[{"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-317":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},1334713,1778,"Chapter 317","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-317",317,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 317: Companion (6)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran stared at the spirit with wide eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t expected the seemingly emotionless spirit to speak first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But… what did it just say?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Abnormal residual values removed. State normalization confirmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he processed the meaning of those words, Fran’s eyes widened even further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hastily drew up his mana.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s gone.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had learned to manipulate mana in quite a few different ways, but the strange, intrusive sensation he’d been feeling strongly as of late was no longer there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt as free and comfortable as the wind had before he ever experienced Ignious’s power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran looked back at the spirit and asked carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you… heal me, by any chance?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Incorrect. I do not possess the capability to heal others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, Fran tried stirring the wind once more, just in case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again, the sensation was astonishingly comfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I really do feel better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—That is not healing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—A higher entity had externally intervened and left behind calculated result values within your mana circuits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—I determined that allowing those values to persist long—term would cause permanent damage to your sensory organs, so I removed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This thing’s surprisingly articulate.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he had suspected—those sensations awakened through Ignious’s power had been interfering with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And if I’d left them alone, they could’ve caused permanent damage…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, that state wouldn’t have lasted forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he had simply answered Ignious’s proposal, something would’ve been done about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if not, Silaphrion certainly wouldn’t have stood by and allowed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But how did you even remove it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t that strange?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those sensory result values weren’t something visible, yet it claimed to have removed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—…….\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spirit offered no answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing something oddly familiar in that silence, Fran hurriedly asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your name! At least tell me your name!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—…….\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief pause, the spirit faded like a ghost and vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran stared blankly at the spot where it had been, clicking his tongue in regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t even had the chance to thank it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scratching the back of his head, Fran stood up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If it’s Silaphrion, maybe she knows what that spirit really was.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Fight it, endure it…….\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap. Tap tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silaphrion muttered as she plucked leaves one by one from a vine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Ignious had done this time was deeply unpleasant to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘His intentions are far too transparent. Showing that kind of power just to lure him into a contract.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What stung most was that she couldn’t do anything about it right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the moment Ignious appeared, he had demanded a contract.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘……Unless an existing contract with another spirit is fully terminated, proposing a new one is forbidden.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an unspoken law of the Spirit Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant she had no choice but to sit back and wait until Fran completely rejected Ignious’s offer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If I’d known this would happen, I should’ve proposed a contract earlier—and set the duration much longer.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swallowing her regret, she continued plucking leaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Fight it, endure it, fight it…….\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The final leaf fell from the vine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—You want me to endure this……? No. Again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as she began looking around for another vine—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A now—familiar presence reached her senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Fran!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though he wouldn’t be able to see her, she waved cheerfully as she flew toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Is your walk over? Do you feel any better?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. I feel completely fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—That’s a relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silaphrion smiled faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he answered so brightly, she knew it couldn’t possibly be true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ignious’s engraved sensations should still be constricting him like a curse.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time he moved his mana, everything should feel wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing that feeling all too well, Silaphrion thought Fran truly remarkable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘To even hide his own discomfort for my sake…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as she was about to feel touched—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Hm?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she habitually scanned Fran’s body, Silaphrion sensed something strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—…Huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was not a trace of Ignious’s influence left on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her thoughts spiraled into confusion as she asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Fran, did you… meet Ignious? Did you reject his contract? Did he trespass into my domain again? No, if that were the case, there’s no way I wouldn’t have noticed—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s calm down first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After soothing the increasingly frantic Silaphrion, Fran spoke slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I met a strange spirit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—A strange spirit? Ignious?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Then what element was it? Its rank? Did it give you a name?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know any of that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran explained everything about the spirit he had met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she listened, Silaphrion gasped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Ah! You met Mu, didn’t you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Yes. That’s what we call that being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like telling an old story, she began explaining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Fran, when you hear the word ‘spirit,’ what comes to mind?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For me… the four great elements. Wind, fire, water, lightning…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—That’s how most people think. Attributes come first. Then do you know how spirits are born?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All living beings have parents—but did spirits?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If they do…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze drifted to Silaphrion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—…Hm?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief moment of realization, she exclaimed,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—I—I’m not the mother of wind spirits!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah—sorry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran scratched the back of his head apologetically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Spirit Kings were often described as parental figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Spirits simply come into existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Out of nothing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Yes. In this Spirit Realm, they appear suddenly, without warning. I was the first wind spirit to gain self—awareness, and the other Spirit Kings emerged the same way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait, then your age—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Let’s skip that part, okay?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her tone was subtly forceful as she continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Mu existed in the Spirit Realm even before we did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Before the four great elements?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Yes. Strange, isn’t it? Generally, the order in which spirits appear is heavily influenced by the Middle Realm. Our theory is that it depends on whether most life forms recognize that element or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking for a moment, Fran asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then is the Water Spirit King the oldest?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Correct. More precisely, earth and water first, then myself and lightning, and fire last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fire, after all, was one of the last forces nature learned to use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if Mu existed even before the four elements… then what attribute does it have?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—That is…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a deliberate pause, Silaphrion answered brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—We don’t know either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—It’s true. We still don’t know. That’s why we call it ‘Mu’—because we don’t know its attribute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t even know the attribute?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Based on its abilities, we suspect it’s non—elemental.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Spirit Kings—whose history must span tens of thousands of years—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and yet they didn’t even know the attribute of a being that predated them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Truly deserving of the name Mu—attribute—less, colorless.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he understood why that name fit so perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—There’s one thing we do know. Whenever something goes wrong in the Spirit Realm, it appears and fixes it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Like how it removed the error from me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Exactly. That’s why we call it the Spirit Realm’s error corrector.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Spirit Realm’s error corrector…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran quietly repeated the phrase before asking,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Has Mu ever formed a contract with anyone?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Not that I know of. You can’t summon a spirit when you don’t even know its name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because he imagined Mu spending tens of thousands of years correcting errors alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Loneliness brushed past his mind like a breeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, Fran headed straight to the floating island after waking up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Tomorrow I’ll have to give Ignious my answer.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with that weighing on him, the reason he came here was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt that Mu somehow knew the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s always been here. Maybe it’ll be here again.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps they even shared similar tastes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he landed on the floating island, he saw Mu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Careful not to startle it, Fran greeted him softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh… good morning?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—…….\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully, it didn’t vanish this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It simply stood at the edge of the island, gazing across the vast Spirit Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like the first time, it looked inexplicably sad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran sat beside it and watched the scenery together for a long while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—No residual information remains within your mana circuits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu suddenly spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—That means you don’t need to worry about that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh. Did you think that’s why I came looking for you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Is that not the case?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Kind of airheaded, for someone like this.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, everything about Mu felt strangely familiar to Fran, and after thinking for a while—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He realized why he didn’t dislike this cold spirit at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It reminds me of Oscar… from back then.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially the speech and personality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, to be honest, Oscar’s mouth had been a thousand times worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just listening to him long enough could bring tears from sheer verbal abuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But the vibe is similar.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were just awkward—bad at dealing with people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking down at the Spirit Realm, Fran began to vent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Fire Spirit King offered me a contract. Just one word—‘let’s do it’—and I’d become someone completely different.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—…….\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know what to do. Rationally, I should accept. But I’m not sure. It feels wrong somehow. Maybe I’m just stubborn—unwilling to succeed using someone else’s power instead of my own.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—…….\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long silence, Mu finally spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Incomprehensible. I do not understand why this troubles you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Figured you’d say that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—There is only one thing to consider. If you reject the contract, do you think you will regret it someday?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fran’s eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regret?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it was possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time he lost helplessly, every time he fainted without being much help to his companions—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the thought that things would’ve been different if I’d contracted Ignious would surely cross his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But somehow, it felt like that would stop at mere disappointment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not something deep enough to be called regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why is that?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After questioning himself, the answer came much later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……I don’t think I’ve ever really regretted anything in my life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he had always lived earnestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how terrible the outcome, he acknowledged his shortcomings and tried harder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why, in any situation, there might be lingering disappointment—but never regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—I see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The colorless spirit turned its head toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—You’ve lived a rather admirable life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like an enormous comfort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wrapped in emotions he couldn’t quite put into words, Fran finished sorting out the answer he would give tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1751,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.790Z",1,"novelbin.me","d012c230aa52337225c984a9cdd2f70c0c4447cdf1dcdb2467f3e1db59ff11df","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-318","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-316",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]