Chapter 758: One-Man Show (10)
An empty, vacant space.
Only a strangely calm and desolate silence filled the air.
Amidst the void, where everything seemed incomplete, as if not yet properly finished, a single massive black gate stood tall.
“This is the Consciousness Space, which materializes the internal ideals of the tower’s sphere.”
Lennok walked slowly in front of the black gate, explaining.
“The tower isn’t officially complete yet, so it’s closed, but it will open when the time comes. What’s important isn’t what’s beyond the gate, but the gate’s existence itself.”
Lennok rested a hand on the gate frame and turned around, speaking to what was behind him.
“By the way, how long do you plan to stay hidden?”
[……]
Lennok hadn’t entered the tower’s Consciousness Space, constructed with the power of its domain, alone.
There was another person who had been with Lennok in the magic tower’s meeting room, looking out the window just moments ago.
The Saint-tier wizard of Sinclair Magic Tower, and Aris Richellen’s master.
Claris Richellen had also been drawn into the Consciousness Space designed by Lennok.
However, as soon as she entered this space, she shrouded herself in an unknown cloud, showing no intention of stepping out in front of the gate.
[……This is astounding.]
Claris’s telepathic voice, accompanied by a sigh, slowly echoed from beyond the cloud.
[To forcefully seize my consciousness, which is quite far from here, and enter this space so easily.]
Whoosh!
Immediately after, something large and pure white slowly emerged, parting the clouds.
“……”
What appeared before him was the form of a long-necked divine beast.
White feathers fluttered, but its exact appearance was hard to discern due to the armor covering its body.
Exquisitely sculpted, beautiful pure white armor. The form of a divine beast with floating white feathers.
The creature’s elegant, gliding movement, as if swimming above the clouds, far surpassed Lennok’s height.
Was this the true form of Claris Richellen, a long-lived species from Kundara, a being who had lived for a long time as a non-human species?
Its appearance, distinct from the life forms of this continent, was natural and graceful, as if it had always existed that way.
Wings fluttered even without a breeze, adding a strange sense of mystique.
Lennok, meeting the soft blue eyes that glowed from within the white armor, asked,
“In the Consciousness Space, you project your true form. Was this what you meant earlier about the long-lived species?”
[An ordinary human consciousness would not easily endure this sight.]
Claris answered calmly.
[On the contrary, I find you more unusual. To face such a powerful and clear self-consciousness in this domain, which is purely for consciousness, without feeling any burden—]
“Let me continue the explanation.”
Instead of satisfying Claris’s curiosity, Lennok knocked on the gate and resumed his explanation.
“This gate is organically connected to all the tower’s facilities, allowing for observation of their status and circumstances. If we apply that ability slightly, like this—”
Clang!
At that moment, golden characters began to be densely etched onto the massive black gate.
[Small Particle Accelerator. Carlyle Research Institute.]
[Mana Anti-inflammatory. Void Magic Tower.]
[Self-repair Kit. Magic Engineering Association.]
[Stemonia. Auction.]
[Eternal Spring Rosary. Stania Monastery.]
“…Essentially, it can be used as a database to record items brought into the magic tower.”
As Lennok said this and swept his hand over Self-repair Kit displayed on the gate.
Shhhhrrk!
A bundle of complex mechanical devices, enough to fill both hands, appeared before the two of them.
“Like this, you can indirectly construct images within the Consciousness Space and indirectly test their performance.”
For now, it was limited to listing and organizing items on the gate.
But once the magic tower was completed and the Consciousness Space fully realized, it would be possible to fill it with virtual items.
Thousands of items could be freely handled and distributed, without being confined to the physical space of the tower.
“All that’s needed are wizards to manage the branches and for the planned items to be delivered on schedule.”
Lennok said this, leaning his back against the huge gate, and asked Claris.
“I plan to complete the magic tower and set up the system by adjusting the Consciousness Space within a month. By then, all the branches of the exhibition hall prepared on the lower floors of the magic tower will be in operation.”
[And the sheer volume of information and conscious entities that will enter this space will be handled solely by your processing power, I presume.]
Claris shook her head in disbelief.
[A Consciousness Space that Magic Tower masters have barely managed to construct through generations of inherited mental matter, for a single person to….]
“……”
[Even for a great wizard, it has truly been a long time since I encountered such a powerful and distinct self-consciousness.]
“Have you decided?”
[I understand.]
Claris agreed without further ado.
[No magic tower would refuse the ability to indirectly enter Vulcan’s internal market. I’ll go back and draft an official cooperation request document.]
“Understood. So, will you move your true form directly back to Sinclair Magic Tower?”
[……]
A strange atmosphere, completely unlike the creatures in this continent’s ecosystem, yet somehow embodying an unknown mystery.
Lennok watched her carefully, tilting his head.
“Indeed, a form I’ve never seen before. I wonder if all long-lived species residing in the Outer City are like this.”
[It seems you are mistaken about the concept of long-lived species.]
Claris said, shaking her head slightly.
At the end of her long, curved white neck, her deep blue eyes shone clearly.
[It doesn’t matter. Anyway, after the rebellion of the Ascendant, everything that happens there will no longer hold meaning.]
“Are you referring to the Ascendant, Faud Older?”
[……]
Claris paused her reply for a moment, but Lennok didn’t mind.
The Ascendant Seonjong. His real name is Faud Older.
The Guardian of the Law. A Transcendent adorned with various bizarre epithets like the Fiend Star of Kundara.
His very name serves as a symbol and a signal.
Lennok had once acquired a necklace from Kaiser’s keepsakes with that name inscribed as a seal,
and had previously confirmed it was the only item Ethan Bajour had tried to obtain.
[You seem to have an interest in Kundara’s affairs.]
Claris asked.
[Do you want to know how the long-lived species are trying to evade the destruction of the world?]
“No. What I’m looking for is information about the project Kaiser Bajour left behind.”
Lennok replied.
“I recently learned that Kundara intervened and took action after the Black Consumer Project ended.”
[……]
“I’d like to visit Kundara to confirm that, do you know of any means to get there?”
Claris did not answer immediately, remaining silent.
As if deliberating for a long time on what to say.
[It wasn’t like this before, but now quite a lot of preparations are needed. It’s also something that takes a lot of time.]
The divine beast’s blue eyes glowed calmly.
[Normally, I shouldn’t share such authority and information with outsiders, but….]
Somehow, Lennok vaguely sensed what Claris was about to say next, and why she hadn’t said it yet.
[Based on the central front’s veil, there will soon be a change in the orbital cycle.]
“…Orbital cycle?”
Claris did not answer Lennok’s question.
Instead, she decisively withdrew her consciousness first, and slowly vanished, wrapping herself in clouds like clothing.
[If your mind hasn’t changed by then, contact me again later. I’ll prepare for it.]
“Van. Can you take a look at this for a second?”
In the office set up on the upper floor of the magic tower.
Tatiana held up some documents in the office, which they had moved into floor by floor as construction finished.
“Among the businesses that have contacted us recently, one wants to invest in a business, and another wants to open an exhibition space inside the magic tower.”
Tatiana said.
“The latter is easy to grant, but the first is a bit difficult. They’re asking if we can invest in a fairly large-scale business. What should I reply?”
“Can you pass it on to Jenny for now? I’ll handle it myself later.”
“Oh, speaking of Jenny, she was just about to—”
“Van!”
No sooner had she finished speaking than a woman who had spotted Lennok from the opposite end of the hallway came running quickly.
Behind her was Felix, sweating profusely, carrying all sorts of boxes and small containers on his shoulders.
It didn’t look awkward at all for a leading veteran of the Antares Mercenary Group to now be working as a porter for the magic tower.
Lennok looked at Felix, who was skillfully approaching with goods loaded on his head and shoulders, and asked,
“What’s going on?”
“Do you have any available cash for investment?”
“…Cash?”
“I called in some practitioners from related companies to expand the tower’s relic exhibition hall, and they’re asking for payment purely in physical goods.”
Jenny said, looking troubled.
“We don’t have much readily available cash in the company right now, so it seems we’ll need some spare funds to cover these costs.”
If Jenny, who was in charge of the cash flow for both the distribution company and the magic tower, said so, it couldn’t be a lie.
Besides, since Lennok had made a considerable profit from Jenny’s advice and ventures, there was no problem with lending her some cash for a while.
However, Lennok himself had spent no small amount of the money he earned as a freelancer on research equipment, elixirs, and all sorts of artifacts.
Recently, due to his activities in Pandemonium, he hadn’t even checked how much cash he had on hand.
Davi, sensing Lennok’s thoughts, whispered from inside his clothes.
[Master. Most of your cash capital is currently invested in stocks, so it’ll take three days to withdraw.]
“……”
After a big setback in stock investments long ago, Lennok had entrusted his investments to a smart psychic spirit.
Just as Lennok opened his mouth to tell Jenny that it would take about three days.
Screech!
In front of the main entrance of the magic tower, visible down the hallway, a flashy sports car screeched to a halt.
The sleek vehicle, its front body gleaming as if just picked up from the dealership, made its appearance.
But what drew Lennok’s gaze was the familiar presence that burst out of the car door.
A man in a flamboyant, primary-colored suit, wearing sunglasses, confidently waved towards them.
“…Who is that?”
Jenny, not recognizing the person, tilted her head, and Felix let out a deep sigh.
Lennok, looking down at the main hall of the magic tower with amusement, replied,
“That’s Belber from the mercenary group. He’s certainly in an interesting get-up.”
“Belber…? That gambling addict who always loses money on stocks?”
Only then did Jenny’s mouth gape open as she recognized Belber, who was confidently waving.
“I can’t believe it. Has even that pathetic investor finally had his day in the sun?”
“Shall we go down and check?”
Lennok chuckled, gesturing downwards.
“It seems he has something he wants to tell us.”
The group, along with Tatiana, who had been called down without knowing why, immediately descended to the main hall.
The moment Lennok showed his face, the gazes of people going back and forth for exhibition hall entries converged on him.
“It’s, it’s Adamant Thunder…”
“Don’t make eye contact. You never know how he’ll react…”
“No, but we got official permission to enter.”
“Do you think he cares?”
“……”
Surely there was no one present who hadn’t heard the unsettling rumors about Lennok.
But they all desperately tried to avoid Lennok’s gaze and keep their distance because they had work to do.
Some, braving their fear, secretly hid and peeked to observe the unfolding situation.
Lennok, instead of paying attention to them, turned his gaze to Belber, who was confidently walking towards them.
Belber’s shoulders were so puffed up they were almost level with his neck.
Lennok chuckled and asked,
“You look radiant. Did something good happen?”
“Yes. Finally.”
Belber replied with a twitching expression.
“I finally proved my judgment was right. I succeeded in my investment…!!”
“Success in investment isn’t something you celebrate just once and then it’s over.”
“No, Van, you don’t know! How I was treated in the mercenary group all this time!!”
Belber yelled, wiping his reddened eyes as he recalled the past.
“They always called me a foolish idiot who threw money into the ground… constantly scolded me for only picking up scraps in the stock market…”
“……”
“How much I was ridiculed for begging other mercenaries for food…”
“No, begging for food is a bit….”
“Pathetic.”
Belber struggled to refute Jenny and Lennok’s cold assessment.
“I, I didn’t always do that!! Not always! Only when I was exceptionally in the red!!”
“……”
“My judgment has never been wrong, it’s just that some unknown force kept interfering with me, why doesn’t anyone understand that?!”
Leaving Belber’s desperate cries behind, Lennok turned his gaze.
“Where’s this guy’s twin sister? I think it’s time to take him to the hospital.”
“…Belita must be out on an assignment. She’s good with heavy weapons, so she gets a lot of requests for fire support.”
Felix answered sheepishly, stepping forward.
“I’ll take him instead, so don’t worry. It’ll be just in time when I return to the office with Belber.”
“Please do it as quickly as possible.”
While Jenny replied to Felix, Tatiana suddenly asked, as if something occurred to her,
“By the way, what kind of stock did you invest in to make a profit? The Vulcan domestic market has been unstable recently, so it shouldn’t have been easy to make a profit.”
“Ah, there’s a way for everything.”
Belber began to explain as if he had been waiting for that question.
He looked as if he had been desperately waiting for someone to ask him this.
“Recently, a new magic tower appeared in District 49, right? And a lot of businesses wanting to open exhibition spaces in the tower flocked there.”
“…So?”
“I checked a few days ago, and among the businesses that requested security from our mercenary group, there were quite a few names I hadn’t seen before.”
“Wait a minute, that’s….”
“I thought about it, if they needed new security now, wouldn’t they be businesses that just entered the magic tower? So I invested money, and most of their stock prices soared!”
“……”
A quiet silence fell, and everyone began to look uneasily at Lennok.