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He was a researcher at the Mountain Pace Herbal Research Institute, with wrinkles starting to show his age, but he didn\'t seem to have a high rank.

"I apologize. The professor was too busy, so he sent me for now. I would appreciate it if you could understand."

Oliver politely asked for understanding, but the man didn\'t seem to want to listen.

Not only did he have negative feelings towards Oliver, but his nature seemed to be prone to anger.

Not a rational anger like Willes, but an emotional one.

He snorted with irritation.

"Ha! How busy can he be…"

Jealousy and irritation shone in his emotions.

The exact reason was unknown, but it seemed related to the fatigue that dimmed his Life-force, rough hands, and dirt on his work clothes.

As Oliver pondered how to respond, a woman appeared from the depths of the research institute.

"Watch your mouth. You\'re responsible, Hayden. Professor Kevin is a Master in the Tower, so in terms of status, he\'s above you."

The woman who suddenly appeared was in her 30s and wore the same work clothes as the man.

The difference was that she was much more energetic and confident.

As she approached, the man with the hat backward became flustered.

"Yes? Yes, Director."

"Go inside, Hayden."

At the woman\'s gentle command, Hayden entered the research lab, mumbling and retreating like he was fleeing.

Once the man completely disappeared, the woman extended her dirt-stained hand to Oliver.

"Nice to meet you. I\'m Sophie, the director of this herbal research institute. I heard you were coming."

Oliver politely responded, shaking her hand with a courteous greeting.

"I\'m Zenon Bright, a personal employee hired by Professor Kevin Dunbara of the Elemental School. It\'s an honor to meet you, Director Sophie."

Sophie laughed at Oliver\'s well-mannered greeting.

"Oh, sorry. I was curious about who Kevin had hired, and as expected, you\'re an interesting person. Please understand Hayden\'s grumbling earlier. He\'s been stuck here for a long time and has built up a lot of anger."

"I don\'t mind. More importantly, do you know Professor Kevin?"

"Of course. We\'re from the same school… Would you like to come in for a moment?"

Oliver nodded and entered. Suddenly, Sophie showed her palm and stopped Oliver.

"Wait a minute. Who\'s that person?"

Sophie pointed to Willes, who was wearing a leather mask.

Oliver introduced Willes as a solver he had hired, as previously agreed.

"A Solver?"

"Yes, I heard that this place is dangerous."

"Hmm… Outsiders have difficulty accessing our facility. For wizards, research and knowledge are vital, so we\'re conservative about security."

"I understand that according to the rules, we can enter if our identities are guaranteed."

Sophie\'s eyes widened slightly.

"Oh… Did you really read the entire [Tower Rules]? That thick book?"

"Since I decided to work at the Tower I did."

"You\'re diligent… These days, nobody reads that boring, thick book for such a reason. It doesn\'t matter. Come in."

Sophie allowed Willes to visit.

"Just remember that if there\'s any problem, it could also affect Kevin."

"Yes, I understand. I believe the professor would understand as well."

"Really? He\'s quite picky, you know?"

"Since he sent me in his place, I believe he would allow me this much discretion."

"Ha! Not only interesting but also courageous. I like it. I trust you\'ll be helpful."

"I\'ll do my best, though I may be lacking."

"Good. Are you aware of the situation here?"

"Yes, I know that a few employees at the Mountain Pace Research Institute have gone missing, and the wizards who came to investigate have also suddenly lost contact."

"That\'s correct. Three people from our research institute have disappeared as well."

Sophie took out a pipe and showed three fingers.

After that, she took out some dried herbs from her work clothes pocket, stuffed them into the pipe, and lit it with magic.

Puff. Puff.

Smoke rose with a sound, smelling like tobacco but slightly sweeter.

"I\'m sorry. I had to hold back while I was working."

"I\'m fine. Can I ask how many total staff members are at the research institute and who are the three missing people?"

"Counting all the minor workers, there are fifty-four staff members in the research institute, and the missing people are two apprentices and a general researcher who managed them."

"How did they go missing?"

"They disappeared while digging up necessary herbs. We would have normally entrusted the task to the villagers nearby, but since only those who know how to use magic can properly collect the items, we entrusted it to those guys… In hindsight, it was a mistake."

Sophie seemed calm on the surface, but there was a hint of regret in her emotions.

"Still… three out of fifty-four is not that many."

"We immediately restricted the movements of all research institute staff after the disappearances. The response was late for the other research institutes, so their damage is slightly worse."

"Is it quite serious?"

"It\'s not that bad from the Tower\'s perspective. We\'re still at an acceptable level. The Tower doesn\'t want to create chaos over such issues. This place being a bit remote also contributes."

Sophie\'s words had weight. As Oliver was trying to understand the implications, Willes intervened from behind.

"Is there any rumor or talk?"

Sophie stared at Willes and answered.

"A rumor?"

"Yes, a rumor. When a disappearance occurs, strange rumors tend to spread. Like about monsters or ghosts."

"That\'s the same as what the villagers are talking about. Did you happen to pass by and hear them?"

Sophie asked Oliver, and he replied affirmatively.

"Yes, I thought there might be some clues in the villages."

"Um… That\'s not a bad approach. The villagers here are also suffering. To answer your question, we haven\'t seen any."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. We restricted outside access for now. The wizards dispatched by the Tower searched, but they couldn\'t find anything either… So, it could be one of two things."

"What?"

"Either it\'s a baseless rumor, or the ghosts are so adept at hiding that they can evade even a wizard\'s search."

Oliver fell into thought for a moment upon hearing that.

After a while, Oliver opened his mouth again.

"Can I ask what exactly this research institute does?"

"Is it related to the missing case?"

"A little bit. I\'m also curious."

Sophie smiled slightly.

"Kevin really chose an interesting fellow… As the name suggests, we study herbs. You may not know, but herbs are essential for making excellent potions. Although it\'s not highly valued in the Alchemy School, it\'s still an important research."

"Then, are there people who covet this research?"

Oliver asked calmly but sharply, and Sophie, who grasped the core of the question, raised the corner of her mouth.

"Of course, there are. A wizard\'s research is quite profitable. However, it is rare to see someone trying to steal research materials these days, at least not from outside the Tower."

"Is that so?"

"Wizards are often exposed to the risk of having their research stolen, so they know how to prepare for it. Research institutes, including this one, have their own security systems and guards in place, making it difficult to attack. They also have a security structure that can respond to any attacks."

"Security structure?"

"Yes. When submitting daily reports to their respective schools, they send their own code. This way, they can detect any anomalies immediately. Moreover, an emergency communication network is installed to notify neighboring research institutes and the Tower in case of an attack, making it impossible not to know if there\'s a problem."

Oliver couldn\'t help but say, "Ah…"

He thought that the disappearances might be a precursor to an attack on the research institute, but according to Sophie, it seemed unlikely.

"Can I ask another question?"

⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩

As the sun was setting, Oliver left the Herbal Research Institute and returned to the village with Willes.

They asked a few more questions afterward, but they didn\'t find anything substantial.

It was only natural to get obvious answers to obvious questions.

"I\'m sorry. I thought I could find something, but it\'s not easy."

"Not really? It\'s okay. I didn\'t expect to find the answer all at once. Instead, we got some useful information."

"Useful information?"

"Yeah, she said the Wizards dispatched from the Tower couldn\'t find any traces either, right? That means our opponent is no ordinary one."

Willes referred to the culprit related to the disappearances, and Oliver agreed.

This wasn\'t an ordinary disappearance, and it was inevitable that someone was involved.

Moreover, there were wizards among the missing people, so it was easy to infer that the culprit was not ordinary.

That\'s why Oliver suspected that they might be planning to attack the research institute.

‘Did I see it too much from a warlock\'s perspective? Well, Wizards are larger in scale and more organized than warlocks, and they are also protected by the law, so it wouldn\'t be easy to attack them as it sounds.\'

Even after hearing about the security system at the research institute here, dealing with the aftermath of an attack would be a problem.

There\'s a huge difference between a researcher and a worker disappearing and a research institute being attacked.

In that case, the Tower would have abandoned its cautious attitude and immediately dispatched a large number of wizards here.

Then there would be nothing for the side trying to steal the research to gain.

‘As expected, it\'s not easy to deduce something.\'

"Your speculation wasn\'t bad either."

Willes said to Oliver.

"I thought the main target would be the villagers, maybe human traffickers or warlocks trying to experiment on humans. But if it\'s Mountain Pace, the research institute could be the target as well."

"Ah, thank you for your kind words."

"It\'s not an exaggeration. People related to the Tower usually can\'t think like that."

Oliver tilted his head.

"Do you really think so?"

"Yes, the Tower surprisingly can\'t think that way. It\'s not because they\'re stupid, but because they have a rational self-confidence."

"Rational self-confidence?"

"Yes, the Magic Tower is so large that they don\'t often think they\'ll be attacked first. Smart Wizards would still be cautious, but the vast majority can\'t. It\'s because they believe they are strong. So, your opinion was quite interesting."

Willes asked sharply, his expression filled with suspicion.

"I\'ve told you before, this is my first year in the Magic Tower."

"So, what did you do before that?"

"Pardon?"

"What did you do before joining the Magic Tower? Restaurant worker? Bellboy? Factory worker? Or a Solver?"

The question seemed to come from some sort of certainty.

Just as Oliver was about to answer, something approached from a distance.

Oliver detected it with his warlock vision, and Willes sensed it with the detection magic he periodically emitted from his body.

The conversation was interrupted, and Oliver and Willes prepared for the suddenly appearing presence without exchanging a word.

Soon, someone emerged through the bushes. It was a woman in outdoor attire, wearing an expensive necklace that did not match her outfit.

"Haah… Haah… Hello! I\'m Lena, a general researcher from the Chimera Research Institute under the Life School Division. I heard from the Herbal Research Institute that you were here, are you Zenon Bright, who came on behalf of Professor Kevin Dunbara?"

⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩

"We\'ll arrive soon. I didn\'t expect to get a ride like this, thank you."

Lena, a general researcher from the Chimera Research Institute under the Life School Division, spoke as she rode in the truck with Oliver and Willes.

She said that the Chimera Research Institute, which is part of the Life School Division, researches chimeras using the beasts scattered around Mountain Pace.

Fortunately, the Chimera Research Institute heard about Oliver\'s arrival from the Herbal Research Institute and asked her, who happened to be nearby, to find Oliver.

"I was really lucky. I happened to be nearby. I\'m so happy to meet you so easily."

"Thank you for thinking that… I\'m just an assistant to the professor, but I\'m grateful for your warm welcome."

Willes noticed a slightly different side of Oliver, who was polite but not servile.

Lena from the Chimera Research Institute smiled brightly and waved her hand.

"No, no! We\'re just glad to have support from the Magic Tower. It\'s enough if you can pass on our message!"

"Message?"

"Oh, didn\'t I tell you? We found some traces."

"Traces, you mean?"

"Yes! Traces of the disappearance cases! I can\'t tell you the details now, but we\'ve found out quite a bit."

"That\'s amazing."

"Our institute is quite large in this area, and there are many missing people as well. You know what they say, a thirsty person digs a well quickly, right?"

"I heard from the Herbal Research Institute that you\'re one of the most affected institutes… So, were you outside to find traces of the disappearance cases?"

"Ah, no. I was outside for a brief experiment. I wanted to check the condition of the beasts with markings for observation. Despite the chaos, research can\'t stop. Many people want to produce results quickly and leave this place… I don\'t know if you understand."

"I heard a bit about it earlier. Mountain Pace is a unique place within the entire Magic Tower."

"Yes, that\'s right. The work we do here is significant, but it\'s not a place that gets much recognition. So, most of us aim to produce results here and then return to Magic Tower… It\'s been a while since I\'ve talked to someone from outside, so I ended up sharing a lot."

Lena said this and laughed. There was emotion in her words, and a bit of sincerity. It was as if she really was in that kind of situation.

Oliver found this interesting and continued asking questions until the truck arrived at the Chimera Research Institute.

He asked about the specific research conducted at the Chimera Research Institute, the number of staff, the number of missing people, and other situations.

Lena answered naturally, and it wasn\'t much different from what they had heard at the Herbal Research Institute.

Soon, the truck stopped.

The driver spoke through the gap in the windshield.

"We\'ve arrived."

Lena, Willes, and Oliver got out.

When they stepped outside, the sky was already dark.

Oliver approached the driver\'s side and spoke to the driver.

"Excuse me."

"Yes?"

"I left something in the village. Could you bring it for me…? If you\'re tired, you can rest in the village and come back tomorrow."

At Oliver\'s unexpected request, the driver frowned. He had worked hard to get here late at night, and now he was being asked to run an errand without even getting a break.

However, the driver was quick-witted, like someone who was helping Willes, and silently looked at Willes.

Willes seemed to notice something and slightly nodded.

"Yes… I understand."

The driver started the truck as he replied.

At that, Lena said, "Isn\'t it too late? Wouldn\'t it be better to rest and go down tomorrow?"

"I\'m sorry. I\'d like to do that, but it\'s an important item. If the driver is okay with it, you don\'t have to worry."

"Ah…"

Lena couldn\'t say anything more, and the driver was able to go down to the village without any obstacles.

He probably wouldn\'t return until before sunrise the next day.

"Can you guide us to the research institute, then?"

"Ah, yes! Follow me."

She came to her senses as Oliver spoke and guided them to the Chimera Research Institute.

The scale was indeed larger than the Herbal Research Institute.

While the Herbal Research Institute was large, it looked like a greenhouse built above ground.

The Chimera Research Institute, on the other hand, was like a secret fortress carved into the side of the mountain.

Even among Magic Tower research institutes, the difference in atmosphere was enormous.

"Our Life school faction pays more attention to security than other research institutes. Follow me."

Lena led the way, and Oliver and Willes followed.

The Life School faction\'s research institute had a thick iron door, which reacted to the magical touch of a hand and opened with a heavy, rumbling sound.

"It\'s similar to the automatic doors at the Magic Tower library."

"Oh, you noticed. We got the idea from there and combined it with Life School technology to create this security system."

As the door opened and they entered, eight people who seemed to be security guards were waiting inside.

They didn\'t say a word but made a gesture to guide Oliver and Willes, as if they had expected them. They stood around them, as if to escort or encircle them.

As they passed the door and entered the corridor, the door of the Life School Chimera Research Institute closed, cutting off the inside from the outside.

The only light in the room came from a dim light bulb set in a row on the ceiling, making the interior slightly dark.

Oliver looked at the ceiling light bulb and asked,

"How was the Life School technology incorporated?"

"Do you know that the automatic doors in Magic Tower work by setting a specific magic in the World Tree and opening when the corresponding magic is input?"

"Yes, I know."

"The basic principle is similar. We use the World Tree for communication and assign Life school-style settings so that only specific people can enter."

"Life school-style settings?"

As Oliver asked, the dim light bulb began to flicker.

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-

"Yes, each person has a slightly different flow of mana, like fingerprints on fingertips."

Lena pointed to her fingertip.

"In other words, unless you have the same mana flow and the same fingerprint, you can\'t open that door and enter. For security purposes, the researchers here open the door and enter one by one every day."

"Oh, so there\'s no need to worry about external intrusions or infiltrations?"

"Right."

"But can the fingerprint be replicated with a leather mask?"

Suddenly, everyone stopped.

Lena, who had been leading the way, Willes, and the security guards surrounding them all stopped.

"I’m curious. I know that the flow of mana is different for each person, but is it easy to mimic? It\'s delicate and even I found it a bit tricky."

"Oh… Really?"

Lena, who was in front, turned her head back and answered.

Her once warm and energetic face became unnatural, like a mask, and turned sinister.

Her muscles bulged, veins popped, and long, sharp fangs protruded.

"You\'re an interesting one, showing off like that. Well, we can check it slowly… Attack."

At Lena\'s command, the security guards surrounding Oliver and Willes let out beast-like howls and rushed at them. Simultaneously, the dim corridor light bulb went out with a pop.

Darkness enveloped them.

(To be Continued)

OR

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