Chapter 109

5 AM. The creeping light is as white as smoke.

The 3rd floor of the Tower of Covenant is always hot and dazzling, but at this hour, it was pleasantly cool.

The blanket was light and soft. After reciting the prescribed spell, water of the perfect temperature washed from head to toe. Thanks to the moisture removal magic, even bathing with clothes on left me perfectly dry in 10 seconds, as fresh as newly baked bread. Even my eyes, heavy with drowsiness, became wide awake with a flash!

I put a cool necklace around my neck. A round black jewel tapped against my chest.

It was the same “Protection Necklace” that had troubled me when fighting Han Se-hoon and dueling Lytol. It could block any ordinary 4th Circle magic two or three times. I acquired it recently for 400 Morning.

I put on a crisp brown coat. The perfectly fitted coat made me stand up straight. This was the “All-Weather Coat” commonly worn by mages here, with temperature regulation and the <Sturdiness> spell engraved on it. I bought it for 100 Morning.

After dressing completely, I tucked the “Stag Horn Guardian Charm” into my chest.

The 3rd Circle guardian charm I’d seized from Han Se-hoon had corroded, unable to withstand my aggro.

So this time, I spent 1,000 Morning to acquire a 4th Circle guardian charm.

Made from sacred stag horn and silver. It had no additional functions, solely focused on powerful aggro reduction.

Hopefully, this time it wouldn’t attract other calamities when I use <Saíl>.

Finally, I picked up the sword leaning beside my bed.

Swoosh-

A single-edged blade 160cm long slid out. It was almost as tall as me. The cold blade looked sharp enough to cut just by looking at it.

Even when swinging the sword very slowly, it made a swoosh sound cutting through the air. It was so sharp that even the dust floating in the dawn light didn’t waver.

‘It’s perfect.’

Among the items I’d recently purchased, this was my favorite. I put a lot of effort into it. After buying it for 700 Morning, I hammered it on ‘The Anvil Itself’ to draw out the ideal hardness, elasticity, and sharpness.

After enhancing the sword, I took it back to the forge in Mezika and paid 300 Morning to have it customized for me.

Since my arms are short and I can’t draw the sword vertically, they modified the scabbard to allow me to draw it sideways, and also added a cup-like handle on the back of the scabbard to prevent my left hand from getting cut when drawing.

With these modifications, the sword nearly as tall as me felt as natural as part of my body.

Until now, I’d been using beam hilts due to the lack of a proper sword, but those didn’t synergize well with Ki-blood magic.

I’d acquired this sword after envying Fel’s ‘Anti-Magic Spear’.

Of course, it wasn’t a treasure comparable to the ‘Anti-Magic Spear’, but I was quite satisfied with it.

‘Twin Fang Blade.’

Reciting the name of my new sword, I hung it at my waist.

Now, let’s check on my most valuable companions.

Iron Blood?

Crunch!

With a slight nudge, the Iron Blood sleeping in my left hand stretched. The coldness of the magical metal spreading through my veins.

Good. Powerful today as always. Next…

“Ari. We might be looking for another ancient being today. We lost track of your kindred’s trace last time… but let’s try to discover something this time.”

Whooosh!

-Great. I’m looking forward to it. I have a good feeling somehow.

-It’s okay. We have plenty of time, so there’s no need to rush.

-Thank you. Let’s do well together. Thank you, partner.

A gentle breeze blew in and combed through my hair.

Though it seems gentle, once it starts fighting, it could probably steam Lytol like a dumpling.

It’s incredibly reassuring.

“Huuuh…”

Creak!

I stretched the Ki-blood throughout my body. Though still 3-star as before, the Ki-blood trained while wrestling with ‘The Anvil Itself’ had become incomparably stronger than before. What was once soft as cotton is now as tough as cowhide.

Good. Preparations complete.

Bang! I opened the window. Dawn had cleared, and the three suns—Bird, Wolf, and Ruby—had begun their flight toward the west.

Yes, today was finally the day we would set out to tame the sun.

***

Domestication.

It means “to tame.”

The Mage of Domestication, Pan-Dalus, held a departure ceremony in front of Ganda’s Stairs.

The total number of mages participating in the expedition was 1,337. All were 3rd Circle or higher, essentially comprising all mages who supported Pan-Dalus.

“I, Pan-Dalus, have performed four great domestications so far. I tamed the ‘Disease Calamity-Hungry Ghost’ that plagued the 1st floor of the Tower of Covenant, the ‘Water Calamity-Judgment Flood’ that troubled the 23rd floor, the ‘Night Calamity-Half Dragon’ that was the nightmare of the 37th floor, and I also succeeded in taming part of the ‘Forest that Whispers Truth’ on the 54th floor. And today! I shall perform the fifth great domestication! It will be accomplished through your heroic efforts!”

His spirit stirred the more than one thousand people gathered.

“Ah… the magical powers are stirring.”

The white-haired boy standing among the thousand, Baek Jun-woo, raised his head to observe the dancing magical powers.

Since a mage always accomplishes what they declare, even the magical powers in the air were already moving to fulfill the mage’s words.

That was the power of ‘word authority’ magic.

Courage surged in the hearts of the expedition members, and their condition was tuned to its peak.

“When today’s endeavor succeeds, the 3rd floor of the Tower of Covenant will no longer be hot! We will be able to control the weather as we wish—sometimes cold, sometimes hotter! Any mage who contracts with us will be able to use powerful spells borrowing the power of the three suns, and in emergencies, we will be able to summon the sun to the ground to burn any enemy! With that power! Securing the passage up to the 20th floor, which is our goal, will not be difficult! And all this will come to pass!”

This time, the air itself stirred. Heat haze rose in the clear sky, and sudden whirlwinds shot upward.

“Wow… the magical powers are binding the suns… just by speaking, a curse has been placed on the sun.”

Baek Jun-woo, looking up at the sky, rubbed his goosebump-covered arms.

“For today’s endeavor, there are three most important helpers!”

Pan-Dalus raised his voice.

“Mage of Refinement, answer!”

“I am here!”

“You shall directly assist my domestication with your excellent skills!”

“It shall be as the Mage of Domestication says.”

“Divine Mage, answer!”

“I am here.”

“Today your talons will be revealed to the world. You shall shoot the sun and bring it down!”

“Of course.”

As he answered, Baek Jun-woo felt a chill down his spine.

‘Look at the magical powers.’

Red, blue, green, white, black.

All five colors of magical power surrounded him without discrimination. They stirred excitedly as if they couldn’t wait to see what would happen. Some were already seeping into his body, increasing his stored magical power and creating all sorts of buffs.

‘This is all debt. If I disappoint them after this, they’ll leave enormously. Damn them.’

Though grumbling internally, Baek Jun-woo smiled.

‘After I increase my magical power significantly, I should try ‘evolution’ again. What should I make money with this time?’

Even as he was thinking, Pan-Dalus’s roll call continued.

“Mage of Peace, answer!”

“Yes! I am here!”

She was a girl who had just turned nineteen. The end of her voice trembled slightly with tension.

“Your prayer will make today’s miracle possible!”

“It, it will be as the Mage of Domestication says!”

The trembling-voiced girl was a field researcher wearing rough leather clothes. Her wild hair was tied in a single braid hanging over her shoulder, and though completely unadorned, she was a beauty with a pure radiance.

But regardless of her beauty, Baek Jun-woo was simply perplexed.

‘Prayer? What is that woman’s role?’

He couldn’t quite imagine what her role might be.

Just then, Yuria tapped Baek Jun-woo’s hand.

“Hmm?”

“Look there.”

What Yuria pointed to was Lytol, wearing a loose brown leather jacket. It wasn’t the elegant coat he usually wore. It looked rugged, similar to what field researchers wore, and resembled the clothes the girl called the Mage of Peace was wearing.

And Lytol was gazing endlessly at that very Mage of Peace. His pupils were visibly trembling even from a distance.

“I was right, wasn’t I?”

Yuria chuckled.

“I told you he likes her.”

Then she poked Fel next to her and pointed at Lytol and the Mage of Peace, teasing, “He likes her. Ooh la la.”

“Please stop, Yuria. That’s disrespectful.”

Eventually, Hwarin, who had been watching, stepped in to stop Yuria.

But Yuria showed no sign of embarrassment and stared blankly at Hwarin. Then she slowly rolled her eyes to observe the slime wallet that Hwarin was clutching with both hands. It was one of those slime wallets that Baek Jun-woo had bought in bulk and distributed with salaries. Yuria had one too.

The slime wallet made a drowsy “kyuuu” sound, apparently enjoying Hwarin’s gentle stroking.

Yuria’s mouth split into a grin.

“But why is Hwarin always holding that?”

“What…? Oh, just because it’s cute…”

“Hmm-?”

Making a nasal sound, Yuria glanced at Baek Jun-woo. Hwarin’s face turned bright red.

Seeing this, Yuria’s eyes sparkled. As if she had discovered something far more interesting than Lytol and the Mage of Peace.

But soon Yuria set her face in a stern expression, raised her finger, and declared,

“Not without my permission.”

“Pardon?”

“Remember that.”

Then she grabbed Baek Jun-woo’s arm.

“Hmm?”

She roughly ruffled Baek Jun-woo’s hair.

“Hey, what’s this about all of a sudden?”

“Just because I’m grateful. For buying me the expensive bow too.”

“What?! Who bought it for you! That crazy thing cost 10,000 Morning! It’s all coming out of your salary!”

“My, why are you being like this? Didn’t you give Monggu that coin worth 10,000 Morning too?”

“No… that wasn’t a gift, I just entrusted it to him to investigate… and I was scammed out of 10,000 Morning…”

“If you keep this up, I’m going to be upset.”

Hanging from Yuria’s waist as she bickered with Baek Jun-woo was a metal bow that shifted from black to silver in its reflections. The name “Refinement” was engraved in one corner.

“Ah… ugh…”

Hwarin made a distressed face watching the two so close.

“Tsk tsk.”

Meanwhile, Fel clicked his tongue seeing his vassal, Hwarin, on the verge of tears.

“At that age, she’s achieved 3rd Circle, so Hwarin certainly has outstanding talent… but the competition is formidable.”

Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to Pan-Dalus. His departure speech was now nearing its end.

“Your mission is to block the heat of the sun that descends to the ground! To suppress the powerful aggro that will arise from the great magic and deceive the attention of calamities! Those are the two tasks. Now! Let us depart! After this battle, we will become stronger! And when we become stronger, we will be able to obtain the future we desire!”

Waaah-!

A roar that shook heaven and earth erupted. Lytol, who had been gazing endlessly at the girl in his heart, Baek Jun-woo, who had been squabbling with Yuria, and Hwarin, who had been upset watching the two—at this moment, they all joined in shouting towards Pan-Dalus.

They faced the coming battle and the future that would follow with spirit.

Fel smiled slightly.

“Somehow… since meeting the Divine Mage, it feels like the world has been ending… but even through that hell, we’re still moving forward.”

Waaah!

Over a thousand mages finally took their first step to fight against extinction.