[{"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-324":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},1334720,1778,"Chapter 324","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-324",324,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 324: Terror (2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The interior of the airport was dark, but both sides were made entirely of glass, allowing bright moonlight to pour in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she walked through the space, Sasha let out a quiet gasp of admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow… so this is what the inside of an airport looks like. I’d only seen it in documents before—this is my first time actually being here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s amazing. It almost makes me want to visit the airports of other cities too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s good to hear. We’re planning to run an aggressive tourism initiative in cooperation with the Imperial Family and the city governments as well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted the emotion people felt while waiting at an airport to be excitement, not boredom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To achieve that, he had exchanged documents back and forth with the mayors of various cities countless times…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘They dare try to destroy my airport?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar shot a sharp gaze across the airport, shrouded in darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the not-yet-completed facility was filled only with a chilling silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at the Designer, who had taken a seat on one of the waiting chairs, and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You didn’t lie, did you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why would I lie? If I did, I wouldn’t be able to diagnose you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There isn’t even a single ant in sight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why not run a scan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…That won’t do. If we do, the enemy might notice and flee.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had to deal with this without giving the enemy any chance to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, they could attempt another airport bombing at any time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And while they were at it, they needed to uncover who was pulling the strings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s an airport. The layout is predictable. We’ll find them if we move around.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s easy to say, but it looks enormous and complicated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine. I’ve looked over this building’s blueprints dozens of times.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Oscar confidently stepped into the corridor, his eyes narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Magic circle.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the pitch-black hallway, where not even moonlight reached, he felt an unfamiliar magical presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Light.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Oscar slowly approached and illuminated the surroundings, the magic circle drawn on the floor finally revealed itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is something wrong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha, who had approached while he stood there, widened her eyes when she saw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. An explosion magic circle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Interpreting the formula revealed that it was an explosion spell designed to deliver shock to the floor, ceiling, and walls simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But a single magic circle like this can’t bring down a building.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this wasn’t just any building—it was a massive airport.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One or two magic circles like this could never destroy it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That realization gave rise to an inexplicable sense of unease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar snapped his fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The light hovering above his fingertip shot down the corridor, gradually illuminating the area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…My god.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha covered her mouth in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The floor, walls, and ceiling of the long corridor were packed—densely—with explosion magic circles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If all of them detonated at once, at least this entire section would undoubtedly collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whoever did this… they were serious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Indeed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suppressing the quietly rising anger within him, Oscar muttered—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crunch!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He forcefully stomped on one of the magic circles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Designer’s eyes sparkled with interest at the sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, any external shock would immediately trigger the magic circle, resulting in a powerful explosion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment Oscar stepped on it, he expelled mana through the sole of his foot and dismantled the magic circle in reverse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His bold, swift, and precise mana control was enough to astonish even the Designer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The circles haven’t been installed for long. Let’s move quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah—just a moment, if you’ll excuse me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the Designer suddenly took a step back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar narrowed his eyes, questioning his intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Designer shrugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As you know, the deal only included informing you of the commander’s location.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re backing out here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My intuition tells me the commander is nearby. I’d prefer not to run into them, if possible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no real justification to stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And offering additional compensation felt too risky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar glanced sideways at Sasha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Even without him… Sasha and I should manage.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief calculation, Oscar nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do as you please. But if you’re leaving, make it clean. Don’t get in the way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need to worry about that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a gentle smile, the Designer waved one hand rhythmically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wish you both the best of luck. I’ll be waiting at the pub—come find me once this is over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the Designer disappeared from sight, Sasha spoke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are too many magic circles. If we dismantle them one by one, it’ll take too long.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll handle that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thin line of mana surged forward, racing through the corridor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar watched it quietly, then nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s done. Let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What? But—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha stared at the magic circles still covering the area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re still there…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine. They won’t explode. If you don’t believe me, check.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I—I trust you, of course! But just in case, I’ll check once.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smiling awkwardly, Sasha carefully extended her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Protected by mana, her hand pressed firmly against a magic circle on the wall—yet nothing happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ah!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She finally understood what method her master had chosen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I see—he didn’t dismantle the entire magic circle. He erased only the ignition trigger.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every explosion magic circle has a trigger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when that trigger activates does the explosion occur.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar had cleanly erased just that ignition switch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This is definitely faster than dismantling everything… but…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was far more dangerous and difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One wrong move, and it would have detonated instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neutralizing dozens of magic circles in barely two seconds—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha looked at Oscar with eyes filled with reverence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Amazing, Master! You’re incredible!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph. Ahem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being admired by his disciple wasn’t unpleasant—but now wasn’t the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s move. Before people die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they sprinted down the corridor, neutralizing magic circles, a fork in the path appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>E Gate \u002F F Gate\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar shouted at the split.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go to F Gate! I’ll take E Gate!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Be careful!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Oscar rushed toward E Gate, he felt the number of magic circles decrease noticeably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘They’re decreasing? Why?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the corridor, this area was far more spacious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anything, there should have been more magic circles, not fewer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Follow the trail first.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Passing through the checkpoint, Oscar entered the duty-free zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he scanned the surroundings—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chilling sensation ran down his spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hair on the back of his neck stood on end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Above.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar generated a gust of wind and landed on the second floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What entered his vision was a line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A line?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following it with his gaze, Oscar froze in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was merely a fragment of an enormous magic circle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the floor lay a magic circle of incomparable scale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Insane.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least 100 meters in diameter, with destructive power on an entirely different level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even by rough estimation, it was hundreds of times stronger than the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If that detonates…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even a fortress would survive—let alone an airport.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar spotted a man kneeling at the center of the magic circle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man slowly opened his eyes and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Who are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Me? I’m the owner of this building.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar charged forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud-thud-thud—CRACK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twisting his waist, Oscar delivered a spinning kick loaded with rotational force straight into the man’s jaw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man bounced across the floor like a skipping stone before slamming into the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“C—cough!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I get it. I’m in a really bad mood right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Insolent bastard!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wiping the blood from his mouth, the man gathered his mana.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>SHHHHH—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flaming arrows tore through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Blink.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What—? Where did—?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the man could finish,—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar appeared above him and smashed his face into the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now. You’ll answer only the questions I ask.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“G—ugh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Broken teeth spilled from his mouth along with blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without blinking, Oscar grabbed the man’s hair and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who’s behind this? Someone like you couldn’t plan and execute something on this scale alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kh—heh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man began to laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing something wrong, Oscar glanced downward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Gloves.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man wore black gloves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar tore them off instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Revealed beneath was a ring finger stained pitch-black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…The Black Finger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why target the airport?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blind loyalty to the Demon Emperor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or an attempt to sabotage the White Tower?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As countless thoughts raced through his mind—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his eyes, filled with twisted delight, something reflected—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar himself, gripping his hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And behind him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone swinging a massive greatsword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar released the man and hurled himself sideways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>SLASH! THUD!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chilling sound echoed as something heavy hit the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning his head, Oscar saw the man’s severed head rolling across the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tch. Idiot. You gave it away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one who spoke was a giant nearly three meters tall, resting a greatsword on his shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just looking up at him strained the neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above the giant’s head grew a single horn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…A demon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh. What—about to piss yourself? Can’t blame you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon chuckled leisurely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because of you, I had to go through the trouble of activating the magic circle myself. But moving after so long isn’t so bad—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>SLASH.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A far cleaner sound echoed than when the man’s head had been severed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon’s head fell to the ground, followed by the massive body collapsing to its knees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon stared, eyes wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What… is this? Hahaha. Am I dreaming?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t dream.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar slowly stood, staring coldly at the severed head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he lifted his foot, the demon shouted desperately,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“W-wait! Let’s negotiate! I know who’s behind this! So—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no negotiation with demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Oscar was about to crush the head—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KRAAAACK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bolt of lightning struck first, piercing the demon’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The head was instantly charred black, white smoke and the stench of burning flesh rising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lowering his foot, Oscar turned toward the source.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tsk tsk. This is why you shouldn’t use just anything because it’s cheap and convenient.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice belonged to a strange figure in a tattered gray robe, carrying the weight of long years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hood was pulled low, hiding his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He probably thought he’d concealed his identity well—but Oscar had already sensed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Yellow Tower.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unique mana of lightning wielders emanated unmistakably from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At those words, the figure sighed lightly and slowly removed his hood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How unfortunate. If you’d pretended not to know, I might have considered letting you live.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar stared at the old man before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a face he knew well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isel Marcos.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man believed to have died in the war against the demons—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Elder of the Yellow Magic Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1804,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.790Z",1,"novelbin.me","e79759f20cc87430c7806200136ce6e12f1200833b994d7fdcc17ba8f82e9139","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-325","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-323",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]