Chapter 268: Rising Fame

The Origins of the Stargazer Tower

"The Stargazer Tower was originally a wizard's tower, left behind after a powerful wandering wizard fell in battle. It suffered such severe damage that it was deemed irreparable, leaving little more than an empty shell. After the All Things Guild took over, they repurposed it into the Stargazer Tower as it exists today," Tanner explained, leading Sunan and Lize into the tower.

The first floor was a vast, circular hall constructed entirely of white jade stone, radiating opulence.

Scattered across the hall at regular intervals were towering cyan steles, each roughly two meters high, forming a forest-like arrangement.

The surfaces of these steles displayed densely packed text, detailing a variety of missions.

Sunan quickly glanced over them, noting that most missions involved assembling wizards for plane exploration, hiring manpower for plane conquests, or seeking specific pieces of information.

After a cursory look, Sunan lost interest.

This kind of mission hall might be appealing to unaffiliated wandering wizards who sought resources and information, but for someone like Sunan, it offered little value.

If there were resources he couldn't obtain on his own, they certainly wouldn't be found here. Similarly, genuinely valuable intelligence would not be advertised in such an open venue.

Retracting his gaze, Sunan followed the group to a teleportation array at the corner of the hall, which took them directly to the seventh floor where the arena duels were held.

The seventh floor was another circular hall, slightly smaller in size than the ground floor.

Here, the number of steles was fewer, arranged around the hall's perimeter in a ring.

Many wizards stood before the steles, pointing at the inscriptions and whispering among themselves.

Sunan approached one of the steles and examined the displayed text.

[Arena No. 13]

Arena Master: Trevor Evans

Affiliation: Iron Constructs

Level: Level 2 Crystallization Wizard

Wager: 10 Shadowsteel Golems

Challenge Fee: 5,000 lower-grade magic stones

Seeing Sunan's interest, Tanner eagerly explained, "The rules here are that only wizards of the same rank as the arena master can issue a challenge. In this case, only Level 2 wizards can challenge a Level 2 arena master, and Level 3 wizards can only challenge Level 3 arena masters.

"Most wizards daring enough to set up an arena duel are Crystallization Wizards, with combat abilities that make them stand out among their peers."

Lize glanced at the text on the stele, her expression thoughtful.

"I remember the Iron Constructs as a third-rate wizard faction, known for their expertise in crafting golems, correct?"

"Exactly," Tanner replied with a smile. His tone became more respectful upon realizing that Lize was also a Level 2 wizard.

"The Iron Constructs are renowned for the exceptional quality of their golems. Given identical materials, their creations are noticeably superior to those crafted by other wizards.

"These 10 Shadowsteel Golems alone are worth at least 70,000 lower-grade magic stones."

A 13-fold return on investment, considering the mere 5,000 magic stone challenge fee, would surely tempt any wizard confident in their abilities.

As the three were chatting, a wizard approached Stele No. 13, examined it briefly, and pressed his hand against it. In an instant, the wizard vanished in a flash of light.

"The dueling grounds exist in a separate dimensional space, so no matter how intense the battle gets, it won't damage the Stargazer Tower," Tanner explained.

Just then, a voice called out behind them.

"Tanner."

Turning, they saw a robed wizard approach. His face was obscured by an odd bird-like mask, adorned with crimson and emerald feathers. His eccentric attire stood out.

"Bryce! It's been so long!" Tanner greeted the wizard warmly.

"Nearly 300 years. Where have you been all this time? I haven't seen you back here at all," Bryce remarked, his voice tinged with curiosity.

Tanner gave a wry smile.

"It's a long story. Let's just say I ran into some complications."

Sensing that Tanner didn't want to elaborate, Bryce wisely changed the subject, turning his attention to Sunan and Lize.

"And who are these two?"

Tanner quickly introduced them.

"Let me introduce Sunan and Lize. They are both distinguished figures."

Bryce's demeanor became more formal; anyone Tanner referred to so respectfully was undoubtedly of high standing.

Tanner continued, "This is Bryce from the Hundred-Headed Bird faction."

Sunan quickly recalled what little he knew about the group. They were a wizard faction specializing in the cultivation of exotic beasts and operated over a hundred mid-to-large-scale ecological reserves for breeding.

"Sunan Anest from the Star Alliance," Sunan said with a polite nod.

"Lize Russell, also from the Star Alliance," Lize added.

Bryce's eyes lit up.

"The Star Alliance? You mean the same faction that recently repelled the Dark Throne's invasion and joined the Wisdom Codex's coalition?"

Before Sunan or Lize could reply, Tanner grinned and interjected,

"Indeed, it's the same Star Alliance. Sunan here is its leader."

Bryce's expression turned respectful.

The Dark Throne's invasion had sent shockwaves throughout the wizarding world. It wasn't just a simple invasion—it was an assault on the long-isolated Starshine Continent, led by a Dark Throne candidate wizard, with an army comprising an entire plane and five wizard towers.

Yet, the Star Alliance not only repelled the invasion but obliterated the invading force. The Dark Throne lost its candidate wizard, its army, and even control of the plane.

Such a resounding defeat was unheard of for the Dark Throne in nearly 2,000 years.

"It's an honor to meet you!" Bryce said earnestly, his tone laced with admiration.

His expression brightened further as he continued,

"I heard the Star Alliance recently acquired the Wolf Tide plane, which houses a biological nest capable of producing Black Wolves and Dusk Wolves. I'm quite interested in these creatures. Would you consider selling me a few? I'm willing to pay extra."

Sunan was momentarily surprised but quickly understood Bryce's interest given his faction's expertise in exotic beasts.

"Dusk Wolves are too rare, so we're not selling them for now. But Black Wolves are available. If the Hundred-Headed Bird faction wishes to purchase them, we'd be happy to discuss terms."

Satisfied with the response, Bryce thanked Sunan profusely, already calculating potential profits from reselling the Black Wolves to other enthusiasts in his faction.

After settling the matter with Bryce, Sunan turned to Tanner.

"Where is the arena with the Supreme Automaton design wager?"

"Over at Arena No. 24. Follow me."

When they reached the designated stele, the details were as follows:

[Arena No. 24]

Arena Master: Makaro Campbell

Affiliation: Blackthorn Tower

Level: Level 3 Crystallization Wizard

Wager: Supreme Automaton Design

Challenge Fee: 50,000 lower-grade magic stones

"Blackthorn Tower wizards," Lize muttered, her expression darkening with disdain.

Blackthorn Tower was one of the infamous factions of the dark wizarding world, often referred to as the Black Wizard faction.

Although their overall strength was slightly inferior to the Dark Throne, their reputation for malevolence was equally dreadful.

"Makaro is incredibly powerful. He once battled a Robe Wizard of the Dark Throne to a draw," Tanner said in a hushed tone.

Hearing this, Lize's brows furrowed even tighter, and she cast a worried glance at Sunan.

Bryce, now fully understanding the situation, realized Sunan intended to participate in the duel to claim the Supreme Automaton design. Glancing at the details on the stele, Bryce looked visibly conflicted.

A Robe Wizard of the Dark Throne was among the strongest of Level 3 wizards, capable of holding their ground against three ordinary Level 3 Crystallization Wizards simultaneously.

For Makaro to achieve a draw with such a wizard spoke volumes about his strength.

Even with Sunan's reputation, Bryce doubted he could defeat Makaro.

Unbothered by their reactions, Sunan placed his hand on the stele.

A mechanical, monotone voice immediately sounded in his ears.

"New participant detected. Please register your identity information."

"Friendly reminder: Providing false information will result in severe penalties, including but not limited to expulsion from the Stargazer Tower, a lifetime ban from entry, or permanent expulsion from the City of All Things."

The registration process was straightforward, and Sunan completed it quickly.

His information then appeared on the stele.

Challenger: Sunan Anest

Affiliation: Star Alliance

Level: Level 3 Vaporized Wizard

Challenge Order: 3

Tanner and Bryce both widened their eyes in shock as they saw the display.

They had assumed Sunan, having defeated Yuxi, would undoubtedly be a Level 3 Crystallization Wizard. The revelation that he was only a Level 3 Vaporized Wizard stunned them.

Defeating a Level 3 Crystallization Wizard as a Vaporized Wizard?

The two exchanged incredulous glances, momentarily doubting Yuxi's reputation.

But upon reflection, Yuxi was undeniably a genuine Level 3 Crystallization Wizard. Sunan's strength clearly far exceeded their expectations.

Ignoring their thoughts, Sunan examined the challenge queue displayed on the stele.

All challengers were listed in order of their registration.

Ahead of Sunan were two names:

The first was Amman Reed, a Level 3 Crystallization Wizard from the Sea King's Whale.

Sunan recalled that the Sea King's Whale was a second-rate wizarding faction known for its expertise in water magic. Their magical tools, constructs, and exotic beasts were all water-oriented, making them specialists in this domain.

The second challenger was Grus Hughes, another Level 3 Crystallization Wizard, from the Pale Mask.

The Pale Mask, like Blackthorn Tower, was part of the Black Wizard factions. Its reputation was slightly better than Blackthorn Tower's but was still less than stellar.

The Stargazer Tower's dueling arenas didn't discriminate between factions. Wizards from the same faction would often fight over personal gains.

Outside the Stargazer Tower, it wasn't uncommon for factions like these to plot against and kill one another either.

Suddenly, the stele emitted a bright glow, and a wizard materialized in front of it.

The wizard's face was pale, his lips bloody, and his expression was grim—clearly a defeated challenger.

The duels offered no perfect protective measures, and serious injuries were routine. The only safeguard was an emergency teleportation mechanism that allowed participants to withdraw instantly if the fight turned dire.

Even with this, fatalities occurred every year.

Wizards who killed their opponents in these duels were not held accountable by the All Things Guild, nor could anyone retaliate against them while in the City of All Things.

Of course, once outside the city, the All Things Guild would no longer intervene.

The defeated wizard glanced briefly at Sunan and his companions, wiped the blood from his lips, and stormed off with a sour expression.

While challengers could rest between duels, the stele indicated that the arena master had skipped their break and immediately initiated the next challenge. This sign of confidence in their strength caught everyone's attention.

A wizard clad in a sea-blue robe, with a strange beast insignia tattooed on his cheek, approached the stele. He glanced at the text, paused at Sunan's details, then cast a curious look at him before placing his hand on the stele.

"Please pay the challenge fee of 50,000 lower-grade magic stones or equivalent mid- to high-grade magic stones. No other forms of payment are accepted."

The mechanical voice of the tower spirit echoed, and a slot appeared in the center of the stele.

The wizard tossed in 500 superior-grade magic stones. In a flash of light, he disappeared from sight.

The second duel had begun.

"Master Sunan, after this duel, the arena master will likely take a break. We should return tomorrow," Tanner suggested.

Even the strongest arena masters could only handle two consecutive challenges. Pushing further without rest often led to disastrous defeats.

Sunan nodded in agreement and left with Lize.

The next day, when they returned, they saw a

wizard wearing a white mask standing before Stele No. 24, paying their challenge fee.

Sensing someone approaching, the masked wizard turned to look. Their eyes flashed behind the mask as a deep voice rang out.

"Sunan Anest?"

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