Chapter 138: Hope of Advancing to Wizard
Three days passed.
Su Nan, accompanied by the Golem Legion, moved into Matu, officially taking control of this city-state.
It must be said, the Vampires were an incredibly powerful race. They boasted long lifespans, cunning tactics, and formidable combat abilities. Whether on the front lines or as scouts and assassins, they were masters of their craft. Their only weaknesses were a fear of sunlight and a low reproductive rate.
Fortunately, in the Underworld, the former could be entirely disregarded. However, the low reproductive rate posed a significant challenge to the expansion of Matu's influence.
Within the vast city-state, the total number of Vampires was fewer than two hundred, while the affiliated races and slaves numbered over ten thousand. It was only due to the exceptionally high combat power of the Vampires, with Knights and Grand Knights being common, that they could manage such a large number of vassals and slaves.
Thousands of stalactites hung from the cave's ceiling, their blue, green, and dark purple Demon Fire burning and swirling among them like a sea of clouds, casting a faint illumination over all of Matu.
Standing atop a stone pillar two or three hundred meters high, Su Nan surveyed the ground. He watched as Golems entered the city one after another, and slaves hurriedly transported various supplies, resembling ants bustling to and fro. In that moment, he felt as if he were looking down upon all living beings.
With the Kasham Swarm completely eradicated, the Vampires of Matu had surrendered, and the Ghoul clan of Olsen had been utterly wiped out by Red Widow's forces. Youhu City had long since fallen into his hands.
It could be said that the territory within a hundred miles now belonged to him.
"The Ghouls of Olsen are completely annihilated, leaving only a handful of vassal races and slaves. We will need to send a team to manage the affairs here."
"Let’s transfer a batch of Sphinx and Vampires from Youhu City and Matu, respectively."
With the Vampires of Matu subdued and the addition of the Sphinx, Su Nan’s manpower was finally less stretched.
However, the problem that arose was the lack of troops.
Kasham could be overlooked, but the Lake of Gloom, Matu, and Olsen all required soldiers stationed there.
Though this war had taken a significant toll on the Golems, the remaining forces were more than enough to garrison the Lake of Gloom.
They could even spare some to be stationed in Matu and defend it alongside the Vampires, which would suffice.
Only Olsen currently suffered from a lack of military strength, necessitating a large number of Golems to fill the gap.
Moreover, the combined mines controlled by Olsen and Matu totaled six, all of which needed Golems dispatched for oversight, guarding, and escorting the mined ore.
All of this required manpower.
Including Clay Golems, they faced a deficit of nearly a thousand Golems.
"Let Base handle the refining of Golems."
Now that more and more Apprentices under Base had mastered Puppet Refining, Su Nan no longer needed to painstakingly refine Stone Golems himself.
If necessary, he could quickly amass a large number of Stone Golems by increasing the task rewards.
It was because of this that his Golem Legion had managed to double in size in just over a month during the war.
Of course, he still needed to personally create Steel Golems and Twin Blade Spiders.
"Next, I'll concentrate on researching Bloodline Mark and Divine Energy."
Su Nan gazed in the direction of Youhu City.
The Death Knell Striker was imprisoned in Base 2, guarded by three Higher Stone Golems and three Elite Double Blade Puppets, with Hidden Dragon also present to ensure there was no escape.
For a long time, his focus would be on this alien insect with the Ancient Bloodline.
Late at night, dark clouds obscured the Silver Moon, casting the night sky into dimness.
Saulo walked along a secluded forest path, enveloped in darkness.
After an undetermined time, he paused and extended his palm, where a sphere of light slowly materialized, its gentle radiance spreading in all directions. It cast long shadows of the dense pine tree trunks across the forest floor, while areas untouched by the light seemed to plunge into even deeper darkness.
"Come out," Saulo commanded in a deep voice.
Two figures emerged from the darkness, stepping into the light.
The figure on the left was so bloated that he no longer resembled a human. Beneath his gray robe, an unidentifiable mass seemed to be stuffed inside, stretching the fabric to its limits. Strange noises emanated from within, as though some creature was gnawing on the contents.
The figure on the right stood about waist-high to an adult, resembling a gnome. The wide, black hem of his robe dragged on the ground, completely concealing his form. His face was shrouded under the brim of his hat, revealing only a shadowy darkness.
"What’s so urgent that you called us here?"
The short man in the black robe spoke slowly, his voice sharp like that of a child undergoing puberty.
"Wu Ge is dead," Saulo replied.
The tall and short figures fell silent for a moment before the Black Robe Man asked, "Who did it?"
"Su Nan."
"Su Nan? Who’s that?" the bloated man in the gray robe asked in a muffled tone.
The Black Robe Man scoffed, "Have you been locked away in the laboratory for so long that you don't even know about Su Nan?"
The Gray Robe Man shot a glance at the Black Robe Man but said nothing.
Saulo took it upon himself to explain, "Su Nan is a new Level Three Wizard Apprentice from the Starry Sky Empire. He's quite strong and is currently a member of the Secret Forest Hut."
"How did Wu Ge get involved with Su Nan?" the Black Robe Man inquired.
"He tried to seize the God Remains of the Starfire Cult from Su Nan, launching an attack on Su Nan's territory in the Underworld. However, he was outmatched and ended up dying at Su Nan's hands."
"What about the Death Knell Striker?"
"It should also be in Su Nan's possession."
The Black Robe Man clicked his tongue in disdain. "That guy who hides in the Underworld playing with insects was no great loss, but what a pity about the Death Knell Striker. There aren’t many descendants of the Ancient Bloodline left. If it were mine, I could certainly put it to better use."
"I want to eat it too!" the Gray Robe Man rumbled.
"Eat, eat, eat! That’s all you ever think about! Shut up! Say that again and I’ll kill you!"
The Black Robe Man suddenly became violently agitated, his voice rising several octaves, filled with brutality and ruthlessness.
Saulo frowned, his voice low and stern. "Calm down!"
The words of the Black Robe Man faltered, and he took a deep breath. A moment later, he regained his composure, offering a cold apology.
“Your bloodline is severely affecting your emotions and reasoning,” Saulo said gravely. “You must find a way to resolve this quickly, or don’t blame me for kicking you out of the Eternal Life Society!”
Many might see the Eternal Life Society as lunatics, but to them, their actions were driven by their own will to increase their strength. It was a rational decision, not the mindless madness of others, like Wizard Apprentices.
Magic was all about reason.
The Eternal Life Society even looked down upon the Wizard Apprentices who had lost their reason.
Black Robe Man fell silent for a moment before nodding. “I understand. I’ve already got a lead; it won’t be long before I resolve this.”
“Good.” Saulo gave a slight nod.
“Now, back to the main point. You called us here just because of Wu Ge? Surely, you’re not seeking revenge on his behalf?”
Saulo shook his head. “I’m not that noble. I called you here for the sake of the Star Tower.”
Star Tower!
The moment those four words were spoken, both the Black Robe Man and the Gray Robe Man were visibly shaken.
Black Robe Man immediately asked, “You’ve found the Star Tower?”
“No,” Saulo replied calmly, “but I do have a lead on its location.”
“The Star Tower appears once every twenty years, and the next time it opens will be in twelve years. However, its location is random, requiring a Key to find the exact spot. Entering the Star Tower also requires a Key.”
Black Robe Man was suspicious. “How do you know all this?”
Saulo replied casually, “I came across information about the Star Tower in an ancient text. I deduced that it has a strong connection to the Kessler Family, who informed the Starry Sky Empire. So, I found Evans and inquired about it.”
“Evans? The Kessler Family member who is a Third Circle Legendary Knight?”
“Indeed.”
“With such important information, he told you the truth?”
“I used a bit of… persuasion.”
Black Robe Man chuckled, instantly understanding.
"It was said that Evans and Su Nan struck a deal. In exchange for his surrender, they saved the last remaining member of the Royal Bloodline of the Kessler Family.
Saulo most likely used that remaining Royal Bloodline as leverage, forcing Evans to reveal clues to the Star Tower. Otherwise, it would be hard to imagine a Third Circle Legendary Knight submitting so easily.
“If that’s the case, Evans must have the Key to enter the Star Tower. Where is it?”
Saulo opened his palm, revealing a Rune Stone resting in the center.
“This is the Key to enter the Star Tower.”
The gaze of the Black Robe Man was fixed on the Rune Stone, and his breathing quickened involuntarily. The Gray Robe Man also shook off his earlier sluggishness, subconsciously stepping forward as the sounds of chewing from beneath his robe grew more pronounced.
Any Wizard Apprentice aware of the existence of the Star Tower understands what this inheritance represents. The Star Tower, Black Forest, and Falling Star City—these are the only three great formal wizard inheritances on the Starlight Continent and represent hope for countless Wizard Apprentices to advance to Wizard.
Finding any one of these three great inheritances significantly increases the chances of becoming a formal wizard, gaining power beyond the mortal realm and a prolonged life.
However, the two quickly forced themselves to calm down, diverting their gaze from the Key. If another Wizard Apprentice were holding it, they would have undoubtedly acted to seize it without hesitation. But in the presence of Saulo, they could only suppress their restless thoughts.
As members of the same organization, they understood just how terrifying Saulo was. Even combined, they knew they wouldn’t stand a chance against him.
“How many people can enter the Star Tower with this Key?” asked the Black Robe Man.
“Only one,” Saulo replied swiftly. “But don’t worry; there are far more than just two or three Keys to the Star Tower. There are many others.”
The Black Robe Man was overjoyed. “Where are the other Keys?”
“Evans possesses more than one Key.”
Saulo stowed away the Key, his tone tinged with regret.
“It’s a pity that another Wizard Apprentice intervened and rescued Evans. Otherwise, we could have forced him to reveal the whereabouts of the other Keys.”
"Besides that, Su Nan possesses a Star Tower Key, which Evans traded to him."
The Gray Robe Man spoke in a muffled voice, "Then we should locate those two and seize all the Keys!"
The Black Robe Man coldly replied, "Setting Evans aside, Su Nan has only one Key. If we take it, who would it belong to?"
The Gray Robe Man fell silent immediately.
The Star Tower was the hope for advancing to the rank of Wizard, and they would never willingly give a Key to someone else.
Asking them to give a Key to one person first and then distribute the others after taking the rest from Evans was even more impossible.
The trust between them had not reached that level.
But without joining forces, they wouldn't have the confidence to confront Su Nan alone.
While they looked down on Wu Ge, they did not underestimate the power that he had established in the Underworld.
Being able to kill Wu Ge, who controlled Kasham, along with Su Nan's own strength and the power he commanded, was enough to make them extremely wary.
They didn’t have a 100% certainty of successfully taking a Key from Su Nan.
In contrast, Evans, a Third Circle Legendary Knight, was easier to handle.
Moreover, that man had more than just one Key.
As long as they discovered Evans's whereabouts, and everyone banded together, they would likely get their wish.
With thoughts racing through his mind, the Black Robe Man quickly formed an idea and asked expressionlessly, "Who was the other Wizard Apprentice who rescued Evans?"
"I don't know; that person is hiding very well," Saulo replied as he shook his head.
To be able to rescue someone from Saulo's grasp and successfully escape, that individual was surely no ordinary Level Three Wizard Apprentice.
Several names flashed through the Black Robe Man's mind, and he then stated, "Saulo, I request a meeting."
"I second that," the Gray Robe Man said in a muffled tone.
Relying solely on the two of them to find a Third Circle Legendary Knight with the help of a Level Three Wizard Apprentice across the vast continent was akin to searching for a needle in a haystack; they needed to call upon others for assistance.
With a Star Tower Key involved, no one would refuse this collaboration.
"I have already sent out the notices," Saulo replied, clearly having anticipated their intentions. "Tonight, I am also here to inform you that the meeting is set for a month from now, at the usual place."
"Understood," the Black Robe Man nodded.
The matter resolved, Saulo turned and left without hesitation, his figure vanishing into the night.
As he departed, the surrounding light gradually faded, and the forest was once again plunged into deep darkness.
Enveloped in the shadows, the Black Robe Man appeared even more at ease. He glanced back at the Gray Robe Man, who curled her lip and turned to leave, only to be halted by the Gray Robe Man's voice.
"You carry the scent of Subdragon Blood, and it's quite strong."
The Black Robe Man paused and turned back, mocking, "Your nose is as sharp as ever. Did you get some new organs grafted on?"
The Gray Robe Man didn't reply directly but instead said in a muffled voice, "A trade. I'll give you a Flesh Core in exchange!"
The Black Robe Man was silent for a moment before responding, "I don't need a Flesh Core; that stuff is useless to me now. If you really want Subdragon Blood, then do me a favor."
"What favor?"
"Kill someone. I'll tell you who when we get there. If you agree, we can leave now."
"Where to?"
"To the Underworld."
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