Chapter 295: Episode 295

An SSSSS-rank relic. I crossed my arms and stared up at the Tree of Life with newfound reverence.

“I get that it’s amazing, but what is it actually used for?”

“The Tree of Life possesses various effects, but its most iconic power is this.”

Ea held out her hand, and a glass bottle filled with a dark liquid flew across the room, landing perfectly in her grasp.

“This is an aqueous solution containing highly toxic substances extracted from a monster.”

“Okay. What are you going to do with that?”

Ea popped the cork off the bottle and unhesitatingly poured the venom directly into the planter housing the Tree of Life. Shimhee and I let out horrified gasps.

“What are you doing?!” I yelled.

“Please observe for a moment,” she replied calmly.

The toxic substance poured into the planter disappeared into the dirt, seeping away without a trace.

After a brief pause, she pointed upward. “Please watch your head.”

“Huh?”

A piece of fruit suddenly plummeted from an overhead branch. Startled, I scrambled to catch it before it hit the floor.

It was about the size of an apple, with a strange, intricate pattern etched into its skin. The fruit itself glowed with a soft, pinkish hue.

“What is this?” I asked, turning it over in my hands.

“It is the fruit of the World Tree. It contains the exact synthesized antidote for the toxic substance I just poured into the soil.”

“…W-What?”

Ea smiled gently. “You may take a bite.”

I was too stunned to speak.

I stared blankly at the pink apple in my hand.

I felt a bit reluctant… but then again, it wasn’t like Ea would actively try to kill me, right? Taking a bold leap of faith, I took a large bite.

“Wow!”

The rich juice exploded, surging across my palate. My mind grew hazy from a euphoric kind of sweetness I had never tasted before in my life. My taste buds were doing flips in sheer astonishment.

“Oh, this is insane. Try a bite, Shimhee. It’s seriously delicious!”

“M-Me too?”

She hesitantly accepted the fruit I handed her and carefully took a tiny bite. Instantly, her face morphed into the exact same look of pure bliss I had just made, and she let out a full-body shiver.

“Is this what true sweetness is? How can something taste like this…!”

While we devoured the rest of the fruit, Ea calmly continued her explanation. “The Tree of Life possesses a supreme purification effect. It can detoxify any kind of malicious power.”

“Wow! Then isn’t this basically a panacea? If we extract cancer cells from a patient and put them in the planter…”

“That will not work,” Ea interrupted gently. “It can only cure otherworldly diseases born of the mana lineage. The Tree of Life itself is a massive concentration of pure mana, after all. It does not react to mundane earthly ailments.”

I nodded. Still, just selling this fruit to the ultra-rich would make me an absolute fortune. And if I monopolized the market on otherworldly disease antidotes…

“It is a pity that you can only harbor such materialistic thoughts, even when gazing upon this magnificent creation, Tower Master,” Ea sighed.

“Hey, I can’t help it. Cash is cash.”

I pulled a random research file from the bookshelf, flipping it open as I spoke. “The seventh floor is just too complicated. I have no idea how to properly utilize it, other than farming honey-sweet fruits, that is…”

[Implementation of a Diffusion Network using Magic-System Spatial Filters]

I stopped talking. In the file I had absentmindedly opened, the title of an experiment caught my eye.

It outlined a theory about creating an artifact centered on a Mana Stone, designed to construct a special diffusion network operating through a form of frequencies and waves.

I flipped the page, my expression turning serious.

[Research Results: Artifacts alone have a limit in sustaining the wave. An entirely new type of medium is required.]

[Galactic Calendar 35034. 10. 017. Research suspended.]

“…Ea.”

“Yes, Tower Master.”

“Draft a recruitment notice for researchers immediately. Target fields: biology and mechanical engineering. Regardless of their nationality or current corporate affiliation. Offer them double—no, quadruple the standard industry salary. I want all of them.”

Shimhee blinked in sheer surprise, while Ea simply nodded.

“Understood.”

“We are going to proceed with an entirely new project. State that it is a pioneering research initiative into otherworldly engineering and advanced bio-technology, fully sponsored by the Magic Tower. Feel free to bring up anything that will whet those scientists’ appetites.”

I intended to snatch up both the greedy, money-loving scientists and the eccentric ones purely intrigued by new technology. I didn’t have the luxury of time to leisurely weed out corporate spies, but this breakthrough was something worth taking any amount of risk for.

“Also, draft anyone currently in the Magic Tower or Arcane who possesses engineering-related traits or relevant technical knowledge. Send them straight up to the seventh floor. We need qualified personnel from among the mages as well.”

“I will follow your orders.”

Ea disappeared in a cluster of light to execute the task. I eagerly flipped through the research file again before finally noticing Shimhee standing awkwardly beside me.

“Ah, my apologies. When I get completely engrossed in something, I tend to lose track of my surroundings…”

I trailed off. She was suddenly glaring at me with an intensely frightening expression.

“…Are you… really the Boss?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

A sudden chill ran down my spine. “Huh? Ah, yes. It’s really me.”

She only gave a small nod.

Just like that, the heavy tension dispersed. Was that really it? Puzzled, I cautiously probed. “Why? Did you think I was a fake?”

“No, it’s… it’s really nothing,” she murmured.

Honestly, after returning from a five-year coma, it wasn’t entirely strange for such a question to arise.

However, thanks to my overwhelming performance in the recent Red Gate and the fact that Ea—who had finally awakened from dormancy—was flawlessly following my orders, those doubts had largely been dispelled among the public. Those simply weren’t things a fake could replicate.

I have no idea what’s going through Shimhee’s head right now. I should make an effort to get closer to her.

I cleared my throat and changed the subject.

“Shimhee, you are currently active in the global guild ’Guardian’ over in New York, right? Do you happen to have any thoughts of returning to the Magic Tower?”

She gave a small, hesitant nod. “…Yes. If possible, I’d like to return.”

Fortunately, it seemed these negotiations would go smoothly. It appeared her life in the States hadn’t been entirely satisfying.

Having her—a Class-2 certified hunter capable of transforming into a literal dragon—rejoin the Magic Tower would provide us with an immense boost in fighting power. I couldn’t afford to miss out on securing her.

“We will, of course, drastically increase your salary, and we’ll handle any contract penalty issues with Guardian. So, when you officially return, Shimhee…”

I mentally reviewed the vacant positions for a moment before continuing. “Between the fourth-floor Weather Design Bureau and the sixth-floor Mana Mine, which domain do you prefer?”

A look of genuine shock crossed her face. “I—I’m going to be an administrator?”

“Of course! Someone of your caliber should naturally take on a leadership role.”

“How could I take on such a key position…?”

She fidgeted nervously with her fingers, clearly lacking confidence.

Looking at her now, there wasn’t a single trace to be found of the majestic golden dragon that had soared through the sky, incinerating monsters with impunity. She still had that exact same timid personality.

“Think about your career, Shimhee. You’re one of the Five Great Mages, and the world’s strongest Metamorphosis Unique Ability user. Anyone would consider it a profound honor to work under you.”

She fell silent.

She deliberated for quite a long time in silence before finally speaking up. “What about Sarang and Yonghee?”

“I’ll be offering them administrator positions as well. Sarang mentioned that the fourth floor is a bit more comfortable for her, and I plan to ask Yonghee about his preference tomorrow.”

“T-Then I’ll politely decline the fourth floor,” she said, her head bowed low. “I’ve only mastered systems related to transformation magic, so I’m not confident in weather design. Sarang is much better at field magic than I am.”

“Alright, understood.”

And with that, my meeting with Shimhee concluded. The very moment I said, ’You may return,’ she practically fled for the stairs without looking back.

Out of everyone I had reconnected with so far, she had changed the least personality-wise over the past five years.

“Tower Master.”

Ea materialized in the air beside me.

“I have posted the recruitment notice for the research task force alongside the Scribe. As soon as the specific details are finalized, we will begin staffing the floor.”

“Yeah, good work.”

I casually slumped into a nearby laboratory chair.

Ea fluttered over to my side, presenting a floating tray of snacks. Today’s afternoon snack was crispy burdock chips.

“I really can’t live without you,” I sighed happily.

As I crunched down on a crispy burdock chip, she asked, “How did Shimhee look to you?”

“Well…” I rested my chin on my hand, lost in thought. Shimhee’s trembling voice instantly resurfaced in my mind.

“Are you… really the Boss?”

I couldn’t quite forget the look on her face when she had stared at me and asked that question.

What emotion had she been feeling in that exact moment? Suspicion? Anger? Sorrow?

No.

If I had to put a name to it, it was closer to profound ’emptiness.’

“Ugh, I have no idea. How am I supposed to know what happened during a five-year absence?”

“I have a question, Tower Master,” Ea stated, shifting topics. “If Bora, Seojin, and Eunsol aren’t demonkins, doesn’t that make Samia and the fourth-floor team the most likely suspects? I am curious as to why you’re intending to give them key positions in the Tower again.”

“Well, for one, securing immediate fighting power is the biggest reason,” I replied, reaching for another handful of burdock chips. “Think about it. Nemesis is right around the corner. We only have six months. It takes far too long to scout, recruit, and train people one by one. The fourth-floor team’s skills are already verified, and they have great chemistry with our existing members. Logically, there’s no reason to use anyone else.”

“I see.”

“And the other reason is the old saying: keep your friends close and your enemies closer. It’s much easier for me to figure things out by observing them directly rather than sending them far away.”

A loud crunch rang out as I tossed a chip into my mouth and chewed. “Don’t worry too much, Ea. I’ll definitely sniff out the traitor before Nemesis arrives.”

*

It had been a while since I’d gone for a drive.

I was cruising through downtown Seoul in a luxury car provided by the Magic Tower. A private chauffeur was at the wheel, while Yonghee and I sat comfortably in the spacious backseat together.

“It would be a massive help to us if you returned to the Magic Tower, Yonghee.”

Naturally, I had made him the exact same lucrative offer as the other members. Yonghee answered with his head hanging low.

“I’m already affiliated with another organization…”

“I’m well aware, of course.”

To reiterate, Yonghee was the current Guild Master who had founded the independent guild known as ’Secret Maneuvers’.

“I heard Secret Maneuvers is also a mage guild. I am willing to accept all of its members as full-time Magic Tower employees, and I’ll even allocate an entire floor to your guild. I will spare no expense in supporting you.”

“Uh, um…”

Still, having just met with Shimhee beforehand made dealing with this exact type of timid personality a bit more manageable.

I gave him plenty of time to think it over in silence.

“Then what about Shimhee and Sarang…?”

“Yes. They’ve both already agreed to return to the Magic Tower.”

Yonghee pressed his hand against his forehead with a deeply conflicted expression.

“I don’t need an answer right this second. You can take your time to weigh your options.”

“Ah, y-yes, sir!”

“Or, by any chance, could I know the reason you’re hesitating?” I pressed gently. “If it’s an external issue, I might be able to solve the problem for you.”

If Yonghee felt a strong sense of responsibility toward Secret Maneuvers and wanted to stay independent, my backup plan was to absorb them—not through a corporate merger, but by taking them on as a subordinate guild of the Magic Tower, just like Arcane. Failing that, I would at least tie them to us as an allied guild.

Yonghee remained silent for a moment, keeping his head bowed. “I genuinely do want to return to the Magic Tower.”

“Okay.”

“B-But…”

He clutched his head and shook it back and forth a couple of times. He seemed to be agonizing over something deeply personal.

“…Can I really say it?”

“Of course!”

“You’ll probably laugh if you hear it. You’ll think I’m stupid.”

“I won’t laugh. I promise. Please, feel comfortable telling me whatever minor issue is holding you back.”

I mobilized all my facial muscles to project the warm, welcoming smile of an open-minded and inclusive boss.

Still hesitating, Yonghee eventually cracked and confessed. “…I think there’s a ghost living in the Magic Tower.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep