Chapter 181: The Silver Giant
Outskirts of Star Tower.
On a slope a thousand meters away, Ke Yi gazed at the towering giant of the Star Tower in the distance, surrounded by a multitude. He couldn't help but sigh with worry.
It had been over two years since they had been abruptly driven from the Star Tower. Despite their relentless attempts to breach the Defensive Magic Array, they could never break through the seemingly thin, invisible barrier; all they could do was watch in frustrated longing from the outside.
During all this time, there had been no sign of activity from within the Star Tower. Su Nan remained unseen.
As time went on, anxiety gnawed at Ke Yi’s heart. The Star Alliance had sent representatives repeatedly, urging him to return and oversee the battle, but he ignored their requests, determined to wait here.
Ke Yi understood well that without the Star Alliance’s support, even if the Starry Sky Empire defeated the Azure Gold Empire and claimed most of its territory, they would be unable to maintain such a hard-won victory. Su Nan was the soul of the Star Alliance; without him, their cohesion would naturally falter. Moreover, Su Nan was his only younger brother.
Behind Ke Yi, Scepter, Traveler, and Rose stood shoulder to shoulder, brows furrowed as they also stared at the distant Star Tower.
"Su Nan hasn’t come out for so long. Could something truly have happened to him?" Traveler said, a frown creasing his forehead.
Scepter and Rose exchanged glances but remained silent. They had no answers to that question either.
This perplexing situation was enough to drive them to the brink of despair. If it weren’t for their unwillingness to abandon the hope of advancing to Wizard, they would have left long ago and not wasted over two years in this futile wait.
"What exactly is going on inside?" Scepter muttered, his eyes flickering with confusion.
The members of the Truth Council were equally bewildered.
McVeigh's gaze was fixed on Star Tower, his expression a blend of barely restrained impatience and irritation.
Over two years had passed, and his patience was wearing thin. Anyone who had spent more than two years relentlessly attacking Star Tower every day without seeing any hope of breaking through wouldn't be in a good mood.
"Is continuing like this even useful?" McVeigh asked, his face darkening. "Star Tower definitely has an Elemental Pool within it, which can endlessly replenish the energy consumed by the Defensive Magic Array. Unless we can inflict an instantaneous, overwhelming burst of damage on the Defensive Magic Array, no matter how long we keep attacking, we’ll never break through it!"
Fabio replied expressionlessly, "So you want to give up on Star Tower?"
McVeigh's eye twitched, leaving him momentarily speechless. How could he possibly give up? It was his only hope of advancing to Wizard! If he missed this chance, he would have to wait another twenty years. Would he even live that long? Even if he did, his lifespan would be nearly exhausted by then, and even if he managed to find a way to reach Wizard, he probably wouldn’t have enough time to achieve it. If it weren't for this, why would he have persisted until now, even knowing the chances of breaking through the Defensive Magic Array were so slim? The current Star Tower was practically his only chance!
The sentiments of McVeigh echoed through the members of the Truth Council.
"There's no need to be so pessimistic," Megison said, drawing everyone's attention. "Star Tower is only supposed to exist in the Material World for three months, yet it has already exceeded that time. Something must have gone wrong inside."
Many people instinctively turned their gazes to Evans.
Evans nodded in agreement. "Indeed, the last time Star Tower appeared, it also vanished after three months." Seeing McVeigh about to speak, he quickly added, "However, I don't know much, and I’m also in the dark about the current situation of Star Tower."
McVeigh snorted, saying, "This matter is definitely related to Su Nan!"
"That guy hasn't come out for so long; could he have died inside?" someone remarked.
Many nodded in agreement. The trial of Star Tower undeniably involved actual combat, and Evans’s experience confirmed that point.
"Perhaps he even died in actual combat."
"If that's the case, it's too good for him," McVeigh replied resentfully.
He could be described as extremely annoyed at the culprit who caused the accident. If Su Nan had perished inside Star Tower, that would have been one thing; but if he had survived, McVeigh would make sure there would be consequences once he emerged from the tower!
"Alright, enough idle talk; it's time to move," Megison said, interrupting the conversation as he stood up and walked towards Star Tower.
The others looked sullen but had no choice but to rise and follow. They could only hope that the Star Tower's Defensive Magic Array would malfunction after running at high intensity for so long, allowing them a chance to enter.
As the members of the Truth Council began their daily assault, the onlookers from the Other: Wizard Apprentices quickly retreated to a safer distance.
Initially, they had joined forces with the Truth Council to besiege Star Tower. However, in the past few months, after McVeigh vented his anger by eliminating a few Other: Wizard Apprentices, nobody dared approach them anymore for fear of becoming targets.
Some of the more timid individuals had already left, but many stayed behind, still clinging to the faint hope that they could take advantage of the situation.
The Truth Council, however, didn't regard these small fry as a threat. They were nothing more than ants that could be crushed with a flick of the wrist. If any of them dared harbor untoward thoughts, they couldn't blame the Council for being ruthless!
As Megison and the others reached the front of Star Tower and were about to unleash their spells as usual, a deafening boom, reminiscent of thunder, suddenly erupted from above.
They looked up in astonishment to see the top of Star Tower explode. Amidst the flying debris, a figure shot out, paused briefly in the air, and then began to descend slowly.
"Su Nan!" Evans exclaimed in shock.
McVeigh was initially startled, but then joy spread across his face, a ferocious grin emerging.
"That guy isn't dead! Perfect!"
At the same moment, Ke Yi, Scepter, and the others in the distance also spotted Su Nan and flew over one after another.
"Su Nan!"
Ke Yi, taking the lead, rushed toward Su Nan, his face filled with surprise. He looked him up and down, and upon seeing that Su Nan appeared completely unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief.
The Traveler couldn't wait to ask, "Su Nan, what happened in there? Why are you only coming out now?"
Scepter and Rose also cast inquisitive glances, eager to learn what had transpired in the Star Tower.
Just as Su Nan was about to speak, he caught sight of the Truth Council and their group rushing toward him, completely surrounding him and Ke Yi.
The Traveler's expression shifted, and he said in a deep voice, "Megison, what do you want?"
"That's what we should be asking!" McVeigh sneered as he stared at Su Nan. "What exactly did you do? Why were we all expelled from the Star Tower?"
Ignoring McVeigh, Su Nan turned to Ke Yi and asked, "You all were waiting outside the entire time?"
Ke Yi nodded and replied, "You hadn't come out, so how could I leave without worrying?"
Despite being surrounded by the infamous Truth Council, Su Nan remained calm and composed. He paid no mind to the hostile gazes of his enemies and continued to inquire about what had happened.
This demeanor only served to irritate the members of the Truth Council.
McVeigh, in particular, bore an undisguised killing intent in his eyes.
"Since you won't talk, then I'll extract your soul and interrogate it slowly!"
After more than two years of waiting, McVeigh's impatience had reached its limit. Provoked further by Su Nan's indifference, he could no longer contain himself and launched a savage attack.
Before everyone's eyes, McVeigh's head suddenly swelled and deformed, transforming into a massive, hideous shark head. It opened its bloody maw, revealing rows of sharp fangs, and lunged at Su Nan!
However, something even faster than McVeigh shot out from between Su Nan's eyebrows—a streak of silver light!
The silver light pierced through the void like lightning, slicing through layer after layer of defenses without obstruction. It plunged into the shark's head and shot out from the back, spraying a shower of warm blood!
McVeigh stumbled forward a few steps before collapsing to the ground with a thud, silent, his head reverting to its original form.
Silence!
A deathly silence!
Everyone stared wide-eyed at the scene before them, disbelief and shock etched on their faces.
In just a single exchange, a powerful Level Three Wizard Apprentice had been so decisively annihilated?
Were they not dreaming?
Megison was the first to regain his senses. His expression shifted drastically as he loudly urged his companions, "Attack!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, torrents of blood surged from every pore on Megison's body, rapidly solidifying into a massive crimson claw that, with an ear-piercing shriek, tore through the air toward Su Nan.
The rest of the Truth Council snapped out of their daze, launching their own attacks at Su Nan.
Ke Yi and the others' expressions changed upon witnessing this, preparing to defend and counterattack.
However, before they could act, a layer of silver light suddenly enveloped them, cascading in translucent sheets.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Colorful spell glows and elemental light filled the area around Su Nan and the others, stirring up a cloud of dust.
Despite the attack hitting its target, Megison and the others showed no signs of joy; instead, they began to prepare for their next offensive, their expressions grave.
McVeigh's strength was easily among the top three of the Truth Council, yet he had been effortlessly slain by Su Nan. This left them utterly dumbfounded, making them reluctant to underestimate Su Nan's power.
In fact, a troubling thought faintly emerged in many of their minds.
But soon, they instinctively rejected it.
Su Nan had only been in the Star Tower for a little over two years; it was impossible for him to have progressed so quickly!
Whoosh!
The wind dispersed the dust, revealing the scene within.
In the sunlight, a massive, silver hemisphere glimmered, its surface undulating like liquid.
“What is this?” one Wizard Apprentice whispered, unable to contain their surprise.
The next moment, the silver hemisphere suddenly contorted and changed shape, revealing the figures of Ke Yi and the others within.
They stood there, stunned, still reeling from the shock. Their gazes were fixed on the silver liquid metal as it gathered around Su Nan, enveloping him completely. In the blink of an eye, it formed into a shimmering silver liquid sphere.
The liquid sphere then shot into the sky like a cannonball, rapidly expanding like an inflating balloon and instantly transforming into a terrifying giant over a hundred meters tall, its entire body gleaming with a silvery sheen.
The sunlight reflected off the silver giant, casting a massive shadow that enveloped the area where the Truth Council and the others stood.
In that moment, Megison and the others felt a deep shudder, a bone-chilling fear that coursed through their very souls, as if facing a being from a far higher plane of existence.
Before they could comprehend what was happening, a violent whistling sound erupted in their ears.
The silver giant raised its arm high and then brought its fist down upon them. The massive fist descended like a meteor, the air around it vibrating with a thunderous roar!
Though the fist appeared cumbersome and slow, it had already blurred into their midst, arriving in an instant.
One of the Wizard Apprentices didn't even have a chance to react before being struck head-on by the fist!
What were Shield Spells, Energy Particle Protection, and Magical Item Protection? They were as fragile as paper against the might of that fist, collapsing and shattering instantly, unable to slow its momentum even for a moment.
The moment it made contact, that Wizard Apprentice was instantly blasted into a shower of blood mist by the terrifying energy within!
The fist paused briefly before, defying the laws of physics, twisting in an odd arc to strike another Wizard Apprentice.
Bang!
Another scarlet blossom of blood erupted!
Shh!
A massive blood blade cleaved through the air, striking the silver giant's wrist.
With a soft shh, the giant's entire hand was severed at the wrist, crashing to the ground and instantly transforming into a pool of silver liquid.
However, in the next instant, the liquids suddenly lifted off the ground, swelling against the wind into a magnificent water curtain that blotted out the sky, engulfing Megison, who couldn't dodge in time, and then surging back.
As the Silver Liquid reformed into a hand at the silver giant's wrist, Megison was firmly grasped within it.
Feeling the terrifying pressure that nearly crushed him from all directions, despair flooded Megison's eyes. His features twisted, revealing a warped expression of disbelief and jealousy.
If he had harbored any doubt before, he was now certain that Su Nan had indeed advanced to the rank of Formal Wizard!
Only a Formal Wizard could suppress him so effortlessly, leaving him utterly powerless to resist!
But he was unwilling to accept it!
Su Nan had clearly obtained some incredible opportunity within the Star Tower that allowed him to advance to Wizard.
If Megison hadn't been expelled and had received the legacy reward through the trials, he was confident that he too could have broken through.
He was only one step away from that coveted realm!
To die like this was unacceptable!
"Ah!!!"
The intense pain surging through his body forced Megison to let out a miserable shriek.
As the silver giant's hand closed violently, the chairman of the Truth Council burst into countless particles of blood mist, filled with jealousy, despair, and unwillingness!
The successive deaths of three companions made the remaining members of the Truth Council realize the situation was desperate; without a word, they turned to flee.
But before they could escape, the silver giant erupted, and countless droplets of silver liquid metal splattered, transforming mid-air into metal spikes that swept across the surroundings like a torrential rainstorm!
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!
Fabio, Evans, and others were nearly simultaneously pierced by the metal spikes, their defenses offering not even a sliver of protection.
In an instant, more than a dozen Level Three Wizard Apprentices were killed, their entire force annihilated.
The metal spikes circled in the air, retraced their path, and disappeared into Su Nan's body.
Silence returned, so profound that you could hear a pin drop.
Whether it was the four of them—Ke Yi or the bystanders in the distance, all were stunned in place. Their expressions were blank, their mouths dry, and their minds utterly empty.
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