Surviving The Fourth Calamity

In some respects, the Archmage of Kamente Tower is always seen as someone who maneuvers smoothly between the two major factions but is actually not really cared about by anyone, a Tower Master with a particularly vague status, and not without reason.

For instance, subtly, those with some ability and who have lived long enough still remember that the other two have Eighth Ring students.

It’s just that the obvious yet subtly suppressed rivalry between both sides made the choice of Ruth and Nicholson to hide their combat power together seem less noticeable.

Moreover, Kamente Tower himself is aware of these people’s existence; they just dislike exposure, not complete concealment.

The reason Kamente Tower doesn’t find anything amiss is because he himself has no Eighth Ring students... From this, it can be seen that although he is one of the Tower Masters, he is definitely a later one.

He must have taken over the position of his teacher or relative; otherwise, in the Magic Tower, an Archmage without backup power wouldn’t find it so easy to ascend.

No one is interested in following a leader who might collapse midway... Especially when the lifespan of a mage is quite long.

Once you’re in power, of course, it doesn’t matter; you are already there, the power is in your hands, but when you’re not up there, who wouldn’t hope for a smoother path?

If one wanted to rely on their own efforts, then they wouldn’t have sought backing initially.

Hill could also see from Kamente Tower’s actions, which seemed profound but were actually a bit floating, a hint of his identity: a mage whose soul was stained black by a devil, rather than one whose soul was replaced by a devil.

Devils are always cautious and careful; even when facing Eighth Ring Mages, even if they feel they’ve played a role flawlessly, they’ll still regularly review to avoid mishaps.

This is an imprint hell has carved into their souls... Dare to be careless devils have long turned to dust.

Who would really think that those Grand Dukes always being tormented by Asmodeus means their scheming is insufficient, they must really be courting death.

Just look at how terrifying the Lord of Hell is; just look at how long he has existed near Teraxil without even the World Tree noticing the world.

He even fooled the orderly lords of Heavenly Mountain, who are naturally aided by laws and won’t be deceived by anyone, into becoming fools... Every word is true, yet each is leading people into a distorted path, with the final destination being only his destination.

To survive under such a leader and even after making mistakes, to still stay in a high position, aside from a certain Princess with maternal protection, how many actual fools are there?

Asmodeus lost back then primarily because his wife was too arrogant, utterly not believing anyone would dare to act against her in hell... she was, after all, the original native Princess of hell!

Bisozeya had prepared defensively against the angels who fell with Asmodeus, never expecting a heavy blow from her kin.

Hill knows himself well; if there’s any clue he’s clearly seeing, a somewhat capable Great Devil would definitely see it too.

Sia Tower could never have calculated for his appearance in the future... Hill is quite certain of this, for his soul is very distinctive, no Power of Destiny could calculate his appearance.

Unless the one detecting his destiny has power far superior to the World Tree.

Tch~

If they really had that capability, why would they bother to calculate him, it would be overestimating him to even say that.

So, Tower of Dark Enigma’s Kamente Tower’s performance is quite authentic, and of course, it owes much to Gilbert.

This individual truly has his own way.

Primarily using Transmutation Spells in the open, but the well-informed mages know more or less that he is more adept at Protection Spells in secret.

However, Gilbert is more versed in the Illusion Element.

So Hill wasn’t at all surprised Carpenter would have a talent for Illusion Technique.

In this world, there is no independent will in existence anymore, so even if there are favored children, they can only choose to amplify the talents contained in their bloodline... like Gilbert, and Russell... but cannot create something from nothing.

This appearance of the Hainarson Clan, instead, made Hill feel a sense of reality.

No matter how bad a world is, as long as humans do not choose to abandon themselves or sink into hopelessness, there will always be flowers of hope.

This made Hill, who entered this world with a determination to die, feel quite good; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been in the mood to play with the apprentices during this period.

Sadly, good moods don’t last long.

The world is just not that bad, but troublesome people are always bound to appear.

Like this person in front of him, having exchanged pleasantries for ages without getting to the point, the ’chief student’ of Archmage Kamente Tower... self-proclaimed: Majid Prutt.

Luckily, Gilbert is a kid with a distinct sense of self, and when he hears something he doesn’t want to answer, he usually chooses to respond with silence.

This attitude, maintained for decades, has taught the people of the Magic Tower to know what it means to self-question and self-answer when not talking with him directly.

If one can’t even manage this, it’s better not to seek him out for a chat.

Unless you are Archmage Ruth, or someone who can exert equal pressure on Gilbert... even Seventh Circle Mage won’t do, as this is Gilbert’s Side Tower.

Though Archmage Ruth has done some tweaks, he also helped set up a rather impressive Defensive Magic Array for this easily influenced student of his, and after decades, with Gilbert comprehending these arrays and modifying them further, anyone without sufficient ability would truly find a dead end upon entry.

This isn’t a secret in the Tower of Dark Enigma either.

Archmage Ruth never hides his praise of Gilbert’s talents.

Yet, Majid Prutt, always feeling like a significant figure because of his backing from Archmage Kamente Tower, could hardly accept the reality of being ignored by a mere Fifth Ring Mage.

”Mage Gilbert... Mage Gilbert!” His voice even had a hint of aggression, ”Is there something you are dissatisfied with in what I said?”

”Hmm?” Hill’s head moved slightly while reclining in the chair, ”Which of the things you said earlier deserves an answer from me?

Why can’t I think of any?

The weather... isn’t it the same every day?

Iron Dragon? Are you planning to assist Archmage Kamente Tower with his worries?

That’s actually quite good, Archmage Kamente Tower would surely be pleased to see you getting along well with Sia Tower over there.

In any case, preparing early for the future is something you should do as a student, lest the Tower Masters worry.

Go ahead... the atmosphere in the Magic Tower is quite nice right now, unlikely to bring you any trouble afterward.”

Prutt’s face changed.

This was his first solo encounter with Gilbert, so even though he knew this guy was not only eccentric but also had a venomous tongue, he still found it hard to accept.

But Prutt had heard that if Gilbert was unhappy, he would dare to confront even Archmage Ruth’s strongest students... Which they said were those on the Eighth Ring!

As an apprentice brought along when Kamente Tower entered the Tower of Dark Enigma, Prutt knew a bit about the combat power hidden by those two factions due to their rivalry.

Those two Tower Masters didn’t hide this fact during internal meetings, they even subtly compared the students’ progress.

Prutt, as one of only three students able to enter internal meetings of Kamente Tower, always felt proud, and of course, he also heard of an Eighth Ring student of Mage Ruth being so frustrated that they couldn’t speak after giving some useless talk while delivering messages to Gilbert.

But, even with mental preparation, he... he wasn’t sufficiently ready.

”I came this time for my students.” He spoke stiffly, ”There’s an unwelcome request... though it might be a bit difficult... but I feel...”

”If it’s something that would trouble me, it’s better not to say it.”