After they finished drinking, the Benevolent Sage set his teacup down gently.
"This," he said calmly, "is the only help I will be able to give you."
Rohit and Raja stiffened slightly.
"From here on," the old man continued, "Amy and Emily will guide you. The Tower does not allow me to interfere any further." A faint smile appeared on his face. "The rest depends on how well you carve your own path."
He lifted his hand.
With a simple wave, space itself folded.
The clouds vanished.
Rohit felt a brief distortion—then suddenly, he was standing once more before the shimmering archway, Amy and Emily in front of him as if nothing extraordinary had just happened.
Raja let out a slow breath and turned to Rohit.
"If fate wills it," Raja said calmly, "we shall meet again."
Rohit smiled. "Next time, I will be stronger."
Raja nodded once, then turned and walked away with Emily, disappearing down the corridor.\
Rohit watched him leave before turning toward Amy.
As they walked deeper into the store, Amy suddenly spoke.
"So," she said casually, though her eyes were sharp, "shall we sign the agreement?"
Rohit hesitated, then shook his head lightly. "Not yet. I need to discuss it with my group first. I'll give you my answer after that."
Amy stopped walking.
Her brows furrowed. "You already received a talent from the creator of this establishment," she said firmly. "By rights, you are obligated to contract here."
Rohit met her gaze without backing down. "I'm not refusing," he said calmly. "I'm ready to sign. I just want to discuss the terms with my friends first."
For a moment, Amy studied him in silence.
Then her frown softened.
"…Fair," she said at last. "I suppose that much consideration is acceptable."
She turned slightly and gestured down the corridor. "Go. Speak with your group."
Rohit let out a quiet breath of relief. "Thank you."
Amy nodded once. "Don't take too long. Opportunities in the Tower don't wait."
With that, she let him go—back toward Arjun and the others, where his next decision would shape the path he walked from here on
Arjun's pov
While Rohit was preparing to meet someone who could easily shape his fate, Arjun and the others were gathered nearby, discussing which type of technique they should focus on first.
"We should check physical enhancement techniques," Raya said seriously. "Without strength, surviving in the Tower will become increasingly difficult."
Tim interrupted him immediately. "No. Stealth is better. If we can hide properly, we can avoid danger altogether."
Arjun listened to both sides before speaking. "Speed-based techniques are more useful," he suggested. "If we can move faster, escape faster, our chances of survival increase."
The argument continued for a while, none of them fully convinced.
Then Divya, who had been quietly observing, spoke up.
"Let's check magic."
Everyone turned toward her.
"Magic can be used in many different situations," she explained. "Attack, defense, support—its applications are flexible. Even a low-tier spell can change the outcome of a fight."
A brief silence followed.
Slowly, one by one, they nodded.
"…Alright," Tim said reluctantly.
Raya exhaled and gave a short nod. "That works."
With a decision made, the group moved together, searching for the section dedicated to magic techniques.
Even that section was vast, divided into multiple categories—attack, defense, support, healing, and more. Countless floating platforms drifted through the endless space, each marked with glowing banners that listed available techniques.
"Let's start with attack magic," Arjun said.
No one disagreed.
They entered the attack-magic section, then separated to search individually, carefully examining the many techniques—each hoping to find something that could give them an edge and help them survive inside the Tower.
Arjun separated from the group and began browsing the vast collection of magic techniques. He moved from platform to platform, examining spells related to fire, water, wood, metal, and earth.
Each element had countless variations, ranging from simple foundational spells to complex combat techniques.
While searching, something caught his attention.
Two technique books floated side by side—both bearing the same name.
Fireball.
Arjun frowned slightly.
"Two techniques with the same name?" he muttered.
Curious, he took both books into his hands. The moment he tried to open them, he realized only the first page of each book would respond. No matter how much he tried, the remaining pages remained sealed.
"…So you can't read the full technique unless you buy it," Arjun concluded.
He focused on the first book and read the visible page.
Fireball
Able to cast a fireball within 5 seconds and throw it as a projectile.
As soon as he finished reading, an image formed naturally in his mind. The size of the fireball, its heat, its destructive power—everything became clear, as if he had already seen it in action.
Arjun's eyes narrowed.
"I can visualize its strength this easily…"
He realized this wasn't a coincidence.
"The store itself is helping us understand techniques," he thought. "That's a special feature."
He then opened the second book.
Fireball
Able to cast a fireball within 2 seconds and throw it as a projectile.
Once again, the visualization formed instantly in his mind.
But this time, the image was different.
The fireball was smaller. The flames less intense. The destructive power noticeably lower.
Arjun paused.
"…Faster casting," he murmured, "but it has weaker output."
Comparing the two side by side, he understood immediately.
Even techniques with the same name could follow entirely different paths.
Arjun suddenly understood it through a simple analogy.
Spells were like mathematical formulas.
The result—the damage, the effect, the outcome—was the final answer.
But the way one reached that answer could differ entirely.
Just like in mathematics, where the same sum could be solved using different methods, spells could arrive at the same effect through different constructions.
One Fireball followed a longer formula—gathering energy slowly, compressing it carefully, and releasing it with greater power.
Another shortened the steps—casting faster, skipping refinement, sacrificing strength for speed.
The answer was still Fireball.
But the process… and the cost… were different.
Arjun's lips curved slightly.
"In the Tower," he thought, "power isn't just about the result. It's about how efficiently you reach it."
And those who understood the formula behind a spell—
Would eventually learn how to rewrite it.