Aran had never been able to use magic since she was young. Even channeling mana was difficult for her.

But her athletic ability was extraordinary. That, she inherited from the Tower Lord.

As she darted nimbly ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) up the shaking stairs, she bit her lower lip.

If things get dangerous, Vivers will definitely restructure the temple.

She had served as an executive in the Modification Faction for 23 years.

Thanks to bringing in the Tower Lord’s blood, she received special treatment after undergoing just one experiment.

Many executives had died during the experiments, so few had the kind of long-standing record Aran did.

Just shift a few stones, and the interior of the temple reshapes itself to create a secret escape route...

Long ago, Vivers had personally shown Aran how to open that escape passage.

It had been when she had just left the Magic Tower.

[This is your base building? It’s old and crappy... It’s smaller than even one of my rooms in the Tower.]

[Heh heh, Aran. This is the oldest and largest of all the temples. Even Dragonbloods can’t enter this place carelessly.]

[Maybe because there’s nothing worth entering for?]

[Nothing? Come now, look. Let me show you just how special this place is. The lower levels are empty right now—the test subjects all died—so I’ll give you a peek.]

It was over twenty years ago. Vivers probably didn’t even remember showing her that anymore.

And since then, he had never revealed the escape route to any of the other executives.

But Aran, though incapable of magic, had a phenomenal memory.

She could recall it as vividly as if it were yesterday—not just the secret passage, but how the temple structure itself moved.

When the temple reshapes, the whole structure shifts. It can crush intruders in the process if timed right...

She swallowed dryly.

And the underground level where the test subjects are—gets buried completely.

It was also a way to eliminate evidence.

Of course, the underground space connected to other routes, so air could still circulate. It could be dug out later. But anyone trapped would be stuck for days.

Even knowing that... I still threw Cedric the key and ran out...

At that moment, a rumble echoed—rururururung—and the stairs began to shake and collapse.

The temple interior was moving.

Of course. Vivers activated the mechanism.

Aran quickly pressed several stones along the wall. A new passage began to form where there had been only a solid wall.

As the previous path crumbled behind her, Aran flung her body into the narrow new tunnel just in time.

***

“What the hell?”

The stairway was pitch black and narrow. And it felt endless.

...This is too much! How am I supposed to climb back up later?

I may have become the ultimate scroll user, but my stamina was trash. After descending forever, my knees were wobbling.

Why is it so long...

And then—the invisibility scroll wore off. My body shimmered into view.

Even though I’d poured in a good amount of mana, it hadn’t lasted long. No wonder it hadn’t been commercialized.

No wonder Grandpa had no choice but to expose himself in that position earlier...

Anyway, the corridor was completely deserted. Whether I was invisible or not didn’t matter.

I continued trudging down the stairs, heart pounding.

Was Dad really down here?

My stubborn old dad, who I hadn’t seen since I was eight.

The one thing that’s driven me all this way was the thought of seeing him again...

Every choice in my past had been for Dad.

I’d endured life at Baron Roafi’s estate just to meet him. I’d suffered through the hellish Scroll Management Department. After learning the future, I saved the Dragonbloods, became a minister—all of it for the sake of being with him again.

Will things really go the way Grandpa said?

I’d rescue Dad. Grandpa would capture Mom.

And the three of us would hide from the Dragonbloods in the Magic Tower and live out our days in peace.

Would that be happiness?

I used to think I’d be happy just seeing Dad again.

Being confined in the Tower? That didn’t sound too bad.

Back when I’d just become a minister, Grandpa had even suggested, “Let’s just stay in the Tower until you’re forty!”

At the time, I thought that sounded fine. I had no attachments to the outside world—except seeing Dad.

But now...

No. I don’t think that would make me happy anymore.

Being alone in the dark, heading downward, I started having all kinds of thoughts.

That life doesn’t feel like happiness anymore.

It was ironic.

Grandpa had once perfectly described exactly what I wanted—and now, it didn’t excite me.

The truth is, I like showing off in front of people.

And as if surfacing from deep water, the things I really wanted came into view.

I hate being forgotten. I like being seen as capable. I love when subordinates follow my orders. I love being recognized. I adore it when people try to cozy up to me when I walk by.

Thinking about all the things I truly enjoyed made me snort.

Getting access to all department files as a minister—that was amazing.

I love reading official memos. I bet in the last two days, a ton have piled up from various departments. Not just the Scroll Department—there are so many messes I’d love to micromanage... I want to become a tyrannical, yet competent, Finance Minister type who everyone fears and obeys...

That wasn’t about Dad. That was my desire alone.

It was something I only realized after escaping from the bottom ranks.

I loved dressing up and attending luxury banquets too. Kibon ruined it last time, but I really want to go back and hold my seat in the VIP section till the end.

And inevitably, my thoughts turned to Kibon.

As soon as I thought of him, tears welled up again. He was the only thing that still made me cry.

If I take him to banquets... I wouldn’t let him dance with any other woman. I’d say he can only dance with me. And he’d probably agree to that...

And then—

A rumbling sound, rururururung, began again.

“Huh?”

Being naturally jumpy, I flinched hard.

“What the—?”

There had already been thuds and shakes earlier. I figured those were just Grandpa wrecking the east wing.

But this felt different. The sound itself was different.

Like the whole underground... like the floor beneath me was shifting?

“W-what the hell? What’s going on!?”

It didn’t feel like it would collapse completely, but the vibe was very unsettling.

And I was not the type to take unnecessary risks when I didn’t understand the situation.

I’m getting out. I can come back here any time. This is scary.

I thought about using a teleport scroll, but since the hallway was still intact, I figured I should save my mana.

Besides, there was another way I could get out of here quickly without spending mana.

[Hide here. You’re a test subject—so even if they kick you back into the maze, they won’t kill you.]

[Woof.]

[Come when I call you. You can do that, right?]

Kibon (the dog) was waiting at the underground prison entrance.

I shouted up the stairs at the top of my lungs.

“KIBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON! COME HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE!”

And then it happened.

RURURURURURUNG! A massive tremor—suddenly, the floor beneath me began to collapse.

Why now?! Why is it so fast!?

It all crumbled so fast that I didn’t even have time to grab a teleport scroll from my bag. I rolled helplessly as the floor gave way.

AAAAAARGH! See?! This is what happens when you suddenly try to show off in a field you’re not trained in! Why is the underground prison collapsing all of a sudden!?

The ground vanished beneath me, the stone stairs came apart, and I panicked.

As I flailed, nearly crushed by falling rubble—

“Kyaaah!”

Someone wrapped their arms around me, shielding my head.

A split second later, the wall collapsed with a BOOM right above us.

We tumbled into a small hollow formed by the broken stone wall. In the darkness, I felt warm breath mingling with mine. The scent was familiar. My eyes flew wide open.

“I’m here.”

The low voice echoed in my ear.

Maybe it was the danger, or maybe the surrealness of the moment, but my heart pounded so hard it hurt.

“Minister Namia’s Kibon...”

It was him. The real Kibon.

The human one.