[{"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-285":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},1334827,1778,"Chapter 285","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-285",285,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 285: Heavenly Sword (4)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why? You don’t want to?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack, crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar loosened his shoulders naturally as he spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheon Ajin frowned, clearly uncomfortable, and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. I don’t understand why I must fight my benefactor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Think of it as therapy. There are many types of treatment, right? Art therapy, music therapy… this one’s combat therapy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d heard of post-battle recovery, but combat therapy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was definitely a phrase he’d never heard before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just clear your head and lose once, fair and square. You’ll realize—oh, I’m not some great being. I don’t have to carry everyone’s expectations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forgive me, but I’m the heir of the Heavenly Sword family. Even if you’re my benefactor, losing on purpose is…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s funny. Who said anything about you losing on purpose?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if you give it your all, the result won’t change. There’s no way I’d lose to some kid who doesn’t even know why he wields a sword.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheon Ajin’s brow twitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Socially inept though he might be, even he understood that was provocation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to him, the sword was life itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Benefactor, I am not some fool.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are, though.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I said I’m not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words—he took the bait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Draw your sword. I’ll even let you attack first, since you’re the underling.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Benefactor, I’m Level 7. You’re Level 6. I’m the superior.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do Heavenly Sword knights fight with their tongues instead of blades?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I’ll ask one last time. Do you truly wish to spar with me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar gestured casually with a flick of his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah. Show me what you’ve got.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If that’s your resolve, I understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sword slid free from its sheath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here I come.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavenly Sword Technique, First Form – Severing Sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…A Level 7 knight’s sword shouldn’t be this weak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar stared down at the shimmering Wind Shield that had blocked the blow effortlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out of the seven layers he’d laid down, only two had been pierced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You held back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t say anything like don’t hold back or fight seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no need.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One real experience would teach better than a hundred words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The price of holding back, he thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shrrk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A book materialized in Oscar’s hand, pages fluttering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One page glowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Cheon Ajin leapt back instinctively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A knight shouldn’t give a mage distance—he should close it, denying the chance to cast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every hair on his body stood on end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instincts of a twenty-year-old prodigy who had reached Level 7 screamed at him to run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good instincts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar smiled faintly and lowered his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small sphere of wind flew toward Cheon Ajin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Wind Ball?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A beginner’s spell, one of the first taught at the White Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its destructive power was negligible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swung his sword lightly to deflect it—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compressed air burst outward violently, the recoil jolting through his wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ah. This isn’t good.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could react—crack!—his wrist twisted unnaturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ghhk!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Cheon Ajin refused to drop his sword as he stumbled back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar wasn’t finished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Core of the Storm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spell wasn’t Wind Ball but Core of the Storm—a high-tier White Tower spell that compressed air to the limit inside a sphere no larger than a fingertip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When it exploded, it leveled everything nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheon Ajin barely escaped the whirlwind that engulfed the area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Damn it, if I hadn’t let my guard down…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pathetic excuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar had told him to go all out from the start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the one who’d chosen to underestimate his opponent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you think ‘I would’ve won if I hadn’t been careless,’ that’s not the issue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar, reading his thoughts, pulled a potion from his subspace and tossed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheon Ajin glared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s this supposed to mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh. Finally showing some spirit. Drink it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you mocking me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. I just know you’ll think, what if I hadn’t been careless—so drink it and let’s go again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The confidence was staggering—bordering on arrogance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Cheon Ajin accepted the potion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I accept your offer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he recognized that Oscar was right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to fight properly now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How’s your wrist?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…They say White Tower potions are cheap but effective. The rumors were wrong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Spread the word. Oh wait, you don’t have friends, do you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His grip on the sword tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m coming again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This time, I’m expecting something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then prepare yourself—until you beg me to stop!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant, Cheon Ajin vanished from Oscar’s sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Fast.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A high-ranking Level 7 knight—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a machine built solely to swing a sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His movements were excellent, better than most of his peers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But I have experience.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as a Level 6, Oscar’s control of the Wind Archive made him more than capable of handling a Level 7 novice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He closed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sight was unnecessary now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Magic sense.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt the flow of mana and wind—the world itself became his eyes and ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gossips of the Tower called this ability Heart’s Eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Found him.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pages fluttered again, and dozens of wind spheres surrounded Oscar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheon Ajin grimaced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no way to approach without triggering them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mage had built an impregnable fortress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But if I can’t get close—’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That means he can’t move easily either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shraaak!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He planted his feet and rested his left hand on his second sheath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sword mirrors the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A clouded heart cannot see the heavens; a clouded sky cannot wield the sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavenly Sword Technique, Seventh Form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ting!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He flicked the hilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade shot upward, soaring sky-high—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>then plunged back down, twice as fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single straight line from heaven to earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heaven’s Extreme Line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His opponent’s mistake was hiding behind his own fortress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the attack descending from above, there was no room to dodge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If he tries to retreat now…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d finish it with his other sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Checkmate.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was certain—there was nowhere left for Oscar to go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Your judgment’s not bad,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar murmured, sensing the sword above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you fight too kindly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too kindly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Cheon Ajin could comprehend, Oscar casually brushed aside one of his own storm cores and stepped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A storm core—so volatile that the slightest touch could detonate it—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>yet he’d just pushed it aside?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘How is that possible?!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realization hit, and Cheon Ajin screamed,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait—no way…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Finally noticed? You’re right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar smirked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The so-called storm cores were decoys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What filled the area were countless Wind Balls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even I couldn’t make that many real storm cores.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Such cowardice!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grinding his teeth, Cheon Ajin slashed wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d been outplayed—the traps had been laid since their first bout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pop! Pop!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The basic spells burst harmlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frustration burned in his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I spent too much mana on the Seventh Form…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to end it before Oscar recovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dashed forward, slicing aside the orbs—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same sensation from earlier jolted through his blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never said all of them were Wind Balls.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You—coward—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOOOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compressed air exploded; his wrist snapped again, and his body crashed to the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kh—! Cough! Cough!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood spilled from his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His insides were torn apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not… yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, he refused to yield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his right wrist hung broken, he still clung to his sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huff… huff…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could still breathe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shifted the sword to his left hand and used it as a crutch to stand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not over. I can still fight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fire in his eyes was real—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the pure, burning will of a young prodigy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar shrugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d like to, but unfortunately…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean—?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The spar ends here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At some point, the overwhelming aura of the Heavenly Sword himself filled the courtyard, snuffing out both their powers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheon Ajin shouted,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not settled yet! Please, let me—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Silence! You couldn’t win with both hands intact; how will you win now with one broken? That’s not courage, it’s stubbornness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheon Ajin bit his lip and lowered his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Sword ordered sternly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A loser has no words. Return to your room, heal, and reflect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yes, sir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the young heir trudged away, Oscar felt a twinge of pity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at least now, the kid had learned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a while, he wouldn’t be burdened by others’ expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tsk, tsk. Did you really have to do that to a child?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, technically, the young master’s a higher level than me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old swordsman couldn’t refute that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By all logic, his grandson should have won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar glanced at him and said lightly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You could just say thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Sword blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you? To the man who beat my grandson half to death?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Or not. But it looked like you wanted to.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man stared after his grandson, then muttered,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Expectations from others can drive growth… but they become shackles if left unbroken. You freed him at the right time. Nothing will stop that boy now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d been wondering how to solve that very problem before the curse struck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Oscar had just resolved two issues at once—without lifting a finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well… for a brat from the White Tower, you did a… tolerable job.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pardon the interruption, but maybe we should move elsewhere. The wind’s still raging.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to his magic, the area was still howling with gales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Sword snorted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph! Don’t flatter yourself. You think I’d catch a cold from a mere breeze?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, it’s just…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar looked awkwardly upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You might get blown away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Blown away? Me? By this pathetic wind—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he realized where Oscar’s gaze was aimed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man froze, then exploded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You insolent whelp of the White Tower!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I—it’s concern! Honest concern!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And truthfully—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>running from the Heavenly Sword was far more nerve-wracking than fighting his grandson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1655,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.789Z",1,"novelbin.me","7eb67a03917101a2c7e2e08efaa9659a6ce65f10447d93add81e43e13ef86357","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-47","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-46",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]