Chapter 252 Upgrade Plan, Become a Disciple

The Obsidian Wizard Tower was a standard small-sized wizard tower. Its elemental pool, energy force field for the maze locks, and levitation ring were all the most basic configurations for small towers, with no enhancements or modifications.

Its long-range weaponry consisted of only 100 spell turrets and a single dissociation cannon.

If there was anything of research value, it would be the tower spirit and the Black-Winged Bone Claws.

The Obsidian Throne was renowned as a master of soul research, specializing in the creation of puppets and magical tools from souls. Across the planes under their control, vast quantities of flesh and souls from sentient beings were harvested annually for wizard experiments and manufacturing, a practice marked by extreme bloodshed and cruelty.

As a result, many of the Obsidian Throne's wizards were highly skilled in soul manipulation. Unlike conventional wizards who relied on soul crystals to create tower spirits, the Obsidian Throne's wizards preferred to directly consume higher quantities and quality of raw souls, skipping the crystallization process entirely. This approach resulted in tower spirits with far superior computational and analytical capabilities compared to ordinary ones.

It was no surprise, then, that the Obsidian Wizard Tower housed only a single tower spirit. While this was partly due to the tower's design prioritizing combat over research or residence—necessitating fewer spirits—it also underscored the exceptional quality of the Obsidian Throne's creations.

After studying the fragmented remains of the tower spirit's container, Su Nan gained some insights that he planned to apply when upgrading his own tower spirit to enhance its computational and analytical abilities.

As for the Black-Winged Bone Claws, Su Nan preserved two for research purposes. Although he had no intention of replicating them, they were wizard-grade puppets, and there was much to learn from their design.

Once his research was complete, Su Nan dismantled the entire Obsidian Wizard Tower without hesitation, organizing the materials. Falling Star City had long since been deconstructed into various resources, and now these materials would be combined for the upgrade and modification of the Starlight Wizard Tower.

Su Nan had already outlined his upgrade plans.

The first priority was energy supply. Both the central crystal energy transmission system and the elemental pool needed upgrades. The central crystal system, being the core hardware of any wizard tower, was the first to undergo reinforcement. To elevate the tower to a medium-standard size, enhancing this system was imperative.

While the elemental pool already exceeded the specifications of a medium wizard tower, Su Nan intended to continue its enhancement to improve the efficiency of mental energy replenishment.

Initially, the levitation ring was also slated for upgrades, but with the Star Alliance currently short on mithril—and considering the ring had already been reinforced once—Su Nan decided to exclude it from this round of upgrades.

The second focus was spatial planning, a relatively simple matter of expanding the internal areas of the tower.

The final aspect was combat systems, including the maze lock protective energy field, long-range weaponry, and internal legions.

The maze lock energy field, like the elemental pool, was already at a large-tower level, far surpassing the medium standard. Nonetheless, Su Nan planned to continue enhancing it; after all, one could never have too much defense.

As for long-range weaponry, the Spell Turret II and Dissociation Cannon II configurations were sufficient for now. While lacking a plasma cannon, the Dissociation Cannon II was no less powerful. Combined with 300 Spell Turrets II, the Starlight Wizard Tower's firepower already exceeded that of a medium wizard tower.

As long as the energy supply could keep up, there was no immediate need to increase firepower. However, further improvements to the Spell Turret II and Dissociation Cannon II—specifically to reduce energy consumption—remained a priority.

The internal legions, consisting of 5,000 adamantine golems, were sufficient, and Su Nan had no plans to expand them. However, the number of wizard-grade puppets was limited to just 25, which Su Nan intended to increase to 100.

After tallying the costs, excluding upgrades to the elemental pool and maze lock energy field, elevating the Starlight Wizard Tower to medium size would require expenditures exceeding 1 billion gold coins. Of course, this figure was merely an estimate; at this level, many materials couldn't be purchased with gold coins alone, especially in large quantities.

In the wizarding world, transactions often relied on magic stones.

"Using magic stones simplifies things. I can purchase substandard magic stones with gold coins, synthesize them into proper magic stones, and use them to buy other resources. This approach would cost even fewer gold coins."

This was one reason Su Nan eagerly anticipated the planar seal's removal and the opportunity to trade with other wizard factions. Many resources in his possession cost far less than the market rate, making them ideal for bartering with other factions.

Resources like magic stones, magic crystals, pure magic stone essence, elemental cores, and soul crystals held immense potential. The profits from such transactions would undoubtedly propel the Star Alliance into a period of explosive growth.

For now, however, resource limitations meant the tower upgrades had to proceed gradually, particularly for the elemental pool and maze lock energy field.

After drafting a detailed upgrade plan for the wizard tower, Su Nan sent it to Lize via a construct messenger. He tasked her with coordinating resource supplies according to the plan before returning to the elemental pool to continue his cultivation.

"Another busy stretch awaits," Su Nan mused.

Time slipped away like fine sand through his fingers, unnoticed until it was gone.

In the blink of an eye, more than ten years had passed.

By Starlight Year 1999, during the month of Flowing Fire (July), the scorching sun blazed high in the sky, its relentless heat baking the earth below. Even a short walk outside left clothes drenched in sweat.

Under the oppressive heat, the usually bustling central avenue of Shining City was eerily deserted, with only a few passersby.

Clack, clack!

A strange vehicle approached from a distance.

The vehicle resembled the luxurious carriages commonly used by nobles, except it was entirely constructed of metal and lacked any horses. Instead, its four wheels rolled forward under some invisible force.

The sound of the wheels attracted the attention of the few pedestrians.

As their eyes fell upon the metal vehicle, expressions of envy appeared on their faces.

"That's the latest model of a magitech car!"

"I heard these magitech cars run on magic stones, which is why they can move such a heavy metal body."

"I'm so jealous. If only I could have one!"

"Stop dreaming. Do you know how rare and valuable these magitech cars are? Even ordinary nobles can't afford them. Look at the emblem on the side—it's the royal family's crest!"

"Oh wow, it really is. Who's inside? A prince or a princess?"

The magitech car continued down the avenue, leaving the murmurs far behind.

Inside the spacious carriage, Hailin sat engrossed in a thick book, oblivious to the voices outside.

The two young men and women seated on either side of him had heard the whispers but remained silent, sitting quietly to avoid disturbing Hailin.

The magitech car passed through the central avenue and stopped at the gates of the imperial palace.

One of the youths leaned out of the window and spoke briefly to the guards. The soldiers immediately allowed them to pass without any inspection.

The car drove further inside, eventually stopping at a luxurious palace.

A group of people awaited them within, led by none other than the second prince of the empire, Jerry Anest.

Behind him stood his wife and children.

When Hailin and his two companions exited the vehicle, Jerry immediately stepped forward with a warm smile.

"Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit, Lord Hailin."

The others quickly bowed in greeting.

The younger ones couldn't help but steal curious glances at Hailin. Despite appearing no older than twenty, the man before them was technically their father's great-uncle.

However, as wizards typically avoided discussions of lineage and bloodlines, Jerry addressed him as "Lord."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the group headed for the main hall.

During this time, Hailin did not introduce the two youths with him, and Jerry refrained from asking, assuming they were Hailin's disciples.

Over the centuries since the death of the founding emperor, the royal family, under the Star Alliance's support, had produced a large number of wizard apprentices.

Currently, there were over 300 registered wizard apprentices in the royal family, with one of them achieving the rank of a full wizard: Hailin Anest himself.

This gave Hailin unparalleled status within the empire, to the extent that even the emperor treated him with the utmost respect.

Jerry had gone to great lengths to invite Hailin here.

In the hall, Hailin and his two companions sat down, while Jerry dismissed the rest of his entourage, save for a sixteen-year-old boy who stayed behind.

Before Jerry could deliberate on how to broach the subject, Hailin went straight to the point.

"Let's not waste time. Why have you called me here?"

Knowing that most wizards disliked unnecessary pleasantries, Jerry steeled himself and stated his purpose.

"I wish for you to take my youngest son, Guy, as your disciple."

Hailin raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling on the nervous boy standing behind Jerry. A faint ripple of energy particles emanated from him.

Judging by the intensity, he appeared to be a second-tier wizard apprentice.

"Is he a student at Starlight Academy?"

"Yes."

"Out of consideration for our shared lineage, I will accept him as my disciple if he passes the Morning Star assessment."

Jerry's expression faltered.

Any second-tier wizard apprentice under the age of thirty was eligible for the Morning Star assessment. While Guy met the criteria, his young age and lack of experience made his chances of passing exceedingly slim.

If Jerry had believed Guy could pass, he wouldn't have sought Hailin's help in the first place.

In the wizarding world, advancing quickly was crucial. Becoming Hailin's disciple would give Guy a significant advantage, with guidance from a wizard and the backing of family resources. This could propel him to heights rivaling Hailin's.

Hailin easily discerned Jerry's calculations from his expression.

It wasn't the first time members of the Anest family had come to him with such requests.

Ever since achieving wizard rank, countless family members had sought his mentorship.

Still, as Hailin observed Guy—sixteen or seventeen years old and already a second-tier wizard apprentice—he couldn't deny the boy's potential, which rivaled his own at that age.

"Please, Lord Hailin," Jerry pleaded again, his tone sincere. This time, he presented a spatial ring.

"This contains 1,000 low-grade magic stones as Guy's apprenticeship fee. I will offer the same amount annually. I implore you to consider."

Hearing this, the two youths behind Hailin exchanged surprised glances. Their gazes toward the ring turned fervent.

While magitech had spread across the continent, its development was hindered by the limited production of magic stones. Consequently, widespread adoption remained confined to regions like the Golden Rock Province, where nobles and royalty had preferential access to these precious resources.

A thousand magic stones was no small sum. At Starlight Academy, it could cover several years of expenses for a third-tier wizard apprentice.

As expected of the second prince—his generosity was extraordinary.

Even Hailin appeared momentarily moved. After a brief pause, he nodded.

"Very well. From today onward, he is my disciple."

Overjoyed, Jerry quickly commanded his son, "Go, pay your respects to your master!"

Guy, his face flushed with excitement, hurried forward to bow before Hailin.

"Master!"

Hailin nodded calmly. "You will return to the academy with me."

He then turned to Jerry. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

Having achieved his goal, Jerry dared not delay Hailin further. Beaming, he personally escorted them to the vehicle and watched as it drove away.

Inside the magitech car, Guy sat nervously.

Hailin glanced at him and gestured to the two youths. "This is Raymond and Alisa, your senior brother and sister. Both are third-tier wizard apprentices. If I am not around, you may ask them for guidance."

"Senior Brother, Senior Sister, hello!" Guy greeted quickly.

Raymond and Alisa smiled in return, their attitudes friendly. Even without their master's connection, Guy's innate talent was enough to earn their respect.

At that moment, Hailin's expression suddenly shifted. With a flick of his wrist, a book materialized in his hand.

Flipping it open, strands of light emerged from its pages, coalescing into a faint, translucent figure.

"What is it?" Hailin asked.

The figure spoke gravely. "About 120 kilometers north of Shining City, there has been an unrecorded energy particle fluctuation. Thirteen sources have been detected. The Witch Hunters have been dispatched, but you are to provide support."

After a pause, the figure added, "This is a direct order from Lord Starfall."

Hailin's demeanor turned serious. "Understood."

The light dissipated, and Hailin closed the book. He turned to the three apprentices, who looked

on in confusion.

"You will return to the academy on your own."

Before they could respond, Hailin vanished, leaving Guy and the others staring at each other in the now-quiet carriage.

--Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there 

patreon.com/TLGod

Thanks!