[{"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-280":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},1334818,1778,"Chapter 280","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-280",280,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 280: Happy End (5)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moonlight, long hidden by dark clouds, spilled over the rooftop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All eyes turned toward Dust, or rather, toward the sword jutting from his forehead, piercing through the back of his skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, is that…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar nodded at Veronica’s cautious whisper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At last, the Heavenly Sword had intervened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where is he, though? I can’t sense any presence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Veronica scanned the surrounding buildings, but it was useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Sword was probably still in his room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Oscar told her that, her expression twisted in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You’re joking, right? That’s over nine kilometers away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Think about who we’re talking about.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grumpy, small as a buttonhole, yet the strongest living human being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a man in the late stages of level 8, the entire city of Sicadel might as well be within striking range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So that’s the Heavenly Sword, huh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Dust, who by all rights should have been dead, spoke up, perfectly unfazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even let out a scoffing laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All that fuss about the ‘strongest human’ and this is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grabbed the blade lodged in his head and yanked it out with brute force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shraaak!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His skull split open in the process, but it healed in the blink of an eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he shouted to the sky:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heavenly Sword! Stop hiding like a coward and face me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No reply came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll give you one minute. If you don’t show yourself by then, I’ll kill every last one of these mages. After that, for every minute that passes, I’ll kill a hundred random citizens.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His chilling threat made several mages tremble with fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Anatol Kincess, the wounded level-7 mage from the Tower of Blood, burst out laughing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What nonsense. Seems you still don’t grasp the situation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You think I can’t do it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Street rat, it’s not for you to decide that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his index finger and pointed skyward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s for the Heavenly Sword to decide.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hmph. Fine. Maybe killing one of you as an example wouldn’t hurt.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dust’s calf muscles swelled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since reaching level 7, he’d never once been outpaced by anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A mage’s reflexes can’t possibly match a knight’s eyesight.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He kicked off the ground, closing the distance in an instant, and swung his hand down toward Anatol’s neck —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRACK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he came to, he was staring at the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been charging straight ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So why was his face against the floor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t have time to think before —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A searing pain bloomed in his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was pain, the kind that only comes when one’s heart has been sliced into hundreds of pieces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“GRAAAAHHH!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dust screamed belatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes bulged as he saw the blade embedded in his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That could only mean one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been attacked, while moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even children sparring with wooden swords could at least see the incoming strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he hadn’t perceived a thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant the gap between them was unfathomable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The Heavenly Sword is this strong?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn’t what the Great One had said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had promised that drinking his blood would make Dust equal to the Heavenly Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Could it be… that even Lord Darwin doesn’t know his true strength?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that were true, Dust had to survive, to deliver this knowledge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that thought evaporated a moment later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mind blanked, like snow melting away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What was I doing again? Oh, right. The battle.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reminded himself that he and the Heavenly Sword were equals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that conviction restored, Dust rose to his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huuuu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smashed the sword sticking out of his chest with a hammer-like strike, shattering it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heavenly Sword! Come out! What’s the matter, lost your nerve?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone stared in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked completely out of his depth against the Heavenly Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why’s he doing that? Has he gone mad?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mad? Yeah… maybe he really has.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar nodded grimly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truth be told, he’d been suspicious even before the Heavenly Sword intervened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘With that level of skill, he hid inside the Heavenly Sword’s domain? Really?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dust’s strength didn’t add up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure, he had drunk Darwin’s blood and forcibly installed his eighth mana circuit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that didn’t mean he’d joined the ranks of true level-8s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s like carving stripes into a pumpkin to make it look like a watermelon.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Yuribe from the Red Mountains, far stronger than Dust, had been among the weakest of the level-8s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He forced his body into the eighth tier, but his mind didn’t follow.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, it was like giving a child a legendary sword without teaching him how to wield it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If level 7 is the stage where you declare your individuality to the world, then level 8 is where two worlds must merge into one.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why true masters needed enlightenment to advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were just about building mana circuits, there would be dozens more level-9s in history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So that’s why the Heavenly Sword waited, observing first.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Imagine a mosquito strutting in front of you, pretending to be dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’d naturally suspect it had some hidden trick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He probably searched the whole city to be sure.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He must have suspected Dust was bait for a larger plot, and only acted once that doubt faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— …I can’t understand it. But this will do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Sword’s voice echoed from the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A moment later, the heavens flared white, bathing the city in daylight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Veronica, watch closely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar suddenly thought it was a shame Lloyd wasn’t here to see this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s the original form of the White Tower’s high spell, ‘Sword That Divides the Sky.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Veronica’s eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The name of a high-level spell being ‘sword’ had always seemed odd, but she hadn’t imagined its origin was literal swordsmanship, the secret art of a noble sword clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That’s why the old man hates our White Tower.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the “Sword That Divides the Sky” hadn’t been stolen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eighth Tower Master had personally dueled the Heavenly Sword, studied his technique, and transformed it into magic, even with the Heavenly Sword’s own guidance, according to the records.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Though really, he just hates me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, it was the White Tower mages, not the Heavenly Sword knights, who earned the most glory with that spell during the war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Petty old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dust let out a puzzled groan, then realized another sword had pierced him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could feel it, his endlessly regenerating cells were being destroyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arrogance that had made him feel like he stood above the world finally collapsed at the brink of death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In its place rose pure fear, and a single, haunting question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why did I act so recklessly?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Happy End’s ability to evade the Empire for so long had always stemmed from his own cautious nature, the man who’d test a bridge until it nearly broke before crossing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now, with newfound power, he’d rushed headlong to fight humanity’s strongest being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In hindsight, he must have been possessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“H-Heavenly Sword! Spare me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dust screamed to the heavens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRACK! CRACK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Sword’s answer was no.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blades rained from the night sky, stabbing into him until not even a needle could fit through the gaps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s over.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dust’s body stopped regenerating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar let out a breath of relief —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then a chill crawled down his spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the dense forest of blades, Dust’s cold, lucid eyes gleamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did he still have one last trick prepared?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar froze under the crushing aura, until Dust’s body slowly turned to ash and vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow, so that’s level 8?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Veronica exhaled in awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dust hadn’t left behind so much as a drop of blood or a scrap of flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s insane, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it his imagination?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar could’ve sworn he’d felt something vile, something deeply unsettling, in that final instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared for a long time at the spot where Dust had vanished, trying to make sense of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Demon Realm, beyond the Red Mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the grand hall of a massive fortress, dozens of silhouettes sat around a long table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sound escaped them, only the faint rustle of pages turned by the figure at the head seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is everyone here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, it seems so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tentacled demon, its head resembling an octopus, replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Archdemon spoke without looking up from his book.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[TL\u002FN: I think the Archdemon is the new Great Demon Emperor, what do you all think?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Descartes isn’t here. Nor a few of the counts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…My apologies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not your fault. They’ve skipped again, haven’t they?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t surprising anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d chosen a different path from his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you command it, I’ll drag them here, torn to shreds if I must.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need. Let them be.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon’s casual reply made the octopus-headed one frown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Demon Realm, where survival of the fittest was law, open defiance against the ruler was intolerable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swallowed his frustration and reported:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The toy we placed near the Heavenly Sword has been destroyed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The result?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It reached the late stage of level 8, close to ascending to 9.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rustle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The turning of a page was followed by a calm question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm. You’re certain? That shouldn’t be possible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice sounded too light, almost playful for this grim council.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To be sure, I linked directly with the toy before it broke. I confirmed it myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So the curse didn’t work?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps it struck someone nearby instead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…A pity. What of the peace proposal we sent to the humans?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No response yet. But judging from the massive troop deployment beyond the Red Mountains, they clearly intend to refuse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really? Maybe they just didn’t get the letter. Send it again, and this time, ask politely for a reply.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rustle, rustle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence fell once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the soft turning of pages filled the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, a woman tilted her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s it? We just wait again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Watch your tone, Maxwell.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The octopus demon’s icy warning earned a giggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He hasn’t said a word, and you’re the one scolding me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Both of you, stop. The underlings are watching.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Archdemon still didn’t look up from his book as he spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And this will be our final offer. Let’s wait a little longer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They won’t accept,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Said a man wearing an eyepatch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve seen the future?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As you know, I can’t see that far ahead, only make predictions based on experience.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether Rafiros had truly seen the future or merely predicted it hardly mattered —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he had never once been wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmmm. If that’s the case…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Archdemon closed his book. On its cover, written in Imperial script, were the words:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“History of Humanity, Volume 27.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With genuine regret, he murmured:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Guess I won’t get to read Volume 28.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1818,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.789Z",1,"novelbin.me","906d69ad6e50c2134ed473366eebf75540f7ffe8f7305cd17c21599c3dd0f280","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-281","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-42",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]