Trait Hoarder – Chapter 72

Sun Mage Tower — Part 4

“Ahhh! No! I was wrong! It was my mistake! Master, please help me!”

The senior mage was dragged away, screaming like a wild animal.

I watched him quietly as he was taken.

“Unexpected.”

“What do you mean?”

“To be honest, I thought Mage Park would just get off with a minor punishment.”

I had already heard about Senior Mage Park Hyungjoo from Manager Choi.

He was the disciple of one of the Nine Elders of the Sun Mage Tower.

Apparently, he was even his nephew by marriage.

That’s how he managed to stick around despite the mess he’d caused.

This time, too, he’d relied on his connections, acting recklessly without fear of consequence.

The Head Mage’s expression was stern.

“I’m aware of how the outside world views our Mage Tower, but we are not a place that tolerates such behavior.”

“I understand. There’s no way an organization that’s lasted over a thousand years could be so lax. They say the Sun Mage Tower has been around since the Three Kingdoms era.”

“Hoho, you are well-informed. Yes, that’s correct. And the reason our Tower has survived for so long is because of our strict discipline and unwavering pursuit of truth. No matter how skilled or well-connected one is, anyone who crosses the line is mercilessly cut off.”

“Crossed the line, huh…”

“The only reason Mage Park received only light reprimands up until now was that his troubles were contained within the Tower. Elder Jo had to work hard to keep things under control. But this time, he sold classified information to outsiders and abused his authority to insult the Superhuman I invited. If not for Elder Jo, he would have been expelled—or worse, excommunicated.”

The Head Mage looked pleased, as though finally getting relief from a long-standing grievance.

Just how much havoc had Park Hyungjoo caused?

I subtly stroked the hilt of my Holy Sword.

The only regret I had was that I couldn’t plunge it into that bastard’s belly.

“What happens when someone is expelled?”

“A magical brand is placed on their brain, preventing them from learning any new spells. Taking on disciples would also be impossible.”

“So, it’s essentially the end of their life as a mage.”

“Better than excommunication. Excommunication involves removing the mana circuits from the spine and entire nervous system. It’s enough to turn someone into a cripple in an instant. With expulsion, they can still use the magic they’ve learned thus far.”

In martial arts terms, it’s akin to destroying their dantian and severing their tendons.

“Seems like you’ve had this bottled up for a while.”

“It was Elder Jo’s fault for being too lenient. Personality training is as important as magic education and mana training.”

The disgraced mage was expelled wearing nothing but a single robe.

The Head Mage leaned in and whispered to me.

“The Tower Master suspects there’s a conglomerate backing that scoundrel.”

“A conglomerate?”

“Yes. Lately, our Tower has been quietly focusing on magic research, and it seems some nouveau riche thought they could take advantage of that. We plan to track him and make an example out of him.”

Seems there’s a backstory here that I wasn’t aware of.

I nodded silently, and the Head Mage handed me a small box.

“And, Superhuman, this is a small token of apology for the incident.”

A wooden box, small enough to fit in one hand.

I opened it on the spot.

Inside, a golden potion sparkled brilliantly.

An elixir.

In the game, it’s a miraculous potion that restores you instantly, no matter how injured or poisoned you are, even if you’re down to a single hit point.

It’s the same in this world.

Even if you’re decapitated or your heart is destroyed, as long as brain activity hasn’t completely ceased, it can bring you back. A treasure among treasures.

An extra life, so to speak.

I accepted the gift happily.

“Thank you. You’ve given me the gift of life.”

“Ahem! It’s only fair, considering a Tower member caused trouble within our walls.”

The Head Mage gave me a meaningful look.

It was his way of saying not to blow this out of proportion.

I agreed with that sentiment.

The Sun Mage Tower had shown sincerity by taking responsibility, so there was no need to escalate matters further.

The only downside was that this reward wasn’t exactly what I wanted.

I was hoping for the Sunfire rather than an elixir.

‘Should I ask for the Sunfire?’

Unfortunately, that’s not possible.

The Sunfire is the signature spell of the Sun Mage Tower.

It has a short casting time, decent mana consumption, and devastating firepower.

Among the spells developed by the Tower over its long history, it ranks among the very best.

“I have one wish.”

Well, this much should be fine to ask.

“Go ahead and speak.”

“I’ve always had a wish, ever since before. To experience the Four Great Spells of the Four Great Towers.”

“Hmm? The Four Great Spells?”

“Yes.”

The Head Mage looked at me, surprised.

Which made sense, considering he was the designer of the Sunfire.

The Tower Master was the one who completed it, though.

“Aren’t you still at Level 3, Superhuman? Not to underestimate you, but a Level 3 Superhuman wouldn’t be able to withstand even a brief exposure to the Sunfire. A single second would be enough to burn you alive. How about coming back when you’re around Level 5? Given the recent events and my research responsibilities, I could use my authority to grant you a demonstration then.”

Level 5, huh?

Not a bad offer.

Anyway, even with my mana combination, I’d only be able to use it effectively once I reached Level 5 due to the mana drain.

But here’s the thing.

If there’s a way to obtain it now, why wait until then?

I began to persuade him in a calm tone.

“As you may have noticed, I have a strong resistance to magical attacks.”

“Hmm… I did notice. I reviewed the training logs, and the defensive abilities you displayed would be impossible without some kind of magic resistance ability. Oh, don’t worry—those records are confidential and won’t be leaked.”

“I figured. Your fair handling of this incident already earned my trust. Anyway, I believe I can withstand the Sunfire for a short duration. Maybe around 30 seconds?”

“Hahaha, 30 seconds? Even a Level 5 Superhuman couldn’t manage that.”

“Only in terms of magic defense. Part of it is thanks to the Black Flame as well.”

“Oh ho, the Black Flame…”

“You’re aware of its capabilities against fire-based magic. You may not have seen it in action personally, but you’ve heard the stories.”

Gulp.

The Head Mage swallowed dryly.

The power of the Black Flame was infamous.

It devours all mana in its path, inflicting agony upon its target.

Naturally, it also consumes fire-based magic.

So, I wondered…

How would it fare against a high-tier spell like the Sunfire?

Would it devour it?

Or would it be devoured?

A spark of curiosity flickered in the Head Mage’s eyes.

As the designer of the Sunfire, he couldn’t resist the challenge.

His curiosity about the Black Flame added to it.

“Are you really certain? We would benefit greatly from studying the Black Flame’s properties, but it could put you in serious danger.”

“Don’t be too surprised when you see it.”

“Haha, you sound confident! But this is the Sunfire we’re talking about.”

“Well, I have the Black Flame.”

“In that case, I’ll get the Tower Master’s approval. I’ll personally oversee the procedure to ensure there are no accidents. Please, do your best to endure as long as possible.”

The Head Mage looked amused.

Perhaps because he and the Tower Master were like brothers, approval came quickly.

We moved to one of the most secluded laboratories in the Sun Mage Tower’s research department.

A completely empty lab.

A cylindrical structure, reminiscent of a cannon, was aimed at me.

Outside the lab, observers were gathered in droves.

Among them was the Tower Master, a figure I’d seen tens of thousands of times in Arcane Seoul.

Noticing the curiosity in his eyes, I took a deep breath.

‘There are three ways to obtain the Sunfire.’

First, become the Tower Master’s disciple.

Second, defeat the Tower Master in a one-on-one duel.

Both of which are impossible for me.

They’re routes exclusive to Superhumans in the mage class.

Then there’s the third and final method.

Complete the Tower’s quest.

And to unlock that quest, I need to raise the Tower Master’s favorability above a certain threshold.

[The procedure will now begin.]

The cylindrical structure was aimed directly at me.

At its end hung a golden sphere, reminiscent of the sun itself.

Whooosh.

The Mana Concentration Array supplied mana to the device.

Air was sucked in, forming a vortex.

A strange vibration rippled through the space, and the overwhelming mana waves pressed down on my senses.

Even just the preparations radiated a crushing power.

The Head Mage shouted into the microphone.

“[Sunfire, initiating for 15 seconds!]”

With a click, the lights turned on.

There was a brief moment of stillness.

Then, the world turned golden.

Boom-boom-boom!

Flames burst forth.

A blaze powerful enough to burn the entire world.

The fire hadn’t even touched me, but my skin prickled painfully.

A primal fear gripped my brain, threatening to paralyze me.

But I was fully prepared.

[Magic Resistance] [Fire Resistance] [Black Flame]

[Mana Shield] [Endurance] [Resolve]

And the [Fortitude] trait imbued in my protective suit’s lower half.

With all these abilities activated, I faced the onslaught of Sunfire.

I narrowed my eyes and stared directly into the golden flames.

I deployed the Mana Shield.

Carefully, with utmost concentration, I extended it, merging it with my protective suit to form a cohesive barrier.

Usually, a Mana Shield forms a spherical barrier.

But thanks to countless uses in real battles, I’d learned to modify it.

Following the smooth surface of my protective suit, the barrier wrapped around me like a second skin.

The result resembled armor more than a shield.

A [Mana Armor].

Unfortunately, with my limited mana reserves, maintaining a full Mana Armor would be difficult.

Satisfied with achieving this much, I held the Mana Shield in place.

Finally, the Sunfire engulfed me.

“Ughhh!”

I almost screamed.

Even with the shield, and even with my Magic Resistance and Fire Resistance, this was intense!

My mind went blank.

It reminded me of when I suffered from mana fever, that unbearable heat coursing through my body.

In some ways, this was worse.

With mana fever, I could at least keep my mind anchored to reality, but the Sunfire was so fierce it threatened to burn away even my consciousness!

‘It’s fine. I can hold out.’

Biting down on my lower lip, I endured.

I bit my tongue several times just to keep my focus.

Eyes bloodshot, I stared straight ahead.

I could see the Black Flame spreading.

Slowly, painfully slowly, like a grub chewing through pine needles, it expanded its reach.

Could it be that…

[15 seconds have passed! Sunfire ceasing now!]

Already 15 seconds?

The golden light suddenly vanished.

Maybe it was because I’d been staring straight into such an intense light, but my eyes felt sore and blurry.

As I instinctively rubbed my eyes, a commotion erupted outside.

“No… no way!”

“Sunfire…”

“Is he really Level 3? That Superhuman? Not Level 6?”

“How did he survive at just Level 3?”

“Was the mana supply faulty?”

What’s going on with them?

First, I checked my own condition.

Thankfully, I wasn’t hurt.

My exposed facial skin and hands were fine.

The only damage was some melted patches on the surface of my protective suit.

And all the hair that had grown back a bit was now completely burned off.

Considering I was exposed to Sunfire for a full 15 seconds, this was an incredible outcome.

The Black Flame had played a major role.

If it had been any other tower’s signature spell instead of Sunfire, it might not have ended as well.

A muttered remark from one of the spectators reached my ears.

“We’ll need to accelerate the development of Perfect Flame.”

Is this… a butterfly effect?

Perhaps Perfect Flame, and the characters who possess it as their unique trait, might appear sooner than I expected.

The spectators dispersed like the ebbing tide.

Only a few lingered.

An elderly man, whom I recognized, approached me with a group following behind.

“That was quite impressive, Warrior Kim.”

An old man with jet-black dyed hair.

Dressed in a suit and tie.

He looked every bit like a powerful corporate chairman.

The Tower Master of the Sun Mage Tower.

I bowed respectfully.

“It’s an honor, Tower Master.”

“You know who I am?”

“Is there anyone in Korea who doesn’t know the Tower Master?”

The Four Great Powers.

The Legion, the Conglomerates, the Towers, and the Church.

Among them, some are stronger than others.

The Sun Mage Tower is clearly one of the strongest.

In particular, the Tower Master is one of the five Level 8 figures in Korea.

A monster on par with the Saintess herself.

‘Good thing I preemptively swapped my traits.’

You never know if he might have the same insight as the Saintess and see through my Trait Swap.

The Tower Master smiled.

“Hoho, you’re quite the talker. Warrior Kim, would you spare a moment for this old man? I’d like to treat you to a cup of tea.”

“It would be my honor. I’d be delighted to join you.”

I followed the Tower Master.

There was an old mage glaring daggers at me, but I ignored her.

In the game, she was a villainous character, so it seemed she played a similar role here.

The Tower Master led me to the highest point in the tower.

His personal office.

“This is incredible.”

The view was far more overwhelming than what I’d seen on my smartphone screen.

The floor was clearly the ground, yet somehow I could see all of Seoul, Busan, and even Baekdusan and Hallasan in one panorama.

It was like looking down from outer space.

The ceiling, on the other hand, was like the cosmos.

If I looked at the sun, it seemed to rush toward me, exuding an overpowering presence. If I looked at the moon, I could see its cratered face in intricate detail.

A place where the impossible was made possible by magic.

This was the Tower Master’s office.

With a warm smile, the Tower Master poured coffee himself and handed me a cup.

“Here, drink up. It should be at least passable.”

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

I don’t know much about coffee.

To be honest, I think instant coffee tastes best.

But just from one whiff of the aroma, I could tell this was high-quality coffee—it relaxed my body and cleared my mind.

“It’s wonderful.”

“Haha, it’s this old man’s only hobby.”

The rich aroma of the coffee hung in the air, filling the silence.

For a long time, neither of us spoke.

Then the Tower Master broke the silence.

“Today was most impressive. I never imagined, not even with the Black Flame, that you could withstand the Sunfire so effectively. Now I understand why Mage Yoo spoke so highly of you.”

“You’re too kind.”

“Perfect Flame development has been a long-standing goal of our Tower. But there’s another project we’ve been pursuing just as earnestly.”

The Tower Master let out a faint wave of mana.

A side door in the office opened, and a young man in his early twenties entered.

“Grandfather, you called for me?”

A tall, lanky man with horn-rimmed glasses.

I knew him instantly. There was no way I couldn’t.

I’d seen that face countless times on my smartphone screen.

One of the tutorial characters in Arcane Seoul.

The only true golden spoon among the tutorial characters.

This was Mage Kim.

–TL Notes–
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