[{"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-220":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},1334666,1778,"Chapter 220","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-220",220,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 220: Eternal Moment (8)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the collapsing world, a green dragon opened her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could feel her stiffened body, depleted mana, and waning life force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The time that has passed since I halted my thoughts…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roughly six years, perhaps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Waking from a long slumber, she felt dazed and groggy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She blinked her large eyes a few times and gazed up at the hand resting on her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was warm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unfamiliar human’s touch against the cold scales of a cold-blooded dragon felt remarkably warm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…A stranger. A mage.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wondered if she knew him, but no matter how hard she tried, the face was clearly unfamiliar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did his gaze, looking at her, carry such longing and joy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edna felt a strong curiosity and decided to ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you looking at me like that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because I’m glad to see you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That expression is inaccurate. That word presumes mutual memory, or at least recognition. I, however, have no idea who you are.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm, I don’t think that’s entirely true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice trailed up at the end, in a tone reminiscent of how someone might speak to children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a tone often used by her one and only friend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He once lamented that, though he hadn't even married yet, raising young disciples had made that fatherly tone stick to his speech.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Oscar?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Edna muttered the name involuntarily, the mage beamed and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she gazed at that beautiful face, she instinctively denied it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s impossible. He’s already dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. But somehow, here I am.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I see how it is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edna sharply turned her head and brushed off his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is the demon realm. This must be a trick by demons trying to extract knowledge from me through illusions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm. A reasonable suspicion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not suspicion. I’m 99% certain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And the remaining 1%?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edna fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That last 1%—it was a fragile hope that, if this impossible situation were real, how wonderful that would be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>RUMBLE!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar glanced up at the crumbling world and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Doesn’t this remind you of when we first met?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a faint smile, he looked at the dragon—who was wary of him, just like back then—and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m Oscar Crucian. And you are?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those words, Edna’s eyes trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could she not remember?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the day someone first reached for the doorknob of her closed heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than that, it was a secret memory only the two of them shared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Oscar? Is it really you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But your face… and your voice… they’re different.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve been through a lot. Thought I was going to die, honestly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar sighed deeply, whining to his old friend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s no time to explain everything right now. I’ll tell you the details later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, that reminds me—why are you even in the demon realm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why do you think? I came to retrieve what I entrusted to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What he entrusted to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edna flinched as she recalled the records from the White Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—If I die, please deliver this to the next master of the White Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, she had failed to fulfill his request, to keep their promise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oscar, I…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s okay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pat, pat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar gently patted the green-scaled head of Edna.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Say no more. I already know how hard you tried to keep our promise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve been through so much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said he understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said she’d suffered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing special.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, for some reason, tears started dripping from Edna’s massive eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar laughed, clutching his stomach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s this? You’ve become such a crybaby while I was gone?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not crying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what’s with those tears?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve had my eyes closed for a long time, so this is just an automatic moisturizing response. Reptilian eyes are very sensitive to external stimuli.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah, so you’re not crying?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Assuming tears mean crying is a very human-centric viewpoint.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar stared at her for a while, then chuckled and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay, then. I’ll take it as a reptile’s tearful moisturizing reflex.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edna looked away and muttered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You still don’t understand. I repeat—I’m not crying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, alright. If you say so… hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar suddenly frowned and turned around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crumbling world had started to emit ominous energy from outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This… is Yuribe?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A demon count he had personally suppressed to level 7.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could now clearly feel that demon’s demonic energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Did he chase me all the way here for revenge?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar’s heart grew anxious as he thought of his companions outside—especially Sasha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noticing his change in demeanor, Edna asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong? Your heart rate just spiked by 14%.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seems like things outside are getting messy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those demons out there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah. Let me think for a second.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar fell into thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had succeeded in waking Edna and retrieving the records of the White Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that wasn’t going to help the current situation in the slightest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I can’t ask Edna to break the Code and help us fight…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More importantly, Sasha was currently deep in mind-space and couldn’t be counted as a full combatant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he grew more troubled—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRACKLE!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edna stood up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stretched her stiffened neck elegantly and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go. I’ll help you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? But that violates the Observer’s Code!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oscar, why do you think I’ve been stuck in this wasteland for 21 years?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Observers like dragons do not fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that wasn’t because they were weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quite the opposite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were so overwhelmingly powerful that their involvement was feared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet the demons were the ones who made the first move—trying to kill such a being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, that’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edna blinked her now-glossy eyes, her spirit burning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For this battle only, I’m going to strongly insist it’s self-defense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Haa, haa.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaya Lockwood’s shoulders rose and fell heavily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every breath she exhaled came with hot steam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon Yuribe, watching with folded arms, clicked his tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three of his subordinates had died in just 15 minutes—at the hands of a single human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew, huh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaya forced her trembling body upright and glared at her enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Damn it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The numbers before her eyes kept decreasing:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-48.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-47.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-46.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The power that surpassed all limits, Allform Primordium—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The miracle that lasted only 999 seconds was now down to less than a minute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I wanted to at least take out all the small fry before this ended…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fighting five mid-tier level 7 enemies at once wasn’t as easy as she’d hoped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if she had momentarily gained power comparable to the peak of Level 7 through World Liberation…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only a half-measure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Neither the purity of mana nor technique has improved.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was forcibly elevated through World Liberation was only the level of her physical body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that she managed to take down three with that incomplete power was purely due to her exceptional skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-42.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-41.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-40.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hoo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaya took one last breath to steady herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eight seconds of rest was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She just needed to take down two more within the remaining 40 seconds, and the objective would be complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘After that, you're on your own.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaya bit her teeth together, and her form began to blur.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She’s coming!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Focus!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two demons—excluding Yuribe—sharpened all their senses on their vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the group of demons they came with, these two were the strongest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, they couldn’t keep up with Kaya’s speed, but they were capable enough to defend themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaya’s fist slammed into the demon who had crossed his arms into an X.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sound like a bomb going off, his body was blown backward, skidding across the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Tch! What kind of monster is she?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just blocking the attack had shattered the bones in both his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shocked by the damage, the demon immediately leapt away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘At least I’m out of her attack range—?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what awaited him as he soared into the air was a dense web of threads, like a spider’s web.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unique Magic:『Thousand Silk Ensnarement』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon’s entire body was bound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thrashed, trying to break free, but the more he moved, the tighter the threads pulled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Wait. The woman?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the instant he lost track of her position, a chill ran down his spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ominous mana crept in from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crunch!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaya’s knee crushed the demon’s spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He died with a final cry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well done!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throwing a compliment to her junior, Kaya quickly checked the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>28 seconds left, and two enemies remaining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sliver of hope bloomed in her heart—maybe, just maybe, she could do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior! Behind you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First came confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then a wave of dizziness, as if the world had flipped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And finally—overwhelming pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her ribs shattered as her side was struck by a sudden kick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pain was so intense, Kaya couldn’t even scream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mouth hung open, but only faint, strangled groans escaped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tch. Pity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuribe clicked his tongue, genuinely disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d aimed to destroy her heart with that strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the sudden formation of magical threads around Kaya had protected her from immediate death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thread that connected her to Oscar had been severed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Oran, who had been supporting her from the rear, extended a thread and pulled her back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do I look okay…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grimacing, Kaya involuntarily looked toward Sasha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still unmoved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hadn’t shown the slightest sign of awakening from her trance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shadow fell across Kaya’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Damn it. This might actually be our grave.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-3.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-2.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-1.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The time limit of World Liberation: Allform Primordium had run out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, she didn’t even have the strength to lift a finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Then the only one I can rely on now is…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked at the man holding her up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oran Quill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could he buy them some time by holding off those two demons?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, it was hard to picture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s with that look?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe reading her thoughts, Oran Quill spoke sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Should I just dump you here and run?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You’d still die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it, I know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Die here, or die a few kilometers away while running—it made no difference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing that, Oran Quill gritted his teeth and stood up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll try something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just hang on. If we can buy some time, maybe…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Will something really change?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That doubt passed through both of their minds at the same time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuribe’s eyes twitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strange sound had come from beyond the humans, from the place where “everything had stopped” for over twenty years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Did I imagine that?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He doubted his ears for a moment, but it was no illusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack! Crackle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless fractures formed over a translucent barrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KABOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A world collapsed, and shards of glass reflecting sunlight revealed a massive green form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…A dragon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuribe’s eyes trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the last of the observers—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A remnant of the long-lost dragonkin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1826,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.789Z",1,"novelbin.me","82c1ec63f0b4f975dff548e7aaf75e037103e383c4a7df423e511aa82cf734a8","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-221","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-219",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]