[{"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-184":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},1334880,1778,"Chapter 184","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-184",184,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 184: Ghosts (7)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar, who had trapped Neil Brion in a double-layered subspace, checked his watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This time, let’s make it a light 10 minutes.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t explored magic like this in a while, and the strange sense of excitement made his heart race.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Commander Grace frowned slightly as she watched him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You look… strangely happy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I enjoy magic research the most.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Grace pondered whether this was truly magic research or just plain torture, she soon nodded in understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, you’ve always been a weirdo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar blinked at her with a puzzled expression, but Grace continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still, I didn’t expect you to be capable of spatial magic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s no benefit in spreading the word about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing that, Grace envisioned a battle against Oscar in her mind and smirked faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Indeed. Facing you without any prior knowledge would be nothing short of a disaster.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On top of his already formidable wind magic, he had added spatial manipulation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She couldn’t even begin to figure out which part to target in order to defeat him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…No, I don’t need to worry about that.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, she would never have to fight Oscar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that they were both part of White Tower gave her a sense of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was hard to believe that just a few months ago, Oscar had been considered one of the most troublesome figures in the tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grace spoke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you won’t be able to keep it hidden forever. The moon doesn’t disappear just because it’s covered by clouds.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“True.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, at this point, it didn’t really matter whether the ability became public knowledge or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’d be nice if I could keep it hidden, but if not, oh well.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being revealed as someone capable of handling space didn’t particularly concern him anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Level 6 mage capable of world liberation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even among the continent’s most renowned warriors, he wouldn’t be easily outclassed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Speaking of which, it’s already been 10 minutes. Time to let him out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You talk like you’re taking food out of a boiling pot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Oscar opened the double-layered subspace, it expelled Neil Brion once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slamming into the ground, Neil hastily scanned his surroundings, trying to grasp the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he spotted Oscar, his eyes burned with fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oscar Crucian!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neil roared, but since he was shackled with Oblivium cuffs, he couldn’t use any magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overcome with rage, he charged at Oscar, only for Oscar to lazily flick two fingers to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A powerful gust of wind sent Neil crashing into the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slid to the floor, groaning in pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring him, Oscar picked up the watch from the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes gleamed with excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh! 1,000 minutes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though only 10 minutes had passed in reality, 1,000 minutes had elapsed inside the subspace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, layering subspace allowed him to control the time ratio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘One layer accelerates time by 10, two layers by 100.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this pattern held, a triple-layered subspace would make time flow 1,000 times faster inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Oscar’s smile widened with anticipation for the next experiment, Neil Brion struggled to his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gah… khh…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clutching his side in pain—his ribs probably broken—Neil gasped and forced out a trembling voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Empire Criminal Law, Article 47, Section 3: Illegal Human Experimentation. And Article 52, Section 1: Kidnapping and Unlawful Detention.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am to stand trial before the imperial court for these crimes. Hand me over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? During the Cadena Plague, you didn’t know the law at all, but now you’re suddenly an expert?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing through Neil’s obvious ploy, Oscar sneered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You want to face the imperial court’s judgment, hoping to avoid worse treatment here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Even criminals have the right to extradition. You should know that unlawfully detaining and kidnapping me is also a crime, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow, for someone so well-versed in the law, you sure committed plenty of illegal acts yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scoffing, Oscar glanced at Grace and asked casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commander, how many members of the Black Finger faction were found in Sirin the other day?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm? Oh, just two…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grace trailed off, then grinned slyly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, wait. Just one. Dirje. And he was executed on the spot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Y-You bastards…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neil Brion’s voice began to tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He realized they had no intention of turning him over to the imperial court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant that this miserable cell was going to be his grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Next up is a triple-layered subspace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar gagged the dazed Neil and handed him the watch once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still not willing to talk about the Black Finger faction or your master, huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he heard the question, Neil instinctively tried to slam his head against the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll take that as your answer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before his skull could collide with the cold stone surface,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a gaping void opened up and swallowed him whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neil Brion glanced around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the third time, he was back in the subspace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oscar Crucian, you bastard…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gritting his teeth, he spat out curses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that he was particularly afraid of this place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wherever he looked, he saw only pure white nothingness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A perfect, void-like space where not even his shadow was cast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I can’t even tell how I’m standing.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no floor, no walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no way of determining whether he was standing or floating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The utter lack of sound initially brought a strange sense of calm, but only for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The overwhelming silence soon began to gnaw at his mind, filling him with creeping dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘How long will I have to endure it this time?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last time, he had been in here for 1,000 minutes—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>just under 17 hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was tolerable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But compared to the first time, the duration had increased tenfold.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering that pattern, if it increased tenfold again this time...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he finished the calculation in his head, a chill ran down his spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘10,000 minutes. That’s about a week, isn’t it?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A week.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A long time or a short one, depending on how you looked at it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neil Brion swallowed hard and closed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘My loyalty will not waver.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was his master who had extended a hand of salvation when he was at his lowest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spending time in a void of nothingness was nothing compared to that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as he kept his loyalty to his master in mind, he could endure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I can withstand it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His loyalty was not so flimsy that it would wither after a mere week.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know how much time had passed when suddenly, he felt his body being hurled onto the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh... Hah... Hah...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly one week, huh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All Neil Brion could do was glare at Oscar, who was staring down at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After spending a week without any physical activity, even moving was a struggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grrrgle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His stomach let out a loud growl, echoing through the prison cell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the sound, Oscar calmly nodded and jotted something down in his notebook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see. So, bodily functions still continue in the subspace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Kill me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice, muffled by the gag in his mouth, was cracked and broken, even to his own ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Oscar simply flashed a bright smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Begging for death? Oh no, we still have so many more experiments to run.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neil Brion remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew that even if Oscar did nothing, he would eventually starve to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, with a casual motion, Oscar tossed a backpack in front of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A gift. The next round is a fourfold-layered subspace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fourfold?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant... 10,000 minutes again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At moments like this, he cursed his sharp mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he thought of the number, he instantly calculated the duration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘1,666 hours and 40 minutes. Roughly 70 days, huh.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wave of despair and relief washed over him simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despair at having to endure the void once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relief at the certainty that he would die this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If I starve for 70 days, I’ll definitely die.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As that bittersweet relief settled in, the space swallowed him four consecutive times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arriving in the void once again, he closed his eyes as he always did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was thirsty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was hungry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The primal urges pierced him like daggers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neil Brion forced himself to ignore them and tried to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know how much time had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But eventually, his survival instincts overwhelmed his willpower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grrrrgle, grrrgle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sleep was no longer an option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body wouldn’t allow it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was when he learned something new:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When a person was starving, their intestines twisted with such pain that it felt as though they were being stabbed from the inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, after enduring that agony for a while, a brief moment of peace came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only for the hunger to return, even more ferociously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s fine. I can die here.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had never imagined that he would die of starvation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that was fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the midst of that agony, he felt a sense of nobility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To die of starvation rather than betray his loyalty to his master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If his master knew of his suffering, surely he would weep with pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘First Finger, please fulfill the grand cause.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His vision spun, despite his eyes being closed, due to the extreme dehydration and starvation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His frayed nerves began producing phantom noises in the silent void.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Soon... I’ll die.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Neil Brion braced himself for death, something slipped from his mouth with a soft thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He realized it was the gag that had been in his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why now, of all times?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His lips, so parched that they were stuck together, tore slightly as the gag fell, causing blood to seep from the cracks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The extreme dehydration left him without even a drop of saliva.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then he saw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...The bag?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The backpack that Oscar had mockingly called a gift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden surge of curiosity struck him at the brink of death, compelling him to open the bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the moment he did, he regretted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the bag were bread and water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheap, stale bread—the kind he wouldn’t have spared a glance at under normal circumstances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, he couldn’t take his eyes off it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that was when the battle began—between his reason and his primal desire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No... I can’t. I have to die here.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To betray his master’s cause by indulging in mere food was unthinkable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew that in his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why, then, couldn’t he tear his eyes away from the bread?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After staring at it for what felt like an eternity, Neil Brion eventually made a compromise with himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Just a sip of water.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just one sip to quench the fire in his throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would still die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He just wanted to soothe his parched throat before the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He convinced himself, opened the bottle, and took a single sip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment the cool water flowed down his throat, he lost all control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time he regained awareness, he was choking and shoving both bread and water into his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crumbs clung to his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The empty bottle rolled across the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had no memory of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know when he reached out or when he started eating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All he knew was that his thirst was gone, and he was full for the first time in weeks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the most terrifying thing was the certainty that dawned upon him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was sure of it now—he could no longer choose death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Craaaaack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the subspace, which shouldn’t have opened yet, suddenly tore open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant Neil Brion saw the rift, he felt a wave of guilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the same feeling as being caught doing something shameful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You ate well, huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar’s eyes flicked to the empty bottle and bread crumbs before he smirked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As always, he checked his watch and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mmm, as expected. Time flows a thousand times faster inside. I completely forgot—there was no need to use the full duration to test the time ratio.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no way a genius like him would overlook such a basic factor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That means... from the very start, he knew I would succumb to such a petty temptation...?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just as he feared, his prediction was proven right by his own actions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Neil Brion felt his world shatter with shame, Oscar leaned in and whispered a sweet offer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I won’t ask about your master. Just a few pieces of information about the Black Fingers. How about it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His will to die had crumbled like a withered flower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his loyalty to his master remained unyielding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught between those conflicting forces, Neil Brion, without even realizing it, nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",2142,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.789Z",1,"novelbin.me","7b06b2baa0a2e402b88c0cc4be53e3a6654a57e52c01d9c3bc2a9efda1b2680e","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-185","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-183",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]