Surviving The Fourth Calamity

No matter how relentless and determined Fengo’s pursuit was, after being caught twice and stubbornly escaping, that disguised Iron Dragon was never caught again.

After all, compared to the previous mode of searching in small teams, most Magic Towers now chose the mode of large teams led by Eight Ring Archmages.

Although the Sia Tower wasn’t too happy, they couldn’t force the mages to go to their deaths.

The world of mages is that pure... even if grateful for Goddess Bisozeya’s contribution to the world, even if willing to follow behind you because of your strength, none of this can affect my own interests.

This isn’t related to the survival of the world; it’s just about a resource that won’t end up in my hands, yet asking mages to risk their lives to search for it. Most mages in this world are neutral with an evil inclination, even those of a kind alignment couldn’t do it!

As for whether it’s guessed that this dragon might not affect the world but could affect the interests of the Sia Tower... Hill estimated surely someone figured it out.

Even if their minds were clouded by long-lasting indoctrination, no Magic Tower ever easily leaned toward the Sia Tower.

It’s just the last choice when there was no way out.

Although to some extent, being considered the last choice by mages can be deemed a very firm belief, having them fight for the interests of the Sia Tower at such a time is absolutely impossible.

Including the Tower of Dark Enigma.

The damage to the Tower of Dark Enigma, if not compared to those Magic Towers whose homes were stolen by necromancers, even can be considered the greatest.

Thus, no one could speak against their decision to send back some combat power... in the world of mages, failing to defend one’s home is definitely not just bad luck, it’s your lack of understanding of what’s most important, destined to die sooner or later.

Although it was a Formal Tower Master of the Tower of Dark Enigma who repelled those necromancers at the time, even if he wasn’t there, the Magic Tower had long prepared countermeasures.

However, because those two Archmages were unwilling to show up, the Dark Enigma Town would inevitably suffer a significant blow.

But the most that suffered were the rootless, supportless bottom-level poor... Even the Hainarson Family, in a position that was very disadvantageous, still had the capability to maintain a protective array for a few days.

To mages, this can’t be considered a problem, after all, those poor whose survival is very difficult, even if there had been mage relatives, it was decades ago.

So, most mages will actually agree, truly in searching for the Iron Dragon, the Tower of Dark Enigma which lost considerable combat power has the right to send back some combat power as backup of the Magic Tower.

Other Magic Towers cannot do this... They’re not foolish, knowing the difference between truly perishing large amounts of combat power and just being a bit tired! How could they not know?

Fengo could only choose to continue recruiting from the Sia Tower.

Hill didn’t even need to set up a monitoring array; he could hear the surprise of the passing mages from the Side Tower.

They certainly knew the combat power of the Sia Tower was very strong, the number of Eight Ring and above Archmages also was the most, after all, even those from the Tower of Despair would mutter about insufficient living resources, unable to support large numbers of civilians; mages from the Sia Tower, even if just 1 Ring mages, wouldn’t say such things.

And from their attire, gestures, it was apparent their lives were very comfortable.

But no one could have imagined they were this strong.

The so-called several major Magic Towers... the kind that even the Tower of Dark Enigma was delisted... all their combat power combined mightn’t be as much as those the Sia Tower dispatched to search for the Iron Dragon.

Not to mention they even dispatched some to hunt those necromancers.

The reason why there was some unrest in the Tower of Dark Enigma was precisely this; they originally thought if they were a bit more united, they would be valued after going to the Sia Tower, but now the other side easily dispatched a team stronger than all of them combined.

The Sia Tower didn’t even send Low-rank mages to make up the numbers!

Even the always confident Archmage Ruth had been sending people to check on the apprentices for the past two days.

Hill realized why this Archmage’s ability was the strongest in the Tower of Dark Enigma; he really knew how to grasp the key points.

The Tower of Dark Enigma, after deciding it wants to go to the Sia Tower, the biggest issue wasn’t survival anymore, but the backup forces beginning to fall short.

Without even one outstanding apprentice, those able to become official mages are considered excellent now, how can they get a side glance from the Sia Tower which holds even the lives of Low-rank mages highly?

Although Hill’s feelings were somewhat different from those of mages, what the Sia Tower demonstrated was indeed this... After all, the more people the easier it is to find traces of the Iron Dragon, but the Sia Tower didn’t plan on troubling its ordinary mages at all.

This made people from the Tower of Dark Enigma quickly change their mindset, even if not as resolute as Archmage Ruth’s attitude, several other Archmages began strictly controlling the chaos of recent times and directly dealt with several outskirts mages who had meddled with the apprentices... Of course, this might also be because after suffering defeats within their own influence, they simply cleared some potential risks.

For the Tower of Dark Enigma who always cared most about existing combat power, this was an unprecedented major change.

Moreover, the apprentices’ treatment was noticeably better.

Even Gilbert’s two apprentices here had their resources increased again...and directly delivered into the hands of the two apprentices.

Previously, these resources were given to the teacher, and whether the teacher would share them with the apprentices, and how large a proportion would be shared with the apprentices, the Magic Tower wouldn’t care.

Many mages whose talents weren’t particularly strong relied on recruiting more apprentices to sustain their path as mages... The Magic Tower of course knew and did not oppose them doing so.

At least someone was willing to teach those apprentices with less than ideal aptitude.

But this time, the Tower of Dark Enigma was clearly changing its style.

The most surprising to Hill is they weren’t distributing resources based on reported talents but according to levels... Even though apprentices were divided into middle, low, high, each level was still subdivided into three layers.

However, Hill felt Fengo was doing this because compared to the Low-rank mages, he had stronger control over these Mid-High Rank mages.

Hill knows well what encounters awaited mages that entered Magic Towers under devil’s control; he was not afraid because he had enough ability to defend, but mages whose spiritual power hadn’t reached transcendent level were easily eroded as they became more and more merged with the array spells’ energy of the Magic Towers themselves.

Hell is one of the strongest orderly camps, this is definitely not a lie, unless one becomes a Grand Duke of Hell, one can only be controlled by a stronger power... This is the law of hell, as long as the soul bears the mark of the nine layers of hell, escape is impossible.

On the contrary, Low-rank mages wouldn’t be like this, because they still hadn’t developed the skill of naturally integrating with external breath.

Fengo truly wanted to catch that Iron Dragon, while also guarding against necromancers who had already veered towards the Styx possibly controlling some Low-rank mages, how could he possibly send them out?

Could it be after failing to catch the Iron Dragon returning to have their souls checked?

High-level mages just didn’t know their souls had already entered this cage, what things these mages would do if they start doubting, no one knows.

Mages have always been uncontrollable beings, certainly many accepting their fate, but those who choose to let their souls be completely obliterated rather than submit wouldn’t be few either.

Hill, looking at Russell reporting Magic Tower sent them resources right before him, suddenly realized this kid indeed had rather good luck.

Although he went into the unfortunately destined Tower of Dark Enigma, when he grows to a level where he starts merging breath with the outside world as a Mid-level Magician, Hill should too take some action.

”You don’t need to tell me about these things,” Hill said coolly, ”I don’t care what the Magic Tower gives you, but you’d better try to avoid using those apprentice potions they provide.

Though they indeed can speed up your absorption of magical energy, allowing you to become official mages a bit sooner, they will affect the breadth of your mental sea and the precision of your spiritual power.

However, if there’s no pursuit to become a High-level Mage, these potions are indeed quite fitting.

This potion comes from the Sia Tower, compared to the ones we produce ourselves, the purity is considered not bad, and it absolutely won’t be life-threatening.”

Russell felt his teacher was very skilled at such sarcasm.

If he were a bit dull, he probably wouldn’t understand what Gilbert was truly saying... This statement clearly tells him that consuming this potion equals courting death, doesn’t it!