Surviving The Fourth Calamity

The two apprentices were quite well-behaved, though not particularly outstanding in some respects. This made Hill understand why Adrian had such a hard time finding suitable apprentices back then.

Adrian, his uncle, was certainly not what Fran often described as outstanding among ordinary people.

However, given Fran’s temperament, he indeed wouldn’t regard those lower-tier mages as true mages... So from the very beginning, Hill’s understanding of mages was different from what Fran spoke of.

In Fran’s view, most ordinary mages were... people who studied spells?

Only those who master spells can be considered mages.

After traversing so many worlds, Hill truly understood what ordinary life was like... and it was still relatively high-level.

Previously, he only knew that mortals suffered, and he was willing to lend a helping hand where he could. He would not despise those who sold their bodies and souls for life and livelihood, but he wouldn’t look at them directly, either.

With much understanding, Hill still wouldn’t deal with those people, but he would slightly lower the lofty attitude he once had.

At least now, when Hill speaks to those people, his tone would probably be a bit more gentle.

He even re-examined his days in Aesces, realizing there were places where he hadn’t quite done enough... People in that world probably saw him as they would an elf.

Elves aren’t ones to easily show people a good face, but they just instinctively make people feel displeased.

The gaze of ’you are all mere mortals’ easily stirs a desire in some people to attack or tear apart the other... Hill didn’t even know he had it, too.

In fact, he, like those elves who traveled far from home, lived in a kind of informational cocoon: even though he knew the outside world was different from his own, he still couldn’t see the degree of disparity clearly.

So after Russell and Carpenter, the days became a bit better... although the schedule was still very tight, the two kids had a bit of time to sit side by side by the floor-to-ceiling round window in the great lounge, watching the sunset slowly fade.

Gilbert was living quite comfortably and joyfully in the Tower of Dark Enigma.

After all, he had plenty of time thanks to his own efforts... With Asmodeus’s capabilities, wanting to extract some Primordial Power from the incomplete Cronos, and then stabilize his divinity and clerical status to communicate directly with the Abyssal Will, would not be a matter of a few centuries.

And the Tower of Dark Enigma could hold out for at most 20 years, coupled with Russell being here, Hill felt he had enough time to solve the problems of this world.

Of course, this was also because he was confident that this adventure wouldn’t lead to any major issues for him.

Hill wasn’t particularly afraid of getting slightly hurt, just as long as he didn’t die.

Back in the cosmic gangfeng, he had, after all, crawled through the winds with a half-broken body, to say nothing of breaking a few ribs.

Yet, even though Hill had settled down, it didn’t mean the world was peaceful.

A conniving ancient red dragon, after observing for a time, immediately targeted the Tower of Despair, which had recently been living the most blissfully.

Disguised as an iron dragon, he launched a surprise attack on the mages who were disassembling meteorite mines in the square on a bright, sunny day... because the most important and valuable materials had long been collected by the higher-ups, and so the Tower of Despair only dispatched three archmages to guard the place with a large number of mid-level magicians responsible for disassembly.

After all, the remaining meteorite materials were basically basic materials like iron ore.

Though these things may be precious to ordinary people, as long as there was a magic tower, they were generally not lacking.

Even those special materials that allowed normal plants to grow had long been taken away... what’s left wasn’t precious enough to warrant an attack on the whole magic tower.

As long as they didn’t wipe out everyone here, including the archmages, the Tower of Despair still had the power to retaliate.

And for something that could directly destroy them, in this world, clearly only the Sia Tower under the goddess’s protection could do it... If that place were to attack, then truly there’d be nothing left but despair.

So, while the Tower of Despair was acting rather cautious, they weren’t exactly being very careful.

However, their certainty completely collapsed in front of a suddenly appearing giant creature.

That strange creature’s head was almost shovel-shaped, with a sharp snout, its scales glowed with a metallic black with a silver sheen.

From its neck to its back, it sported huge dorsal plates resembling fish fins.

Even mages who had heard legends of dragons couldn’t directly confirm its species when this creature appeared.

Of course, as a certain archmage shouted ’He is a dragon!’, most people realized it too and quickly cast a fireproof barrier around themselves.

Unfortunately, this was an iron dragon very skilled at surprising people, at least on the surface.

As neutral and lawful beings, iron dragons wouldn’t kill others indiscriminately, even though they thought all the iron ore in the world was theirs... They had evolved a special talent: a breath attack that even prepared dwarves couldn’t defend against despite their gas-proof masks.

So, there was no chance of luck... This group of mages, attacked by conical jets of hypnotic gas amid their panic, collapsed to the ground with no resistance.

By the time the tower master of the Tower of Despair reacted and activated the attack weapon atop the magic tower, the enormous black dragon had already flown away with half of the disassembled iron ore.

The long heavy spear left a pitiful curve behind the dragon’s excitedly swaying tail, striking the periphery of the Tower of Despair... The iron dragon even fled over the small town; while no one was hurt, it did destroy a dozen acres of black taro fields outside the town.

The several tower masters of the Tower of Despair were exceptionally furious as they began to hunt down this pesky giant dragon worldwide.

However, what was hard to cross for the mages was the perfect hiding spot for the black dragon.

No mage could find him.

Even knowing he might be hiding in a certain region, the mages soon discovered that this dragon could roam freely underground.

He could go anywhere he wanted, even launching a surprise attack on a magic tower known for its cattle farm, far from the Tower of Despair.

That farm was a prize they had paid a great price to get from the Sia Tower!

Not only did the iron dragon directly snatch two cows and eat them, but he also left after eating only half and even vomited in mid-air, complaining loudly about how terrible it tasted... Such disdain incited great anger among the mages who treasured the cows.

They then joined the hunt.

Nevertheless, they still failed to catch any trace of him... even after witnessing where he burrowed into the earth.

Initially, other magic towers watched the spectacle with amusement, but after the Sia Tower reported the dragon’s species and talents, the matter was no longer under the Tower of Despair’s control.

”I never thought the Tower of Despair already knew that dragon’s properties.”

Gilbert glanced at a certain senior who came to him, with a hint of impatience in his voice, ”What does that have to do with me?

Now, I just plan to manage my two apprentices, then give it my all when Russell becomes a mage. As for everything else... I neither have the energy nor the interest to care.

Even if the Tower of Dark Enigma wanted to join this chase, I doubt anyone would force me, right?”

Gilbert patted his sleeves, ”I’m already like this, there’s no need for so much hassle to make me die.

But... haha~”

Gilbert always had a somewhat sarcastic way of speaking, so Hill could fully express his rhetoric.

His senior was naturally accustomed to it.

After being half-abandoned by the teacher, Gilbert never gave those more favored students a kind face.

”I’ve come this time for a favor,” he smiled gently and sincerely, ”As you know, our Tower of Dark Enigma will certainly go all out to find that iron dragon.

Sia Tower is very interested in it.”

Gilbert was a bit surprised, ”Did you say Sia Tower?”

His implication was naturally understood by his senior... if they truly caught the iron dragon, shouldn’t the Tower of Dark Enigma keep it for itself?

The rumors were already clear: if the dragon was captured, its resources might sustain a magic tower for a hundred years.

With these hundred years, the Tower of Dark Enigma might finally catch a breather, ultimately still belonging to itself.

But this...

Hill was still slightly worried the other day!

Turns out the Tower of Dark Enigma wasn’t considering its future independence and freedom at all?

Is this still a mage’s choice?

”You never really pay attention to these things... The Tower of Dark Enigma no longer has a future of a hundred years,” the senior softly said, ”Without a healthy influx of fresh blood for decades, it will be very difficult for us to last a hundred years.

You probably don’t know, but after you, our magic tower doesn’t even have 30 official mages.”

Gilbert’s rarely blinking eyelids even moved slightly, ”What? But isn’t the teacher...”

”The teacher is the strongest tower master indeed!”