The half-declined three-story stone tower is covered with vines and moss, and the crows nesting on the top protrusion are chirping noisily. The young bird, learning to fly, stood by the nest and flapped its wings. The chirping of insects not far away is tempting birds to come and look for food.
The stone tower surrounded by the forest, even if it is half tilted, still stands proudly. The small open space around the stone tower seems to indicate its inviolability. But the plants clinging to the tower or the small animals living here show a close side.
The three of them walked through the forest path that was sprinkled with sunlight. The open space and dazzling sunlight that suddenly appeared in front of them made it difficult to adapt to them for a while. When my eyes got used to the sudden bright light, the stone tower bathed in the sun suddenly appeared before my eyes. This was the destination of this trip.
In the year DCCXXIII (723) of the Aran calendar, the twelfth year since traveling back to this time, Guybrash Lin Tripwood, who holds the title of magician, finally has a magic tower of his own.
"Teacher, is this the Tower of the Great Sage?"
Following behind, a fair-skinned girl with blond hair and one of the apprentices asked in an incomprehensible tone. Carrying a backpack that was almost bigger than him, he looked up at the scenery in front of him with an expression of admiration, disappointment, or a mixture of the two.
Another girl with black hair and brown skin, wearing two braids, said in a cold tone: "The location of the magic map is here. If you have any doubts, stick the contract certificate to the door panel and see if it can be activated. ”
"I know those things. It's just..." The blond girl hesitated, looked at the older man next to her, and said, "I'm a little surprised."
"What you want to say is disappointment, Harumi." Lin rubbed the girl's fluffy blond hair, not caring about the comments of others. In fact, that was what he had in mind. But realistically, we can’t force anything more.
Slowly came to the huge wooden door. Perhaps it is also protected by magic, allowing the wooden door to maintain its original function, heavy and thick, and intimidating. Although the iron bars and rivets on the door were not brand new and shiny, they did not have any rust. The dark metallic color seemed to have been baptized by countless blood, telling the fact that it was impossible to forcefully open the door.
Take out the kraft paper roll from the Magic Association from the scroll box you carry with you. On it are the code words recorded with special energy patterns. They are used to gain control of the magic tower. Of course, they must also be used to open the door. There is no incantation to open the door. The scroll can be used like a key. Just unfold it and stick it on the door.
The energy flowed on the wooden door, and finally passed through the scroll to Lin's right hand holding the scroll, and imprinted a special multicolored mark on the back of the hand, which was then hidden under the skin. At the same time, the door opened in response.
The creaking sound of the door opening is like the tower talking to itself, muttering about its years and rich history. The door crack gradually opened, gradually revealing the hall of the magic tower. The inside was not as dark and dilapidated as imagined, but the lighting was pretty good. A few beams of sunlight came in, illuminating most places. Lin thought about it and looked at the large opening on the top of the tower, and couldn't help but understand.
"Do you want to go in directly? Teacher." Halumi raised her head and asked the man who had not entered the tower.
Feeling the brief message from the imprint, Lin knew that the damage to the magic tower caused other creatures to live here as a nest even if the gate was not damaged at all. And it is still a small settlement with more than ten lives. More detailed information cannot be known, and only by entering the core room of the magic tower can one truly control everything.
Looking back at the two apprentices, after thinking for a while, Lin said: "Kaya, you can stay here this time." Pointing to the largest tree at the edge of the forest. "We set up position over there."
Having followed her teacher for several years, and already familiar with each other's habits on adventures, the brown-skinned girl came to the designated location and took out the short wand. The spell was whispered, and the shaping technique, under the command of the wand, raised the land to form a small, semi-shielded cave.
The cave is not deep, just enough for three people's luggage, and a small mound for the girl Kaya to shelter herself. She cast another listening spell on herself, allowing her to hear the whispers in the air and the sounds of animals. Although it is only a general meaning and not very clear, it already serves as a warning for outdoor adventures. Finally, she took out a crossbow that was almost as tall as her from her bag, used the winch to open the bow arm, and placed a crossbow arrow as thick as her thumb. Everything was ready.
As for the two people who were about to enter the magic tower, they put down their extra belongings and only carried a light scroll box. In addition to his cane, Lin also carried a handy dagger. The girl Halumi has a small buckler and a dagger. Then both of them blessed themselves with three sets of magic: giant strength, stone skin, and wind barrier. The first two are easy to understand, and the last spell can deflect ordinary bows and arrows or other types of throwing weapons.
Yes! That's right! These three people are a combination of a magician and a magic apprentice! It's just that the most accustomed fighting method for magicians in this world is to add a buffer to themselves, and then fight head-on with the enemy. A magician who is weak and can only hide behind soldiers and rub fireballs does not exist in this world, or that kind of person will soon be called by God and become everyone's memory and negative teaching material.
In addition, Lin also took out an additional wooden ring and sprinkled some magic stone powder into the grooves of the ring. The whisper that summoned the demon puppet summoned a clay puppet that was nearly two people tall. The summoned object at the cost of magic stone powder will certainly not have high intelligence or powerful abilities. But as a pathfinder and human shield, it is more than enough.
When he handed the ring to Harumi, it also represented that he was handing over the command of the clay doll to the girl. As soon as the two met, they headed towards the magic tower in the order of Clay Doll, Hallumi, and Lin. Using the clay puppets to open the way and lure the enemy, Lin acted as the rear guard and at the same time warned of the enemies that might come from behind. This was the usual tactical formation of the three masters and apprentices.
A low-level summon from the elemental realm, the clay puppet has no legs. Its existence must be connected to the ground, whether it is soil or stone. In short, it cannot jump or swim. It can move on the bottom of the river. Although the huge body has the disadvantage of blocking the field of vision, it can also prevent most attacks from the front. Halumi skillfully controlled the progress of the clay puppet and entered the tower.
"Remember the layout of the Great Sage's Tower. Go directly to the core room. After taking control of the magic tower, it will be easier to eliminate the remaining enemies." Lin clearly stated the goal and direction this time. At the same time, it also reminds the girl not to bother searching for possible enemies. After mastering the tower core, no creature will be able to hide.
The two of them moved forward cautiously.
Years of low-level adventure experience have made Lin clearly aware that all creatures in this world are dangerous. Even herbivorous animals have one or two deadly attacks. Giving someone a hard blow and then trying to escape is what a creature at the bottom of the food chain in this world would do. It can also be said that species that only know how to increase their survival rate by escaping have already become extinct.
Therefore, you can never be too cautious when encountering any living creature in the wild. The girl walking in front had the same understanding. She had learned countless lessons in the past few years, but she had this knowledge deeply engraved in her mind.
Entering the first floor, the two did not advance rashly, but stopped to observe the situation on the first floor. The layout of the magic tower is very simple. Unlike most castles, it also has a defensive function, so the internal passages are designed to be winding. In particular, this tower has a history of thousands of years, and the layout of the magic tower during that period was even simpler.
The hall is in a diamond shape, with a room in each of the four directions. Although the east side part has been damaged and the wall is still there, the ceiling and the second floor are seriously damaged, which are the main parts that allow light to shine in. In the center is a spiral staircase leading to the upper level.
The layout on the second floor has more rooms connected by a circular walkway. The core rooms of all magic towers and the rooms used by the tower owners are located on the top floor, which is on the third floor. It is also usually the strongest part. The damage to this tower was in another part that was not part of the core room.
The doors of the four rooms on the first floor are still intact, so the possibility of an ambush can be ruled out. As for the damaged part on the east side, there are only a few skylights and there are no climbing paths, so it can be ignored for the time being. In the magic tower, the room door cannot be opened freely without the permission of the tower owner. Those uninvited guests who stayed here could only enter and exit through the damaged opening and could not open or close the door.
Controlling the clay doll to walk towards the second floor, Lin and Halumi were several steps behind. If the creatures who live here are intelligent, this place is the best place to ambush. Sure enough, as soon as the clay puppet emerged, there were several popping sounds of hard objects hitting the ground, as well as the unique screams of goblins.
