Jin Bora immediately set up another simple tent and ordered me to create a magic circle.
At this point, she didn’t even need to promote anymore. Word had spread, and the remaining 100 pieces were selling like hotcakes.
“Just one more, please!”
“Our guild members will all use them—give us twenty!”
“Ah, sorry! Other people are waiting in line, so we’re limiting it to three per person…”
No, it wasn’t just selling well—it was already in short supply.
Rumors were circulating that in the Lava Cavern hunting grounds, each piece was being traded for 100,000 won.
And so, within just two hours, we were completely sold out.
A million won had landed in my pocket in an instant.
“Bora, let’s pack up.”
In the end, we declared a sellout.
Rather than making them one by one on the spot, it seemed better to leave the dungeon, find a quiet place, and work on production properly.
Since business was clearly booming, we could just restock and come back tomorrow.
With that, we exited the dungeon.
“Senior! Your magic is way more amazing than I expected!”
Jin Bora said excitedly.
“You did well too. It was worth bringing you along.”
She grinned widely at my compliment.
“And when the potion is released, this will be nothing in comparison.”
“Ugh, I can’t wait! How am I supposed to hold out until then?”
“By the way, are you sure it’s okay to use the school’s name so freely? You’re in the student council—what if the school gets direct inquiries?”
She gave me a mischievous smile.
“I planned ahead for that. I already coordinated with a senior in the academy research group.”
Oh. This one’s got some skills.
I saw her in a slightly different light after this.
“And besides, we’re not scamming anyone about the quality. At worst, it’s just a bit of exaggerated marketing, right? Customers are happy with the product, everyone wins! That’s all that matters!”
…Come to think of it, she’s really good at rationalizing things.
I opened my navigation app and searched for nearby accommodations.
“Found a cheap guesthouse nearby. We’ll work there.”
“Then what do I do in the meantime?”
“Go kill time on your own. There’s a PC café nearby.”
“…PC café.”
She muttered quietly, pursing her lips as she looked at me.
PC cafés are cozy, though?
“If you don’t like that, since we’re here for a dungeon trip anyway, go hunting or something.”
“Ugh, it’s too hot in there! Can’t I just stay with you? I promise I won’t be a distraction.”
“You’ll be a—”
“Then let’s gooo!”
She clung to my arm and shouted, “Let’s go!”
Her intention was obvious, but well, she had played a big role today, so I let it slide.
\* \* \*
As soon as we arrived at the guesthouse, an intense labor session began. I threw myself into crafting magic-imbued clothing like a madman.
It was exhausting, but at least one thing made it worthwhile.
[Magic Power +1]
This notification would pop up now and then.
This is training. This is training.
I kept repeating that to myself, clinging to consciousness despite being utterly drained.
“Senioor! This is too hard!”
Beside me, Jin Bora was drawing a magic circle on the floor.
She kept chattering and distracting me, so to shut her up, I decided to teach her some magic.
“Why can’t you do it? Look.”
But she couldn’t even spread her mana properly.
I placed my hand on the floor and demonstrated.
“You have to spread your mana over the surface like you’re unrolling a flat canvas. Like this.”
Beneath my palm, two blue layers formed in perfect alignment.
Jin Bora pouted.
“This is way too hard! Even when you say ‘like a canvas,’ I can’t really picture it.”
“Why?”
She suddenly raised her hand.
“First of all, I think there’s something wrong with my teacher.”
“…Huh?”
I didn’t expect to get called out like this.
“You’re like, ‘Just watch me and do it! Why can’t you do it?’ How do you think that feels from a beginner’s perspective?”
“…I was just following what’s written in the textbooks.”
I felt a bit wronged.
I was literally teaching her exactly as it was written in standard magic theory.
Jin Bora narrowed her eyes and spoke in a robotic tone.
“Wow, that’s really amazing. As expected of our great Tower Master. Hmph.”
She ended up sulking, but honestly, I had nothing else to say.
Why is this so hard for her?
Well, I wasn’t particularly well-versed in the theory of magic myself, so I couldn’t really tailor my explanations for beginners.
I just explained it the way I experienced it.
“I’m taking a break.”
Eventually, she lost interest, flopped onto the bed, and started tapping away at her smartphone.
At least I had successfully gotten her to be quiet, so I resumed my work.
Then, among the pile of finished clothes, I spotted a defective one.
“Eia, did you make this?”
At first, I had worked alone to build proficiency, but this time, I was working with Eia.
I would draw the main “Heat Resistance Magic Circle,” and she would add the “Sustainability Magic Circle” next to it.
“Look at this. The formula for the sustainability magic circle is wrong, so it’s defective. This won’t last an hour—”
-…Master.
“What?”
-My magic abilities are influenced by you, but my concentration is independent.
So, your skills are the same, but you just weren’t focused…?
-No, what I mean is that working for hours without blinking is abnormal.
…Oh.
-If we continue at this pace, my primary administrative functions will deteriorate due to mental strain. I declare a strike.
“Ah! Senior, you’re talking to Eia right now, aren’t you? She scolded you, didn’t she? See! It’s not just me who thinks you’re weird!”
“…”
As I remained silent, Jin Bora let out a small sigh.
“Hmm, Senior, I think… you’re kind of lacking in empathy for people who aren’t as skilled as you.”
At that moment, something clicked in my mind.
People who aren’t as skilled as me.
I had never seriously considered that concept before.
I always thought I was at the bottom, with nowhere to go but up.
I assumed that those who weren’t as good just lacked effort.
But now, I was the Tower Master.
My environment had changed drastically.
“Yeah, that’s right. I’ll be more mindful from now on.”
As I readily acknowledged it, Jin Bora’s expression softened. Even Eia’s voice in my mind returned to its usual gentle tone.
“I’m sorry for being rude too.”
-The Tower Master has no reason to apologize to a homunculus.
The stifling atmosphere noticeably lightened. Stretching my arms, I spoke.
“Let’s take a break.”
“Deal! Want to grab dinner? I just searched for the best places to eat in Yeoju, and apparently, the chive pork stew is amazing!”
“Alright, let’s go.”
It still felt awkward, but I decided to start getting used to adjusting to others.
Day 2 of the Lava Cave expedition.
With Eia’s help, I finally managed to complete the remaining 400 items.
We ended up arriving a little late, missing the opening time by a bit due to oversleeping. But the moment we entered the dungeon, we saw people looking around, clearly searching for us.
“The Academy students are here!”
“You’re selling that item again today, right?”
“I saw on the forums that you must buy a heat-resistance item at the entrance!”
At this point, word had spread so much that we didn’t even need to call for customers anymore.
I sat at the table, handling the transactions, while Jin Bora took care of distributing queue numbers and organizing the line.
“Hey, mister! You just cut in line, didn’t you? Get back to the end right now!”
“W-What? Do you even know what guild I’m from…?”
“Oh, shut it! Guild or not, if you want to buy something, go back and wait your turn!”
Every time I come to the Lava Cave, I can’t help but notice—Jin Bora is always so sharp and efficient at work.
If only she could sort out her issues with guys, she’d be perfect.
Anyway, there was no need to elaborate on the outcome. The 400 items sold out on the spot.
“Sold out! This means we hit our target earnings, right?”
“Yeah, good job.”
“Yahoo!”
We finished earlier than expected, but in the end, it was a happy ending.
Watching satisfied customers leave with the items I created, I stretched my arms.
“Since we have a lot of time left, should we go hunting for a bit?”
Honestly, my body had been itching for action since yesterday.
“Sounds great! I heard there’s a boss monster appearing today too, so this should be fun. Ah!”
“What is it?”
“I should’ve saved a few extra outfits just in case.”
“You do realize you’re standing right in front of the mage who made those, right?”
I inscribed a heat-resistance magic circle onto her clothes. By now, my proficiency had reached nearly 70%, making it much easier to cast.
“Whoa! It really doesn’t feel hot at all! This is amazing!”
Excited, she checked out her outfit from various angles.
I applied the same magic to my own clothes, and together, we set off toward the hunting grounds.
The entrance area of the dungeon, where we had been selling items, was nothing special—just a vast granite hill with no real landmarks.
But as we moved forward, we arrived at an enormous plain where lava bubbled across the ground.
One remarkable thing stood out: there was no sky.
Above us, only an impossibly high cave ceiling loomed.
‘So this is why they call it the Lava Cave.’
The field was already teeming with hunters taking down monsters.
The primary creatures here were massive beings made entirely of molten lava.
“Give me some intel on the monsters, Eia.”
-Yes, Tower Master. The creatures are called Lava Worms. They are Rank 2 fire-type monsters that attack by spewing flames. Their attacks are powerful, but their sluggish movements make them easy to defeat with ranged attacks.
“Alright, let’s warm up with one of them.”
Summoning my mana, I advanced toward a Lava Worm.
The creature, resembling a massive lava-built grub, squirmed as it noticed me and began approaching.
<Mana Arrow>
Two mana-infused arrows shot from my fingertips, flying straight toward the Lava Worm.
They struck its molten body, but the monster endured the attack and reeled back before spewing a stream of burning liquid.
<Shield>
I instantly conjured a shield overhead, forming a protective dome.
Watching the scorching liquid drip onto my shield, I shuddered at the thought of taking a direct hit.
“As expected, Mana Arrow isn’t very effective. In that case…”
It was time to test a new spell.
‘Eia, support me with the formula.’
-Understood, Tower Master.
Closing my eyes, I activated a new magic circle—an ice spell that combined freezing runes with output runes.
<Ice Javelin>
A dazzling magical array formed, launching a spear of pure ice.
CRACK!
The javelin struck the Lava Worm’s side, causing it to thrash in pain.
“Whoa! Ice magic!”
Jin Bora clapped her hands in excitement beside me.
“Mages are seriously amazing! They can adapt to any situation with the right elemental advantage—um, are you even listening, Senior?”
Something felt… off.
It wasn’t enough.
Maybe because my proficiency with Ice Javelin was still low?
Even though I attacked with an opposing element, the mana consumption and casting complexity didn’t feel worth it.
Fine.
Let’s do this my way.
<Copy Magical Position>
<Copy Magical Position>
SCHWING. SCHWING. SCHWING. SCHWING. SCHWING.
Ten identical Mana Arrow magic circles materialized around me.
“Go.”
FWOOOOSH!
A rain of magic arrows rained down on the Lava Worm from all directions.
The monster, unable to withstand the sheer firepower, let out a final screech before bursting apart into a puddle of molten slag.
Other hunters in the area turned to stare at me in shock.
[Mana +1]
[Intelligence +1]
I clenched my fist.
‘Yep. Magic is all about quantity!’
