Like a Song

How many times had I passed out and regained consciousness? When I finally came to my senses, what I felt was a sweltering heat.

“Whew… what is this?”

A heat unlike anything I’d ever experienced. The magical fever was already rising, and with the stifling air on top of that, I could barely breathe.

“Is this what they call summer…?”

The Saharan Plains didn’t have a season called summer.

My first experience of summer was sticky, slippery, and terrible. Someone had changed my clothes to something thinner, but even that was soaked through and uncomfortable. Even when the wind blew, it was just hot air. The wet cloth on my forehead had grown lukewarm.

“Why is it so unbearably hot?”

The answer was easy to find.

I pulled back the makeshift sunshade cobbled together from clothing. Looking up at the sky with resentment, I was astonished to see three different colored suns hanging in the sky. It felt like common sense was being destroyed.

Didn’t we originally have just one sun, just like Earth? What’s going on here?

Fel was the one who approached me while I was confused.

“Amazing, isn’t it? The three suns that illuminate the 3rd floor of the Tower of Covenant each have their own names. The greenish sun on the far right is called ‘Bird,’ the blue sun on the far left is ‘Wolf,’ and the red sun in the center is ‘Ruby.'”

Red, green, and blue suns… was this RGB or something?

With a sour expression, I asked:

“The middle sun’s name seems rather uninspired. It’s the only inanimate object among them.”

Fel chuckled at my comment.

“Heheh. That’s true. But it can’t be helped. That’s what observation revealed.”

“…What?”

“When directly observed, that’s what they were. The suns here aren’t as high up as the sun on the continent. They illuminate only the 3rd floor. They’re at the height of clouds, or maybe a bit higher. That’s why mages were able to study them.”

What…?

“So you’re saying those are actually a bird, a wolf… and a ruby?”

Fel nodded emphatically.

“Yes. The three of them blaze across the sky. They travel westward all day, disappearing into the distorted space in the western sky, and then reappear from the distorted space in the eastern sky the next morning.”

I felt dizzy.

“That’s ridiculous…! This isn’t some fairy tale for children!”

I started to protest vehemently but then clamped my mouth shut.

Through the memory stone, I’d absorbed the lifetime of an Earth human who was a science enthusiast. While memory stones only convey knowledge rather than personality… it was still someone’s lifetime. Of course it would influence me. My worldview had naturally formed to be atheistic and mechanistic. I maintained that even while living in a world where magic existed.

But now, didn’t I already believe in the gods and demons said to have existed in ancient times?

If that was the case, then why couldn’t I believe in a wolf running across the sky or a burning bird?

I had to keep my mouth shut.

Fel examined my face and laughed pleasantly.

“Haha, are you surprised already? This is the Tower of Covenant, the home of magic, keeper of the world’s secrets. Each floor has its own wonders.”

His words made me feel somewhat embarrassed.

Ah, how small I am.

I talk about ancient secrets, the origins of magic and the world, but in truth, I was a frog in a well who had never left the Saharan Plains in my entire life. The world is so vast and its secrets endless.

To the point where I felt small in comparison.

“Surely these suns must hide some secret too. Perhaps they were even created by someone.”

“Oh? Interesting theory. Most people understand them as ancient spiritual beings… but created by someone? Why would anyone create suns? To give light to the world?”

“No. To boil people like us alive.”

Fel laughed as I glared up at the sky with resentful eyes.

Though I said it jokingly, I was actually serious. About both parts.

Perhaps those suns were also creations made by ancient gods.

Why they would create such things, what the Tower of Covenant actually means as a place—these were topics worth researching in the future… but right now… it was just too hot. I could only feel resentment.

The wound on my left shoulder was also constantly throbbing.

I lay down limply and asked Fel:

“How long have I been unconscious?”

“Four days. You’d wake up briefly and then pass out again repeatedly.”

Four days… longer than I expected. Yet my condition didn’t seem to have improved much.

Once I became conscious of the pain, it seemed to get worse and worse.

Sweat trickled down my jawline. It wasn’t just from the heat. Even while suffering in this suffocating heat, I occasionally felt chills down my spine and broke out in cold sweat.

‘I feel like I’m dying.’

I didn’t dare say it aloud for fear the magical powers would doubt me, so I just groaned internally. Though I’d experienced various kinds of pain through [Simulation], I’d never felt a pain that made me this nervous and despairing. The magical metal that had grown in my shoulder contaminated both body and mind, they’d said? The aftereffects were truly terrible.

Combined with the scorching weather and magical fever, I felt absolutely no motivation for anything.

I just lay on the bedding on the floor, staring blankly and drooling. I felt like I might pass out again at any moment.

Then suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind!

I bolted upright. Pain shot from my shoulder throughout my body, but in that moment, I couldn’t feel it at all.

“That’s right! Where’s Yuria? Where’s Monggu?”

I grabbed Fel, who was about to walk away, and questioned him intensely. Fel frowned as if his wrist hurt from being grabbed, but seeing the desperation on my face, he smiled slightly. He stood up, walked over, and pulled back the sunshade at the foot of my bed.

Since we hadn’t been able to pack properly when fleeing from Kasha and the lich, we didn’t have proper tents—just crude sunshades made of clothing tied together and suspended on Mobility discs.

In the ruins where the scorching sunlight bore down, people were huddled together between collapsed stones where the paved floor was visible. Everyone had Mobility discs floating above their heads with clothes draped over them to block the sun while they rested. The Mobility discs, emitting a soft blue light, were sleek like silicon and looked like mysterious umbrellas.

And in the middle of it all, in this heat, were people dripping with sweat.

“I created a sound-blocking barrier for you to rest properly… I guess you couldn’t hear them?”

As Fel touched the sacred rope surrounding me, suddenly all sorts of sounds flooded in.

“Hyaaah!”

The first sound I heard was Yuria’s battle cry.

Pip pip ping!

Three arrows flew in succession from her bow. Before her, a sharp gust of wind approached like a whip, cutting across the ground.

Whoosh!

When the arrows collided with the gust, wind burst from the arrows as well, briefly pushing the gust to the sides. Seizing that momentary opening, Yuria charged in.

“Kuk! So fast!”

The person facing Yuria was Del, the only 2nd Circle mage who had survived from Jack Caravan. Yuria’s fist dove toward Del. Although Del, wrapped in wind magic, nimbly avoided that fist, as the punches continued two, three times in succession, he gradually became defensive until Yuria finally caught him by the back of the neck. Had she been holding even a single dagger instead of her bare hands, his head would have been severed instantly.

“Haha, I win, right?”

Yuria smiled brightly. Sweat dripped down her sky-blue hair due to the heat. The white-haired mage, Del, lamented with an expression that made him look ten years older in an instant.

“Sigh… I simply can’t win anymore. Are you really a 1st Circle mage? How can you be this fast?”

Yuria just gave him an enigmatic smile.

Clang! Claaang!

Beside them was Monggu. He was facing a Mana User who had summoned a mana sword. When wearing his full-body suit, Monggu could demonstrate physical abilities that overwhelmed Mana Users, but now he was bare-handed. He was engaged in a decisive battle with the Mana User, relying solely on his level 2 physical enhancement.

“This is the end!”

“Th-that’s not nearly enough!”

“Hmph! There’s an opening here!”

“It was a t-trap!”

Is this really the Monggu I knew?

His eyes burned with fighting spirit as he continuously deflected the sword of the experienced Mana User and counterattacked. Despite his stammering speech, his movements were agile.

He compensated for his lack of mobility and strength with efficient movements. He used the mana sword’s powerful cutting force to parry the blade.

Clang! Clang!

The sound of swords clashing continued without pause, and Monggu dodged foxily, then struck like a viper repeatedly.

Both Monggu and the Mana User sweated profusely as they fought hard. Finally, they both collapsed to the ground from exhaustion. It was a draw, but a magnificent battle.

“Damn! You really learn quickly. I thought I could win…”

The Mana User lamented.

“Ha, haha. N-next time I’ll win.”

Monggu said confidently, radiating heat. Monggu, who usually seemed intimidated when he stammered… now it just sounded natural, like a personality trait.

‘At least they don’t seem to be injured.’

As I was feeling relieved, I suddenly asked incredulously:

“What are they doing in this heat?”

After nearly dying… and especially in this hot weather, how could they be so energetic?

Fel looked down at me with an ambiguous smile.

“Yuria asked me to tell you something when you woke up.”

“What did she say?”

Fel glanced at the exhausted Monggu and Yuria and relayed her message.

“She said: Rest a bit. We’ll work hard to move forward.”

When I heard those words, I felt like sleep had been instantly driven away.

“That day when you killed Kasha and drove away the lich, everyone just stared at you blankly, not knowing what to do. Both the appearance of Kasha and the lich were shocking, but your final magic was even more shocking. To be honest, even my mind went blank at the time. Your magic was shocking, and I was at a loss about what to do next. I knew this place was the Land of Iron-Eaters, but I didn’t know exactly where we were… we were essentially lost. We were also critically short on supplies for the journey. But at that moment, that blue-haired girl made such a bold declaration.”

Fel blinked for a moment as if savoring the memory, then said:

“Within two years, I’ll surpass the magic that Baek Jun-woo showed today.”

I opened my eyes wide. As if understanding my feelings, Fel chuckled softly.

“Yes. It’s absurd. In a situation where we didn’t know if we’d live or die… she suddenly declares she’ll surpass an overwhelmingly powerful magic whose principles we couldn’t even understand within two years? But her initiative was amazing. She immediately checked our current supplies to secure what we needed for the march, then organized search parties to gather necessary materials. It should have been my job, but… I couldn’t match her initiative. And during every rest period, she’s been engaging in duels and training like this. She’s continuously challenged herself beyond her limits… and as you can see, today she subdued a 2nd Circle mage. Her next target will be me. And following her, that boy Monggu has also made tremendous progress. When he first fought a Mana User, he passed out in less than five minutes… but look. Today he achieved a draw.”

I looked at Yuria. Certainly… as I’d felt before, she surpassed me in leadership.

Fel continued:

“She doesn’t succumb to circumstances but prepares for the future. Rather than focusing on who she is now, she concentrates on who she wants to become. She goes beyond inspiring herself and influences others as well. She’s an extraordinary friend. She’s fully demonstrated the virtues of a mage. That a mage is one who accomplishes what they declare.”

After saying this, Fel watched me with meaningful eyes.

“Haah…”

I sighed deeply.

After hearing all this, I couldn’t just lie there, could I?

I got up, dusting off my bedding. Dizziness washed over me, making my legs wobble, but I didn’t give in. It was time to get up. Instead of waiting to recover, I needed to fight to make recovery happen.

Rest a bit? They’ll work hard to move forward? Hmph.

Swallowing down the part of me that was screaming to lie back down immediately, I staggered forward.

“Now that I’m awake, I should greet everyone first. And then… let’s get rid of this magical fever. It seems to be slowing my recovery.”

Saying I’d eliminate the magical fever meant raising my level even higher.

“That’s what I’ve been waiting to hear. I’ve been itching to tell you so many things.”

Fel burst into joyful laughter and followed behind me. He absolutely wouldn’t offer his arm for support. The Star Continent is too harsh, seriously.

Clank clank chiiii!

The iron-eating beasts prowled around, occasionally exhaling steam.

The already hot air seemed to get even hotter.

It was summer.

An intensely hot one.