Chapter 172: Seventh Main Tower (4)

Chapter 172: Seventh Main Tower (4)

Having read the original light novel three times, Edna had quite a sharp memory of the major events unfolding in Aether World.

While she naturally understood what was happening in the Seventh Main Tower, preparing detailed strategies was impossible.

Mostly due to the fact that, being a romance fantasy genre, most combat scenes were either skipped or passed over briefly.

Much of the scenes were filled with character’s psychological descriptions, leaving little room for battle tactics.

If there had been any divine revelations, she would have presented more effective strategies, but since Baek Yu-Seol was absent, Edna prepared to the best of her memory and knowledge.

"Most of the strange demons appearing in the Seventh Main Tower were of the dark attribute."

While Edna’s light magic could be very effective, there was a crucial difference between it and the divine magic used by real angels or priests of the Holy Church.

She had not yet realized the divine aspect of magic, so bringing the Sacred Symbol and holy water as countermeasures was a pretty good judgment.

- Kiki kiki kiki!

- Giggle

Ghosts hovered in the air, and shadows crept up from all directions.

They forgot the fact that Jeremy was following behind.

Edna’s group exerted all their strength to avoid them.

"I'm glad I brought the symbol."

The Sacred Symbol was like a crucifix necklace in Christianity, or perhaps like a prayer bead in Buddhism, except that it actually possessed divine power, unlike in reality.

Although it wasn't properly mentioned in the original light novel, as expected, it was very effective in repelling the ghosts of the Seventh Main Tower.

Poof!

When the circle-shaped symbol flashed, the approaching shadows and ghosts hesitated and retreated.

However, since it wasn't a very expensive symbol, it had its limits in terms of usage.

"If I keep using it like this, it won't last long...."

Despite scavenging for as many symbols and holy waters as possible, it wasn't enough.

"Ah!"

When Anella, who was stumbling while casting magic, fell backward, Edna swiftly threw a symbol at her.

Zing! As a result, the approaching ghosts were pushed back by a burst of white sparks.

"Get a grip! What are you doing?"

"S-sorry...."

Anella tightly shut her lips with a pale face.

Delving into the turmoil of the opponent's mind to mesmerize them was her specialty, but she had hardly experienced such direct combat, causing her mind to turn blank.

*'Still, I'm over 40 years old....'*

Despite her lack of combat experience, she couldn't help but feel a wave of self-doubt.

"But even so, I've dealt with kids who are barely seventeen...."

Waves of thick self-reproach surged over her, but she didn't let herself drown in it.

"There's a lab nearby! Let's evacuate there for now!"

"Anella! Hurry!"

"Uh... whoa!"

Edna almost forcibly pushed Anella into the lab with a fierce grip and then handed her a symbol on her chest.

"Hold onto this. If you lose it, I'll kill you."

"........ Thanks."

Despite the harsh words, Anella felt both grateful and uneasy at the same time for being given a precious symbol, which was now almost gone.

Being treated like a burden was truly a harrowing feeling.

"What's it like outside?"

Approaching Eisel , who sealed the door to the corridor with a magic circle drawn with holy water, Edna asked.

In response, she replied with a stern expression.

"It's full of ghosts. I never knew there were so many ghosts in Stella."

"This is bad.... Other students must have been dragged to the Seventh Main Tower by now."

Was it this bad in the original light novel?

She wasn't sure.

There weren't such detailed descriptions.

The main content was simply that ‘Eisel was dragged to the Seventh Main Tower, suffered various torments from the ghosts there, but she was rescued by Haewonyang.’

There was no way of knowing what Eisel did inside or how many ghosts appeared.

*'Should I have brought more symbols just in case?'*

Even though she thought ten would be excessive, now that she only had three left, it seemed insufficient.

And Hong Bi-Yeon’s whereabouts had not yet been found.

*'Where could she be....'*

She bit her nails while recalling the original light novel.

First, where was Professor Maizen Tyren?

The exact location wasn't specified, but she distinctly remembered it being an open space with windows all around, showing the sky.

But, did such a place exist in Stella?

... Yes, it did.

The observatory located on the top floor.

Every tower had a top floor, namely the rooftop, which was usually locked and inaccessible to students.

Therefore, she had never been up to the rooftop, but she was familiar with how it looked.

*'Then, I should go to the rooftop after all....'*

**Thud! Thud!**

But before she could finish her thought, the ghosts' assault began again.

Eisel poured mana into the boundary of the door gap and said with a weary expression.

"They're invading the space!"

"What? But we sealed the door with holy water...."

Without finishing her sentence, Edna looked up with a dismayed expression.

Slowly, dark mist was creeping into the laboratory.

Then she realized.

The Seventh Main Tower itself was a ghost story.

In other words, unless sealed with holy water wherever hidden, it meant that it was eventually within the jurisdiction of the ghosts.

"Damn it! Let's run outside for now! We'll be completely trapped if we stay here!"

"Yes!"

Eisel hurriedly traced the holy water boundary and tried to open the door, but she couldn't budge it at all.

"Uh, the ghosts are blocking the door from the outside!"

Only the fact that Eisel received help from Haewonryang.

*'Wait. If it's help from Haewonryang...?’*

Then suddenly, she thought of something.

Someday, Haewonryang would become a highly successful Elemental Master who could perfectly manipulate all attributes.

Although currently he could only handle wind, ice, and fire, he mastered these three attributes almost to the highest level, so his reputation wouldn't diminish.

In other words, Haewonryang might already be able to use Air Levitation, one of the advanced wind spells.

Although there was no evidence of him using Air Levitation in the original work due to its extreme mana consumption, in such a crisis situation, couldn't he just fly himself up?

However, there was no user of air magic here.

In other words, there was no alternative means to replace the stairs.

They considered riding on Eisel’s ice and her own plant magic to ascend, but it was impractical.

Ice and plant magic were fundamentally weak in durability, and they would easily break under the assault of ghosts.

Summoning a giant tree trunk and enhancing its strength through material manipulation was possible, but...

Could they reach that height while using two different elemental magics simultaneously?

"Uh, the shadows have completely invaded the space!"

"Ugh, it's tough!"

Sanity didn't last until the end.

Eisel and Anella began to kneel slowly as they were consumed by the shadows.

Now, only one symbol remained.

*'If consumed by shadows, one will lose one's sense of self.'*

She looked at the spot where the stairs had existed with eyes full of regret.

If she poured all her mana here, maybe she could ascend.

However, if that happened, she might lose Eisel and Anella.

*'It's my fault.'*

It was a hasty judgment.

She should have thought and judged more carefully.

Did she underestimate the warning for the Seventh Main Tower's Dark Magic Corruption?

Even Baek Yu-Seol said, ‘Because it's dangerous, we must prepare.’

... Was she underestimating it?

*'I'm a moron and an asshole.'*

Blood dripped from her lips as she bit them too hard.

However, she didn’t feel the pain.

Edna dashed towards Eisel and Anella with all her might.

There was no other choice.

Even if it meant depleting all her mana here, she had to endure.

"I can do it.”

Eisel was the protagonist.

The one and only protagonist of this world.

Even if she was defeated here, she must protect her.

Closing her eyes tightly, she recited the spell.

Unlike other magic, spells of light magic had specific tones, and they sounded like a song.

"Saaaah!"

Golden rays of light spread out from Edna.

Darkness was consumed by the light, and the ghosts melted away.

Under the intense and divine light, Anella and Eisel hesitated, stepped back and sat down.

"What is this..."

It was a type of magic they had never seen before in their lives.

It wasn't destructive or dazzling, but it cleansed all darkness in the vicinity.

Instantly, the darkness dissipated, and light filled the room.

Anella couldn't help but think, ‘Beautiful...’

She was disqualified as a dark mage.

It was absurd to find the magic which contradicted her very own to be beautiful.

However, any other dark mage would likely have the same thought.

Even if they were to die facing it, wouldn't they ultimately think it was beautiful?

A golden magic circle emerged beneath her feet, spinning and sending starlight into the sky.

Yes.

The girl's magic seemed to resemble starlight.

It wasn’t of the light or divine type which was despised by the beings with dark mana the most.

It was starlight magic.

Edna slowly closed her eyes, listening to the hymn of stars which seemed to have fallen from the milky way in the sky.

"... But I've done all I can. I may only endure, but afterward, Eisel will come up with a way to overcome this obstacle as the true protagonist."

That would do.

If she could just save Hong Bi-Yeon and Eisel right now...

The moment she thought that, suddenly, a golden wave covered the golden rays of light.

It was another golden magic.

"Huh...?"

Anella was startled and squeezed her eyes shut upon seeing the wave of magic, then opened them again as she noticed something strange. She looked around to where the stairs should have been.

There, the stairs were.

A golden staircase which was unnecessarily and extravagantly glamorous, as if decorated for an 'emperor.’

The golden stairs stretched all the way to the top.

"This, this is...!"

"Hurry!"

Anella tried to say something in surprise, but Eisel wasted no time and immediately took action.

Supporting the weary Edna, Eisel quickly began to ascend the stairs and Anella hurriedly followed suit.

Then, she glanced back for a moment.

... Far away.

A golden boy appeared in the darkness which was yet to be purged by Edna but he quickly disappeared into the shadows as if he were an illusion.",