70. Four Ritual Towers And Four Fairies.

The young woman halted the moment she heard Gavin's urgent "Wait!" 

She turned to him, her crimson eyes filled with curiosity. "Why?" 

Gavin steadied himself. "I am the totem of this tribe. I cannot leave like this." 

The young woman swept her gaze across the now-empty village. Her mind briefly returned to when she had shattered the seal. At that moment, when her soul had entered the Sealed Space, she had lost control of her physical body. The legendary aura she had unconsciously released had sent the three-eyed people fleeing in terror. 

Now, with only the tribe members remaining, she considered his words. Was this why Lucaius was unwilling to part with this tiny settlement? 

She tilted her head, her voice laced with mild amusement. "It is a small tribe. The faith they provide is negligible. Once you return to the family, I will assign you a large city where you can gather faith properly." 

Gavin stiffened. 

Faith? 

His mind reeled. 

For a moment, his thoughts flashed to the altar hidden within his spiritual realm. Did she know about it? 

But no—he quickly dismissed the idea. Even his spiritual sense had failed to detect anyone snooping inside his spiritual world. If someone had tried, the altar itself would have warned him. 

Still, in higher realms, faith was a crucial resource. 

Gavin pushed aside his racing thoughts. "Give me a few minutes. I need to prepare something for the tribe." 

Without waiting for a response, he flapped his bat wings and soared into the sky. 

--- 

Below, the tribe members stood huddled together, uneasy and shaken after experiencing the overwhelming pressure of the young woman's aura. 

Then, from the center of the village, they saw it— 

A blood-colored bat is emerging from the ruins of the shattered stone statue. 

They had never seen their totem's true form before. 

But the moment their eyes landed on the creature, something deep within their souls recognized him. 

One by one, they fell to their knees. 

They did not need words. They knew. 

This was their totem. Their protector. The one they had worshipped for generations. 

Gavin cast only a glance at them before beginning his work. 

His spirit power surged, spreading outward like a pulse of invisible energy. 

At three points surrounding the village—north, south, and west—the ground rumbled and cracked. 

The earth trembled as structures began rising, their foundations forming through sheer force of will. 

From above, the four points—north, south, west, and the obsidian tower in the east—formed a perfect square. 

The young woman floated up to his height, her long black hair billowing in the wind. 

Her gaze flicked between him and the shifting landscape below. 

"What are you doing?" 

Gavin turned to her, his blood-red eyes glowing faintly. "Do you see the obsidian tower to the east?" 

She nodded. "Yes. It looks like a low-level mage tower." 

Gavin shook his head. "I don't know what a mage tower looks like. I call it a ritual tower." His blood-red eyes flickered as he surveyed the valley below. "I'm going to build identical towers in the north, south, and west, then link them together. That way, even in my absence, the valley will be protected from intruders." 

The young woman studied the layout with an appraising gaze. "It looks like it will take you a day to build the three towers." 

Gavin considered her words. 

When he had first constructed the eastern obsidian tower, it had taken a full day. But now, his power was no longer sealed. Even though his magic remained at the intermediate Bronze Rank, his spiritual strength had fully recovered to Golden Rank. That alone made an immense difference. 

Moreover, building three towers simultaneously wouldn't take longer than building one—it was simply a matter of control and energy manipulation. 

"Hmmm." He gave a noncommittal reply and focused on his task. 

The moment he mobilized his spirit power, the earth began to tremble. In the north, south, and west, the ground cracked and rumbled, responding to his will. 

Suddenly, he felt a warm palm press against his back. 

"Let me help you." 

An overwhelming surge of power flooded his body. 

Gavin's eyes widened as the force integrated into him, supercharging the process. The construction of the towers accelerated, now moving at four times the original speed. 

It could have gone even faster—but he found himself struggling to control the foreign energy coursing through him. It wasn't his own, and his body resisted handling it as smoothly as his power. 

— 

One hour in: Three towers of compacted earth stood tall. 

Two hours in: The towers hardened into white stone, their structures solidifying. 

Three hours in, the stone blackened, taking on a polished, unnatural sheen. 

Five hours in, the towers transformed into obsidian, identical to the eastern tower. 

Another hour: Ritual magic was meticulously inscribed into the towers, mirroring the enchantments of the Eastern ritual tower. 

The moment the final sigil was completed, a whispering presence echoed in his mind. 

The spirits within the three towers acknowledged him as their master. 

Gavin exhaled deeply, feeling the pulse of energy linking the four towers together. With one final touch, he wove a grand illusion over the valley. 

To outsiders, the valley would appear as nothing more than a vast, frozen lake. 

Only those with Golden Rank or higher spiritual perception could pierce through the deception. Some particularly adept Silver Rank experts in spirit magic might also glimpse the truth. 

— 

The young woman crossed her arms, hovering beside him in the sky. "Is it finished?" 

Gavin stared at the grand structure below, a frown tugging at his lips. 

"Yes… but it feels like something is missing." 

The towers weren't just meant to protect the tribe. That was only a side effect. 

Their real purpose was to solidify the faith of the tribe. 

They believed in him as their totem, and to sustain that belief, he needed a lasting connection to them. 

But what about the future? 

Right now, they worshipped him because they had seen his presence, his power. But what about future generations? 

What would happen when those who had witnessed today passed away? 

When did the memory of his existence fade into myth? 

The young woman tilted her head. "I don't see anything missing." 

Gavin's expression sharpened. 

A temple needs a statue. 

If the belief in him was to endure, it needed a physical anchor—a symbol that would allow the tribe's faith to persist across generations. 

Gavin spoke decisively. "For the tribe to continue believing in me, they need something tangible." 

With that, he descended to the center of the tribe and constructed a three-meter pedestal. Rising above it, he meticulously shaped a statue of himself, forged from obsidian, identical to the four ritual towers. 

Once the structure was complete, he engraved ritual magic into both the pedestal and the statue, binding them to the same protective enchantments that shielded the valley. 

For the final step, he severed a small fragment of his spirit and merged it with the newly awakened spirit within the ritual tower. The moment the connection solidified, the statue became more than just a lifeless effigy—it became his clone, an extension of his will, and took control over the entire ritual magic system of the valley. 

A surge of golden-ranked power spread through the land. 

The young woman observed the finished work and gave a slight nod. "This ritual barrier can now hold for several hours against a Golden Rank opponent. You've already reached the Great Master realm in ritual magic. If you continue like this, you might become a legend in the future." 

Gavin, however, wasn't entirely satisfied. 

Defense alone wasn't enough. 

A true stronghold required both protection and retaliation. 

"The best defense is a strong offense," he muttered, deep in thought. "I should add some offensive ritual magic." 

The young woman agreed. "That would be ideal, but the valley's spiritual energy isn't enough to sustain another ritual magic formation." 

Gavin frowned. The ritual magic he had just established was already consuming 60% of the valley's entire spiritual energy. Adding another formation would demand significantly more power. 

"Do you have a solution?" he asked. 

She considered for a moment before answering. "I have several, but each requires time and effort." 

Gavin nodded. "What are they? Even if I can't implement them immediately, I might get some ideas." 

She listed the options. "We could acquire a third-rank spiritual source, obtain a golden-rank magic beast core, purchase a third-rank artificial magic well from the Magic Council, or buy a third-rank arcane core from the Arcane Federation." 

Gavin weighed the possibilities. "The first and second options would take too long. As for the third and fourth… I don't have the money." 

The young woman sighed. "Even if you did, magic wells and arcane cores are always in short supply. You'd have to place an order five years in advance to get one now." 

Gavin's mind raced. 

If external solutions were impractical, he had to create his own. 

He turned to her and spoke firmly. "Lend me your power again." 

The moment her energy surged into him, Gavin felt the same overwhelming power as before. Wasting no time, he cast Summon Fey, a third-rank spell—not ranked by sheer power, but by the number of runes it contained. The effectiveness of any spell depended entirely on the caster's skill and strength. 

Four shimmering portals opened in the air, and from them emerged four fairies, each radiating power at the peak of the Silver Realm. 

The Spring Fairy, clad in soft greens and floral patterns, took a cautious step back. 

The Summer Fairy, dressed in fiery hues, immediately unsheathed her sword and demanded, "Who are you?" 

The Autumn Fairy, wrapped in warm earthy tones, glanced around nervously. "Why did you summon all four of us?" 

The Winter Fairy, draped in icy blues and whites, crossed her arms and asked coldly, "What do you want from us?" 

Gavin didn't answer. Instead, he extended his spiritual power, commanding the fairies without words. One by one, they were drawn toward the four towers, unable to resist. 

- The Winter Fairy was bound to the North Tower. 

- The Spring Fairy to the East Tower. 

- The Summer Fairy to the South Tower. 

- And finally, the Autumn Fairy to the West Tower. 

As soon as the bindings took effect, the Summer Fairy's temper flared. "What have you done to us?!" she shouted. But neither Gavin nor the young woman responded. 

Instead, Gavin turned to the young woman and asked, "With the four of them, would a Golden Rank intruder struggle to attack the tribe or enter the valley?" 

She studied the fairies, then shook her head slightly. "They're strong, but they won't obey you. You forced the binding upon them." 

Gavin frowned. "You're right." 

He fell into deep thought. Without their cooperation, the protection they offered was limited. How could he earn their loyalty? 

The young woman suddenly addressed the four fairies. "Your task is to protect the valley from intruders. If you believe this is unjust, then focus on the ritual magic binding you." 

The fairies tensed, expecting her to tell them how to break free. But instead, she continued, "Through the ritual, you are connected. You can sense and understand each other's magic as if it were your own. If you learn from each other, your chances of advancing to the Golden Rank will increase—and perhaps, you may even find a path to the Legendary Realm." 

The four fairies froze, considering her words. 

For creatures that always seek growth and evolution, the temptation was undeniable.