Chapter 58 Magic Tower
Chapter 58 Magic Tower
Deep within the forest south of the city of Bala—lands unclaimed by any nation—they followed a hidden trail, weaving quietly through dense foliage.
“Yes, and back home, I was considered the strongest prodigy magician,” Halim said proudly, walking a few steps ahead of Yumi and Iryoku, while Rhogan brought up the rear. “By the time I was ten, I was already defeating category 2 threat-level monsters! Heheh.”
“Wow!... ” Yumi said, tilting her head curiously. “Wait a minute, how strong is a category 2 monster? I didn’t even know there was a threat-level system.”
Iryoku, walking between the two, kept his eyes sharp and alert, scanning the trees around them. His expression was serious.
“It’s a system created by the Tower,” Halim explained. “They’re trying to spread it across the realm to standardize how we classify monster threats.”
He continued calmly, “Think of it like this:
Category 1 threats are creatures that can endanger a single average person—or less.
Category 2 threats are strong enough to take on a small group, say around ten people.
Category 3 can wipe out a village—about a hundred people.
Category 4 steps it up to city-level, affecting around ten thousand lives.
And Category 5?” He glanced at Yumi, who was diligently counting on her fingers. “That's a country-level threat. Something that could endanger or destroy over a million people.”
“Yo, Halim—my boy,” Iryoku said in a low, serious voice. “What category would a monster fall into… if it could destroy, let’s say, the entire world?”
As he asked they came to a stop at the edge of a massive, diagonal hole carved into the earth.
The question hit like a thunderclap. Both Yumi and Halim froze, staring into the vast pit.
Yumi’s thoughts swirled.
We’re so far from the Holy Mountain… could the dragon’s attack really reach this place from there? Wouldn’t the curvature of the world make that impossible?
Then, as Halim began to speak, the weight of Iryoku’s question clicked into place—and she finally understood why it mattered.
Halim, still staring into the massive crater.
“Brother Iryoku… that would fall into the realm of the gods. A Category 7 threat level. God-tier.”
He let out a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his head.
“But this thing… I don’t think it was that strong. According to the locals, it was just a pillar of fire erupting from the ground—like a volcanic surge or something.”
He chuckled again, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
“But don’t worry… something at god-level shouldn’t exist in the mortal realm… I think.”
As they resumed walking, he continued his explanation.
“Category 6 threats are continental-level—monsters capable of wiping out entire landmasses and affecting millions, even tens of millions. Most of those are the stuff of legends and ancient myths.
But anything beyond that—anything capable of endangering the entire world itself—is classified as Category 7: god-level.”
Halim, seemingly unfazed by the heavy topic, launched back into stories about himself—his voice animated, proud, and full of energy.
But Yumi’s eyes stayed fixed on Iryoku’s back, watching his quiet, thoughtful posture.
Just how much did you go through back there, that you're always so lost in the past? she wondered.
She wanted to comfort him. We haven’t done it since we left the castle, she thought, her cheeks coloring slightly.
But now wasn’t the right time.
Still, she made a silent promise to herself—Once we find both Reika and Sensei, I’ll make it up to you.
Finally, after navigating a series of winding paths and hidden shortcuts—routes that would’ve taken far longer without Halim’s guidance—they arrived at a wide clearing.
Before them stood a massive wall, and beyond it, a towering structure reached into the sky, its upper half swallowed by clouds. The tower loomed ominously, casting a dark, unnatural aura that seemed to taint the very sky above.
As they stepped up to a large metallic door, Halim looked around, puzzled.
“This is weird. Where is everybody?” he muttered. He approached the gate and knocked. “Hello? Esteemed Lord Pery? I’m Halim, one of the applicants!”
He frowned. “There’s always someone guarding the door…”
Iryoku glanced up at the wall. “I’ll just jump over and check inside.” He nodded toward Yumi.
“Wait, Brother Iryoku—you can’t just do that!” Halim exclaimed, his tone urgent. “There’s a magic barrier. If you try to climb it, it’ll throw you back—and you might hurt yourself!”
That made Iryoku pause, his eyes narrowing slightly in surprise.
Just then, Yumi stepped forward and casually tugged at the door handle.
“Mmm…” THUD.
The heavy lock clicked open with a deep metallic sound.
“It opened,” she said, eyes wide with surprise.
They cautiously stepped inside.
The protective wall enclosed a vast space filled with beautiful, multicolored trees—each one radiating magical auras in vibrant hues. Though there was no roof overhead, they could see a faint, translucent purple barrier a few meters above them, enclosing the area like an invisible dome.
In the distance stood the tower itself, even more imposing from within. But something felt… wrong.
“There’s still no one here,” Iryoku muttered, his voice low.
“I was here just yesterday,” Halim added, eyes darting around nervously. “It was packed with mages and applicants. Just… what’s going on?”
As they moved deeper inside, they found scattered clothing lying on the ground—abandoned in strange places. Farther in, they came upon rows of desks set before a large board, like an open-air classroom. But again—no people. Just more clothing, left behind, eerily untouched.
Yumi and Iryoku’s expressions had grown more serious. Weapons in hand, they moved cautiously through the eerie silence.
“Halim, stay on guard,” Iryoku warned without looking back.
Halim nodded nervously, adjusting his pace to stay close. He glanced around as he walked, his usual confidence replaced by unease.
They advanced for several minutes, the landscape remaining eerily unchanged—abandoned clothes, silence, and that ever-present magical tension in the air.
Finally, they arrived at the base of the tower.
The structure loomed above them, impossibly tall, its surface pulsing with layers of enchanted energy. A powerful magical barrier shimmered faintly around it, barely visible to the naked eye.
Curious and determined, Iryoku stepped forward.
With a sharp flick of his left hand, the white cord attached to his arpoon snapped forward, launching the small blade toward the tower’s wall.
CRASH!
The arpoon struck the barrier with a thunderous impact—light exploded outward in a violent burst, sparks dancing across the air as strange magical energy rippled through the space. For a brief second, it looked like the barrier might give.
But as the flare faded… the wall stood untouched.
Unscathed.
Iryoku’s eyes widened slightly in surprise as the arpoon returned to his left arm with a cracked hiss. He examined the blade carefully—it was undamaged.
“Even the Wolf Fang couldn’t scratch it,” he muttered.
Halim looked increasingly nervous. “M-maybe we should come back later. Maybe they’re just… on a break. Or it’s a holiday or something. Yeah, that must be it.”
He glanced between Yumi and Iryoku, who were both focused on the tower, inspecting every inch, searching for a way in.
Halim tried again. “Eh… maybe your missing companion isn’t even here.”
“No,” Iryoku said firmly, not even turning to look at him. “Knowing her, she’s definitely inside.”
“That’s right,” Yumi added confidently.
They reached the tower’s main door. Yumi tried to open it again, but this time it was locked.
“To get inside the tower,” Halim explained, “you need a special token. Only official members have one.”
Iryoku paused, thinking for a moment, then turned back. “Wait here. Rhogan, watch over Yumi.”
A few minutes later, he returned carrying a small pile of items—rings, stones, necklaces—placing them all carefully on the ground.
“Which one of these is the token? I found them scattered on the clothes and lying around.”
Halim examined the pile, frowning. “I’m… not sure.”
“Then let’s just check them one by one,” Yumi said, crouching beside the items and carefully sifting through them.
After several attempts—pressing rings, necklaces, and stones to the door—nothing happened. But finally, when Yumi brought a small magic stone with strange markings close to the center of the door, the lock shimmered faintly… and with a soft click, it shifted.
The massive door slowly creaked open.
“It worked,” Iryoku said quietly, stepping forward.
He gently took the small marked stone from Yumi’s hand and slipped it into his pocket.
“Let’s go.”