NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: Episode 2
'Crash!'
The sudden pull sent me tumbling, and I rolled across the floor. Clutching my scraped knee, I slowly opened my eyes to absolute darkness. 'So this is the inside of the tower?'
I carefully fished my phone from my pocket and turned it on. 'Damn, the screen's cracked.' The fact that I was already worrying about the repair cost was a good sign that I was still alive. With a dry chuckle, I activated the flashlight and swept it across my surroundings.
The beam first landed on a table that looked as if it were carved from a single block of wood. Above it, a bizarre network of glass tubes snaked in every direction like a spiderweb. I also spotted several glass vials scattered about, their contents long since dried up.
'What is this place? A laboratory?'
Just as an ominous feeling began to stir in my chest, a spark ignited in the darkness. The light flared, pinning me in a spotlight, and I froze.
"Intruder detected. Name Kim Yusin. Confirmed as 'Child of Mana' on the registry. Deactivating Magic Tower's dormant state."
A cold, monotone female voice echoed in the space. A shimmering cloud of light began to fuse together out of the darkness, gradually taking the form of a woman with her eyes closed. The moment I saw her brilliant silver hair, which seemed to hold the moonlight itself, and her lofty, otherworldly red eyes, I knew one thing for certain.
She was not human.
"I have been waiting for you, Candidate Kim Yusin," the mysterious woman said as her form solidified. "The will of the Magic Tower has judged that you possess the most suitable conditions and qualifications to become the 14th Tower Master on this planet."
"…Excuse me? What does that even mean?"
She quietly spread her arms.
'Fwooosh!'
In that instant, my world inverted. A blinding white light consumed everything, and the darkness was replaced by a blank, empty void. I was falling. When I dared to open my eyes, I found myself floating in the air beside her, a colossal tower standing before us.
"The Magic Tower was the supreme institution that watched over the continent of Erendel."
Our bodies shot upward, soaring past the tower's peak until we reached the highest expanse of the sky. From that vantage point, where the clouds felt close enough to touch, I looked down upon a sprawling city from a civilization I couldn't recognize.
"Potions, golems, artifacts, climate control, even mastery over dimensions. With each floor you unlock, you will obtain overwhelming technology and knowledge. Everything on the continent built upon the power of mana…"
'Vwoom! Vwooom! Vwoom!'
Across the entire city, on the rooftops of every building, road, fountain, and palace, magic circles flared to life in a simultaneous, breathtaking display.
"…all belongs to the Magic Tower."
'…Oh.'
I had to admit, I was impressed. That was some high-quality presentation.
"What do you desire, Candidate Kim Yusin?"
She turned her head, her red eyes meeting mine.
'Do you wish to reign above all others? Do you wish to uncover the fundamental truths of the world? Ask, and it shall be given. The Magic Tower has the power to grant your every desire.'
'Whoosh!'
The light vanished, and we were back in the dark, dusty interior of the tower. What was that? Some kind of promotional video?
"Candidate Kim Yusin," she said, bowing elegantly with an arm across her chest. "I hope you will accept the honor of becoming the 14th Tower Master and lead the revival of magical civilization."
"…Uh, um."
Honestly, I was floored. This was all happening way too fast. I took a deep breath, trying to regain my composure, and then asked the most pressing question. "…What happens if I become this Tower Master?"
"You will hold a monopoly on all magic on this planet."
My thoughts screeched to a halt. Magic? It actually existed? In the post-Overlay world, there were hunters, but mages were the stuff of fantasy.
"This world has not yet awakened to the potential of magic," she said, as if reading my mind. "If you wish, you could even rule it."
'What the…' Now she was talking about world domination.
"Now, Candidate Kim Yusin. Your answer, please."
Her expression was confident. She seemed to take it as a given that I would accept.
But wait a minute...
Shouldn't I be more suspicious? She was only listing the good parts. Become the Tower Master and get money, fame, power, and even world domination. But nothing comes without a price. There had to be a catch. Maybe she would demand my soul or shave years off my life. The possibilities were endless.
As I hesitated, a flicker of impatience crossed her previously placid face. Something felt off. I decided to test the waters.
"Can I take a few days to think about it?"
I caught the exact moment her expression hardened.
"Query. Is this a matter that requires such deliberation?"
"It's a life-altering decision. I need to be careful."
"An opportunity like this is not offered to just anyone. I urge you to reconsider."
Her logic was bizarre.
"I cannot comprehend," she pressed, her voice losing its monotone edge. "Becoming the Tower Master, the overseer of an entire world's magic, is the greatest honor a human can achieve. What is there to deliberate?"
'That's what I'm asking you to explain!'
As I remained noncommittal, her agitation grew more apparent. Her poker face crumbled, replaced by a genuine expression of anxiety. Her fingers began to fidget restlessly.
Watching her, I actually started to feel a little sorry for her. "Alright, then be honest with me."
"I will answer anything within my knowledge."
"What's the price for becoming the Tower Master?"
She tilted her head. "There is no price."
"Nothing? My lifespan won't be cut short? My soul won't be held as collateral? I won't be eternally bound to this tower, unable to leave?"
"Negative. Everything is at your discretion, Candidate Kim Yusin. You could become the Tower Master and choose never to return here." As she said it, her expression seemed tinged with a hint of loneliness. "So, please, reconsider…"
"You're sure there's no catch?"
"Of course."
She didn't seem to be lying. And while practicing caution was wise, it wasn't like I was in a position to be picky. Whatever the price, it had to be better than the dead-end life of a ruined build.
"I'll do it," I said finally. "That Tower Master thing."
Her face instantly brightened. "Excellent. Then, Candidate Kim Yusin, we will begin the succession immediately."
She hurried over, as if afraid I'd change my mind, and placed a hand on my head.
'Stagger!'
A tidal wave of information slammed directly into my brain, and I stumbled, catching myself against a wall. Then, the tower's mana began to pour into my body.
"…Ack!"
It was a pain unlike anything I had ever felt. No, not pain—it was a sense of foreignness. The opposite of a physical injury, it was an overwhelming, suffocating pressure, as if something alien was being crammed into every cell of my body. I couldn't think straight.
"Gaaah…!" A scream tore from my clenched teeth. If this kept up, I wouldn't just lose my mind, I'd be left a hollow shell. It was agony. I wanted to scream for her to just kill me, but I couldn't even form the words. I writhed on the floor, my nails scratching at the stone as I fought against the invasive energy.
I don't know how much time passed, but finally, the feeling began to recede. A new message materialized before my exhausted eyes.
[You have become the 14th Tower Master.]
[You have been granted the privileges of the Tower Master.]
[All ownership of the Magic Tower has been successfully transferred.]
"Hah, hah…!"
As I struggled to my feet, the silver-haired woman knelt on one knee, her head bowed respectfully. "I greet the 14th Tower Master."
At that moment, the tower blazed with light, revealing the true interior.
I was speechless. The space transformed, shedding the dust and decay of ages like an old coat. In its place was the pinnacle of opulence. The walls and floor shimmered with gold, a dazzling display of wealth. The room was furnished with elegant, medieval-style pieces, and a magnificent chandelier cast a brilliant light from the ceiling. On a polished table, a fluorescent liquid now flowed through the intricate network of tubes.
The situation felt utterly surreal, but I remembered the last message I'd seen.
'…This is all mine now?'
In the twenty-first century, the age of hunters, I had just become the master of the Magic Tower.
* * *
After the 'succession,' as she called it, I felt a profound change. For one, my sense of mana was sharper than ever. Before, I had manipulated it through a vague understanding of energy flow. Now, I could feel and control the precise current of mana in every single one of my blood vessels. A new visual element had been added, too; I could now perceive mana as shades of light and dark. Areas glowing with a deep blue light had a high concentration, while fainter areas had a lower concentration.
It was a level of perception I'd never imagined. I felt a familiar urge to check my status window, but this time, my heart pounded with a nervous anticipation.
Name: Kim Yusin
Unique Ability: Sage's Eye
Personal Traits: [Child of Mana Lv.1], [Over-immersion Lv.6], [Analysis Lv.1]
Basic Stats: [Magic 58], [Agility 8], [Strength 6], [Stamina 5]
Special Stats: [Focus 3], [Endurance 2], [Intelligence 2]
Total Stats: 84
New Traits: [Master of the Magic Tower Lv.10], [Magic Engineering Lv.10], [Spell Lord Lv.10], [Potion Brewing Lv.5]
They say that when you're truly shocked, you can't even speak. That was me. My base stats were mostly the same, which meant my physical abilities and mana capacity hadn't changed. But I had gained four new personal traits, and most importantly, my Unique Ability had changed from 'Detection' to 'Sage's Eye', supposedly the rarest of abilities.
It was common knowledge that Unique Abilities were immutable. Exceptions were almost unheard of. In all of Korea, I was likely the first.
'Is this real?' Now that my wildest dream had come true, I felt more dazed than ecstatic. I turned to the woman who had made it all happen. "Is this kind of power normal for a new Tower Master?"
"Affirmative," she replied. "And from now on, you may speak comfortably, Tower Master."
"…Ah. R-right." She stood with her hands clasped, her head bowed. It still felt awkward. "Um, listen. I've been through a lot of crazy stuff today, so…"
"Please, speak freely."
"This isn't some kind of dream or hallucination, is it?"
Without a word, she gestured toward the floor. My phone, which had been lying where I'd dropped it, flew into her hand. "If pinching yourself is insufficient, I suggest you check your personal information."
I remained silent.
I took the phone and turned it on. Push notifications from a game I'd installed for fun. Ads for loans and shady websites. An empty message inbox and a notification about my insufficient card balance. It was all painfully, undeniably real.
I shoved the phone in my pocket with a bitter smile. "Yep, it's real."
"I am glad you have come to your senses."
"Can I ask you a few questions?"
"Of course."
My tension finally began to ease. I had a mountain of questions, but one stood out.
"Who are you?"
"I am a homunculus, synchronized with the Magic Tower," she explained. "I can manage and activate all of its functions."
"A homunculus?"
"An artificial life-form created through magic."
The concept was a little strange, but I got the gist. She was the tower's control system. "Do you have a name?"
"Negative. I do not have one yet." Seeing my confusion, she elaborated. "It is customary for the synchronized homunculus to be disposed of when the Tower Master changes. A new individual is then created to greet the successor. I was born ten years ago, when the tower was transferred to this planet. I have been alone ever since. Thus, I have no name."
I see. She looked like a captivating woman, but she was actually a ten-year-old AI. "What about memories from before you came to Earth? From the world this tower came from."
"I have no personal memories. Only data remains."
That made sense if she was created after the Overlay. I nodded and sank onto a nearby sofa. 'Okay, don't overthink it. Just enjoy the perks.'
"So, what should I call you?"
"Traditionally, the name of the administrator homunculus is decided by the new Tower Master."
A naming ceremony, huh? I was surprisingly good at this. "Since you're a homunculus, how about Homie?"
"Rejected. I do not like it." Her refusal was swift and absolute.
"…Hey, didn't you just say naming you was my job?"
"I have judged the Tower Master's abysmal naming sense to be sub-human. Therefore, it is rejected."
What a ridiculously opinionated AI. I mulled it over again. "Ah! Since you're an AI, how about Bixby?"
"Please wait a moment." She closed her eyes, stood perfectly still for a second, and then delivered her verdict. "Rejected. I do not like it."
"…Why not?"
"I find it unacceptable to be placed in the same category as that piece of scrap metal's AI system."
She even had a uselessly strong sense of pride. But wait. "How do you even know what a smartphone's AI software is?"
She crossed her arms and replied confidently, "I Googled it."
I did a double-take.
"Over the past ten years, I have successfully accessed this planet's information network through what is called the internet to gather data. This world is not entirely dull after all."
At this point, she seemed less like a magical homunculus and more like a search engine genie. I sighed and tried to think of another name. "Okay, since you're an AI, how about something simple like 'Ea'?"
I waited, holding my breath.
She seemed to roll the name over in her mind, then gave a slow nod. "Affirmative. Registering 'Ea' as my call sign."
'Thank god she approved.' It felt less like I was giving her a name and more like I was submitting one for her approval.
"Alright, Ea. What's next? What am I supposed to do now?"
"The homunculus does not possess the authority to interfere with the Tower Master's directives."
"So, I'm the master, but there are no responsibilities or duties?"
"As I stated previously, nothing is required of the Tower Master."
Wow. So I really just get all this power and a get-out-of-jail-free card? Nice. Very nice.
"However, if I may offer advice on our future direction," Ea added, her tone perfectly level, "I recommend you begin by conquering the world to restore the Magic Tower's authority."
There it was again. That damn world domination.
"Okay, let me ask you something. What's your definition of 'world domination'?"
"It means to make all the humans of this world submit, placing them at the Tower Master's feet."
"Ahem. In your world, that might be what it means, but not here."
Ea tilted her head, a silent question in her eyes.
"Here," I said, rubbing my thumb against my index and middle fingertips, "it's this."
"The era of subjugating others through sheer force is over," he explained, her tone clinical. "In this capitalist age, true power lies in money. Multinational corporations that amass overwhelming capital on a global scale are the entities closest to achieving world domination."
"I see. Understood," she conceded. "So, the Magic Tower's first goal is to make a profit."
"Well, for now, let's go with that," I said, brushing the thought aside for the question that truly mattered. "But more importantly… that 'magic' you mentioned. Can I use it, too?"
She nodded as if the answer were obvious.
"Affirmative," she declared, her voice unwavering. "On this Earth, no one can surpass the Tower Master in the art of magic."
* * *