Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Hill could not be certain how many mages, who clearly could have a normal and stable life, would willingly walk into Sia Tower.

But he knew there would definitely be some.

This has nothing to do with race, gender, or the environment in which one grew up... as long as it’s not barren land, there will always bloom a small flower full of hope.

As long as the world hasn’t been completely destroyed, there will definitely be someone willing to become that pioneer... even if they know that what they’re doing might just be following in the footsteps of death.

But as long as there’s someone willing to do it, the world won’t fall so easily.

Sia Tower also seeks such people.

Devils love nothing more than tainting such souls with the colors of Hell.

They don’t care if they capture all the willing sacrificers, but they will be delighted to drag every brave soul caught into Hell.

As for the others, the ordinary people who simply want to enter the most powerful Magic Tower in this world, the devils are, of course, also very pleased with their arrival.

Sia Tower also needs local mages it can command, and they can’t all be the kind whose souls are controlled.

No matter which Magic Tower it is, all will study the messengers from Sia Tower carefully.

If these people all took the Soul Elixir, their overly uniform behavior would create massive panic... and the devils, who’ve been entangled with mages for hundreds of thousands of years, wouldn’t be foolish enough to think they could deceive the eyes of mages by just making everyone act.

That’s simply impossible.

No matter how good one is at acting, including devils, they can’t avoid being themselves all the time, especially under the various tests from mages.

Instead of having everyone sent out live cautiously, and to avoid worrying from the first moment they are sent out whether they’ve sent the wrong person, the devils choose to let the mages in Sia Tower live a bit more normally.

This is also one of the reasons they favor the ’Naturally Gifted Mages.’

Just thinking about this seemingly ordinary matter, yet realizing how much profit Sia Tower can extract from it, Hill couldn’t help but sigh: an overt scheme is always more terrifying than a covert one.

Those Magic Towers, no matter how vigilant their rulers are towards Sia Tower, could never make this matter public.

If ordinary people knew of such a matter, it would usher in doomsday.

So, they could only control the people within the Magic Tower’s sphere of influence, making them send talented children only to themselves.

The Tower of Dark Enigma and the Tower of Despair did the same back then... so it’s no surprise what happened to the Tower of Dark Enigma, closest to Sia Tower, today.

After the fall of the most resistant Defense Tower, the fate of the Tower of Dark Enigma was already sealed.

But Sia Tower, the benefits it offers are just too great.

Children who qualify to enter a Magic Tower can bring glory to their entire family and even lead a very good life... not to mention those with top-notch talents.

The treatment offered by Sia Tower is what families dreaming of their child being a genius yearn for.

Many small nobles would rather travel thousands of miles to send their promising children to Sia Tower.

These children eventually formed the mid-high tier mage faction of Sia Tower, threatening all directions... and then, because of their visibly affluent and luxurious lifestyle, attracted even more families who have grand visions for their future.

Even some noble families within the Magic Tower’s controlled area would secretly take their whole family to follow those messengers... their children with extraordinary talents, even if they can get excellent resources in a normal Magic Tower, that would still be within normal constraints.

Favoritism, but not to an excessive extent.

However, the benefits offered by Sia Tower are like a great flood washing away all their reason.

Although it betrays years of shelter provided by the Magic Tower, who doesn’t live for themselves?

They haven’t failed to contribute their power to the Magic Tower... if there’s a better path, why not take it?

Those unaware of what pitfalls lie ahead will naturally choose what benefits them.

Like the Tower of Dark Enigma, small families of outskirts mages almost never choose to wait a while to observe the situation first.

They invariably worry that once those from the Tower of Dark Enigma gain a foothold in Sia Tower, they’ll no longer be willing to recognize the existence of these outskirts mages.

No matter how powerful Sia Tower is, the share of the pie given to the Tower of Dark Enigma won’t be limitless.

The Hainarson Clan can remain so calm precisely because they don’t have to worry about being squeezed out and left to plant Black Taro at the Tower of Dark Enigma.

Those willing to stay in the Tower of Dark Enigma are either like the Hainarson Clan, able to come and go freely, or simply not listed in the official register of the Tower of Dark Enigma... Even if it is a small faction circle formed by outskirts mages, the people in that circle can only be composed of apprentices from the Tower of Dark Enigma.

The people they bring in from outside, as long as they do not enter the Inner Ring, only need to record their aura and name with the Outer Ring’s management to move freely... As long as one is a Mage Apprentice.

These are some mages who want to enjoy life, opening a narrow path specifically for their lovers or servants, although it is not too easy to pass through, but at least it is walkable.

Moreover, the student quota for outskirts mages is limited, some are of poor aptitude, but are children born in the Outer Ring... Upon their birth, their aura is recorded by the Outer Ring Magic Array, making them more eligible to live in the Outer Ring than those who enter through the narrow path... They wouldn’t be logged as apprentices.

These types of people eventually can only be abandoned in the Outer Ring.

Even if the ones teaching them magic might be their own parents, at this time, no one is useful.

Thinking of the time when leaving the Tower of Dark Enigma, the small figures hiding in the corners, gazing at their departing silhouettes, Hill could only sigh.

But for those children, being abandoned is instead a good thing... Sia Tower is absolutely not a good place for the weak.

Following their airship, those outskirts mages, in the end, it’s uncertain how many will survive.

The outskirts mages led by Ruth, although the number is the least... After all, there are only a few hundred who can afford airships.

But the children they abandon are truly not necessarily fewer than those dragged along by Nicholson... After all, over there, one can walk slowly, relying on foot.

No need to mention Kamente Tower, those who follow him have managed to abandon their homes and businesses only at the last minute... They are most willing to abandon not their resources, but children without aptitude.

Fortunately, these children who survive in the Outer Ring of the Tower of Dark Enigma are only of poor aptitude, not without it.

No matter how bad you speak of the Outer Ring of the Magic Tower, it can at least ensure that there is enough space to plant Black Taro.

Moreover, even if these abandoned children have only passed eight years of age, they have been enlightened in basic spells... Though living is somewhat tough, there is still a future.

After all, the Outer Ring has left such a large space for them to survive.

Children who truly have nothing cannot have their aura recorded by the Magic Array... Will be directly tossed out by the Magic Array from the Tower of Dark Enigma after the age of eight.

But they are not yet without life... Even encountering irresponsible parents, there are many small nobles willing to take them into their families.

However, most mages are not that cruel, what’s more, who knows if this child might have decent Mage Aptitude overall?

Can’t have what you raised cheapened by other families, right?

Whether from an interest perspective or a humane perspective, the children of this world live somewhat okay, can only be said to be a little better off than adults.

The Tower of Dark Enigma counts as forgiving to its own, yet such things still happen... In a world where struggling to survive is the only option, those who think Sia Tower is more worth seeking refuge are not to be blamed.

Everyone is just trying to survive.

Hill knows clearly that even if someone knows Sia Tower might be out of sorts, yet, ’Man for himself, heaven and earth will perish,’ right?

He never blames anyone for such matters, but neither will he consider any inescapable reasons when they become his enemy.

Through so many worlds, the most calm thinking Hill learned is to stick to his stance, ignoring others’ painful struggles.

Helping innocent people along the way is his kindness, abandoning principles to save an enemy’s life, that is harming oneself.

Thus, he will not hesitate over whether the people he encounters after heading to Sia Tower are good or bad.

Do what must be done, cannot due to caution against Sia Tower, thoroughly shut oneself and students from reaching out.

If nothing is done, then why go to Sia Tower?

Hill glanced at Russell, then turned to the chaotic situation behind the airship, where Oliva was about to win, and softly instructed: ”How you interacted with West and Rolando at the beginning, maintain that attitude in Sia Tower.”

”Estimated, what appears before you will also be among these two.”

”No exceptions? Like Felis?” Russell sharply caught the implication in Hill’s words.

”Possibly, but not necessarily,” Hill considered, and still did not assert firmly, ”Here, such people don’t need to appear.”

Russell couldn’t help but exchange glances with Carpenter, two pairs of similar eyes filled with the same understanding: In Sia Tower, only fake cordial interactions are needed, irrespective of how sincere or kind the other party appears, treat them like West.

The children from noble families understand this principle of dealing: Such treatment can only prove the other party is a hostile family.

For them, the good people of hostile families do not count as people.