[{"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-333":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},1334729,1778,"Chapter 333","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-333",333,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 333: The Violet Brigade (4)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Sword quietly looked down at his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More precisely, he looked down at the sword held in that old, wrinkled hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sword he was holding today was certainly very heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After swinging it only a few times, the veins in his arm were already standing out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sensation he had not felt even once since his attainments had deepened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been nearly a hundred years since a sword had felt this heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And yet… it doesn’t feel unpleasant.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt as though he had encountered the forgotten, old appearance of a longtime friend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh, whoooosh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without a word, the Heavenly Sword swung the blade a few times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bones and muscles of his entire body screamed that the sword he had wielded for a lifetime was heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hoo… hoo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To him, the sword had been a gift-like existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to his inborn talent, he had caught the eye of the Heavenly Sword Clan and been able to live like a proper human being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He no longer had to dig through trash just to eat, nor worry about freezing to death in his sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Sword had sincerely been grateful for the talent in swordsmanship he possessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Everything was good.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At an age when children his age could not even dream of it, he reached Level 7.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Less than ten years later, he broke through even the wall of Level 8.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From that point onward, people already began calling him the strongest human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were even expectations that breaking the mythic wall of Level 9 would become his achievement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I thought so as well.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the wall of Level 9 was sturdier than expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No method showed any signs of breaking it, and time passed helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Level 9 is not a wall humans can cross.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around the time the Heavenly Sword himself reached that conclusion,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a mage who broke through the realm of Level 9 appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He watched the tide of the war, once overwhelmingly against them, reverse,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and saw a light called hope descend upon humanity’s bleak future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, even amidst that, he was not unaware of what people—especially swordsmen—expected from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘They longed for a Level 9 among swordsmen too.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But naturally, the Heavenly Sword had no intention of becoming Level 9 for the sake of such fools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘However.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could not help but be bothered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A brat far younger than himself had ascended first to a realm he had already concluded was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To say he felt no stimulation from that would have been a lie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, once the war ended, he had even planned to challenge him to a duel first thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, that plan had naturally been discarded with the death of Oscar Sage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…After that, I wandered alone for quite some time.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the Level 9 mage died, the Heavenly Sword naturally became known once more as the strongest human, the greatest on the continent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swordsmen revered him, taking pride in the fact that the strongest human was a swordsman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet inside his chest remained an indescribable knot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Do I truly deserve it?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The title of strongest no longer brought him joy as it once had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike before, it felt less like something he had earned and more like filling an empty seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On a track where the one running ahead had vanished, leaving him alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In order to become worthy in his own eyes—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>to surpass the strongest image in his mind—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the Heavenly Sword had never stopped running.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only now, in a situation where even holding a sword was difficult,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he felt as if he finally understood something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At some point, he had stopped pursuing the end of the sword and had instead been chasing the end of a realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Sword lowered his blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corners of his mouth kept twitching upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To realize something this simple only now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Obsessed with lofty things like Heart-Sword and mana,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he had overlooked the most basic thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hoo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Releasing a heavy breath as if relieved, the Heavenly Sword suddenly turned toward Oscar behind him and shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, brat! Do you know this? A sword is meant to be heavy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you saying all of a sudden, old man? Going senile?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tsk tsk, what rude manners from a youngster.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what… since it’s heavy, want me to help you hold it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned forward again and waved his hand dismissively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leave this place to me and go look for that captain or whatever.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry, but with your condition right now, even if you say that, it’s hard to feel reassured…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trailing off, Oscar stared intently at the Heavenly Sword’s back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, he had neither the heart-sword capable of cutting all things nor the mana that could bring clouds crashing from the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was merely a frail old man stripped of most of what he once had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet that old man’s back looked strangely excited—like that of a six-year-old child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So that’s it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he trying to find that final missing piece he had never found until now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar nodded as if understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then we’ll leave it to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? No way!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha nearly shouted, quickly lowering her voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you serious? If we leave, you’ll definitely be killed! It’s twenty against one!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I do feel a bit sorry for him, but I’m sure they’ll hold back a little.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s not something you can just say so easily— huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Sasha sense something strange and widen her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how she listened, her master sounded like he was worrying about the Heavenly Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t tell me you think the Heavenly Sword is going to win? In that condition?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah. How could they possibly stop that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After giving a firm affirmation, Oscar walked toward the side door with the other two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaya, watching them silently, spoke in a flat voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re really leaving? If the Heavenly Sword just dies right here, don’t blame me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Try killing him once.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s a great sparring partner. Probably good training.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you even saying— wait, are you seriously going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaya stared blankly as the three truly left, leaving the Heavenly Sword alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how great he was, facing everyone here in that condition should be impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Or am I the one misunderstanding something?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her narrowed eyes turned toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was none of the usual overwhelming pressure that crushed everyone, nor the sharpness that felt like it could cut someone down with a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, not a single member dared to move carelessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh heh, looks like this old man’s name is still scary after all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Sword mocked the enemies who only glared at him and blocked the doorway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spread his legs wide, relaxed his upper body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade hung at an angle, its tip brushing the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From now on, no one passes through this door.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Sword, Cheon Mujin, said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep within the dungeon, inside a chapel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In midair, tightly woven threads of mana formed the shape of a bed, and the Captain lay comfortably upon it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, now if we slowly pull this out…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hoo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oran released the breath he had been holding, signaling the end of the work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s done.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mmm, thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling his mask, the Captain confirmed that Sasha’s mana had been completely removed from it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching him, Oran asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you so attached to that mask anyway?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Attached? Me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve never seen you take it off even for a moment. Not even during work like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm, I suppose it might look that way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carefully fixing the mask so it wouldn’t shift, the Captain slowly sat up and smiled faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re wrong. It’s actually the opposite.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The opposite?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. There’s no one who hates this mask more than I do. It’s… a kind of shackle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why not just take it off?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oran tilted his head, unable to understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s only me and Mad Fiend here anyway. Don’t tell me you can’t trust us too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That part… there’s a promise involved, so I can’t.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A promise with who, and what kind—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just know it’s something I absolutely cannot break. For the greater cause.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah, the captain of the Violet Brigade talking about a greater cause. People would laugh themselves sick if they heard that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Oran shook his head, Mad Fiend, who had been sitting in the corner, suddenly sprang up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“GRAAAAAAH!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“W-what now? What’s wrong with him this time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“GRAAAAH!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked around wildly, then charged toward Oran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh, this is exactly why I hate dealing with this lunatic!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Oran pulled out mana threads—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Captain whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mad Fiend’s speed slowed, then completely stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, he calmed down and squatted quietly as if nothing had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…No matter how many times I see it, I don’t get it. How do you calm his rage?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not calming it. I’m devouring the emotions he releases as fuel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That makes even less sense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumble, rumble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shaking intensified, and bits of stone fell from the ceiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking up, Oran muttered,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The force on my little brother’s side makes no sense, but I guess it’s still a pretty even fight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s why this hideout was built.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You do realize the losses from this will be huge, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Captain quietly agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Violet Brigade was a group made entirely of criminals he had recruited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just because they were all called criminals didn’t mean their crimes were equal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The ones I gathered as disposable pieces from the start… will probably all fall away after tonight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s assuming they survive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After being openly forced to choose between “die by me now” or “die by the enemy later,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>anyone who stayed would either be loyal to a fault or simply insane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, it was obvious that the Violet Brigade’s power would be greatly reduced tonight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine. There’s still a bit of time left… criminals can always be gathered again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m glad you’re positive, but someone’s coming.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noticing the threads he had set up trembling, Oran said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t tell me they used a diversion with that force…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the Domain of Reversed Hierarchy? That should be impossible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both wore expressions of disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that same moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three men and women entered the chapel entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There they are.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Finally found them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha and Chester muttered while looking at the Captain, and Oscar silently stared at Oran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh, don’t tell me you left just the Heavenly Sword alone over there? Little brother, you’ve gotten cold.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not at all. I just trusted my companion. Just like in the Red Mountain Range.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bringing up the past made Oran scratch his head awkwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why do you do this while we’re working? Just makes things uncomfortable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just wanted to try it once. You keep calling me little brother, so I wondered if you’d still take care of me in moments like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tsk… you really leave me with nothing to say.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glancing at the Captain, Oran asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What should we do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Doesn’t seem like we have much of a choice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Captain let out a sigh, troubled by his unexpectedly persistent pursuers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least one good thing remained—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>this was a 3 versus 3 match within a confined battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If it were open terrain against Sasha Maestro, maybe… but in a group battle in a place like this…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no confidence of losing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Captain returned the rage he had absorbed earlier directly back into Mad Fiend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After all, real brawls are supposed to be chaotic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“KRAAAAH!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Black winds exploded from Mad Fiend’s entire body as he charged toward the three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",1973,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.790Z",1,"novelbin.me","74a8df7b8051b029cfd7ba77a604236658ac427f2c7ff4586556f49d75d64002","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-334","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-332",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]