Sun Mage Tower — Part 3
‘What’s going on?’
Why is my Danger Sense activating?
Is someone actually trying to mess with me through the training program?
I hurriedly equipped only [Insight] and looked around.
Red lines appeared all around me.
Every mage I could see was shooting hostile glares in my direction.
‘Well, this is awkward.’
With all these eyes on me, I couldn’t even tell who might be plotting something.
Fortunately, my Danger Sense settled down quickly.
It didn’t seem like they intended to act immediately.
‘Let’s focus on getting [Lightning Resistance] first.’
All I need is [Lightning Resistance].
Once I’ve acquired that, there’s nothing they can do to me, no matter how they try to manipulate this training program.
After all, I’ve already amassed five resistances: Holy, Dark, Fire, Ice, and Earth.
“Begin training.”
As I voiced the command, elemental spirits whirled around me.
[Initiating Lightning Magic Casting Training.]
[From this moment, the elemental spirits will begin casting lightning magic.]
[You must hit the elemental spirits with lightning magic. If you fail to hit them within the time limit, the lightning magic will target you instead.]
Woooong…
A low hum reverberated through my ears.
Instead of voices, the spirits emitted a low-frequency vibration as they chanted their spells.
I waited calmly.
The standard method would be to use lightning magic, as the AI guidance suggested, but the mage tower’s training ground had other uses beyond just casting magic.
As I stood still, mages nearby started murmuring.
“What’s he doing?”
“Why isn’t he using magic?”
“He’s a Warrior, isn’t he? Just standing there like that.”
“I thought he was a Magic Swordsman or something.”
“Is he a masochist? Maybe he came here just to get electrocuted.”
“Haha, you’re probably right.”
“Typical Warriors.”
Finally, the moment I was waiting for arrived.
Crackle!
The elemental spirits unleashed their lightning in quick succession.
A jolt ran through me.
It didn’t hurt much.
Just a slight prickling sensation.
Compared to the searing pain of fever or the raw wounds I’d endured, it was almost cute.
I gestured at the control spirit, and it floated closer.
“Set lightning intensity to maximum.”
[Warning. Warning. Maximum intensity lightning may cause cardiac arrest or severe arrhythmia, potentially leading to death. We recommend stopping at the intermediate level.]
“Once again, set lightning intensity to maximum.”
[Responsibility for any consequences from maximum intensity lightning rests solely with the user. The Sun Mage Tower and its management bear no civil or criminal liability. Do you agree?]
“I agree.”
[Increasing lightning magic to maximum intensity. To lower the intensity, please raise both hands.]
I didn’t even need to look to know.
The gazes of the mages were turning colder.
“Maximum intensity? Is he trying to kill himself?”
“Didn’t someone get carried out last week?”
“He’s a Warrior, right? Guess he’s confident in his body’s durability.”
“Wanna bet? How long until he collapses?”
“How long? I’ll put 100,000 won on him lasting less than 30 seconds. How’s he going to endure lightning magic with just his body? Lightning magic targets the nervous system. He won’t even be able to stay standing with his muscles spasming uncontrollably. He’ll probably wet himself as he goes down.”
“Alright, I’ll go with 20 seconds. 100,000 won.”
“I’m betting on 15 seconds.”
“I’ll say 10 seconds.”
10 seconds? 15 seconds?
They’re betting so low?
I chuckled internally, waiting for the chant to finish.
The elemental spirits glowed red-hot.
The chant had already ended, as if giving me time to prepare.
A warning sound pierced my eardrums.
[Firing maximum intensity lightning magic in 3, 2, 1. Fire!]
Bzzzzzt!
A blinding flash engulfed me.
White lightning seared through me, again and again.
My entire body trembled.
A violent shudder racked my muscles.
I thought my heart had stopped.
The sensation of my nervous system burning.
My teeth chattered together, and my legs weakened.
I nearly collapsed but forced myself to stay upright, my spine rigid.
As I endured, I thought to myself.
Absorb the lightning, the pure elemental magic.
Even as the electricity scorched my body, I could feel it breaking down.
Some of it was converted into mana and absorbed by me, even if only a small amount.
A reckless attempt.
Anyone else would have been cooked alive from the inside.
But the three traits I had chosen helped me absorb at least a portion of the mana.
[Einherjar Cultivation Technique], [Mana Core], and [Mana Absorption].
Of course, these three traits alone weren’t enough.
That’s why I selected another set of traits.
[Endurance], [Resolve], and [Resurrection].
[Endurance] reduces all damage.
[Resolve] specializes in mental defense while also shielding me from magic damage.
[Resurrection] greatly enhances my healing ability when I’m in danger.
With these six traits combined, I could withstand this.
Though the pain was intense and my body trembled, I held my stance.
Not for 10 seconds, not for 20 seconds.
But for over five minutes.
By then, the mages had begun to realize something was wrong.
“Uh…”
“What’s going on? Why hasn’t he collapsed?”
“Is that even possible?”
“Is he using a mana barrier?”
“No! He’s just standing there!”
“I tried the maximum intensity once, and I was out after one hit…”
Had it been nearly ten minutes?
I felt the furious electricity that had been frying me start to weaken.
Strictly speaking, the magic wasn’t weakening—it was my defense that had grown stronger.
[Lightning Resistance]!
Finally, the missing piece!
‘Should I stop now?’
No, that would be a waste.
I called over the control spirit to adjust the training mode.
“Switch from casting training to defense training. Set the difficulty to maximum. Lightning intensity at maximum.”
[Warning. Warning. Maximum intensity lightning…]
“Okay, okay. Skip the warnings.”
The elemental spirits rearranged themselves.
Instead of floating around randomly, they lined up in front of me like a wall.
The mages blatantly started gossiping again.
“Maximum difficulty? Oh, he’s confident, huh?”
“He must really not feel any pain from the lightning.”
“Did he bring some lightning resistance artifact?”
“That would make sense.”
“So that’s why? Makes sense now.”
“To pull a stunt like that in the sacred hall of magic…”
“That guy needs to be taught a lesson.”
Their chatter was unending.
I ignored them and focused my mind on the front.
The elemental spirits began glowing red again, issuing a warning.
[Warning. Warning. Lightning intensity has been readjusted.]
[You are significantly exceeding the training program’s limits.]
[Reconfiguring training program. Warning system disengaged.]
[Current selected magic: Standard Level 3 Magic.]
[Level 3 magic is enough to paralyze a superhuman.]
[All other trainees must stop training and evacuate the facility.]
Huh?
Lightning intensity readjusted? Standard Level 3 Magic?
The elemental spirits subtly shifted their angles.
They were all targeting me directly, and a strange chill ran down my spine.
Alongside that, my Danger Sense ring started to buzz incessantly.
I quickly equipped [Insight].
And I saw it.
Several of the elemental spirits, which had appeared to be chanting, were already glowing red.
“Ugh!”
I barely managed to throw myself to the side.
Flash!
A brilliant flash scorched the spot where I’d just been standing.
This was on an entirely different level than the lightning I’d endured before.
It was lightning magic capable of lethal force in real combat.
A cold chill crept into my chest, mixed with burning anger.
‘Which bastard did this?!’
I rapidly scanned my surroundings.
The mages were all rushing out of the facility.
Then, I locked eyes with one mage through the glass wall outside.
His hands were shoved into his pockets, concealing them.
It was the senior mage who’d been slapped by the supervising mage earlier.
‘That bastard!’
The mage grinned at me.
Slyly, like a hyena circling prey.
He wanted to humiliate me.
The power level was enough to paralyze even a superhuman.
Paralyzed—what’s the big deal, you ask?
This was lightning magic. Lightning magic!
If I collapsed under lightning magic, my sphincters would give out, and I’d end up soiling myself.
A Warrior pissing themselves during training at the mage tower?
I’d be a laughingstock for a century.
My head cooled.
The rage surged up, yet my mind was sharp as ice.
‘Should I just leave?’
I could, technically.
The AI had already issued an evacuation order.
But… just look at that pathetic mage sneering at me!
If I run away now, wouldn’t that mean I’ve lost to him?
I straightened up.
I’d rather die than show weakness to a lowlife like that.
Besides, I had some insurance.
No matter how much the intensity was ramped up, this was still just a training program.
There was a limit to the amount of mana being supplied, and if my calculations were correct, it wouldn’t be enough to truly harm me.
The elemental spirits lined up in formation.
They adjusted their angles slightly, aiming at me from all directions.
There was nowhere to dodge.
No matter which way I moved, I’d end up getting hit by a few bolts of lightning.
The spirits began to glow, signaling they were about to attack.
I clasped my hands together and swapped my traits.
[Holy Resistance] from my battle with the Saintess.
[Fire Resistance] from scalding my body with boiling water infused with magic essence.
[Dark Resistance] gifted to me by the necromancer Charon of the Cleaner Association.
[Ice Resistance] earned amidst the freezing storm of the wraith congregation. (TL Note: Changed from Cold to Ice.)
[Earth Resistance] awakened when I narrowly escaped a Hunter’s magical traps.
And finally, the newly acquired [Lightning Resistance] from this very training session.
I filled my entire trait slots solely with the six elemental resistances.
My body trembled.
My mana circuits, firmly rooted, began to resonate with the six traits, transforming into a new force.
If this were a game, my character’s trait slots would be shaking.
The box itself would shatter, letters scattering, and new words would form from the fragments.
In reality, it felt similar.
My mana circuits broke apart and reassembled.
A dull ache surged through my blood vessels, racing toward my heart.
“Grr…”
Just as a groan escaped my lips…
The elemental spirits flashed.
Bright white lightning hurtled toward me!
CRACK!
The lightning struck me head-on.
It was undeniably powerful.
The me from a moment ago would’ve been sprawled on the ground, looking utterly pathetic.
But not anymore.
I stood tall, shoulders squared, letting the lightning course through me.
Some higher-tier trait was protecting me now.
[Magic Resistance].
With [Lightning Resistance], [Endurance], and [Resolve] added on top, it didn’t even feel like I was being hit.
It was just… ticklish.
Like the lowest-intensity training magic I’d faced at the start.
“What the hell!”
“What is he?!”
“Is that fake?”
“It must be flash magic, not real lightning, right?”
“Wait… oh crap! No, that’s really Level 3 magic!”
“Is he… blocking Level 3 magic with his body?”
“Is he even human?”
I smirked confidently in the direction of the senior mage.
Did he take that as a taunt?
But there was nothing he could do about it.
He fidgeted with his hands in his pockets but refrained from tampering with the training program any further.
If he did, he’d be crossing a serious line.
The Sun Mage Tower is a prestigious institution with a legacy stretching back to the Three Kingdoms era.
No matter how much they might protect their own, they wouldn’t tolerate a disciple blatantly breaking the rules.
In the end, the senior mage clenched his teeth and pulled his hands out of his pockets.
[Warning. Warning.]
[All users must cease training and evacuate the facility.]
The training program was still going haywire.
Lightning continued to shoot at me furiously.
I could take the hits, but it felt like a waste.
Who knows when I’ll be back at the tower? Might as well get the most out of it, right?
Besides, in Arcane Seoul, it’s easier to acquire traits in real combat than in training.
In terms of time efficiency, the gain is nearly three or four times higher.
And thanks to the senior mage’s meddling, this session counted as real combat.
[Magic Resistance], [Lightning Resistance], [Endurance].
[Insight], [Mobility], [Sprint].
I adjusted my traits slightly.
I wasn’t just planning to get hit—I’d be dodging as well.
With [Insight], I could see the elemental spirits turning red, signaling their impending attacks.
Zap!
Lightning struck.
A bundle of white electricity chased after me.
But I was already gone from that spot.
With [Mobility] allowing quick shifts in direction, [Sprint] propelling me forward, and [Swift] assisting my movements, I dodged skillfully, weaving in and out.
Level 3 magic was powerful, sure.
But if it didn’t hit, it was meaningless.
After dodging dozens of times, the trait I’d been waiting for finally appeared.
My body felt as light as a feather.
The moment I became aware of it, I did a backflip, soaring gracefully through the air, widening the distance between me and the lightning bolts.
It was the [Evasion] trait.
The very same one that a Hunter had used against me.
‘Finally complete!’
I cheered inwardly.
A high-tier trait, [Grand Escape].
Now that I had gathered all the pieces, all I needed was to absorb the Swift trait from my boots, and I could combine everything to complete the Grand Escape.
“Damn it.”
Was it because my senses were heightened?
I could hear a low curse.
At the same time, the elemental spirits, which had been firing lightning relentlessly, started to lose power.
[Reconfiguring training program. Reconfiguring training program.]
[The training program has returned to normal.]
[Current selected magic, Basic Level 0 Magic.]
[At this level, it will feel like a slight tickle to an ordinary person.]
[You may access the training program at any time.]
The senior mage had already turned his back and was walking away.
The other mages stared at him in stunned silence.
Thanks to all of their supposed intelligence, mages were quick to catch on.
They’d already pieced together why this whole ordeal had happened today.
“What’s going on?”
“Why is he acting like that?”
“Isn’t that Park Hyungjoo?”
“Oh, him? Elder Jo’s disciple, right? That privileged prick.”
“He’s always hated Warriors, but… messing with the training program?”
This time, I didn’t hold back.
I marched straight up to the supervising mage and lodged a formal complaint about the senior mage’s actions.
After reviewing the training program logs, the supervising mage’s face twisted in anger.
“That bastard…”
I didn’t have to wait long.
The next day, a disciplinary committee was convened.
The charges? Breach of confidentiality, abuse of authority, and aggravated assault.
The punishment? Expulsion.
It was a sentence feared only second to excommunication among mages.
–TL Notes–
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Byebye