[{"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-162":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},1334858,1778,"Chapter 162","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-162",162,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 162: Saint Hill (5)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thick cloud of dust instantly contaminated the once-spotless operating room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cough, cough! What is this dust…!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's why I told you to cover your mouth and nose.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn’t expect it to be this bad!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emerging from the dust, arguing as they walked, were Oscar and Veronica.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man, who had been staring at them in a daze, suddenly flinched and backed away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"H-How are you still alive...? No, more importantly, did you just break through the ceiling...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His instinctive gaze lifted toward the gaping hole in the ceiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The floor was made of solid steel, three meters thick… And they broke through it? With nothing but wind?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As countless questions filled his mind, struggling to make sense of what had just happened—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cough, cough! O-Oscar! Veronica!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice, filled with emotion, called out from the operating table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran, covered in dust, shouted with a trembling voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You came to rescue me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where’s Killian?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t know. But that guy seemed to know something.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perfect.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar nodded and turned his gaze toward the shackles binding Fran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Veronica, free him first. Be careful—it’s Oblisium.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...All of this is made of Oblisium? No way. We have to take it with us when we leave.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Veronica’s eyes sparkled with excitement, Oscar approached the man lying on the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"D-Don’t come any closer!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man raised a syringe as if it were a weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar observed him with an odd expression before speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me where Killian is, and I’ll make sure you don’t suffer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Th-That…! I’ll talk if you promise to let me live!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm. Interesting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar tilted his head slightly and murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re not one of the Salvation Cult, are you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The high-ranking priest they had encountered earlier had been unfazed by the threat of death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was to be expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To them, death was merely a gateway to salvation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the man in front of him was clearly afraid of dying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant he truly wasn’t one of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now I’m even more curious. Who exactly are you, conducting human experiments in the Salvation Cult’s basement?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I-I am…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the man hesitated, Fran warned from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oscar, that bastard is a total scumbag. He’s been injecting people with that syringe and turning them into those things.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He motioned toward a holographic screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, figures were seen staggering as they walked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar’s gaze darkened as he asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…What is that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you forcibly inject someone with demonic energy, they lose their sanity and become nothing but violent monsters. And if they bite someone, that person ends up the same way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him, Veronica muttered under her breath,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Insane.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar continued staring at the screen, his expression unreadable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Forcing demonic energy into people?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had encountered something similar before—at the Red Citadel on the western front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The outcome is a little different, but the process is eerily similar to what Commander Theodore Bale experienced.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, it wasn’t syringes, but something called the Seed of Corruption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But Lloyd mentioned something, didn’t he? That the Seed of Corruption was just the official term given by the imperial family… Some groups called it the Philosopher’s Stone instead.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gut feeling told him that that group was linked to this experiment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Oscar’s thoughts reached that conclusion, he turned around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fran, Veronica. Step outside for a moment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh? Oh… okay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Call us no matter what happens.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither of them questioned his request.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They trusted that he had his reasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the two had left, leaving only the two of them in the room, the man swallowed nervously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"W-What are you planning to do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What else?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar smirked and snapped his fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A violent gust of wind sent the man flying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gahh!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He crashed into the wall before slumping onto the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar slowly approached him, placing his foot on the man’s chest and leaning in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That syringe… It looks a lot like the Philosopher’s Stone from our side. So, who the hell are you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ph-Philosopher’s Stone? From your side?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite his pain, the man’s eyes widened at the words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How do you know about that…? W-Wait, are you affiliated with the Black Fingers?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the words left his mouth, the air in the room subtly distorted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar narrowed his eyes, his voice dropping to a menacing growl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You still don’t get it, do you? You’re in no position to test me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I-I’m sorry! I just… security is everything in my line of work…!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You won’t get a second warning.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the weight of the chilling threat, the man began speaking hesitantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"F-First of all… Yes, the Philosopher’s Stone and our company’s elixirs share the same base. Our job is to dilute the Philosopher’s Stone and make it usable for ordinary people.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar recalled that the Black Fingers referred to turning into a Demonic human as a \"blessing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And what’s the point of bestowing blessings upon worthless ordinary people?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the man’s eyes noticeably relaxed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must have been because he had uttered the word blessing, which only those involved with the Black Fingers would know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke again, his tone more stable than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s research to determine whether, when administered to ordinary people, it can elevate them to at least the level of mid-tier knights or mages. Everything is in preparation for the day that is soon to come. The greater the chaos, the better.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That day?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chaos?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to ask more about that, but something instinctively told him he shouldn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke as if anyone who was an ally would naturally know what that day referred to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"……Alright. Then, my next question. Why is someone who serves the Fourth Finger here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because we recruited the Salvation Church to conduct human experiments. After all, when it comes to gathering homeless people and orphans, nothing beats a cult.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How did you recruit them?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We granted the church leader a blessing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glancing around, the man lowered his voice and added,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At this point, the Salvation Church is practically just an arm of our corporation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A corporation, huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if it’s a company producing a potion like this…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pharmaceutical company.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that thought, a name struck his mind like lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To confirm his theory, Oscar removed his foot from the man’s chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, Oscar offered him a hand and helped him up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ve been through a lot. I apologize for the misunderstanding.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not at all. These kinds of mistakes happen when we’re unaware of each other’s existence. I almost killed you too, after all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I appreciate you thinking that way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dusting off the man’s robe, he asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How is Executive Director Neil Brion doing these days?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, you know the Executive Director?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To some extent. He hasn’t been responding to my calls lately.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He’s probably quite busy right now. As you can see, the potion is nearly complete, so he’s out laying the groundwork.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smirked as if that was exactly what I had wanted to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I see. Ah, by the way, do you know where Killian is? At least on the surface, he’s my comrade, so I need to rescue him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He was sent to the lab upstairs. It’s in the room right next to the staircase.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that so? Thanks. And one last thing—do you happen to know who the Fingers are?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unfortunately, I don’t…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man trailed off and tilted his head as if something seemed off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait a moment. Questions regarding the identities of the Fingers are strictly forbidden… Are you really part of the Black Fingers?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tsk.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thunk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bullet hole appeared in the middle of his forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Oscar summoned water to clean his hand from their earlier handshake, he looked at the hologram screen in front of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, in short, these people have also become demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like Commander Theodore Bale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant there had to be a way to turn them back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he had created such a cure once before, he could do it again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before that…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saving Killian was the priority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking up at the gaping hole in the ceiling, he called out to the two people waiting outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Veronica glanced at the corpse on the ground before asking,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What took you so long?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We had an interesting conversation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Interesting conversation?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah. I’ll tell you when the time is right.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was likely that he’d have to share this information soon anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the royal family was deeply entangled with the Black Fingers, they couldn’t afford to keep this secret forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Killian is in the lab next to the staircase upstairs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The staircase? We barely managed to sneak past that, and now we have to go back?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why? What’s waiting at the staircase?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Fran, who had been listening to the conversation, chimed in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That area is packed with fanatics. We had to torture a few of their patrols to find out where you were, but if we had made even a little noise before finding you, we’d have been done for.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We had no choice but to quietly break through the floor and drop down.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now that they had found Fran and their group had grown to three, there was no longer any need for stealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All they needed to do was retrieve Killian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to Fran and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"By the way, I saw signs of a fight in the bathroom where you and Killian were. Who did you fight?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, Fran's face darkened as he recalled why he had lost consciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Some monster-like guy that none of our attacks could land on. To be honest, I don’t think we could beat him even if we fought again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your attacks didn’t work?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah. Not only was his physical prowess ridiculous, but the biggest problem was his shield.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shield?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right. The shield he deployed was so tough that neither I nor Killian could break through it. It was absurdly sturdy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, in short, he was an opponent with high defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He replied indifferently,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, that’s all? Then it’s not a problem.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re taking this way too lightly. I’m telling you, my whip didn’t do a thing to him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then there’s even less reason to worry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Veronica smirked and pointed at the neatly sliced steel floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After all, we have a monster of our own.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1734,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.789Z",1,"novelbin.me","12f2307e4be44c7c4c642d1edc73976503250fcb841542b8e3e73eb89526a0f2","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-163","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-161",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]