Prologue
It had been 150 years since magic became commercialized.
The world had embraced an era of revolution.
Airships flying through the skies and teleportation magic circles spanning continents. While architecture hadn't changed much, human life had advanced dramatically.
At the center of this change were the Magic Towers.
Once composed solely of mages, the towers began to accept laborers who have not yet awakened magic power in modern times to make up for the lack of manpower.
Occasionally, if a talented child was found among them, they would be trained as mages.
"…Looks like this village is a bust."
Two mages dispatched from the tower sighed deeply.
Three days had passed since they posted a notice on the village board, but not a single child had applied.
Apparently, the village was just too far from the tower. There was a fear that the child might never return.
"This is the last village, and yet not one applicant. I enjoyed getting out for once, but the tower will have our heads."
"It's too early to give up. We have one place left to visit."
"The orphanage? Just like the other places, I'm sure it'll be a waste of time… Still, we should at least check."
In the past, maybe. But in this age, taking in parentless children from an orphanage was no easy task.
Many were publicly funded by nobles or wealthy merchants. Any misstep might seem like child trafficking.
More importantly, the child had to willingly apply.
'That's the hardest part.'
Children were curious but also fearful.
They were often strongly attached to familiar surroundings, which made convincing them difficult—especially with a watchful orphanage director eyeing their every move.
The two mages visited the orphanage.
They barely persuaded the director to allow a simple test—just to check for magical potential. Saying they were only looking for potential mages, not laborers.
Of course, it would be meaningless if no one volunteered. Still, they tried.
"Oh, the results are the best we've seen so far."
"Six candidates, huh. I hope at least one of them applies."
But, as expected, no child stepped forward. The orphanage director also didn't look pleased.
In the end, the mages returned to their inn, disappointed.
That was when a boy named Verden picked up the notice the mages had left behind.
[The Magic Tower is recruiting children under 13 to work. It's a hard job, but if you contribute, you may have the chance to become a mage upon adulthood. The tower may also accept you as one of their own.]
The reward was 4 million Elks. Enough money for a villager to live idly for several months.
The children wouldn't receive personal wages, but three meals and lodging would be provided.
'Sounds good.'
With famine ongoing, the orphanage was struggling. If Verden left and brought in 4 million Elks, it would be a great help.
Though part of him was thinking of the orphanage, the truth was Verden wanted to learn magic.
He had once seen a retired army mage neighbor conjure a small flame.
To other children, it was just a cool trick, but to Verden, it was something else.
Magic, a miracle born through mana.
He was mesmerized, unable to look away. A burning desire erupted in him—a feeling too strong for his young vocabulary to describe.
'I want it.'
It was closer to an instinct. From that moment, Verden became obsessed with magic.
But no matter how much he begged, the old man refused to teach him.
That only made Verden more curious.
What was magic, that it had to be kept from him so strictly?
After dinner, Verden sneaked out and headed to the inn. He knew the orphanage director would stop him if he knew.
The mages were surprised by the sudden visit but soon smiled and welcomed Verden's application.
He filled out the form and stepped outside.
"Verden."
"Rovellin?"
Rovellin.
A girl his age living in the same orphanage. She tilted her head and asked,
"You're leaving?"
"…Yeah. I want to become a mage."
"Then I'll go with you."
Before Verden could respond, Rovellin walked into the inn.
Moments later, she came out, application in hand. Her red eyes met Verden's. He shrugged.
'Well, I guess it's fine.'
He had no reason to stop her. If anything, going together would be better. The director would be sad, though.
Back at the orphanage, they didn't utter a word about the tower.
A few days later, at dawn, Verden and Rovellin left money and farewell letters on their beds and boarded the carriage bound for the Magic Tower.
As the village disappeared behind them, they saw the sunrise.
It felt like the start of something new, and their hearts raced.
"I wonder what the tower is like?"
"No idea. Probably really different from the village."
And so, eight-year-old Verden and Rovellin became laborers of the Magic Tower.
Chapter 1: Defying the Heavens (1)
The Bohemirn Tower belonged to the Elemental School, a sect that primarily studied elemental magic. It had recently risen to prominence.
The turning point came seven years ago, thanks to a paper published by one of its mages.
The Multi-Continuity Theory, which suggested that a fixed mana circuit could be made more flexible by utilizing compatible elements and even exploit opposing elements to unlock access to others.
The impact shook every magic tower.
The mage who published it became the direct disciple of the tower master and received endless invitations from other towers and academies for lectures.
Most mages were grateful.
According to the theory, with effort, one could master two elements. Especially low-talent elemental mages were ecstatic.
Everyone, except one.
Clack.
Verden returned his broom to the cleaning supply closet.
With his usual blank expression, he walked down the hallway.
Two mages passed by and snickered as they pointed at him.
Boom! A small explosion went off in front of Verden.
It wasn't powerful, but it hurt like a punch. Holding his stinging nose, Verden looked at the mages.
"What are you looking at, trash?"
"…"
Without a word, Verden got up and walked away. Laughter echoed behind him, but he said nothing.
That was Verden's place in the tower.
How did it come to this?
Was it because his Multi-Continuity Theory was stolen by someone he trusted? Or because he was framed as the thief instead?
He didn't know.
What he did know was that in the face of overwhelming power, small truths meant nothing.
And this was only part of his suffering.
That evening, Verden climbed to the tower's middle levels.
After passing secret security layers, he arrived at a lab filled with bizarre experiments. He didn't want to go forward, but the magic circle engraved on his back forced his body to move.
Lying on the assigned bed, an old mage approached.
"Are you ready, Verden?"
"…Yes."
The mage nodded and signaled the researchers.
"Then let's begin. Experiment No. 874. Administer Mana Circuit Booster MCB-1374."
"Administered."
"The reaction… good. Proceed with Memory Expand M-34."
An opaque fluid flowed through the needle in his vein.
His blood boiled, and a burning sensation surged.
"...!"
Verden opened his mouth wide, screaming silently.
His eyelids wouldn't obey, and his memories forcibly expanded.
As always, the past began flashing through his mind.
***
At eight, Verden joined the tower with Rovellin.
They worked hard to be noticed by mages, sometimes helping each other.
At thirteen, they took the aptitude test.
Verden's potential was rated as 1st Tier—the lowest of the nine-tier system. Lower than even an average person.
The mage who evaluated him clicked his tongue.
"1st-tier? Impressive in a sad way."
To the tower, Verden was just a laborer. Not worth investing in.
Rovellin, on the other hand, was selected as a mage candidate.
Her exact tier was unknown, but it was far above Verden's. Rumors said she had a unique type of mana circuit.
They were forcibly separated.
Verden was alone.
But he didn't give up.
Learning 1st-tier magic, he cleaned mages' rooms and secretly read their books.
It was barely enough, but for Verden, it was plenty.
'There are countless derived spells, but if I understand their roots, they're not that hard.'
He grasped the pure principles of magic, not just the appearances.
Like completing a puzzle in his mind, he constructed an internal magic framework—far from ordinary.
Realizing his talent, he made a decision.
'To the tower.'
To see more magic up close.
At fifteen, using that knowledge, he rose from laborer to junior researcher.
Though he only supported mage experiments and organized materials, Verden continued to grow through self-study.
New theories became his in less than ten days. No mystery lasted long before his dedication and insight.
In just three years, he mastered the essence of every book available to junior researchers in the tower's library.
No one knew. Not even Rovellin.
Verden never told them. They wouldn't believe him anyway. He planned to stun them all with undeniable achievements.
"This should be enough."
Confident that he stood alone in theoretical knowledge,
Verden began writing a thesis with his own theory, seeking recognition as a true mage.
But he couldn't prove it alone. His 1st-tier ability was too weak.
He couldn't ask Rovellin—not because of pride, but because her nature clashed with the theory.
So he asked the closest mage he knew.
"How… how did you come up with this?"
The mage was shocked and immediately read the entire thesis.
Eyes wide, he covered his mouth, thinking deeply. Then he nodded.
"Verden, you're a genius! How could you even conceive of this? This flips elemental theory on its head! No, that's not what's important right now. If this is it, if this is it, then it will definitely be acknowledged by all the magic towers. The tower master might even make you his disciple!"
He praised Verden, and Verden felt truly acknowledged.
'But I didn't expect the betrayal.'
The day before the presentation, the thesis vanished.
The mage who had read it presented it as his own.
Verden was stunned. He rushed to the tower's center to protest, but no one listened to a 1st-tier mage.
He threw himself in front of the tower master's entourage.
"…So you claim to be the author of the Multi-Continuity Theory?"
"Yes! Please, allow me to explain it from the beginning…"
Then a nearby mage whispered something to the tower master.
Upon learning Verden was 1st-tier, the master's gaze turned scornful.
He stared at Verden and asked,
"The theory derives from the elemental origin theories of centuries past. If you truly created it, explain its essence in under 500 characters—right now."
Thousands of pages, boiled down like that? With no time to think?
The other mages thought the demand was impossible. Even the tower master didn't expect success.
But Verden was different.
'I must convince him.'
Showing his abilities directly to the Tower Master — Verden knew he couldn't miss this golden opportunity.
Clearing his throat for a moment, without a hint of hesitation, he delivered an answer that not only met but exceeded the Tower Master's expectations.
It was possible only because he had read the theory hundreds of times and had made the effort to transcribe his understanding onto blank sheets each time.
"Oh?"
A spark of curiosity appeared in the Tower Master's eyes.
Nodding in satisfaction, he said to Verden,
"Come to the lab on the 32nd floor, two nights from now."
"Ah… yes, yes! Thank you, Tower Master!"
Bowing deeply to the floor, Verden beamed with joy.
The fact that he had been acknowledged by none other than the Tower Master himself filled him with elation.
It was proof that even without talent, one could succeed through effort — a dreamlike tale that had come true.
…It didn't take long to realize how wrong that belief was.
***
Bohemirn Tower's unofficial laboratory.
Here, ethics and morality did not exist. Everything was sacrificed for the advancement of the Tower.
The Tower Master looked at Verden, whose entire body was bound by magic circles.
"What's the result?"
"His potential level is the worst, but his magic knowledge is incredibly advanced. His calculation ability and other faculties are also remarkable. It's almost a shame he wasn't born with talent."
"Well, that can't be helped. Talent is a sacred domain granted by the heavens. Still, he can be useful for my tower, and that's fortunate enough."
"Haha, you're absolutely right. Better for him to die serving the tower than to die groveling at the bottom."
"You say the most obvious things."
The Tower Master smiled and gestured.
"Begin."
Mana circuit stimulants and memory enhancers.
Injected into his body, the substances forcibly activated Verden's memory and mana circuits.
"Aaaaaaaaagh!"
In that state, endless magic knowledge was forcibly implanted into Verden.
Magic circles, magic theses, enchanted items — even if he didn't want to remember, every letter and image was seared into his brain, like a curse.
His head felt like it was going to explode.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
"Too loud. Administer a sedative."
"Stop! Pleaaaase stooooop!"
"Hm, showing immune response already? Can't be helped. Activate coercion spell."
[Be Silent]
"…!"
A command echoed in his mind. Even the slightest resistance brought indescribable agony, as if his very soul was shattering.
His body moved instinctively, without his will.
To escape pain, to survive.
[Create a magic circle]
[Verify the thesis theory]
[Appraise the magic item]
[Inject the drug and observe your own reaction]
[Create a new potion]
[Sacrifice your life for the tower]
All of Verden's accumulated knowledge and life force were exploited for the tower's benefit.
The coercive power of the magic circle engraved on his back by the Tower Master left no room for resistance.
Thanks to that, the Bohemirn Tower advanced even faster than expected.
"Excellent. For trash stuck at 1st-tier, he's surprisingly useful. Genius, if we judge purely by theory."
"But Tower Master, at this rate, the drug's side effects will deplete his life force, and he may die soon."
"Hm, that won't do. Not yet. If we can maintain his current state, our Tower's ranking will rise even further. We can't ruin such a fine specimen. Let's reduce experiments to once every seven days."
"What should we do in the meantime?"
"Let him continue his normal tasks. If we impose coercion in everything, his sense of self will collapse, and efficiency will plummet. Thanks to the magic circle I engraved, he won't utter a word. He can't harm himself, or run away either."
To them, Verden was nothing more than a consumable tool — to be discarded once drained.
None of the researchers cared what Verden, the "item," felt.
Amid unending pain and impending death, Verden despaired.
Why do I have to go through this?
He had simply wanted to become a mage. To be acknowledged.
In the midst of agony and helplessness, he kept thinking and thinking — and finally reached a conclusion.
He was going through this simply because he had no power, no talent.
The moment he realized that, his mind suddenly felt clear.
Light returned to Verden's eyes — quickly swallowed by rage.
I won't die like this.
The bastard who stole his thesis.
The mages who mocked his talent and used him.
And the Tower Master, who threw him into this hell.
As a mage —
He would destroy everything they had built and make them kneel before him.
But for now, it's impossible.
Verden knew exactly what he needed.
To take revenge on this cursed tower, he needed strength and talent no one could challenge.
As his broken spirit slowly healed, reason returned.
"I need a plan."
Right now, Verden's memory held a vast amount of magic knowledge — both what he earned through effort and what they force-fed him. He would use it all.
Having regained his senses, Verden began to show only the bare minimum expected by the Tower Master — hiding everything beyond that.
The magic circle's coercion resisted slightly, but mere brain-shattering pain couldn't overpower him.
His ever-burning hatred made that possible.
For seven years, he endured and endured — not for recognition, but to create a theory entirely for himself.
And at last, it was complete.
A heaven-defying theory, the likes of which history had never seen.
'The time is near.'
Returning from his memories to the present, Verden's eyes quietly glinted toward the mages.
***
As always, Verden was cleaning the chaotic laboratory left by the mages.
He placed reagents into their containers and cleaned the beakers without leaving a single drop.
While silently working, the door suddenly burst open.
"Verden."
A woman with red hair and a stunning appearance — Rovellin.
The same age as Verden, yet already a genius mage who had reached 3rd tier. She was also the only person in the tower with whom Verden had a personal relationship.
She approached and confidently handed him a paper.
"…What's that?"
"Can't you tell? I've been accepted for study abroad in the magic city, Virente. It's a special privilege given to only five people from the tower. As you know, I'm kind of amazing."
Rovellin crossed her arms and smiled playfully.
But surely, she hadn't come all this way just to brag.
"Impressive. So, what do you want?"
"Geez, always so dry… The program lasts at least six months, but all the mages going with me are unbearable. You know how stuck-up they are. So… I was wondering…"
She glanced at Verden hesitantly.
"Would you come with me?"
"…What?"
Seeing his reaction, Rovellin quickly continued.
"D-Don't get the wrong idea! I'd hire you as my attendant. I'd get a conversation partner, and you'd get the chance to visit a magic city and learn something. So? Interested?"
Though mages were often eccentric, Rovellin was different.
She didn't care what others thought. Even if the other mages mocked Verden, she always treated him the same as she had when they were kids.
Rovellin was Verden's only friend in the tower — the only one who believed in him, who saw him as a real mage despite being 1st-tier.
Her warmth, hidden beneath a cold appearance, was comforting.
But you don't know.
You don't know what I've been through in the shadows of this tower.
What it feels like to have your lifespan drained by drugs, to be forced into unwanted tasks.
What kind of plans I've devised over these past seven years.
And you'll never know.
Not just because of the magic circle's coercion — I never intended to tell you. If you got involved, you'd be in danger too.
Verden smiled at her.
"Sorry. I'll have to decline."
"Knew you'd sa—wait, what?"
"I belong here."
Standing in the messy lab, Verden's face was smiling — but it wasn't a smile.
A firm rejection. Rovellin opened her mouth, unsure how to respond, then sighed.
She knew Verden better than anyone.
"…Alright."
The next day, Rovellin departed by carriage.
Verden didn't even go to see her off — he simply stared through the window as the carriage disappeared.
The plan is going smoothly.
With Rovellin gone, all obstacles were removed. She was never meant to be a target of revenge.
With her out of the tower, there was nothing left to hold on to.
He didn't care who died or what collapsed. Everything had gone as planned.
Verden headed to his room.
Inside a cramped storage room, he approached a small wall. When he etched a complex cipher with his finger, a hidden magic circle activated, and the wall began to open.
The wall of the tower, protected by an absolute magic circle set by the Tower Master — this was its "gap."
Verden's one and only sanctuary — undetectable by anyone, even the Tower Master.
A space barely 66 square meters, it held the culmination of Verden's efforts over the past seven years.
The walls were lined with dense magical diagrams and notes. The floor was stained with blood and sweat.
Standing at the center, Verden clenched his fist.
"It's about to begin."
The day of execution — the festival when the Tower Master would leave the tower.
Time left: six days.
He would eliminate all obstacles and finalize preparations within that window.
And just like that, the festival day arrived.