I Became the 1st Floor Boss of the Tower

After Lee Shin’s lecture, the three Clartes who were in charge of the summon field had trouble dealing with the huge influx of questions and requests from all the attending wizards.

They were asking questions like whether there would be any more lectures on the summon field, and when it would be held. Some wizards even asked if it was possible for them to switch from the curse field to the summon field instead. Others also asked if they could have an appointment with Clarte Lee Shin.

At first, these three Clartes were a little bit annoyed by these questions and requests, because they were not Lee Shin’s assistants or secretaries. However, they could understand the wizards’ reactions because the three Clartes also had similar responses when they first saw Lee Shin’s summoning skills, which were beyond their levels.

This time, even though it was already their second time seeing Lee Shin's demonstration, they could not help the desire to learn more and the excitement that gushed out from the core of their being.

Since they were still amazed the second time, they knew that it was a natural reaction for the wizards who were seeing it for the first time. In fact, several Clartes who had already made solid achievements in the research of the curse field started to show interest in switching to the summon field as well.

"What would it be like if I worked on the summon field from now on?”

"I heard that Clarte Lee Shin covers both the curse and summon field, is that right? Should I try that as well? What do you think?”

"How long would it take to make such a Skeleton Ogre as my subordinate? Can you guys also do that?”

"Forget the Ogre, what about the Lizardman Sorcerer? I want to have the Lizardman Sorcerer as my subordinate. How long would that take me?”

These questions clearly showed how much they had not been interested in summoning previously. The three Clartes wanted to insult them, but they held it in.

"Mr. Clarte! I have a question!"

"If I study the summon field, can I become like Clarte Lee Shin?”

"When will it be possible for me to have dominance over thirty subordinates?”

"The one-man corps sounds so cool! I'm sure all of you Mr. Clartes can do that, right?”

After the three Clartes in charge of the summon field had sent away the other Clartes who had questions, the wizards of lower ranks approached them. The three Clartes struggled to reply to the wizards’ questions, because they knew next to nothing about the current situation of the summon field.

‘I don't know that either!’

‘How would I know how to do that?’

‘Please, Clarte Lee Shin, come here and do something about these guys!’

* * *

"Hello, Mr. Clarte Lee Shin. These are all the letters addressed to you." The employer on the first floor handed Lee Shin a box with dozens of letters inside when Lee Shin went down to the first floor.

When Lee Shin scanned the box, there were so many letters that he laughed. He decided to take them to his room, because he could not throw them away publicly. When Lee Shin quickly looked through the letters, he noticed a familiar name.

"Cigarate?" Lee Shin seemed interested.

When Lee Shin noticed the name Cigarate written on the cover of the letter, he took it out, and left the remaining pile on the side. Cigarate had written that he had something to tell Lee Shin urgently tonight, so he asked if Lee Shin could please come out to the open space in the southeast. Lee Shin did not know what Cigarate wanted to say, but he thought it would be a good idea to meet Cigarate at least once.

Lee Shin folded the letter and kept it close. He was aware that Cigarate would be the biggest unknown variable in this plan. He then went out to the open space as suggested, arriving just on time for the appointment. When he arrived, Lee Shin could see that Cigarate was already there and had been waiting for him.

"You’re here," Cigarate muttered.

"Why did you call me?" Lee Shin asked.

"I've heard rumors that you became a Clarte. Is that right? Plus, I heard that you gave a great lecture on the summon field as well," said Cigarate.

"Get to your point," said Lee Shin.

Lee Shin sounded like he would leave any moment if Cigarate did not get to the point quickly. Cigarate gave a cold look.

"Lee Shin... you’re He Who Knows Death… right?” Cigarate asked.

It seemed like Cigarate was very wary of the title He Who Knows Death. If even Cigarate, a challenger from another dimension, knew that Lee Shin was He Who Knows Death, Lee Shin had to assume that most of the challengers on the lower floors would know this as well, even if the ones on the higher floors might not.

Lee Shin realized that the effect of the title of Pioneer of the World was much greater than he had expected. Lee Shin could not imagine how far this information about him had spread.

"Well, what if I am?" Lee Shin asked.

"I know you're a challenger, too. I just wasn't sure if you were really that ‘Lee Shin,’ but it became clear after I saw your moves in the Black Magic Tower,” Cigarate explained.

"So what?" Lee Shin asked.

"So, what I want to say is that no matter who you are, it will be difficult to defeat all the Magic Towers and win if you only rely on the combat power of the Black Magic Tower. Why don’t we do this together?” Cigarate suggested.

Lee Shin smirked at Cigarate’s sudden proposal, because Cigarate had earlier been convinced that the wizard whom he had fought with earlier was definitely not Lee Shin. Cigarate had thought that Lee Shin, a Dark Wizard, would never be able to use such a high level of water and fire spells.

"Well, why should I do that? There's no reason for me to join you guys since the Red Magic Tower has already been destroyed," Lee Shin explained.

"The Red Magic Tower is not ruined. Our deputy master is still around, and we have many Clartes left. Besides, they have me,” Cigarate said proudly.

"I think you're overconfident. If I kill you here, wouldn’t the Red Magic Tower be done for?” Lee Shin laughed at him.

Upon hearing Lee Shin’s provocative words, Cigarate raised his vigilance to his best ability and activated his mana power.

"Do you think you can kill me?" Cigarate asked.

The air that surrounded the two wizards changed in an instant. It was certain that Cigarate had a different level of skills from the other challengers Lee Shin had seen so far. Besides, it was ridiculous for Lee Shin to compare Cigarate’s skills to those whom Lee Shin had taught on the first floor, such as Park Hye-Won, Park Joo-Hyuk, and Baek Hyun.

There was no need to pick a fight with Cigarate at this moment, because Lee Shin knew that Cigarate’s combat power would be useful in the upcoming battle against the White Magic Tower.

"Let’s not do this, because nothing will be solved even if the two of us fight here.” When Lee Shin made it seem like he was giving in, Cigarate stopped activating his mana.

"Do you know about the culprit behind the incident?” Cigarate asked.

"No, I don't," Lee Shin replied.

"I think there are one or two culprits behind the incident. They are likely a powerful flame wizard and cryomancer, or a wizard who is highly skilled in handling both of these elements. Actually, I encountered the ice wizard for a second, and it felt like we were at a similar level. Honestly, if the flame wizard is also at that level, I will be overwhelmed to deal with them on my own,” Cigarate explained.

Cigarate assessed himself in a more objective manner than what Lee Shin had expected. It was a little contrasting to his confident demeanor, which seemed even arrogant sometimes.

"Well, if you're a challenger, you probably know what the Hell difficulty is like. One of us would not be able to clear this floor, but if we cooperate, at least one of us will clear this stage. Why don’t we first defeat that power and have a battle between the Red and Black Magic Towers at the end?” Cigarate suggested.

"Don't you think I could be the culprit?" Lee Shin asked.

"You can't be the culprit. There’s no way a wizard on the 15th floor is skilled enough to handle both the fire and water spells like that, and also master the black magic so proficiently. Plus, you’re not a Great Wizard, so it’s impossible that you’re the culprit,” Cigarate explained.

Cigarate's ideas were reasonable. Although Lee Shin had used a water spell at a high level of skill during the last lecture at the Blue Magic Tower, he only showed excellent control skills and did not show a high-level spell. Besides, Verren also mentioned that he could also demonstrate that much.

"So, you want to cooperate?” Lee Shin asked.

"Yes," Cigarate replied.

"All right, let's form an alliance for the time being," Lee Shin replied.

"After we destroy the White Magic Tower and kill the culprits—who are either challengers or someone from the Tower—we will have a battle then," said Cigarate.

Both having their own minds, Lee Shin and Cigarate shook hands and made an alliance.

* * *

Back in the Black Magic Tower, the deputy master visited Lee Shin again.

"Are you done thinking?" the deputy master, Ethan, asked.

"Yes," Lee Shin replied.

"Great, I think it's time for us to talk now. Soon the alliance will be attacking the White Magic Tower together, and our tower has to support them. As you know, the master of the Black Magic Tower is not interested in the growth of our Magic Tower. Instead, he is just focused on improving his own magic skills," Ethan explained.

During the last time the deputy master had visited Lee Shin, he had proposed to Lee Shin that they should bring down the current master of the Black Magic Tower.

Already, more than half of the tower was under the influence of the deputy master, and Ethan needed Lee Shin’s help to carry out his plan, because Lee Shin recently became a key figure in the Black Magic Tower. Lee Shin was very important in Ethan’s plan. If Lee Shin refused Ethan’s plan, Ethan’s whole plan could potentially go down the drain in an instant.

"Okay, so what do you think? We’ll get rid of the master, then I'll be the new master and you will be the deputy master immediately. Together, we will try to revive the Black Magic Tower together. It is possible if it's you and me," Ethan explained.

Lee Shin could tell that Ethan wanted to get Lee Shin's agreement. Lee Shin looked into Ethan's desperate eyes and said, “All right, let's do it together. I’ll be on your side."

* * *

The reason why Ethan had been postponing such a huge deal was that he wanted to first ensure that he had enough influence in the tower. Secondly, Ethan could not accurately assess the hidden ability of the master. Thirdly, it was due to external circumstances. However, all of these had now been settled.

Knowing that he had influence over more than half of the people in the Magic Tower, when Lee Shin decided to stand on his side, it was as good as having gained the trust of the whole tower. Besides, no matter how much the master of the Black Magic Tower had been withdrawing himself to develop his ability, Ethan was confident that he could defeat the master with Lee Shin’s help.

Moreover, the Deleague was no longer a concern, because other Magic Towers had begun to collapse. Now was the time to bring down the master of the Black Magic Tower and consolidate the might of the Magic Tower and grow stronger.

"It's me, Master. Please open the door." Ethan knocked on the door to the master’s room.

Ethan had brought Lee Shin and the Head Clarte with him to confront the master. He knew the master had not been there for a while, because whenever Ethan called the master, there was no response. Therefore, Ethan thought that there would be no response this time as well.

‘If you don't open it, I'm going to break in.’

As Ethan was thinking that, the voice of the master of the Magic Tower came from the inside.

"Come in, the door is open,” said the master.

Ethan was surprised to see the master letting them in more gently than he thought. It made Ethan feel uneasy. When Ethan opened the door and entered the room, he saw the master, who seemed relaxed, sitting. The master greeted the three people.

"Why did you come? I think I told you not to come until I told you to do so,” said the master.

"Do you know what's going on outside?" Ethan asked with a bit of reproach in his voice.

Ethan’s words were tinged with resentment towards the master of the Magic Tower who had not been taking care of the wizards of the tower even till now.

"Yes, I am aware of that. I heard that other Magic Towers are in chaos right now,” said the master.

"Sigh, I guess you still know what you need to know, even though you’re stuck here,” said Ethan.

“...” The master remained speechless.

"And you still chose to neglect our Black Magic Tower?” Ethan burst out in anger.

Then, the master of the Magic Tower got up from his seat and looked through the window.

"Do you know why this happened to our Black Magic Tower?” the master asked.

“Of course, I do. It’s because we are weak,” Ethan replied.

"Yes, you’re right, and that's why I had to be strong,” said the master.

It wasn't just Ethan who was put under pressure all these while, because Lakia, the master of the Black Magic Tower, sounded grave, as if he had also been through the same.

"What’s the point if you’re the only one who’s getting stronger here? You’re not the only one in the Magic Tower!” Ethan shouted.

"No, I have to be strong. The growth of our Black Magic Tower began to stagnate after our ancestors were cut off from us. I had to raise that threshold, because if I could not do that, others could not go up further," Lakia explained.

"How can you be so sure of that? Most wizards can't even get to the starting point of the road that you've paved! You’re just giving excuses!” Ethan shouted in frustration.

The more Ethan spoke, the more intense his emotions became. And he ended up pointing his wand at Lakia.

"I don't think I'm wrong, Ethan," said Lakia.

"Well, same here. Please step down from your position as the master. If not, you’ll have to die here," said Ethan.

Mana had gathered at the tip of Ethan's wand, and he signaled with his eyes at Lee Shin and the Head Clarte.

"I know you're strong, Ethan, and our level of skills may have been similar in the past, but they are different now," said Lakia.

After saying that, Lakia also pulled up his mana. The two mana clashed, and Ethan's confident face stiffened when he felt the backlash.

"Keugh!” Ethan gasped.

Ethan groaned and retreated. His mana was deflected away easily. This was because while Ethan was taking care of the Magic Tower, Lakia’s status rose to the next level, causing a big gap in power between the two. There was a faint bitterness in Lakia’s expression when he felt the difference. At the same time, Lee Shin's Shadow Space unfolded and May stood up.

"How dare you!" The Head Clarte shouted because he thought Lee Shin was going to attack Lakia using May.

The Head Clarte suddenly attacked Lee Shin, but he was blocked by May's magic. Ethan clenched his teeth and stared at the Head Clarte and asked,

"I expected it. Were you planning on betraying us?”

"I’ve been following the master since the beginning," the Head Clarte replied.

At that moment, other passages were created beneath the ground, and from there, Warrie and Kalen popped out. When Lakia felt the fierce morale from the summoners, his face stiffened rapidly. The Head Clarte was busy dealing with Kalen’s magic.

"Hahaha! Yes! We have Lee Shin with us. Lakia, you will be done today, too.” Ethan laughed.

When Ethan's mana power gathered and headed to Lakia, the Red-Eyed Swordsman Warrie intervened and cut the magic with his sword.

"Huh? How did you do that? I mean, what are you doing!” Ethan, whose face was distorted, shouted at Lee Shin.

Lee Shin stood at his spot, looking at the three people, expressionless.

"What do you mean, be quiet if you don't want to all die,” said Lee Shin.

"W-w-what?” Ethan started to panic.

"I can’t believe the weak are trying to kill each other instead of thinking about joining forces..." Lee Shin shook his head and called out Lilian.

There was a sudden rush of red blood that gathered in the air, and out of it came a creature with a class that was different from everyone. She had pale white skin, and purple hair. A beautiful woman in an antique dress looked at the three, her eyes like red jewels.

"You inferior ones,” Lilian muttered.

There was a sudden surge of overwhelming power. The three people held their necks and fell to their knees under the choking pressure as if they were about to suffocate. Unlike Lakia, who could hold out a little bit more, Ethan and the Head Clarte looked like they were about to faint. When Lee Shin noticed that, he stopped Lilian with a gesture.

‘I can’t believe it’s using up this much of my mana power just to summon someone her class.’

Despite the increase in his mana power, the use of Lilian was still a little burdensome to Lee Shin.

“Ha... Oh my..."

"Sigh..."

The three people were shocked, staring blankly at the ground.

"If you don't want us all to die, cooperate," said Lee Shin.