[{"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-212":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},1334658,1778,"Chapter 212","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-212",212,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 212: Encounter (5)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sky tainted in ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A land stripped of color.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Air laced with poison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A realm teeming with malformed monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humans call it the Grey Zone, but the locals refer to it as the Demon Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuribe was born in District 1,999 — considered the outermost edge of even that forsaken land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Th-That’s food.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hand it over!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get lost! I found this, you—urk!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A place where people kill without hesitation for a mouthful of food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuribe had to learn how to survive from early childhood — even before his horns had grown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Move faster!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you don’t meet your quota this month, I’ll grind you down myself to make up the magic stones — you hear me?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the desolate Demon Realm, magic stones were one of the few sources of energy — and currency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>District managers paid a monthly tribute of stones to higher-ranking nobles in exchange for the continued privilege of life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang! Clang! Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, age didn’t exempt anyone from labor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, children were often sent into places adults couldn’t reach due to their smaller bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here’s today’s ration.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when daily quotas were met, the rations given were barely enough to qualify as food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one could survive on that alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Death was common.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What, dead again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey! Get rid of this one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Demon Realm, no one cares for the dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To die is to be weak, and weakness is the greatest sin in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...I will survive.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuribe caught and ate bugs in the gaps between mining hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On really lucky days, he would force spiders or bats into his mouth to get through the day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each night, as he lay on the ground to sleep, he would see the inscription on the towering spire above:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>──Strength matters more than life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A creed etched into the bodies and minds of every inhabitant of the Demon Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weak die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strong survive — and rule.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only with strength could one live, and only by living could one gain more strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I will become strong. Someday, I will.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In those days, Yuribe was always hungry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had never once known what it meant to feel full.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That sensation — satiety — only came for the first time when he became an adult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Urk, urgh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the moment he killed a particularly foul-tempered overseer in the magic stone mine and absorbed his power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ahh…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rush of euphoria, the weariness washing away, the overwhelming force surging through his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an incomparable, all-consuming ecstasy — the first true pleasure Yuribe had ever tasted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I want to feel it again. Just one more time.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if possessed, he hunted for his next prey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the process, he realized something about himself:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I am a natural-born predator. A ruler meant to stand above all others.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As time passed, his strength grew — and so did his horns, longer and more pronounced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the powerful demons of his district bowed before him and begged for their lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And once he felt confident in his power,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuribe killed the baron who governed District 1,999 and took his place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a noble, he finally gained the wealth and luxury he had always dreamed of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No longer did he have to worry about his life being snuffed out like a candle in the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In District 1,999, he was god and king.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His rise was so meteoric, one would never guess he came from slave labor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Yuribe was not happy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Is this what it means to live a happy life?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt as though a great hole had been punched through his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how many tribute stones he devoured, the emptiness never went away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, his thirst and hunger only grew with each passing day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Strength matters more than life…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuribe wanted to become even stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to trample the weak and watch everyone worship his overwhelming superiority — more, and more, and more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be content as a mere baron would be a waste of his potential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’m still starving.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, he left District 1,999 and began wandering the entire Demon Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He devoured every monster he came across and brought countless strong foes to their knees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His monthly tribute grew, and with it, his power grew even faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after he was granted the title of viscount, the thought of stopping never once crossed his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a count-level demon who finally brought him to a halt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one who had come to find him left a warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t expand your territory any further.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuribe was shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because the count was stronger than him — though he was —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but because of the aura he exuded, a unique brilliance as though he had painted his own color onto the grey wasteland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The count was so extraordinary, he almost seemed to shine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuribe envied that deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I want to be like him — that strong, that unique.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reading Yuribe’s honest desire, the count spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A war is coming soon. If you want to grow stronger, do it there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he said, a war soon broke out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuribe crossed the Red Mountains and fed on countless humans, growing stronger with each one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sensation of becoming stronger was always thrilling — always new.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Demons are superior. Humans are mere livestock.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuribe and most demons were utterly convinced of their victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, they had the Great Emperor —— on their side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuribe had seen him only once, from a distance, but even that glimpse had shown him a power beyond comprehension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘There’s no way someone like him could lose. No human could possibly compare.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then, someone unleashed a power that turned the ashen sky pure white —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and on that day, the Great Emperor fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The culprit was the White Mage — the humans’ beacon of hope and the demons’ greatest fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shocked to their core, the demon army was forced into retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had no choice but to return to the Demon Realm and plan their next move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even then, Yuribe never stopped growing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This kind of disorder is exactly what I’ve been hoping for.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The command structure of the demon army, having lost its leader, was on the verge of collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seizing the opportunity, Yuribe swiftly traveled across the Demon Realm, expanding his territory at an alarming pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to his efforts, Yuribe finally reached a level he was satisfied with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after, the newly appearing “Grand Duke” bestowed upon him the title of Count.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’ve finally reached the position I aimed for.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the livestock beyond the mountains should be kneeling and bowing before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuribe opened his eyes wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Power is more important than life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar looked at Yuribe with his eyes lowered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You demons always say things like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze slowly shifted to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His opponent was a level 8 powerhouse, and not just that — a beastkin known for having a sturdy body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A being like that could easily withstand this kind of attack, even without a single shred of energy left.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why Oscar didn’t aim for the neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slice!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A clean cutting sound rang out, and something fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuribe’s wide-open eyes slowly followed it, like rolling marbles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a horn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon’s horn — their storage for demonic energy and the source of their strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of them had been cleanly severed and was falling beneath the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You always scream about how power is everything, but when it really counts—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar tapped the back of his own neck lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“—you always choose your life instead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuribe couldn’t bring himself to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could feel a portion of the strength he’d built up until now scattering like dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t just about running out of demonic energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was something far more devastating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘My horn... my horn...?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humans, from level 7 and beyond, must gain insight to break through their limits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But demons don’t require such a process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They can become endlessly stronger by simply stacking brute force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conversely, it was just as easy for them to lose it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow, it’s eating well. Must be a shame to lose that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The falling horn was snatched and absorbed by the roots of the “Mountain Eater” drifting in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar let out a grin as he watched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If that chunk was cut off... you’ve probably dropped to mid-level 7, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll discard it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuribe muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll kill you. I’ll kill you. I’ll kill you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His bloodshot eyes locked onto Oscar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had never felt this furious in his entire life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll kill you, bastard!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Consumed by rage, Yuribe stretched out his hand toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But faster than him, a root from below shot up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What can I say? I guess you tasted pretty good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having had a taste of Yuribe, the root showed no intention of letting him go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grrk!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he fought Oscar here, he might be able to kill him, but he’d die afterward as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overcome with rage, Yuribe trembled and muttered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I promise. I don’t care about the others. But you... I’ll cross the mountains myself and kill you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do as you please.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling his magic rapidly depleting, Oscar snapped his fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Time to leave my world, Baron-class demon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You damn—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next moment, just as Yuribe was spewing curses, both he and the root of the Mountain Eater were ejected from the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Phew.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar let out a shallow sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A level-8 Count-class demon... Would’ve been nice if I could’ve killed him.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he couldn’t afford to go all out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His allies were in no shape for a prolonged battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy had simply run out of demonic energy, but his side was exhausted in both magic and body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If only I had more mana…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had spent an enormous amount of magic luring the Mountain Eater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then again, he burned a massive amount freeing the world from Yuribe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, he himself was not in a condition to continue fighting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No need to be greedy. Honestly, it's a miracle no one died.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had fulfilled his initial objective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swallowing his regret, Oscar looked around and began to dispel the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the mountain ridge, now fully lit by dawn, neither Yuribe nor the roots of the Mountain Eater were visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— Boom! Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Powerful explosions echoed from not far away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing the energy, Oscar let out a chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Running with his tail between his legs. Looks like he’s heading toward the first peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he reached that place, the power of the roots would weaken, making escape easier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar quickly turned to his companions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is everyone alright?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Huh, do I look alright? Because I really don’t.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, if you’re still joking, I’ll take that as a good sign.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled out a top-tier potion from his subspace and handed it to Oran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gulping it down in one go, Oran felt his ribs reattach and sighed in relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My little brother saved me. That guy really is a monster.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No time for jokes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaya, who approached with one arm dangling uselessly, cut in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar tossed her a potion and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kaya’s right. While the Mountain Eater buys us time, we need to cross the range.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tch. So we’re leaving those Black Finger bastards behind?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re not the priority right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also handed a potion to Sasha, who was standing with her head bowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tower Master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without a word, she took the potion and turned to prepare for departure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching her, Oscar’s eyes narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Shrunken shoulders, empty eyes, unstable mana flow…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t a good sign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the classic symptom of inner demon affliction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1986,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.789Z",1,"novelbin.me","96bc0d03f86514ec854e56fb134f0b3639f0fa426dcc34fbc6af90d173309601","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-213","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-211",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]