The passage leading to the power chamber was sealed with triple security.
The team leader on duty that day, along with two team members—their mana being recognized by the device was the key. Though Verden could manually unlock it himself, having studied the structure designed by the tower master, it would take far too long that way.
'Let's hurry.'
There was still residual mana in the corpses.
Verden dragged the two mages' bodies over and placed their hands on the respective recognition panels.
Woom.
The device lit up, and after about a minute, the security gate began to open with a grating, metallic creak as it recognized the mana of the shift members.
It was so poorly maintained that the security magic circles engraved decades ago couldn't hold and simply shattered.
Boom! A soft glow began to seep from the passage.
Verden held his breath and stepped forward cautiously.
'Just as expected, nothing's here.'
The mana radiating from the power source was like an ocean. Whether you threw in a giant rock or stole a bucket of water, it wouldn't affect the sea. Its completeness simply could not be broken so easily.
The heart of the Magic Tower.
One of only ten accomplishments of humankind in the world.
Traps weren't even necessary. No matter who intruded, there was absolutely nothing they could do. The power source was the most important and yet the safest place in the tower.
'But if the theory succeeds…'
Then one absolute principle in this world would be no more.
Verden approached the final barrier. Unfortunately, he couldn't obtain the mana of the team leader. A fourth-tier mage—even with the tower master's collection—was not someone he could defeat.
But that was fine. The magic circle engraved on this door was similar to the one in the vault—one of the tower master's prideful designs.
Verden drew out a fine thread of mana and closed his eyes again.
'…Found it.'
After piercing the entrance, he carefully observed the magic circle.
It was an unfamiliar route, but the tower master's personality was deeply imprinted on it.
Arrogant yet anxious, always looking up while worrying about who might catch up from below. Prideful and full of envy.
To Verden, who had studied the tower master's papers, research, and behavior, locating where he might hide the weakness of his magic circle was only a matter of time.
'And maybe because it's old, it's even sloppier than the one in the vault.'
That meant he could afford to be a bit bolder.
Thud… Thud…
His pace picked up. Without hesitation, he shattered the weak points one after another, and with each step forward, the magic circle dimmed. On the edge of danger, the spell was thoroughly dismantled.
And the moment the final core node was destroyed, the magic circle shattered, and the massive door began to open.
"Khup?!"
A surge of mana rushed through the gap. His breath caught. Verden collapsed to the ground but barely managed to adjust and raise his head.
The supreme heart of the tower was before his eyes.
"At last…"
It had taken seven years to get here. During that time, he had repeated the process over and over with no clear results, endlessly refining and supplementing. The long, hopeless, painful journey—like slamming one's head into the ground—had finally borne fruit.
Live or die. That decision would be made here.
Verden stepped forward toward the power source.
He was confident in his understanding of magical theory, but it was impossible to fully grasp the technology of the power source.
So he interpreted only what he needed and created a theory of his own.
Which meant he couldn't be sure of success.
But one thing was certain.
"If I don't try, I'll never know."
Tap. He took off his clothes. Revealed beneath were magic circles Verden had invented and carved into his own body with a blade.
Of course, the suppressive force from the tower master's engraved magic circles hadn't activated during that process.
Because this wasn't self-harm—it was something he had done to survive. One of the things the tower master had overlooked.
"Hoo…"
Verden took a deep breath.
To endure the mana of the power source, which was like an ocean, he at least had to open a passage to let the sea flow in.
Activating his mana circuit, Verden pointed both palms toward the magic circle engraved near his solar plexus.
"Body Unseal."
Crackle… Craaack!
Following the glowing magic circle, his mana circuits throbbed. Forceful expansion of the circuits. Even without the staff's aid, he pushed past his limits, reaching beyond the second tier and into the lower third tier.
'So this is what it means to go beyond the limit.'
Tampering with one's mana circuit was considered a kind of taboo. Because it effectively spelled the ruin of a mage.
Verden's invented magic circle: Defying the Heavens.
The duration of Defying the Heavens was just ten minutes.
After those ten minutes, the mana circuit would collapse, and he would no longer be able to use magic. His lifespan would shorten, and his body would deteriorate dramatically.
In exchange for an irreversible cost, he would momentarily surpass his limits.
And yet, only third-tier…
Even after giving it his all, all he gained was power comparable to the two mages he just killed. And even that could be used only for ten fleeting minutes.
Verden laughed bitterly at his own lack of talent and gripped the Second Circuit in his hand.
"Huuh…!"
Defying the Heavens and the staff's circuits resonated.
The expanded mana circuit twisted once more and pushed beyond the limit of limits. Crack. His skin couldn't withstand it and began to split. From the fissures, a blue light of mana leaked out.
Fifth tier.
A level that partially transcended the laws of magic—a stage where one walked the path of Magus through enlightenment.
If he used magic now, he would instantly explode without leaving a trace, but the condition of his already-destroyed circuit was undeniably of the fifth tier.
With this, everything is ready.
Enduring the extreme pain, Verden stared at the wires connected to the power source. He found the one that sent mana to the lowest level and yanked it out with all his might.
Rumbleeeee!
Vast mana, lost from its path, surged in every direction. He was overwhelmed by its force, but at this moment, he had to overcome the fear of death.
Verden clenched his eyes shut, then, without hesitation, drove the cable's connector into his heart.
"AAAAAARGH!"
The tidal wave of mana violently tore through his body. Even with his expanded mana circuit, it was impossible to endure. The gaps widened, and his body began to collapse.
'I have to release it… now…!'
Verden's role was the bridge—to connect the staff and the power source.
Twisting every circuit in his body, he funneled mana into the staff, and pure mana gathered at the tip of the staff.
BOOM! And then exploded forth.
KA-BOOOM! A torrent of pure mana slammed into the wall surrounding the power source.
Though built with advanced technology, the barrier couldn't withstand the infinite mana emitted by the power source.
Crack. A single fracture appeared on the barrier.
'Not yet. It can't break yet.'
Grit. Verden clenched his teeth and swung the staff.
The torrent of mana followed slightly behind, but in the end, it was only a matter of time. As the barrier reached its limit, dozens of cracks began to spread, and parts of it started to collapse.
By now, the Magic Tower must have noticed. Which meant—the tower master would be on his way.
There was no choice.
Right now, Verden's mana circuits were enduring the power of the core. The fact that he hadn't exploded yet meant he had adapted to some degree. It was a hasty conclusion, but there was no time.
If the Bridge was complete, the next step was Circulation. That meant Verden himself had to become part of the core.
Rumble! The power chamber was collapsing. A massive boulder crashed down beside him. Verden hurriedly grabbed another conduit with his remaining hand.
'I need to connect this to the staff.'
In other words, he had to momentarily stop the surge of mana.
…Could he endure it? He didn't know. He could only believe in himself and hope luck was on his side. Verden took a deep breath and forcibly closed the staff's mana circuit.
"Kh—!"
Thud! Thud! Blood burst out. One eye and one eardrum exploded instantly, and fragments of shattered organs surged up his throat and spilled out. With over half his body destroyed, his mind had long since gone.
And yet, Verden's body still moved.
Click!
The staff connected to the power source. Verden became part of the core.
…Within the collapsed wreckage, silence fell.
Defying the Heavens's duration ended. Normally, the expanded mana circuit would retract, and the price would be paid.
But nothing happened. The infinite mana now flowing through Verden's body did not allow it.
"..."
A moment later, Verden opened his eyes. Even his remaining eye was nearly blind… yet he could see, and feel.
A divine fullness and indescribable overwhelming power, the infinite glow of mana, a realm beyond tier—completely transcendent.
The power source had no ego.
Which meant, at this very moment, the heart of the Magic Tower was Verden himself.
He slowly clenched and opened the two fingers he had left. His body was ragged, but he felt no pain. It was as if he had transcended the human race. An unexpected phenomenon—but he accepted it.
When Verden gestured, the source's mana moved with him.
As long as Verden's ego remained, the infinite, will-less mana of the source was essentially his.
'Even so, what I can do is still extremely limited.'
It didn't matter.
Verden grinned.
"We're almost there."
Defying the Heavens. That wasn't just about expanding the mana circuit.
Its ultimate purpose was the transformation of the body—in other words, reconstruction of the flesh.
Normally, it would be impossible, but Verden now possessed the mana to overturn that reality.
He once again aimed his palms at his solar plexus. All the magic circles carved into his body activated, and soon his entire body was enveloped in mana.
'Someone once said, talent is something decided by the heavens.'
Most people live their lives submitting to what they were given. Even if they try, they believe they can't overcome the limits of talent. And so they accept that as the natural order.
"But not me."
Fwoosh! The power of the source surged. Blue light flooded the surroundings, and the pressure crushed the remnants of the barrier into powder.
At its center burned a blue sun.
A pure mass of mana that could never exist naturally. A symbol of one human defying fate and rebelling against the heavens.
Verden desired only one thing:
Infinite potential unbound by limits!
"Defying the Heavens."
Flash! The sun exploded, engulfing the entire core of the Magic Tower.
***
Alarms rang out in the tower. Based on the readings, it was clear an uninvited guest had arrived.
A malfunction? Impossible. Unless it had been exposed to mana strong enough to destroy the very magic circles themselves, that couldn't happen.
"To think someone would dare trespass in my tower."
The master of the Bohemirn Magic Tower, Balrog Bessias, frowned in displeasure. He had been enjoying the festival, proudly proclaiming the greatness of his tower…
"How dare they."
One of the few seventh-tier masters in the world. The pressure from Balrog's overflowing mana made the surrounding mages swallow nervously.
"Th-there's probably nothing serious, Tower Master. Please calm your anger."
"Yes, of course. Who could possibly break through your magic circles? Surely, by now, they've been reduced to ash."
It was flattery, but also the truth. Balrog's magic circles were recognized around the world.
With a sneer, Balrog deployed his spell.
Multi-dimensional spatial teleportation—a spell that required dozens of mages working together to create, and one that could move multiple targets at once.
The fact that he could cast it alone in mere minutes showed he was more than worthy of leading a Magic Tower.
With a flash of purple light, Balrog and his close aides vanished.
They reappeared near the Bohemirn Magic Tower… but something was wrong.
"Wh-what in the world is this!"
"To think such an enormous amount of mana could be…"
Mana intense enough to make even fifth-tier mages feel their skin crawl and take their breath away was radiating from the tower. Even Balrog froze, eyes wide, struggling to grasp the situation.
'What happened to my tower?'
He immediately began tracing the source. He couldn't see inside due to his own magic circles, but he knew the tower's internal structure down to its corners.
Following the rapid flow of mana upstream, he pinpointed the center of the anomaly.
"…The power source?"
No way. Impossible.
There was no historical record of a fully stable power source ever experiencing failure.
But the situation spoke for itself. The only thing that could produce this amount of mana was the source.
It must be suppressed immediately.
Even he didn't know what would happen next. The fear of the unknown. If left unchecked, the entire tower might collapse.
As he made that judgment and stepped forward—
"Ah."
Fwooooom! A tidal wave of mana erupted from the heart of the tower, engulfing the entire area.