[{"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-263":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},1334786,1778,"Chapter 263","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-263",263,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 263: Days of the White Tower (4)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Is that a ghost?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he stepped into the Special Division office for the first time in a while, Fran’s eyes went wide as he greeted him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you doing here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, I am the head of this division.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very least, he had to check the backlog of paperwork.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Oscar sat down with a weary face, Fran tilted his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why do you look so tired again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not that I look tired, I actually am tired. I’ve had way too much on my plate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After treating the Emperor, he had crossed the Red Mountains to rescue Edna and recover the White Tower’s documents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came the White Night Festival, and just when he thought he could finally rest, he got dragged into the mess with Lloyd and the Red Tower Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That was a completely insane schedule.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body had suffered plenty, but it was the mental strain that had eaten away at him the most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was shocking was that all of this had happened in barely a month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt more like half a year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar exhaled deeply as he flipped through the papers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing much happened here, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wish there was. I’m bored to death these days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran pouted, looking genuinely restless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Becky’s always training, won’t even hang out with me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about Killian?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He should be here any moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had the words left his lips than the office door opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Is that a ghost?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Veronica stepped inside, spotting him, and pulled a displeased face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What, are you fully back now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never really left—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar trailed off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering how long he’d left the position unattended, it felt wrong to insist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, once the training hall remodel is finished, the Special Division will be back in action.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of the other divisions ran themselves just fine thanks to the capable people he had installed—Lena White, Pedro Ex, Hagor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d lead their respective branches without his oversight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Now that I think of it, I should pass on the potion department headship soon, too.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All those bothersome titles, he’d hand them down and live a quieter life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He quickly reviewed the paperwork, but then the last missing member of the division walked in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Been a while, everyone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Killian!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran jumped up, delighted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you realize how long it’s been?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Close to two months. Once I went back to the forest, there was too much work piled up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He carried himself with a subtle air of ease—and for good reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killian had returned as a Level 5 mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And not just the beginning of it, either.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was already mid-Level 5.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His new tattoos weren’t the only proof; dueling forest warriors had honed his combat abilities, too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar chuckled as he asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What on earth did you do there to grow this much?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...You’re hardly one to talk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killian gave him a look, then let out a faintly helpless smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Somehow, you’re always a few steps ahead. It feels like chasing a mirage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you don’t like it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killian firmly shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Having someone ahead of me to chase is a blessing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good attitude.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That boldness—truly worthy of a forest tribe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One at Level 5, one at Level 6…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Veronica’s eyes went back and forth between the two, then fixed on Killian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright. You’re first. Spar with me after this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not bad. I wanted to spar against a mage too, not just the forest warriors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What, and leave me out? The two of you, huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sparring match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come to think of it, he had taught Veronica “Over Craft” some time ago. He’d taught Fran “Breath of Steel” even earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, they should be fairly proficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar considered it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Maybe I should collect some data from them.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d already received approval to construct a subspace training chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With these three, he could get meaningful results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A sparring match sounds good. But let’s change locations first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The idea of a subspace training chamber had been in his mind for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could make it work, no training room could compare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Even if the Yellow Tower brags about future tech, they can’t beat subspace.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In subspace, time flowed differently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One hour outside could mean years inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...So basically, you’re telling us we’re your lab rats in this new space?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“‘Lab rats’ is a harsh term.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar looked wounded at Fran’s suspicious glare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pioneers, beta testers—there are nicer words, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are there side effects?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not exactly... oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar suddenly remembered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once, he’d felt something’s gaze while inside subspace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But that was during portal travel, not subspace itself, so it should be fine.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, hearing this, Fran recoiled instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No way! I’m not doing it! What if something creepy pops out?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“W-wait. That only happened once, and never again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar explained the incident in detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And portals are different from subspace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you kidding? They’re both space magic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look, this should make sense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He conjured a sheet of paper from mana and held it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A portal is like this—you fold the paper and poke a hole. When you unfold it, see? Two holes left behind. Subspace, though—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He folded the sheet into a neat little box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You make an entirely separate space. Same medium, different process.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Okay, I get it. Same ingredients, different recipe?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To prove safety beyond doubt, Oscar called in Lloyd as a witness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...You mean the subspace itself? Yes, I’ve lived in there for over a year, and I never once felt any such gaze.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The word of an 8th-level mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, Fran finally relaxed a little.Newest update provided by NoveIＦire.net\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine. So what exactly do we have to do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Simple. Enter the training chamber, wait for one hour each, then come out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s literally it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The test’s purpose was to see whether multiple people inside would each experience the same time ratio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even a small variance could snowball into disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, I’m going in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll return shortly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s do this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each grabbed a door handle and entered their chosen chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exactly an hour later, all three walked out at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So that’s it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s the result?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm, I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar nodded knowingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Useless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your chambers were, from left to right, 1-stack, 2-stack, and 3-stack subspaces.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, stacked layers changed the time ratio against reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet all three, after “one hour,” emerged at the exact same moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Looks like subspace can’t decide whose clock to follow when multiple people enter. The interference collapses the time distortion, syncing it 1:1 with reality.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Ah. Yeah. Totally get it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran’s blank stare said otherwise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar dumbed it down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In short: subspace training chamber’s a failure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahh! Now I really get it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Veronica licked her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shame. If it worked, it’d be incredible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, solo training still works. If you ever want, let me know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll keep it in mind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now, the chamber would stay 1-person only.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe in the future, they’d find a workaround.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, shall we wrap up for today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait. One thing first. Keep tomorrow afternoon free.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar’s words made Killian raise a brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Something for the division?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Calling it that works, yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ll be visiting the Great Temple to register with the Shadow Stalkers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shadow Stalkers? What’s that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And why the Great Temple?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So many questions from one sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar kept it short.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a group that specializes in what we do. To join, we need proof from the Temple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already arranged with the Emperor that these troublemakers would join alongside him, securing them independent authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oscar, have you spoken to Kiri Gloria recently?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...That’s sudden.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The name tilted his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kiri Gloria, the Black Tower’s Level 5 ace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one who had given him the artifact that kept nightmares away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had crumbled to ash once its uses were spent, but still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, we’re not exactly in touch. Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A letter came for you yesterday. Addressed to the Division.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh right, that express delivery.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran recalled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Express post wasn’t cheap; no one used it unless it was urgent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not that money meant much to someone like the Black Tower’s ace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It should be on the desk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here it is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar narrowed his eyes at the black stationery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His name was indeed the addressee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A letter, out of nowhere? What’s this about?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He broke the seal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, only a single phrase was scrawled, as if hastily:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Help me]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Front and back—nothing else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Help?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With what?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he puzzled over it, Veronica asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What does it say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just ‘help me.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He flipped it for the others to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A cry for help? From her? The one with that pride?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Strange, isn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Very. If she needed a mage, the Black Tower has plenty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe she wanted alchemy advice?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran’s guess wasn’t impossible, but Oscar shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No... not if she was desperate enough to scribble like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what? Why ask us, of all people she’s not even on good terms with?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only one way to find out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killian, quiet until now, gave the obvious answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right. We’ll only know if we go. Change of plans: this afternoon we head to the Black Tower, then the Temple. Everyone okay with that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once everyone agreed, Oscar glanced again at the letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe it was just the dark stationery, but it filled him with unease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1602,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.789Z",1,"novelbin.me","a77e6331e070a58102c34ff328297efe15a8d4d18f815a21017ad3e6f268c2e4","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-28","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-27",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]