[{"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-172":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},1334868,1778,"Chapter 172","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-172",172,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 172: Each One’s Dawn (6)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smack! Slap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sharp sensation of someone slapping his cheek jolted him awake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Sca, Oscar!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As his blurry vision cleared, he saw Hagor’s face looking down at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ve finally opened your eyes. Are you feeling any better?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ugh…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar groaned and barely managed to sit up, rubbing his stinging cheek as he tried to recall what had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I definitely entered the dimensional rift that Master Ado created… Oh, right.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had seen his master and his wife in their younger years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just as he was about to close the space, he remembered being struck by his master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Wait, did I really pass out from a single hit? And then I was thrown out?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mighty Oscar, reduced to this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a disgrace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The absurdity of the situation made him let out a hollow chuckle, prompting Hagor to ask,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you sure you’re alright?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For now, yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the hell are you up to? You suddenly vanished from my sight—I was startled, you know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, well… That’s a bit of a long story.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar briefly summarized the events he had experienced and what he needed to do moving forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing the tale, Hagor’s eyes glimmered with interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ho? Ado Vail, you say? I know that name well. He’s a famous archmage, even among dwarves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that so?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mages who manipulate space are rare, you see. I recall hearing that, centuries ago, he helped the dwarves build their settlements.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Really?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with the dwarves’ exceptional craftsmanship, creating vast underground spaces would have taken a great deal of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wouldn’t be surprising if his master had assisted them with space magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With such magic at his disposal, creating immense caverns would have been a trivial matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I never imagined you were the one inheriting the legacy of such a great mage.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m not worthy of claiming that legacy just yet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar stood up and gazed in the direction of the dimensional rift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll only be able to say it with pride once I’ve fully mastered this power.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh, that’s just like you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hagor grinned and gave Oscar a hearty slap on the shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go on, then. If you pass out again, I’ll be sure to wake you up, so don’t worry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m counting on you. Oh, but…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar hesitated for a moment before cautiously adding,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Could you hold back on the slapping? Your calloused hands hurt like hell.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…….\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once again, Oscar stepped into the dimensional rift, which remained just as beautiful as before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moon spread its silver light, and the lake’s surface gently rippled in the breeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…And finally, my master and his wife.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite being referred to as a married couple, they both appeared to be in their early twenties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were strolling along the lakeside, just as they had been when Oscar first saw them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"!@#$%$#@\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"@#%@!^#&\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once again, their conversation was distorted by incomprehensible static.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After watching them for a moment, Oscar nodded to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s repeating.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time in this space was frozen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, it flowed independently, separate from reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If my theory is correct…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he repeated the same actions as before, his master’s reaction should be identical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar began searching for the spatial threads just as he had previously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he located the thread capable of unraveling the dimension, he glanced toward the couple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Gone.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like last time, his master had vanished, leaving only his wife standing alone by the lake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, Oscar swiftly severed the thread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snip!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tip of the thread was neatly sliced away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And once again, his master appeared with a cold, unyielding expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’s even younger than I thought.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked to be in his early twenties, seemingly the same age as Oscar himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"%@$!#@$?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His master spat out more incomprehensible words and suddenly threw a punch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"%!@#%@#!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This time, it will be different.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prepared for the attack, Oscar deflected the punch with the back of his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"……!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His master’s eyes widened slightly, surprised that his blow had been blocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar’s body, meanwhile, ignited with the heat of four magic circuits coursing through him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’ve closed the distance. No matter how skilled he is, even Master won’t be able to dodge this one.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar Style Martial Arts: Secret Technique, Chapter 1\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wave Sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fist shot out in an instant, striking his master square in the chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"!@#!%!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Letting out a pained, almost bestial cry, his master staggered back several steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he lifted his head again, his face was twisted with pain—but Oscar was no better off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…It wasn’t deep enough.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the last moment, his master had displayed monstrous reflexes, slightly pulling back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That minuscule movement, a mere few centimeters, had scattered much of the impact’s force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"!@#!%$.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His master muttered something under his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Oscar could prepare for a follow-up strike, the atmosphere changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"……!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pressure emanating from his master surged outward, suffocating the entire space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt as though even the moonlight dimmed under the weight of his aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A profound, unnatural silence fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chirping of insects and the rustling of the wind vanished entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if the entire dimension held its breath, waiting for his wrath to subside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"@#$@%#@?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His master murmured ominously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar couldn’t interpret the words, but he could clearly feel the cold hostility in the voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Goooooo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An intangible pressure pressed down on his shoulders along with the space around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I give up. The difference in skill is just too much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, so Ado Vail in his younger days must have been incredibly strong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He was.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So strong that you couldn’t possibly win?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. I think you’d need to be at least level 7 to even stand a chance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wave Sound was currently the most powerful spell Oscar could unleash at close range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, the moment it failed, the master struck him down with his full strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, at this point, he couldn’t think of a single way to win the fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm. Something seems a bit off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hagor, who had been quietly observing, muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it was such a difficult task, why didn’t Ado Vail give you a warning in advance? Was he toying with you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I don’t think so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar shook his head, recalling his master’s character.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man was many things, but when it came to training, he was as serious as anyone could be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But it is strange, now that you mention it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar had found a total of five spatial rifts in the magic tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one they were currently at seemed the easiest to close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others were so overwhelming that merely approaching them made his stomach churn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If even the easiest one requires level 7 magic, the master would have warned me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would have told him not to even look at it until he was ready.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ado was always serious yet kind when teaching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was efficient and disliked wasting time unnecessarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But if he didn’t warn me… does that mean it’s still possible?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how hard he pondered, he couldn’t come up with an answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Oscar stood up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are we heading back down?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at the rift and replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m going in again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hagor, failing to grasp the meaning, furrowed his brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t you just say there’s no way to win right now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I did. And I still can’t think of any solid method.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to him, this was an opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have a chance to fight my master from his younger days as many times as I want. It’d be a waste to give up. Besides, there’s no limit on how many times I can enter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...You’re fine with passing out over and over?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, I’m at the right age to be passing out a lot. It’s fine. It’s not like I’ll die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah! The right age to pass out—never heard that one before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hagor let out a dry chuckle and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If that’s what you want, I won’t stop you. I’ll wake you up every time you collapse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar walked toward the spatial rift with determined steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was an old saying:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was no different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fight, collapse, wake up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fight, collapse, wake up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cycle repeated endlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar relentlessly analyzed the patterns of his master in his younger days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, after his 35th collapse, he reached a conclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I figured it out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang! Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hagor, who was now so used to Oscar’s antics that he didn’t even care anymore, responded while hammering away at something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you figure out?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The moment my first attack fails, I’m done for.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had tried countless approaches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the most significant opportunity was always with the first strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was, when he deflected the master’s fist and countered with Wave Sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s my first and only chance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm. So if you miss that window, it becomes impossible?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. To be honest, there’s still a considerable gap between me and my master in his younger days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through countless battles, he learned that the master wasn’t yet an Archmage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, he was at least at level 6.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The longer the fight drags on, the fewer openings he shows. His magic output is also higher than mine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, this battle had to be finished quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To do that, he had to exploit the master’s only moment of carelessness—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>right at the very first strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if you’ve already failed over thirty times, doesn’t that mean your spell just isn’t strong enough?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had cast Wave Sound dozens of times, but it was always just slightly too weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The master’s monstrous reflexes allowed him to evade the moment he felt the spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why Oscar’s course of action was now clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I need to close that gap.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to modify the spell so that his Wave could land perfectly on his master’s chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already finished the blueprint in his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Bitter Cold Wind.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was going to utilize the legacy left to him by Allan Winterheart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1713,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.789Z",1,"novelbin.me","ad59e36165405c44c36466c11eb37c1ce4fb99dfa742d4c6d0881ad03a7b4136","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-173","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-171",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]