[{"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-329":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},1334725,1778,"Chapter 329","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-329",329,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 329: Terror (7)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moon can only reflect light; it cannot shine on its own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the unknown crimson full moon scattered ever-brightening rays.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staring at it blankly gave the uncanny sensation of locking eyes with someone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling an ominous discomfort at that thought, Oscar tried to tear his gaze away from the moon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sinister, glowing red moon showed no intention of returning the gaze—and the mind—it had stolen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This… feels dangerous.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold sweat ran down his back and his heart sank—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A streak of radiance split the night sky in two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Together with a pillar of pure white light, something manifested: divinity itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Itaca?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The being that had exhausted all its strength and sunk deep within him finally revealed itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pillar of light shot straight toward the crimson moon, and with a violent surge the energies on both sides annihilated one another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if nothing had happened, the Infinite Sky returned to the ordinary night sky Oscar remembered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What the hell was that?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar couldn’t simply brush this off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A liberated world is an ideal one envisions—a mirror that reflects the heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet a crimson moon he had never once dreamed of had risen on its own and even tried to swallow him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the divinity that helped him was something he had never invited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…What in the world is happening inside me?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His liberated world had clearly slipped out of his control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this wasn’t just a matter of awareness—it bled into reality as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoooosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strength of the wind blowing across the endless sky of the Infinite Sky gradually weakened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t the wind that had weakened, but likely the very density of the world itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Infinite Sky was a space created from start to finish to draw out a result where he was victorious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this place, there should be no ground to step on, no structures to stand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But beyond the clouds brushing past him, things that should never appear began to show.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>White outer walls and gray inner walls, shattered glass, bent and broken steel frames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The airport.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reality was beginning to seep into the Infinite Sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar’s eyes trembled as he watched his surroundings steadily repaint themselves into an airport.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Permission denied…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>World liberation exists when concepts and worlds recognize one another through mutual alignment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But something even he didn’t understand had interfered with the Infinite Sky he had just formed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, the laws governing worlds were not so generous as to overlook such intrusions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, the world of the man named Oscar Crucian had been denied manifestation in reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Puh—hah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the space now fully transformed into the airport, an unpleasant metallic voice mocked him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isel looked around and muttered,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So they say you’re a genius who liberated your world starting at level six. As expected, rumors can’t be trusted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of biting at the obvious provocation, Oscar chose to survey his surroundings first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Isel and the monster are still surrounding me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If his world were fully liberated, he could do more than hold out—he could even win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, it was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t the whole reason he had liberated his world because it was hard just to fend off the two of them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Oscar bit his lip, Isel sneered,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Watch carefully. This old man will show you what a truly liberated world—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could finish—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KWA-A-A-A-A-ANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A colossal pillar of mana erupted from the ground and swallowed Isel whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“K–KRAAAAAAAGH!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the pillar, Isel’s black silhouette writhed in agony, seared into the retina.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the pillar of mana faded, Isel was revealed—his entire body charred black, dead on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Oscar couldn’t tear his gaze away from the shocking sight, Sasha landed beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you hurt anywhere?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m fine, Sasha. But even so, that just now—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t do that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After erecting a mana barrier around them, she gestured with her eyes to one side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he turned his gaze there, he saw a man landing gently beside the monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Is he even a man?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bzzzt, crackle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face was obscured in real time by static-like noise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only his build allowed them to assume he was male.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“An artifact that hides one’s identity… who is he?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The captain of the Violet Brigade.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing that made his cruel disposition and strength understandable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It also allowed Oscar to roughly infer the monster’s identity, since it didn’t attack him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So that’s the Mad Fiend the captain always keeps with him.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The being Kaya and Oran both said they never wanted to fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After clashing with him briefly, Oscar understood why they reacted that way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’s the kind of opponent that’s hard to deal with regardless of level.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether knight or mage, those who reach a certain height usually develop their own style.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In battles between the strong, reading the opponent’s style a step ahead is crucial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Mad Fiend had none of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A brainless fighting method that cares nothing for consequences or even his own life.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Add to that overwhelming output, physical ability, and monstrous instincts, and he was a nightmare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoever it was, subduing him wouldn’t be easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once you fought him, you had to stake your life on it—come what may.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Give the order. If I fight alongside my master, I can’t imagine a future where we lose to them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The captain and the Mad Fiend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each of them ranked within the Violet Brigade’s top three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were two-on-two, could they win?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘We have Sasha, who’s reached level eight.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scales were already tilted in their favor from the start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But treating the Mad Fiend like an ordinary level-seven mage would be a mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’s not the ‘trade flesh for bone’ type. He’d gladly give up his own bones if it meant taking a chunk of the opponent’s flesh.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such an extreme combat style could spiral out of control the moment you were caught wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Oscar, seasoned and experienced, had been momentarily flustered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…For Sasha, who hasn’t had that kind of experience yet, he’s a bad matchup.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if even the captain found him unsettling, he surely wasn’t someone who fought in a straightforward manner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above all, with Oscar unable to use world liberation, their odds were fifty-fifty at best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under normal circumstances, he would have retreated without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar’s gaze shifted from the captain to the monster—the Mad Fiend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if the face behind that steel mask was one he knew?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What drove his hesitation now was a simple desire to confirm that face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This might be my last chance.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the Designer’s help, he wouldn’t even have known the captain was nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And after tonight, there was no guarantee the Designer would agree to another deal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If the captain hides in earnest, even the imperial court can’t track him.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, seeing the Mad Fiend’s face would be just as difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a struggle between reason and emotion, Oscar finally spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Sasha.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That big guy standing next to the captain is called the Mad Fiend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I figured as much. They say the captain always keeps him close. Oran and Kaya mentioned him before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right. Having fought him myself, his combat style is closer to a beast than a human. He doesn’t care about his own life—he charges in purely on offense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…He sounds troublesome.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He is. Normally, I’d say we shouldn’t take the risk and just pull back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha turned her head to look at her master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he was saying this much, it sounded like he intended to fight despite the danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But not today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha didn’t bother asking why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If her always-cool and rational master had decided so, there had to be a reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At her unquestioning trust, Oscar smiled faintly and spoke slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Without thinking, I called him ‘Gilly.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha’s eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know why. The moment I saw a wind faster than even Isel’s rotation, he came to mind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a hundred long explanations—just a hunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That alone was enough for Sasha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What you want is to confirm the Mad Fiend’s face, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…As you command.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uttering words of utmost reliability, Sasha began drawing up her mana.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air itself changed just from a level-eight mage entering a battle stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The captain of the Violet Brigade looked over at them with a puzzled expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t understand. If you think we’re the airport terrorists, you’ve got the wrong address. The one who planned tonight’s terror was Isel Marcos, and he borrowed the power of the Black Finger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoooosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha removed the barrier, stirring a fierce wind as she spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know and still want to keep fighting us…? Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s something we want. If you don’t want to fight, just give it to us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, a peace negotiation? Let’s hear it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Show us the Mad Fiend’s face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bzzzt, crackle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The captain’s face remained obscured by noise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet for some reason, Oscar felt he was making a deeply troubled expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This one’s face, huh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glancing at the Mad Fiend, the captain shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s so grotesque it’s not fit to be shown to anyone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t mind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s self-conscious about it and hates taking off his mask. More importantly…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The captain’s gaze left Sasha and settled on Oscar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Interesting. The White Tower Master wouldn’t suddenly want to see this one’s face for no reason. So you’re the one who persuaded him… but why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gilliot Dominic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar replied without averting his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One of the previous White Tower Lord’s disciples, currently missing. I can’t shake the feeling that he might be the Mad Fiend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…And why do you think that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A hunch.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hunch, just like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The captain let out a small laugh at the boldness and absurdity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A hunch… a hunch, you say.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were true, what a razor-sharp intuition it would be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oscar. Oscar Crucian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Crucian, you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strange light flickered in the captain’s unseen eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see. So you are…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trailing off, the captain slowly nodded in apparent satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand the reason, but I still see no need to show you the Mad Fiend’s face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t have to. We planned to force a look from the start.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In that case, before you force it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grab!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The captain seized the Mad Fiend by the nape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’d better run.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same moment, the Mad Fiend, receiving the signal, kicked off the ground, and their bodies shot upward like bullets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their escape route was the hole in the ceiling opened earlier by the mana pillar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is bad…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha calmly steadied her breath and reassured the flustered Oscar, gently waving both hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thanks to the time you bought us, preparations are already complete.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The time Oscar had bought through conversation was about one minute and seven seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha, who had already been gathering mana before that, was confident in their victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Judgment Day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kwooooo!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of tornadoes formed across the entire area nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before that absolute natural disaster, the airport was torn apart—walls, ceiling, and floor alike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, a mere human shouldn’t be able to oppose such force—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“KRRAAAAGH!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the Mad Fiend charged head-on, trying to break through the attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing it, the captain snapped his fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cough!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a crisp sound, the dozens of tornadoes vanished without a trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The backlash made the captain cough up blood, but despite the horrific pain, he smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I won.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he had achieved his goal of not showing the Mad Fiend’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he looked down to savor the expression of the defeated—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like looking into a mirror, he saw Sasha wearing the same smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why are you smiling?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if to answer, swish—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single thread of wind hidden among the raging tornadoes fluttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not only you who analyzed your opponent through battle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thread settled onto the Mad Fiend’s mask, creating a tiny crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap, clatter!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fragments of the mask fell, and beyond them appeared—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Golden eyes, identical to Gilly’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, the captain, coughing blood, urgently shouted,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“C–cough! Go! Don’t stop…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar didn’t bother chasing the two figures disappearing into the moonlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re not going after them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You little rascal, teasing your master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sticking out her tongue, Sasha shrugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How did you know? That I attached a thread to the captain?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m the one who taught you that method.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He used to attach them to the dolls Sasha was always dropping everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But at his level, he’ll notice soon…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s probably already noticed its existence. But knowing doesn’t mean he can do anything about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grinning mischievously like she had as a child, Sasha added,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I played a few tricks so he wouldn’t be able to.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",2151,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.790Z",1,"novelbin.me","6119ac89198c2e9ca0e7baa2dad0665e1aa4b87809d32980c20ca9a8c662a1a1","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-330","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-328",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]