9 – The Monument of Jeonji (4)
When I posted the notice saying that if you become my partner, you’ll have a chance to meet me.
Honestly, it didn’t feel like some grand plan or a carefully thought out major announcement.
It was just a playful idea, like a year-end gathering of a small group.
After all, this year, didn’t three precious parts break?
Even if a broken gear occasionally rolls along, I thought it implied something.
Even if the rumors of me being too friendly with the guild members spread, a little bit of encouragement is necessary.
Otherwise, I might just leave like an owl seeking freedom.
But for now, since nothing has been decided, I just casually wrote it as a way of saying, “Maybe something good will happen?”
I never expected this kind of reaction, or rather, this kind of uproar.
—–
[If I become your partner, you’ll personally take me on a date?]
Since the creation of the gallery, you haven’t shown your face, you haven’t revealed your name, your voice is unknown, and your place of residence is a secret.
In other words, you’ve never even held hands with a man, so you’re saying that someone like me can come and you’ll take me on a date?
How can I endure this?
– I immediately volunteered.
– As a price for erasing the tactical nuke 24 hours ago, I had a date with Jooddak… The hostage is really sassy LOL.
– Even if there is a limit to self-restraint, I have to do this.
– Everything is fine, but who said Jooddak is a girl?
– If Jooddak is not a girl, what else could it be?
– Isn’t the gallery manager my prospective husband? He seems to be in that position.
—–
—–
[What kind of offline gathering is this? It’s not even about giving money, who in their right mind would fall for that and become an unpaid slave?]
However, if you command me to become a shepherd to receive your divine grace, I will gladly turn the label of madness upside down.
Please accept my cross.
– The Shinsengak faction has already started to worship Jooddak.
– All hail Jooddak.
– Witnessed habitual worship, surprise attack.
– I worship you, Goat.
– Even if you receive divine punishment, just come as you are.
– Yeah, I’m more scared of Ben than divine punishment~
[But seriously, if I could see your face just once, I’d be thrilled.]
Even if I were given a hundred million won, I wouldn’t have the chance to meet the Topju. But if I could just hear some advice on how to raise my magic rank, it would be a huge gain.
— Seriously, even if I can’t eat this, it’s still a jackpot.
— But you never said where you heard that from, hahahaha. What if you have to climb to the top of the magic tower?
— It might not take a year.
— It might not be the Topju, hahahaha.
—–
—–
[Hey guys, but is being chosen for the jackpot random among the hopefuls?]
Today, by chance, I helped an old lady struggling to push her shopping cart on the 22nd floor stairs, and as a reward, she gave me three hundred location notes.
If I send all of them to Judak, could I become a jackpot?
— Oh, do you really think it will work? hahahaha.
— Introduce me too.
— How did the grandma make it to the 21st floor? hahahahaha.
— Be careful what you say, because if you don’t become a jackpot, they’ll all turn into punishment notes.
— They’re already punishment notes, you idiot. hahahahaha.
— He’s about to get banned soon.
—–
The location notes vibrated with a level of excitement that rivaled a vibrator, and notifications kept pouring in without pause.
The comments under the announcement were almost flooded with thousands of “hands,” and every time I refreshed the page, the number of pages increased.
“Hey, did you see the recent announcement?”
“The one about choosing an administrator? If that happens, we’ll really get to meet Topju, right?”
“I don’t know, but let’s apply for it anyway.”
“Even though the Information Department warned us about the dangers at the last roundtable?”
“Well, it’s probably the gallery owner. They say that even high-ranking wizards can be completely destroyed when they face them head-on.”
“No way, then I’ll die. I appreciate the compliment about my skills, but deep down, it made me uncomfortable.”
It was because of the announcement I posted that the atmosphere in Vina’s lecture suddenly became chaotic.
Since I wasn’t participating in the class as an assistant, I took the opportunity to write a post, but all the attention from the trainees shifted towards the recruitment.
If she, who was already disappointed by the lack of people in her first lecture, becomes even more discouraged by this…
—–
– Meteo Ice Magic: Juddak, I want to do it too, the blue administrator.
– Meteo Ice Magic: Right now, give me all the power you have.
– Meteo Ice Magic: Please, Juddak.
– Meteo Ice Magic: Are you watching? Juddak? Juddaak?
—–
My worries were unfounded; nothing like that happened.
She was the one sending messages most enthusiastically right beside me.
*
“Vina, do you happen to know anything about this symbol?”
After the lecture ended, I asked Vina about the symbol that was engraved on Mariel’s body.
As a true-blooded sorceress who was born and raised in Matap, she looked at my poor drawing with an unpleasant expression and immediately responded.
“This is ‘mystery’.”
“Mystery?”
“More precisely, it’s a fragment of mystery. Do you remember the deceitful methods I mentioned during my first lecture?”
“I remember.”
“At that time, I referred to them as deceitful methods, but they are actually a kind of mystery. You can understand them as the unique techniques possessed by each of the seven major schools of Matap.”
In simple terms, mystery to a sorcerer referred to a concept similar to unique abilities that come with a specific profession.
In the Divine School, there was “Gicheong,” where one could fulfill their wishes through prayers to the Holy Spirit.
In the Astrology School, there was the “Balancing Scale,” which enhanced the power of magic by offering something of value on the scale.
The “Spiritual Script” that came to my mind when I first saw the pattern was also a mystery of the Spiritual School.
When an apprentice entered the service of a school, they would receive the mystery necessary to practice the magic of that school.
Since it was impossible to learn two different mysteries, one had to choose carefully which school to join.
“Do you know what kind of mystery this is?”
“It’s only a small part, so it’s impossible to determine the origin of the source just from this. However, judging from the revealed magic formula and form, it seems to have the attributes of ‘principles’ and ‘towers’.”
Asserting that it was impossible to confirm exactly what ability it was just from that, Bina added a warning.
“All mysteries should be stored in the form of books in the Dodoa. The mysteries that have been tempered by exceptional sorcerers for a long time serve as the foundation of great schools. However, if they fall into the hands of unqualified individuals, it can lead the world to destruction.”
“I see.”
“If left alone, it may attract the attention
Whether it was a mysterious fragment or a piece of straw, appointing a broom to manage the gallery was a hundred times more important to me.
—–
ID: Genius Silver-Haired Girl
Post: 634
Comments: 3467
List of Posts – Newest first
[Is there a shop on the 1st floor that sells memory loss potions?]
[The shortest time it takes for a person to be in front of the monument in the Grand Plaza]
[Exploring the Forest of Darkness is the worst, the nobles’ way of thinking makes me sick]
[Does communication not work well in the forest? I’m already alone, and the gallery keeps disconnecting…]
From Noble mtl dot com
—–
Even amidst receiving messages from many users, Mariel had no intention of expressing her desire to wear a completion badge.
If that were the case, it would have been a good idea to willingly give her gloves, as she had passed the final test splendidly.
Although I hadn’t confirmed her intentions yet, it was clear that she would be delighted as if she were jumping for joy.
“But wait, why is she alone in the forest?”
*
The Forest of Darkness, one of the undeveloped areas on the 1st floor, is a place that every trainee who enters the tower must pass through at least once during their 0th year.
It provides an opportunity to experience the distorted space-time environment of the tower and is similar to the “Great Labyrinth” on the 10th floor, which marks the end of the starting floors, as it is covered in fog.
To facilitate quick adaptation, the professors occasionally send the students to the Forest of Darkness.
This time, they had to gather herbs for the potion and move through the portal on the opposite side of the forest, leading to the grand square.
“It’s cold and dark.”
Although it was a group project that required four people, Mariel was walking through the forest alone.
The other team members had already finished the task as soon as it started.
No school of magic tower emphasizes fairness when climbing the tower.
The evaluation criteria are simply “having the herbs” and “gathering in the grand square.”
In other words, as long as you can get the herbs, whether at an auction or a black market, the task would be considered complete.
“Oh, come to think of it, we already prepared the ingredients.”
“You haven’t done it yet, Mariel?”
“Would you like to go to the auction house now? I’m not sure if there are any left, but it would be better than going into the forest alone.”
“Or it would be good to find others who have already entered and bow down and ask for their help.”
Laughs mixed with mocking words that they heard when they formed the group and arrived at the entrance of the forest.
Even in the nobles’ sarcasm, which showed their condescending attitude as if they had received orders from someone, Mariel paid no attention at all.
—–
The Genius Golden-haired Girl
[It’s a rare opportunity to share my shining eyes]
Beauty remains even in the dark forest
— Another concept that will never work
— Who cares? It’s too far-fetched.
Golden-haired Genius Girl: That’s because your future is just that dark.
“What is Jooddak doing, not capturing this kind of gallery?”
—–
For her, even in this reality, there was a gallery that became a ray of salvation.
Here, there was no one who ignored Holcroft, no one who ignored herself, who had never received a proper noble education due to her family’s downfall.
Of course, there were those who sent disdainful gazes, saying that her way of speaking was strange, but she could easily suppress them with her splendid eloquence.
As long as she had this small-sized notebook in her hand, she was not afraid of the terrifying dark forest where unexpected dangers could spring up at any moment.
“No, it’s because I’m following my ‘principles’ that I’m not afraid.”
Anyway, she had a grateful heart towards Jooddak, who created this kind of gallery.
Because he was the one who created the only place in Martop where she could find solace, with no one to rely on except for the caretaker who fixed her room.
Although Mariel didn’t praise him as openly as some users did, she also thought he was amazing.
Sometimes, she would jump into the battlefield with her alternate account, but when she saw him respectfully address the numerous demons and always use honorifics, she even felt a sense of admiration.
Not only did he possess an endless magical ability, but the affection that was revealed in the management of the gallery was also beyond the level of an ordinary human.
Although she didn’t know his true identity, she was certain that he was someone with a noble and cultured personality, more than anyone else in the gallery.
—–
[This ID has been blocked by the administrator: Genius Blonde Smiling Girl]
[Duration: 999 days]
[Reason: Congrats – Winner]
—–
“Ah!?”
Until just a moment ago, she had thought that way.