian muttered with a bored tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right. This monster specializes in deception and ambush tactics. Its weakness is likely close-range combat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But its magical abilities were pretty formidable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I agree. Speaking of which, what kind of magic did the fake Oscar use?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chain Lightning from the Yellow Tower and Gust Hand from our White Tower.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar stroked his chin for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s a bit of a twist. The fake Veronica I encountered used the Blue Tower’s Water Veil spell.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Then that means it already uses spells from three different elements?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Is that even possible?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not impossible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, even he could use magic from any element if he learned the formulas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the efficiency would be abysmal compared to the original.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mana circuits adapt to optimize for the magic we use most frequently.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In some sense, it could be considered a form of evolution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, a White Tower mage’s mana circuit would evolve to maximize the quality of wind-element magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This concept became even more pronounced when dealing with opposing elements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A Red Tower mage casting water magic or a Blue Tower mage casting fire magic—both would produce results that are less than half as effective.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the fake Oscar’s Yellow Tower magic was top-notch. Chain Lightning is a mid-level spell, after all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And Gust Hand wasn’t sloppy either. It was on par with mine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the Water Veil it displayed was executed with remarkable finesse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If so, the conclusion was clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If my guess is correct, that thing can likely use magic from all elements, and without any penalties.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If that’s true, isn’t it essentially the ultimate mage—an ideal we all dream of?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the concept of an “All-Master” who wielded every element belonged in fairy tales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly. At least in terms of magic, it’s not an opponent we can dismiss. It probably spent the last 200 years refining spells from every tower.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing that, the three of them fell into deep thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even mastering one element made someone a formidable opponent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But mastering all elements?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killian, seasoned by experience, spoke in a cold voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oscar, this doesn’t seem like a problem we can handle on our own.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I agree.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Veronica, who hated backing down more than anything, concurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s get out of here first. Then we’ll request reinforcements, whether from the Imperial Court or the White Tower.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“According to communications, the imperial forces will arrive in two days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really? That’s great!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Fran cheered in relief, Oscar continued grimly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I doubt we’ll make it out of here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Because our opponent won’t let us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had watched them for five days before making its move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant it had finished preparing to hunt them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that likely included ensuring there was no escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oscar Crucian, as sharp as ever.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a voice echoed through the corridor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surprisingly, it wasn’t just one voice—it was a harmony of dozens, blending together eerily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click, click, click.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Doors to empty rooms along the hallway began to open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, mages of various faces and genders flooded the corridor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them were copies of Fran, Veronica, Killian, and Oscar himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait a second. Why does my fake look so stupid?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...That’s just your usual expression.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oscar, what’s the plan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Oscar stared at the advancing figures, he clicked his tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was only one choice they could make.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fight. Prepare yourselves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1888,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.789Z",1,"novelbin.me","0133c08bdfb227e8295c7a9c27d4d54ed01325a8afba2d37e35e826889f7f797","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-130","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-128",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]