Surviving The Fourth Calamity

”Aislin...”

In the large Airship in the middle, Ruth let out a soft sigh.

He had been watching the movements inside that red Airship up ahead... when Oliva led people to deal with those Undead creatures, Aislin actually never showed up.

During this period Ruth had in fact also figured something out: the reason Aislin appeared in the Tower of Dark Enigma was not because that bunch on the other side knew the Tower of Dark Enigma still had the power to resist.

Rather, long ago, when they wiped out the top combat power of the Tower of Dark Enigma, all the Talented Individuals of Soul and Prophecy, they had already fixed the future in which Sia Tower would take the Tower of Dark Enigma into its own hand.

Aislin did indeed appear in order to monitor the Tower of Dark Enigma, but before the other side could confirm that the Tower of Dark Enigma truly had the power to resist, there was no need to place such a terrifying existence in a spot where trouble might arise... those several more independent, stronger Magic Towers under the Tower of Despair were more important, weren’t they?

Although the Styx did indeed require attention, no matter how Ruth thought it over, he still couldn’t figure out why someone so powerful would be sent to their Tower of Dark Enigma.

He actually had been mentally prepared for being monitored, and for not knowing at all who was monitoring him... back then, the Tower of Dark Enigma, besides its exterior still looking presentable, had nothing left inside but desolation.

He brought along those people who were almost scared out of their wits... there wasn’t even anyone left willing to fight him, this Junior Mage, over the position of Tower Master, which was enough to imagine what the Tower of Dark Enigma looked like back then... and those Mages who were not very willing to cooperate with him—if they wanted to hold out, they had to absorb fresh forces from outside.

Those incidents that took place back then in the Tower of Dark Enigma happened in the shadows... of course the other Magic Towers knew, but they definitely wouldn’t talk, and would even help keep it covered up: there was no interest between them worth fighting over, only common enemies.

Among the Magic Towers that have managed to survive until now, there is absolutely no fool among the ones in power.

So, relying on the last echo left by his teacher, relying on the silence and covert assistance of the other Magic Towers, Ruth racked his brains to draw all the noble forces near the Tower of Dark Enigma into his orbit.

Although this would make the distribution of power inside the Magic Tower fragmented and hard to control, at least it would prevent any unforeseen enemy capable of opposing him from appearing before Ruth himself grew strong.

There was no helping it; Ruth did indeed have people at his side who could help, but they had to devote the vast majority of their Spirit to suppressing that side of Kamente Tower.

And Nicholson.

Nicholson was always going mad, whether young or old... he only grew in age, never in maturity.

The supporters behind Ruth had to devote that much attention because they also had to ensure that when Nicholson went mad at Kamente Tower, he wouldn’t expose the fact that he actually knew everything.

It didn’t matter if someone knew Kamente Tower belonged to Sia Tower, but they absolutely could not know that Sia Tower was the one who drove the entire world down the road to doomsday, that it was the cause of the inexplicable fall of a large number of personnel from the Tower of Dark Enigma.

Being wary of a powerful existence that could erase everything one possesses is the normal reaction of The Wise Ones.

But if they knew that this existence had already made a move, and was still making moves... the outcome might truly be to have the grass uprooted and the roots cut out.

Sia Tower had observed the Tower of Dark Enigma for so long; one of the reasons must have been to find out whether Ruth and the others viewed Sia Tower as the object of revenge, or as a powerful, dangerous neighbor.

Only if the Tower of Dark Enigma did not know of that past, or rather had completely forgotten that past, would they be willing to accept this Magic Tower into their fold... even if they wanted to conduct some experiment, they didn’t necessarily have to use the Tower of Dark Enigma!

Those like the Tower of Despair that couldn’t yet be completely dealt with still existed, but there were other Magic Towers weaker than the Tower of Dark Enigma as well.

The Tower of Dark Enigma would merely make this kind of annexation look more natural; it was not their only option.

Therefore Ruth never spoke of the past to anyone.

Even with Nicholson, who knew most of what had happened, he never discussed it with him... if not for the Runes Gilbert came up with, which Ruth was certain Sia Tower definitely did not know about, he wouldn’t have met with Nicholson again for a talk some time ago.

The Tower of Dark Enigma still had some capability for him and Nicholson to communicate covertly... though troublesome, it was at least safe.

Ruth sometimes even felt his own paranoia was a little too much: followers and students who had been with him for several hundred years, he could only speak to them half-truthfully, and from time to time he would have to test them again.

Yet right now he was deeply grateful for his own suspicious, paranoid nature.

Between Aislin and Oliva, although they were both a bit crazy, it was the Aislin who loved him with all her heart that he truly valued.

Oliva was very good, but Oliva would not give up her own rights for Ruth.

Back then Ruth had indeed hesitated... his overly heavy burden, his overly trivial tasks, all dragged down his steps forward.

The reason he had reached the brink of the Ninth Ring yet could not cast proper Ninth Ring Spells was that he simply did not have enough research time.

Too much intelligence, too many things, all needed to be handled by him personally.

Although he did have helpers... the decisions could only be made by him.

If there had been someone he could trust, someone with a certain decision-making ability, to serve as Ruth’s assistant, his life would actually have been a little better.

He truly had hesitated, but in the end Ruth still chose to give up.

He had sworn an oath.

Besides, something this dangerous did not need to drag the children into it as well.

Even if, in the end, his failure would implicate them, at least they could live a few hundred years as normal people.

Fortunately, all sorts of misgivings instead led Ruth to make the right choice.

He sighed, glanced again at that quiet red Airship up ahead... Aislin had actually held out until now!

His student was actually very good; it was just a pity she wasn’t her.

Ruth clenched his fists tightly, then slowly relaxed his left hand, and used his left hand to pry open the fingers of his right hand that were gripping even tighter: that ”Aislin” very clearly intended to enter Sia Tower under another identity.

Aislin’s identity was very useful, but if it could be better... for example, if it made many people feel she was indeed powerful and influential.

Only then would the people in Sia Tower not grow suspicious because of any stronger power she might display.

In that case, the appearance of these seemingly messy Undead who, aside from their numbers, weren’t actually that deadly, could be understood.

They were simply something a certain powerful figure had secretly produced, and naturally would have some room for improvement.

Aislin, as the one who stayed back then, had not gone to fight the Tower of the Undead.

So if Aislin displayed some special ability while fighting these Undead, it didn’t exactly sound unreasonable either.

Most importantly, if ”Aislin” were, after entering Sia Tower, directly taken away by some powerful figure who took a liking to her because of this... then even if they found something off about her, would Ruth’s side say anything?

This was the true reason the other side was acting with such wanton disregard, wasn’t it?

If she really left, Ruth indeed would never bring this matter up again, and would even stop people who knew Aislin relatively well from continuing to investigate.

But? Ruth was still a bit puzzled... if it was ”Bisozeya,” why go to so much trouble?

Which person in Sia Tower had any possibility of betrayal?

Then did he maybe have some chance... no, no, he couldn’t indulge in wild fantasies.

Ruth quickly stopped his thoughts from scattering too far.

He mustn’t let the soundless footsteps of the enemy disrupt his own pace; he should still act according to the original plan first.

He looked up once more at that dazzling red Airship ahead; he had just been about to sigh when he saw a black, small Airship dropping rapidly, swaggering as it cut into the middle of the formation.

Quite a few Spaceships were so frightened by that overly brazen speed that they veered far out in an arc before quietly circling back to their original positions.

”Gilbert, what are you doing?” Setting aside his pity for his unlucky student for the moment, Ruth couldn’t help noticing his other troublemaker, ”How are you controlling the Airship?

How can you use such a high speed in the middle of the formation?

Aren’t you afraid of crashing into someone!”

-----------------

”Russell!” Inside the black Airship, a little girl was also startled, ”Are you crazy?

Why did you descend so fast?”

”I calculated it.” Russell said, puzzled, ”As long as I drop into that gap within ten seconds, I’ll still have five seconds left to switch flight speed and link to the Traveling Magic Array.

Look, didn’t I pull it off perfectly?

I didn’t waste even one second.”

Hill turned his head slightly to look at his student... he just felt something was a little off.

There was indeed nothing wrong with Russell’s words, and Hill could feel his confidence, but... Hill tilted his head, thinking that what felt off might be the fact that before doing this, Russell hadn’t said a word to Carpenter.

Hill naturally didn’t need to be notified... Russell’s flight style clearly came from his instruction.

He himself didn’t feel anything wrong with it anyway.

”Next time, before changing the control method, don’t forget to give Carpenter a heads-up.” Hill said gently. ”She might have been frightened.”

Carpenter snapped her head around to look at her brother... was their teacher so fond of Russell because of this identical way of thinking?