Book Eater

Chapter 92: Leap in Sensitivity (2)

Theodore swallowed hard. He had guessed it, but there was a world of difference to having it confirmed. The only possible existence was the mysterious Tower Master whose age and gender. Rumors spoke of his right to refuse any summons and that no one other than the Tower Masters and the king could meet him. The top floor of the Yellow Tower was literally forbidden to anyone other than those expressly invited there.

According to the president of the Magic Society, even he had only seen the Yellow Tower Master once or twice in a hundred years.

Theo blinked. “Wait, did you say a hundred years?”

The president nodded. “That's right. I understand your surprise, but it doesn’t end here.”

Theo’s amazement only grew with his next words.

“Our records show that the magic towers were originally built according to his design, and detail more contributions to the prosperity of this country than any other tower master. Norden’s acumen in pharmacy, alchemy, metallurgy and architecture is already equal to that of a god. He is the sole reason why the northern continent has far superior artifacts than other regions.”

Theo’s eyes widened. “The design of the magic towers?! But President, if that’s the case, then the Yellow Tower Master should be-”

The president finished, “At least six hundred years old.”

It was an answer beyond imagination. From what he remembered, the magic towers had been first erected around five hundred years ago and had been gradually completed over several generations. The prosperity of the Meltor Kingdom was said to have leaped forward as soon as the magic towers had started functioning.

The Yellow Tower Master was the foremost pioneer of the Meltor Kingdom! It was no wonder the royal family had kept his identity secret. His extraordinary lifespan and transcendental capabilities would be burdensome if exposed.

If he’s more than six hundred years old, he’s definitely not human.

Neither a sword master or a magician could live that long. Elves boasted a lifespan of two hundred years, but even high elves who inherited their ancient lineage only lived up to four hundred years. Perhaps demons, gods or dragons could live forever, but those creatures were the stuff of myths. Most importantly, they couldn’t become magicians.

Magic was a skill that the human species had painstakingly put together after studying other species. Those who were innately born with magic would never learn such an inefficient system. It was impossible that one of them would take on the thankless task of guiding humans while living as a Tower Master.

The magic society’s president picked up on Theo’s thoughts and laughed. “It is useless.”

“Huh?”

“Countless magicians have tread the path of your thoughts right now. As long as he doesn’t reveal his identity, it will be pointless to make any assumptions. So, don’t worry too much about unnecessary things.”

As if to confirm those words, the two tower masters stopped fighting. The head of the bald troll popped off the crushed body of the golem and rolled over to Theo’s feet. Veronica had completely demolished the golem the Yellow Tower Master was controlling.

As it rolled, the troll head started to mumble.

[Huge, recovery function, not working. That’s why, from the beginning, make it again.]

“Will you stop whining?” Veronica walked behind the head and picked it up. “The Red Tower will pay for the costs of the repairs, so quickly give it to the kid.”

[Hmm, just a thing, it’s not. This.]

“Explain it to the kid, not me.”

[Cough.]

The troll head turned toward Theo. Suddenly, the face melted away as the eyes, nose, and ears reformed again. It was a magic phenomenon that completely defied any principles Theo knew of. The broken voice transformed into a deep, enunciated tone.

[The reward given to you is the Sensitivity Amplifier - No. 37.]

Theo murmured, “Sensitivity Amplifier...”

[That’s right. You should know how important sensitivity is to magicians. No training or items can increase your sensitivity.] However, the voice declared triumphantly, [But with this amplifier, you can go beyond your limits!]

Then he opened his mouth and a jewel box tumbled out.

“Ah.” Theo instinctively caught it before it fell.

The Yellow Tower Master seemed surprised. [Ah right, sorry. I forgot that my limbs were gone.]

“No, it's okay,” Theo responded as he transferred the box to his left hand.

He wondered if Gluttony could eat this. The thin tongue slipped through a gap in the box’s lid, and soon gave him an answer.

[Sensitivity Amplifier - No. 37 (Remedy)]

[This is an elixir born as a result of combining eastern alchemy, western alchemy and pharmacology. It has gone through thirty six failed attempts, so the number 37 was included in its name. It was completed with rare ingredients, ancient alchemy, and the workmanship of a high-level magician. It is a remedy which greatly increases the sensitivity to mana.

* The rating of this remedy is Treasure.

* When consumed, sensitivity will be dramatically increased.

* When consumed, there will be no digestion time.

* When consumed, understanding of alchemy will increase by two steps.

* It is more efficient to consume this orally than by using Gluttony’s eating function. Once imbibed, one’s body will build immunity to this remedy. Its effectiveness will become negligible after two doses.]

This is real.

It wasn’t that he didn’t believe the Yellow Tower Master’s explanation, but Theo only truly understood this item’s remedy after seeing the information window. He had always lacked confidence due to his poor sensitivity. It was said that sensitivity couldn’t be increased at all. So, a remedy capable of doing that would be truly expensive. Even ordinary students could break free of their shackles with this remedy. If it could be supplied in large quantities, Meltor would rise several notches in strength.

[By the way, the amount of ingredients used from conception to completion is worth 350,000 gold. Yet I can’t even sell the finished product. It is ridiculous.]

Theodore stiffened at the Yellow Tower Master’s grumbling. He was holding the product of sixty four years of research, and 350,000 gold worth of ingredients. The light jewel box seemed to almost grow heavier. Indeed, there was no need to keep it a secret if they could mass produce it.

Veronica didn’t know his feelings and said, “Kid. Take it right here. It is cleaner in many ways.”

Theo glanced at her. “Here? Now?”

She nodded. “Yep.”

Theo looked down at the box and back at her. “... Ah, I see. It shouldn’t be kept or sold. Right?”

“Nicely done, kid.” She laughed and patted Theo’s head.

As she said, the upper echelons gave him this medicine so that he could take it, so they wouldn’t tolerate the act of selling or keeping it. This was a national secret, so the amplifier had to be consumed while the president of the Magic Society and two Tower Masters were present.

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason why the Tower Masters had gathered.

“Besides, isn’t it better to have masters watching you? We can’t help, but we can ensure your safety. That’s why I called you here.”

Veronica was a master magician of the 8th Circle, and the president had reached the 7th Circle. There were no humans who could even touch Theo with the two of them guarding him.

Theodore was finally convinced and flipped the lid of the box open.

Huuk!

He flinched at the sweet and sour scent that enveloped the room. He could feel his body relaxing unconsciously. The smell was coming from a blue bead lying in the center of the box. Theo picked up the remedy carefully.

Gulp.

He swallowed it in full view of the Tower Masters.

[Sensitivity Amplifier - No. 37 has been consumed. The user’s potential is being stimulated.]

[The user’s mana sensitivity will be adjusted to the maximum value.]

[User will experience temporary sensitivity overload. Maintain a strong spirit for its duration.]

The remedy was amazing in many ways. It melted away as soon as it touched his tongue, and transformed into a vapor that flowed down his throat. His sinuses cleared as he felt a coolness spreading through his body.

Theo waited for a moment.

Is this all?

However, the reaction hit him a beat later.

“.......................!?”

Theodore fell off the chair as he gasped for breath. He didn’t feel pain from falling over, nor did hear the voices of Veronica or the president calling out to him.

Theo was familiar with pain, but this sensation was something which couldn’t be described as simple pain. It was like if someone suddenly gained a wolf’s sensitivity to scent. Would they be able to immediately detect every scent? No, the sheer amount of sensory information would be too much. Just like how eyes adjusted to darkness were hurt by sudden light, the five senses were based on a person’s everyday self. A magician’s mana sensitivity was the same. There were magicians who felt mana caress their skin, while others struggled to catch the faintest trace of its existence.

Theo had previously sensed mana as a thin cloud around him, but suddenly, he felt mana enclose him like a massive iceberg. His forcibly heightened sensitivity was reacting like a scalded cat.

I-I can’t breathe-!

He felt like he was dying as mana descended down around him. At that moment, a hand of salvation grabbed his neck.

“Kid, wake up!”

The fingers wrapped around his neck were so hot that he momentarily regained his senses. He gasped, and he realized that he could breathe despite the mana pressing down on his skin. However, his body refused to acknowledge that it was just an illusion.

As Theo struggled to overcome it somehow, he heard Veronica’s sharp voice. “Don’t push the mana away! It’s always been around you! You just didn’t feel it until now. There is no reason to refuse it just because you didn’t know about it. Use some magic!”

Theo could barely think, but his years of living as a magician came to the rescue.

“... Light... ning... Bolt.” It was a beginner spell that he had never been able to use until Gluttony had awoken. Theo forced himself to cast through his rising panic. It was a 2nd Circle spell which could, at best, produce dozens of lightning arrows.

However, the result was far beyond his expectations.

Crackle!

Several hundred streaks of lightning appeared inside the society’s office, causing papers to fly into the air and burn up. Clearly, Theo’s strength had just taken a quantitative leap forward. The result of his sensitivity running wild was close to a disaster.

“Good! You’re doing well!”

Nobody present would get hurt by such simple spells. Veronica’s robes didn’t even have a single scorch mark. A natural 4th Circle defense spell around her body blocked every wayward Lightning Bolt. Rather, she placed a hand on Theo’s shoulder and encouraged him to use more magic. In the end, the statue was the only thing that couldn’t bear any more damage as Theo kept casting spells.

Theo’s mind gradually grew used to the sensation of mana. The solid block of mana gradually started to feel like mud.

So, this is the feeling of mana.

He could now breathe easier. Mana didn’t exist, so it wasn’t a real weight. It was just proof of his increased sensitivity. Theo slowly got to his feet. He raised a hand, and let it trail through empty air. He could feel something between his fingers where there should only be air resistance.

“... Mana.”

Some said it felt like water. Some said earth. Some said fire. Theo had never felt it until now. He’d thought it was just an exaggeration or the senses of a genius. Mana had always been a mirage mocking him in the distance or a cloud in the sky he couldn’t reach with his magic.

However, that was no longer the case. The overwhelming talent which Sylvia had shown... the level of sensitivity which didn’t even require a chant...

Finally, Theo got his hands on what he had never been able to obtain.