[{"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-365":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},1334636,1778,"Chapter 365","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-365",365,"\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 365: The Weight of the Soul (6)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If there was one thing to confess,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>there had never been even a single moment when Oscar thought it was a good thing that he had been given a new life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘On the day the Emperor died, I should have died too.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Together with the result of the choice he had made, and together with all those who had wagered their lives on that choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had wanted to put a period on everything and make a beautiful exit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for some reason, he had been brought back to life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘From that moment on, I tried to find it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason he had been revived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first thing that had caught his eye back then was the state of the fallen White Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That too was a result born of his own choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, in order to correct his past mistakes, in order to restore the White Tower, he had devoted himself with all his might.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because if there was a reason he had been given a second life, he thought it had to be that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘……It may still be a little early to say this, but I did succeed in restoring the White Tower.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only now did he feel that he could show his face, even if only a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because even if he died, he now had at least something he could say when he met those guys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And the demons.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recently, the demon race had started rampaging again, but thanks to that, he had been able to realize something instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empire had already been preparing for that danger in various ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The demons of the past were an unknown danger that no one had been able to anticipate, but not now.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing an enemy one knows may be difficult, but it is not frightening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was truly different from the old days, when it had felt like walking through darkness so thick that one could not see even an inch ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Even the current Heavenly Sword has become stronger than he was in the past.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he had not said it to him yet, as a mage who had already reached Level 9, he could feel it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That before long, the man would cross the wall of Level 9 and become the true strongest sword of humanity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, so long as he was there, there was no need to fear either the demons or a new Demon Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would perfectly fill the vacancy left by the great mage Oscar Sage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above all, the Heavenly Sword he had known was absolutely not the kind of man who would betray humanity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Humanity now is different from before. It’s definitely stronger.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had seen that fact with his own eyes and felt it on his own skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why he had been able to feel at ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he had become certain that even if he died, those who remained would not lose to the demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But…….’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze met the hollow eyes of the one clutching his throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The First Demon Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this bastard were to return, the entire story would change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the Heavenly Sword reached Level 9, even if the Empire had prepared perfectly, victory could not be guaranteed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very least, he himself would never be able to feel at ease for even a single moment until this existence stopped breathing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……I see. You haven’t changed, but you have improved.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not want this bastard to take anything more from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already had far too much taken away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Srrrk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strength left the Emperor’s hand, and his body fell downward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cough, cough!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as he coughed out the breath he had been holding back, he did not take his eyes off the bastard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he was the type who might do anything at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the bastard seemed to have no intention of pulling out the mithril flask embedded in his neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He merely stood there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, after staring down at him in silence, he tossed out a single remark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are a fool.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But that is what makes you interesting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if his strength had given out, the Emperor suddenly dropped to one knee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lifted his head with difficulty and kept staring at him to the very end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you intend… to devour me… then look… forward to it. The moment… you let your guard down… I will….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those final words, his eyes rolled back, and Chan’s body collapsed with a thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clack, ting! Tiiing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mithril flask, its soul extraction complete, rolled across the floor with a pleasant sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A brief silence followed, and Itaca asked cautiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Oscar, surely you are not thinking of putting that back inside your body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……There’s no helping it. Until I find a method, I have to.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had thought it was something simple, like a thorn lodged in a finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had thought that if he pulled it out, that would be the end of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who could have guessed that it was actually a bomb called the Emperor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If that thing is released into the world, people’s lives will be threatened just like before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even then, it was only because this place was the countryside that the number had ended in the thousands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it had been released in a major city, he did not even want to imagine the scale of the damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its power, which had fallen all the way to the bottom, would likely have recovered in the blink of an eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I need a way to remove that safely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wouldn’t it be possible if he died while still absorbing the soul?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having read that thought, Itaca warned him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—If you are thinking of swallowing that and killing yourself, I would tell you to stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—It would only result in your death. That thing would be delighted and seize your emptied body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tch, figures.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clicking his tongue, Oscar picked up the flask and looked around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black lines that had occupied the area in every direction vanished the moment Chan collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lines that had been stretching toward the city had probably all disappeared as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……Itaca, I have one favor to ask.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar spoke with an unusually serious expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—What is it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The reason the Demon Emperor has not been able to seize my body all this time is probably because you exist.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Correct. I was suppressing that evil thing so it could not emerge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could you keep doing that from now on as well? It won’t take that long. Just until I find a way to kill that thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Hm?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Itaca let out a puzzled sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—I had intended to do so anyway. It would not do for the vessel of divinity to be damaged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—I would rather ask you this. Why have you suddenly become so serious?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, it’s just…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Because you are not the original owner of this body, and think you are unqualified?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At those words that struck straight at the heart of it, Oscar’s eyes widened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the earlier conversation with the former Emperor, he must have realized that he was Oscar Sage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Hmmm. This makes me feel a little displeased, as though my ability has been underestimated. Oscar, I am divinity. From the moment I made you my vessel, it means I was already aware that there was a gap between soul and body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Then why…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Because what mattered to me was not your name, your origins, or your age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a voice more serious than ever before, Itaca spoke firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Do you perhaps remember what you said when we made our contract?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……What was it again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—You said that later on, I was not to think of calling you a saint or anything of the sort and forcing sacrifice upon you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right, he did remember that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now, he did not think of himself as someone kind enough to contain divinity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—At that time, I said this. That even if I did not force you, you would do so of your own accord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—I was right. You were thinking of disappearing together with that thing, even at the cost of your own life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s only because you don’t know how dangerous that bastard is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Correct. I was sealed away on an island while that Emperor was active. But while holding back that thing as it gnawed at your soul, I was able to glimpse at least a little of how great its power was. Certainly, that thing is a fearsome and powerful existence. But Oscar. Ordinary people, you see, the more frightening and dangerous their opponent is, the farther they run. Those who instead think first of embracing such a being and dying with it—people call them heroes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hero.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That word, made up of only two syllables, still felt a little heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether he deserved to be called that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Director Makile, having regained his senses, was completely shaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I-I had never even imagined that such a dangerous soul could exist.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he pushed up his cracked square-framed glasses, he spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To think that a being that is no more than a soul could exert physical force. Are you saying that such a line had truly been embedded in my forehead?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. Don’t you remember?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t remember anything at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Makile, the last thing he remembered was before the experiment had begun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chan likewise answered that the last thing he remembered was being out on patrol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘At least that much is fortunate.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant the citizens of Rangle City would not be left with needless trauma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Makile stared at the mithril flask containing the Emperor’s soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“M-more than that, how are we supposed to deal with something like this…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please put it into my body.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it was left like this, the bottle would only break again and the same thing as before would repeat itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Makile’s eyes widened into circles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In-into your body, Mr. Oscar? But…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m fine. There was no problem when it was actually inside my body, was there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……Are you truly alright with this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meeting Oscar’s unwavering gaze, Makile immediately began preparing the procedure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, he turned on the machine that was still functioning normally and put the damp oxygen mask back over his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……The injection has been completed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You did put all of it in without leaving any behind, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, that’s correct.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though the Emperor’s soul had entered him, he did not feel much of anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When it had been extracted, there had been something like a sense of release; now there was only a faint discomfort left in its place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rising from his seat, Oscar asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Director, is there any way to remove this soul? There is no need to worry about my life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm. Normally, spirit-world monsters are eliminated with attacks imbued with mana, but…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As you saw, it seems difficult to kill it that way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I agree. Would it be alright if I looked into it further and contacted you later?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go ahead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After exchanging personal identification numbers with him, Oscar said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“However, I would appreciate it if it did not take too long. There is a chance I may not be able to endure it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood. I will look into the relevant materials as quickly as possible and contact you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it was Director Makile of the research institute, then there was no greater authority in this field within the Empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, he would surely come up with some sort of solution and contact him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he stepped out into the corridor, he saw the experiment volunteers walking about in the empty lot outside the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them was Randy, with whom he had spoken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike how he had looked with a black line embedded in his forehead, he now seemed very healthy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—It is the peace you protected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……Do you have the leisure to be talking to me? Aren’t you supposed to be holding back the Emperor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Perhaps he has not awakened yet. He is rather quiet for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not know about that embarrassing word, hero, but he thought he understood at least one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That he had protected a household that had not even finished its honeymoon yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two days had passed since he returned to the White Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Sasha asked why he had gone to the research institute, he simply told her that he had gone there for a tour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he did not have the confidence to deal with the worry and nagging that would follow if he told her about the Demon Emperor’s existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If there were already a method to remove it, that would be one thing, but as things are now, I need to be a little careful about saying anything.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by how much less talkative Itaca had been since the morning, it seemed the Emperor had awakened again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two of them were probably locked in a battle of wills, while Ice Spirit was likely trembling beside them once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After facing that tiresome ill-fated tie called the Demon Emperor again, it felt as though cold water had been poured over him, jolting him fully awake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And I was criticizing those people of today for being soaked in peace. To think that those words applied to me as well.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might simply be impatience, but he felt the need to become stronger even a day sooner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What methods are left? Elixirs are essentially meaningless now.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having consumed a Dragon Heart, taking other elixirs now would be little more than throwing money onto the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it would still be better than not taking them, but he would not see any meaningful effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Then the only thing left is to hone my skill…….’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His magic was already complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not arrogance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his previous life, he had truly honed it to its limit, so in technical terms, it was perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, the more he thought about it, the more that was not quite right either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What he had honed was only the magic he had handled in his previous life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Spatial magic.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When it came to this magic, he was still far from being able to call himself perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Then first, I should go into closed-door training…… ah.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come to think of it, the spaces his master Ado Vail had created still remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he had entered one before, he had met his master in his younger days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘In that case, might there also be one from when he was older?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surest path would be to watch how his master used spatial magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oscar immediately left the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Translator - Night]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Proofreader - Gun]\u003C\u002Fp>",2492,"2026-06-05T20:00:10.790Z",1,"novelbin.me","76446e24c88e504a263d1a4264745e369dfcaa4f5f1eab19d8085076cc7b285d","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-366","the-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-chapter-364",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-problematic-child-of-the-magic-tower-cover.jpg"]