Building 1 serves as a storage facility for housing the assets belonging to the Magic Tower, while Building 2 functions as a laboratory dedicated to the wizards’ research and experiments.
Building 3 is tasked with safeguarding ancient texts and serving as practical training spaces.
Building 4 is designated as the residential quarters for the wizards.
Lastly, there exists a central building, essentially serving as the nucleus of these four towers.
Despite Geonis granting access to all these facilities to the delegation from the two cities, he had taken great care to conceal the most crucial secret from their view.
Between the bridge that connects Buildings 2 and 3, Lennok gazed upward at the sky.
‘The top of the second building, closest to the sky.’
Beneath the bridge, a continuous roiling of lava emitted endless smoke and haze.
Standing in the innermost depths of the volcano, Lennok felt no heat whatsoever.
However, beyond the protective confines of the tower, the environment was a harsh blend of ash, dust, and scorching heat, hampering Lennok’s magical detection abilities.
It was as if the billowing haze cunningly concealed a specific portion of the void.
Though the sky remained obscured by the turbulent flow of ash and dust, it was discernible.
This was the heart of the Magic Tower’s five branches.
To be precise, something was concealed hundreds of meters above the central structure.
Whoosh!
Lennok swiftly employed levitation magic on his cloak, lifting his body and initiating his ascent to hundreds of meters into the sky.
[Reverse Gravity]
His body swayed in the updrafts from below. Once the anti-gravity magic was cast, he managed to stabilize himself.
As soon as he passed the tower’s protective barrier, he felt a stifling sensation, but after layering multiple shields, it was no longer an issue.
Only when he had risen high enough to touch the clouds above the crater did Lennok discover the concealed object within the invisible space.
A massive stone slab, seemingly with a radius of tens of meters.
Likely a support structure for the secret, constructed with stones extracted from the nearby volcanic area.
“The thermal winds and haze of the volcanic area are used as a medium for a powerful illusion. Using environmental conditions so ingeniously to hide from magic detection…”
Whoooosh-
Upon stepping onto the stone slab, the noise from inside the crater vanished entirely, replaced by an eerie wind sound.
In the space between the night sky and the clouds above, under the moonlight, another colossal tower stood.
While not as towering as the five towers within the crater, it appeared to easily surpass five stories in height.
Lennok wasted no time entering the tower.
Passing through the empty first floor and ascending the spiral staircase, he encountered hundreds of books meticulously arranged on the shelves.
A comfortable space adorned with luxurious carpets made from rare animal hides.
However, what was even more remarkable was that every one of the hundreds of books in this expansive library radiated a profound magical aura.
“Magic tomes.”
Books that merely contained magical theories held little value among wizards.
Knowledge contained in books devoid of power, despite being meticulously documented, ultimately held little significance.
But books that delved into advanced magical theories, those that contained knowledge personally pondered, researched, and acquired by the author, were a different matter.
The author’s thoughts were infused into these books, transforming them into potent artifacts.
Artifacts of magical formulas that, over time, became more renowned and powerful than their creators.
Even Lennok had only encountered such artifacts in auction houses, Aris’s laboratory, or the executive vaults of Cartel.
Enthralled, Lennok approached the library, pulled out a thick tome, and exclaimed in admiration.
“Upper level knowledge worthy of a military commander’s level… Worth keeping and hiding separately.”
Muttering to himself, Lennok rapidly flipped through other books, immersing himself in their contents.
These books assumed the reader was a wizard of at least level 6, well-versed in manipulating the properties of mana, and naturally considered the expansion of the Domain in their theoretical explanations.
All these theories explored the applications and potential development of unique thermal magic, but for Lennok, who had already mastered the lightning series through his own efforts, grasping these concepts wasn’t overly challenging.
Instead, he was occupied with confirming theories that had vaguely formed in his mind through these texts.
Certainly, if Lennok were to consistently employ and research thermal magic in actual combat, he might eventually attain this level of mastery. However, the opportunity to expedite this process with just a few books was an invaluable one.
Recording the alterations in the properties of thermal magic, detailing the precautions and anomalies during the casting of unique spells, and leaving research topics for future generations.
There was the account of a wizard who had spent a lifetime tied to the volcanic region but had failed to construct a domain due to the distortion of the image of flame and lava within him.
And then there were the records of a great wizard who had achieved the status of a grand wizard by holding the formless essence of fire within his heart.
All of this was knowledge that the old Lennok had ardently yearned for.
Beyond his own personal journey, learning how other wizards had grown, the challenges and struggles they had faced to reach their current states.
These insights might have alleviated the loneliness Lennok felt, perhaps even fostering a faint sense of camaraderie towards the wizards who had once been his adversaries.
“…”
It was quite ironic.
Things that had been so elusive when he desperately desired them had now become readily accessible after he had reached a certain level and somewhat mitigated his yearning.
Lennok had the impulse to continue turning the pages right then and there, to hold onto that moment and feeling, but… he reluctantly let go of his regret and stood up.
There was a peculiar odor that had been wafting through the tower since his arrival.
Even Lennok, whose sense of smell was far from sharp, couldn’t ignore the repugnant stench emanating from beyond the library.
“Phew…”
It was an aroma too alien to be attributed to any form of life, yet too distinct to be mistaken for anything else.
When he pushed at the corner of the library, the bookshelf shifted slightly, revealing a concealed space behind it.
In the dimly moonlit chamber, more than a dozen beds were arranged, each occupied by an individual.
These people lay there, gazing vacantly at the ceiling, their breaths slow and measured.
Judging by the mana they emitted, they appeared to be wizards of considerable prowess, but most displayed tangled mana flows, as if they had been unconscious for an extended period.
The individuals exhibited a range of appearances, encompassing both men and women, young and old. However, some stood out due to their distinctive attire.
Among them were elderly figures clad in antiquated robes and burly giants dressed in traveler’s garb. They were likely members of the Elder Council and the missing delegation from the Mechanical City.
Most of the unconscious individuals had suffered the loss of an arm or leg, with bite marks clearly marking the sites of amputation.
Realization struck Lennok as he comprehended the grim implications of this scene.
“What happened here?”
A cold voice, as chilling as ice rolling over, emanated from behind him.
“…”
Slowly turning his head, Lennok’s gaze met Geonis, who stood with crossed arms, leaning against the staircase.
“I opened the entire Magic Tower, but never gave you permission to enter the hidden secret chamber.”
Geonis spoke, then selected one of the books that Lennok had laid out, reading its contents with a sense of nostalgia.
“A study on the sequence of multi-chanting for thermal flow control… A nostalgic title.”
“…….”
“There was a time when I was buried in such magic tomes, devoted to research and training.” Geonis murmured.
“Everyone said I’d be the new bead, that one day I might inherit the master’s tower.”
He mentioned this with a chuckle, as if he found the idea absurd.
“I foolishly believed those words.”
Lennok observed Geonis for a moment and then turned his gaze slowly.
“Is that also why you haven’t reached the complete state of a Grand Master?”
“…”
This time, Geonis remained silent.
In the duel they had in the third building of the Magic Tower’s practice area, Lennok had noticed that Geonis’s mastery of magic appeared somewhat immature.
Completing the hierarchy required a wizard to perfectly master all aspects of the property changes they used. It was essentially a qualification for projecting one’s firm imagery through spatial property changes.
However, during the duel with Lennok, Geonis had not employed any property changes, likely because he couldn’t fully control their power.
Such a phenomenon was not something expected from a fully developed level 7 wizard.
The only reasonable explanation…
“I’ve seen a few who forcefully elevated their achievements through constraints or geas.”
Lennok’s cool gaze targeted Geonis’s chest.
“But it’s the first time I’ve seen a sorcerer who forced their level up in such a manner.”
“……Ha.”
Geonis exhaled heavily, trembling as he removed his monocle.
Contrary to what could be seen through the lens, his left eye was completely faded.
“I believed in the master,” he continued, revealing his deepest shame. “When I hit a wall at the edge of the military rank, I foolishly believed the advice to place restrictions on myself to overcome it. But soon I realized,”
He clenched his fist tightly.
“The constraints one places on oneself are privileges meant for monsters challenging ascension… Hastily applying shackles is nothing but erasing the platform for growth.”
“…….”
“Thanks to that, I lost my left eye, and if not near the Magic Tower, I became a useless mage who can’t use magic. I’m not even a bead candidate. The master only saw me as a dog guarding the house!!!”
Was Geonis’s unusually agitated reaction when Lennok unlocked his Mystic eye in his left eye due to this revelation?
What thoughts must have raced through his mind as he witnessed Lennok awakening new possibilities in the very eye he had lost forever?
As Geonis, unable to control his emotions, let out a scream, Lennok inquired, “So, you contacted Pandemonium.”
“…”
Geonis fell silent at Lennok’s direct statement.
It was a straightforward deduction.
Why the members of Pandemonium could easily take control of the Hearth.
Why the other members of the Elder Council hadn’t made their presence known.
Where all the missing individuals from the Magic Tower had gone.
All the answers lay right here.
Lennok was well aware, based on Cartel’s example, that the security of the Magic Tower, which had endured for centuries, was powerless against a threat that came from within.
Everything that had transpired so far seemed ridiculously simple under one assumption.
Geonis had joined forces with Pandemonium.
A foreboding glint filled his eyes as he turned his head.
“Regrettable. I thought you, Van, would understand my feelings.”
“…….”
“After gathering information from Vulcan, I was sure. The period when your activities in the big city ceased and when Evelyn Marcia visited the Magic Tower coincided… and there aren’t many wizards above military rank who could lend strength to an agent.”
“Hmm.”
“I didn’t know you had such deep knowledge in ice magic… but I was certain when you found this secret place. Sensitivity alone is a true Grand Master’s realm. Then there’s only one answer.”
“You’ve done your homework.”
Lennok nonchalantly nodded in recognition.
The decision to conceal his identity before visiting the Magic Tower had been Evelyn’s idea. Given that he hadn’t altered his magical pattern, it wasn’t surprising that he had been exposed.
Unfazed by Lennok’s demeanor, Geonis’s lips twitched.
“Well, fine… It doesn’t matter who you are.”
Geonis slowly extended his arms as he continued to speak.
The magic tome he held in his hand slipped to the ground.
“What matters is you’re a powerful enough wizard to temporarily block even the heat of the Hearth. That’s all.”
“…….”
“Through the deal with Pandemonium, I got the chance to shake off the shackles my master placed on me. They said if I bring them one thing, they can release the Geas I placed on myself.”
It suddenly dawned on Lennok why Geonis was revealing all of this, and he furrowed his brow.
“Don’t tell me that item for the trade is…”
“Yes.” Geonis’s eyes gleamed sharply.
“The Central Hearth, where all the capital and technology of the Western Continent branch is concentrated… For my freedom, I will trade the most precious treasure of the Magic Tower.”
