Chapter 41: The Mage Tower

  Stepping through the open doors into the interior of the Mage Tower, the first thing that greeted them was an exceptionally spacious, domed hall. The first floor soared to a height of about fifteen feet, topped by a vast, stained-glass dome that allowed natural light to pour in unobstructed, illuminating the entire space. The walls were made of uniform grayish-blue stone bricks, and the floor was laid with thick frostwood planks—a type of timber renowned for its excellent resistance to cold and moisture, showing no warping or mildew even after years in this environment.

  The layout of the hall was almost entirely visible at a glance. On either side of the main entrance stood life-sized stone statues of mages—female figures draped in robes, each holding a slender staff in her right hand, its tip pointing diagonally forward, as if guiding or warning. Their heads were slightly raised, their gazes seemingly piercing through the stone to some distant point, and the patterns on their robes appeared to flow with invisible magic even in stillness. Each statue was enveloped in a faint magical glow, giving the stone surface a warm, ivory-like sheen.

  Ethan paused before a statue, gazing up at it for a moment before speaking slowly. "This is Vanessa Lynn Snow, one of the greatest mages." His voice held a quiet reverence. "Records state that towards the end of the Imperial Era, a calamity emerged from the abyss, threatening to drag the entire empire into ruin. It was she who raised her staff, chanting the incantations of the divine realm, and repelled the disaster."

  He raised his hand, his fingertips not quite touching the statue, but tracing the outline of the staff in the air. "Since then, almost all mage towers have erected her statue. She is regarded as the patron spirit of the mage’s path—watching over truth, and protecting those who seek it."

  Wolf’s gaze swept from the distant tip of the staff to the scattered bloodstains and strewn scrolls on the hall floor, remaining silent for a moment. "But it seems this guardian didn’t protect the mages here."

  "The heroes of the Imperial Era have long since found their rest," Ethan said with a faint smile. "Her statue now serves more as a symbol."

  High on the hall’s walls, the stained-glass dome was adorned with vibrant colors, but noticeable cracks marred its surface, as if struck by a heavy object, and traces of dried blood stained the area around them. A dark red carpet stretched straight from the entrance to the center of the hall, flanked by four ornamental trees whose withered branches and fallen leaves lay scattered on the floor, uncollected.

  In the center of the hall was a transparent cylindrical structure with a radius of five feet, within which a circular platform floated, supported by four massive pillars extending from floor to ceiling—this was both the physical core of the tower and the magical conduit connecting all its levels. Wolf knew it was a magic elevator, a lift powered by mana.

  On either side of the cylinder, two curved staircases spiraled upwards, hugging the transparent glass. Behind the magic elevator, rows of towering bookshelves lined the wall, with benches placed between them, presumably for reading. However, this area, which should have been a tranquil and dignified space of knowledge, was now in disarray. One entire bookshelf had toppled to the ground, books and scrolls scattered everywhere, pages curled and torn. More disturbingly, many of the scrolls were splattered with dried, blackened blood.

  Emma stood alone in the center of the hall, her gaze unfocused as she surveyed her surroundings, her lips trembling slightly. "People... everyone’s gone..."

  Wolf took in her distress, then turned to the mage beside him. "Mr. Ethan, is the structure of this tower different from the mage towers you know?"

  "The layout here is very similar to the White Star Tower," Ethan said, his gaze sweeping around. "Most mage towers registered with the Magic Association within the Empire share a similar design. The first floor, because non-mages often visit for consultations related to magic, is typically where basic texts and public records are kept, for easy access and inquiry by outsiders."

  He raised his gaze slightly, as if he could see through the dome to the structures above. "The mages’ living quarters and laboratories are usually on the upper floors."

  "Understood." Wolf walked around the magic elevator in the center of the hall, heading towards the disordered library area. He crouched down and picked up a half-unrolled scroll—the parchment, besides being covered in dense runic notes, was splattered with several dark, dried bloodstains. "This place was attacked, and more than once," he said gravely, his gaze sweeping around. "It must have been by the same kind of monsters we encountered outside."

  He stood up and walked to the overturned bookshelf, his fingertips tracing the deep claw marks on the wood—the marks were chaotic and frenzied, as if some creature had torn at it in extreme pain or madness. Most of the texts from the upper shelves were scattered on the floor, while many of the lower books were completely shredded, fragments of paper mixed with dust and dark red stains, covering the ground.

  On the other side, Ethan stood before the floating platform, his palm glowing faintly as he injected a stream of pure mana into its base. After a moment of silence, the magic elevator began to emit a soft, pale blue glow, pulsating like breath. "Consistent with my perception outside the tower," Ethan said, withdrawing his hand and turning to the group. "Most of the magical apparatus inside the tower are still operational. We can use this to go directly to the upper levels."

  Wolf approached, looking up into the shaft of the magic elevator. The shaft was deep, gradually narrowing upwards, as if leading to a silent throat. "This tower is not particularly tall among mage towers," Ethan’s voice chimed in, as if explaining a lesson. "The essence of elemental magic is to drive elemental creatures to work together through mana. One of the functions of a mage tower is to provide a pure research environment for mages. Elemental disturbances are frequent near the ground, so many research-oriented mage towers are built extremely high, to be closer to the sky—where elements are cleaner, and experimental results are more precise."

  He paused, his gaze also directed towards the gloom above the shaft. "But the primary responsibility of the ‘Eye of the North’ is not research, but monitoring. It only requires a wide field of view and stable observation conditions, not absolute elemental purity. Therefore, it doesn’t need to be built excessively high."

  Wolf nodded silently. He estimated the height of each floor at about fifteen feet. There were at least seven floors above, and higher still, they disappeared into shadow, difficult to discern. "It seems we’ll have to go up and see," Wolf said, withdrawing his gaze. "Beyond the signs of attack, there’s not much more to see on this floor. But before that..."

  He turned and walked towards Emma, who was still standing in the center of the hall, looking dazed. His footsteps echoed in the empty space until he stopped in front of her. "Ms. Emma," Wolf began, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable firmness. "If I recall correctly, you mentioned that you came to this tower to handle some ‘personal matters.’"

  "That’s right," Emma said, raising her eyes, her brow slightly furrowed. "It’s personal." She emphasized the last two words.

  Wolf watched her in silence for a moment, then spoke slowly. "I allowed you to accompany us out of respect for a fellow contractor. I had no intention of prying into your personal affairs." His tone shifted slightly, growing graver. "But you’ve seen the current state of this tower with your own eyes—"

  "—It’s hardly safe!"

  He took a half-step forward, his figure appearing particularly tall in the light cast by the stained-glass dome. "I don’t want an opaque ‘personal matter’ to put the team at a disadvantage when danger strikes, or even cause injuries. Therefore, I need to know your purpose—not to invade your privacy, but to prepare for the safety of the entire team, and to help you if necessary."

  His right hand moved silently to the hilt of the greatsword on his back, his movements steady, yet carrying a clear resolve. "If you insist on remaining silent... then I apologize. Before we continue our exploration, I will first ensure that you do not become an uncontrollable variable within the team."

  The air seemed to freeze for a moment. Ethan and Mary’s gazes also turned towards them. Only the faint sound of the wind outside the windows and the gentle pulsation of the magic elevator’s dim light remained in the hall. "Alright, there’s no harm in telling you," Emma said, looking at Wolf, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. "Have you heard the name George Sophia?"

  Wolf’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, then he nodded. The name was not unfamiliar to him—it had appeared on the list of mage tower personnel provided by Alice. "Sophia..." he repeated softly, instantly understanding. "I remember you said your name was Emma Sophia. So he’s your..."

  "He’s my husband," Emma’s voice was soft, yet it resonated clearly in the quiet hall. "He was one of the mages in this tower. As you know, the entire tower lost contact with the outside world some time ago, and all mages are unaccounted for... including George."

  She lowered her gaze, her hand clenching into a fist. "Even if the Guild hadn’t organized an investigation, I would have come alone."

  "There’s no need to hide this, Ms. Emma," Ethan said, stepping closer, his tone gentle but tinged with sorrow. "I deeply regret what has happened to your husband. But judging by the current state of the tower, I fear the worst."

  Wolf didn’t deny Ethan’s assessment, merely looking at Emma. "Since your husband was a mage here, you should be quite familiar with this tower?"

  "Not intimately, but I’ve been here a few times," Emma said, raising her head, her gaze gradually regaining focus. "That’s even better. A guide is always better than fumbling blindly," Wolf’s tone softened. "Could you briefly explain the situation inside the tower?"

  Emma nodded. "Actually, Mr. Ethan has already covered most of it. The ‘Eye of the North,’ like the White Star Tower, is a mage tower officially registered with the Magic Association, so the basic layout is largely similar."

  "As you probably know, the upper floors of mage towers are generally not open to commoners. Even as a family member, I was only allowed in fixed areas." Emma then raised a finger, pointing upwards. "This tower has eight floors. The second floor houses the council chambers and resting areas, used by the tower master for meetings and setting research directions. The third floor contains the rooms for the mage apprentices. This tower has seven apprentices. The regular stairs usually only go up to the third floor."

  Emma’s gaze shifted to the silently floating magic elevator in the center of the hall. "Further up, you have to rely on mana to power this lift. The fourth floor is for the mages’ rooms. This tower has five mages, and I was generally only allowed to go up to the fourth floor and move around there. Alice has already given you the specific list."

  Wolf nodded, signaling her to continue.

  "Above the fourth floor, up to the seventh, are various laboratories, equipment rooms, and storage areas. I’ve never been up there, only heard George mention a few things."

  "As for the tower master, Mr. Harrog, his residence and private research labs occupy the very top floor."

  At the mention of the tower master, Ethan showed a look of envy. "Actually, every mage tower is considered the private property of its master, and the mages within it are, in a sense, employed by the master. A mage who has the qualifications and ability to own their own mage tower—no, they should be called Archmages—either possesses immense wealth, or has astonishing magical attainments, or has achieved significant breakthroughs in magical research."

  "Oh?" Wolf’s interest was piqued. "Didn’t you say this tower was registered with the Magic Association? And that the Magic Association was involved in its design? I thought all these official mage towers were assets of the Magic Association."

  "You misunderstand. In essence, we mages are not so different from you mercenaries. The relationship between a mage tower and the Magic Association is like the relationship between your mercenary guilds and the Mercenary Association."

  "The land and buildings you acquire with the commissions from completing tasks don’t belong to the Mercenary Guild, do they?" Ethan explained in detail to Wolf. "That magic enthusiast... Mark Johnson. The reason he’s so obsessed with discovering new spells is essentially because he wants to own a private tower like this. Many mage towers, in a sense, are also rewards for mages who have achieved significant accomplishments."