'Alchemy Tower.'
The prince muttered the name silently.
Staring at the ancient and mysterious building in front of him, looking at the dilapidated but vaguely distinguishable 'eye' emblem on the stone pillar, feeling the ever-present gloomy coldness, Thales was in a daze.
It was as if he had returned to that icy and snowy night six years ago. In the murderous military camp of the Archduke of Black Sand Region, that neurotic big-nosed doctor drew those three unfamiliar patterns by the bonfire.
'The Three Great Magic Towers.'
Thales stared blankly at the emblem representing the Alchemy Tower and sighed softly. Memories of the past slowly surged into his mind.
Since the night of Dragon's Blood six years ago, the former Brotherhood's unscrupulous doctor, Ramon, died tragically in the hands of the Blood Mystic (When he thought of this, Thales could not help but recall the carefree expression of the seamstress, Kurtz Ramon, when she mentioned her long-lost father), Thales lost an important channel to investigate the legendary magic and wizards. Asda might be another source of information, but whether it was his long-term uncertain whereabouts or his reservations when he taught, they could not satisfy the knowledgeable prince.
Over the past six years, Thales could only spend as much time as possible in Raikaru's library. With Saroma's help, he searched for the long-lost taboos from books. At the same time, he had to do everything he could to avoid Nicholas, Lisban, and the others' spying and surveillance to avoid attracting trouble. According to what Ramon said when he was alive, since magic and calamities were taboos that the world tried its best to forget for centuries, it was better for news such as' the Prince of Constellation is obsessed with mysterious knowledge 'and' Prince Thales is obsessed with the legend of calamities' to not appear on the tables of the major intelligence agencies.
"Alchemy Tower?"
Just as Thales was immersed in his own memories in a daze, Lasalle could not help but ask, "Alchemy? What is that? What does it have to do with the Alchemy Ball? "
No one paid attention to him. Of course, it might be because no one knew the answer.
Samel kicked a pile of gravel under his feet and frowned. "You're saying that this is the legendary Alchemy Tower?"
"The source of those Alchemy Balls, anti-mystic equipment, and various gadgets from the Secret Intelligence Department?"
Ricky shook his head.
"Of course it's not the headquarters." Ricky raised his torch and looked around. Looking at the barren floor, he seemed to sigh. "Legend has it that there are more than a hundred Magic Towers in the headquarters of the Alchemy Tower. They occupy a vast area and are incomparably magnificent. How can this simple and crude underground building compare?"
More than a hundred towers …
Thales looked around, deep in thought.
"Simple." Samel snorted softly. He used the torch to illuminate the stone stairs behind them and looked at the bottomless path ahead. "You call this' simple '?"
Ricky smiled strangely and didn't reply.
He turned around and walked down the spiral staircase. "Let's go to the next floor."
The mercenaries who were still in shock came back to their senses.
"It's true."
When he passed by Stake, Thales noticed that the assassin from Shadow Shield could not hide his surprise as he sized up his surroundings. He gently stroked the stone pillar that had been sealed for a long time and mumbled to himself.
"Wizards, magic, those legends and stories." Stake lowered his head and looked at Ricky.
"So it's all true."
Stake's eyes moved. "Maybe we can find more valuable things … Alchemy Balls, anti-mystic equipment, even …"
"Stop daydreaming." Samel walked past him and interrupted him.
"I don't know how long ago, but Constellation turned this place into the Black Prison of the Prison of Bones, dedicated to detaining their felons," the former flag bearer of the Royal Guards said coldly. "Whether it's reconstruction or demolition, do you think the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department will leave anything valuable for someone like you?"
Stake fell silent.
The group of people continued to move down.
In the face of the unfamiliar unknown, the group's whispers rose quietly in the darkness.
"I remember now, wizard." Lasalle's voice came from behind the narrow passage. "It was mentioned in some random books, but I always thought …"
"Do you think that's just nonsense?" Stake chuckled and answered.
Lasalle stopped talking.
Thales listened to their conversation, but his mind was elsewhere.
Even though he was a hostage, the prince did not come up empty-handed after six years of searching. However, 'magic' and 'wizards' left Thales with more and more questions.
Obviously, all the books that existed before the Battle of Eradication would more or less mention magic and wizards.
For example, 'The Biography of Knight Joseph Needham from the Age of Kings' mentioned that the wise Wizard Leven blocked the path of six knights and prevented them from robbing the execution field. He gave them advice in a barn.
'The Martyrs of Northland' mentioned that 'In the face of a grim situation, the wizards' consultants suggested that they retreat, but King Anzac sternly refused. He decided to lead his troops to stay at the sixth outpost and use the terrain to stop the main force of the Ash Bone Clan. '
'The Union of Kings' mentioned that the Temple Guards, the priests of the Bright God, and the wizards' representatives tried their best to mediate so that the irascible King Nalgi and the arrogant King Paren, who had feuded with each other for generations, could sit in the seats furthest away from each other.
The long bardic poem 'Telega' mentioned that 'even the wizards in the court were helpless when faced with the princess' illness. '
In fact, in the heroic biographies and bardic poems from the Age of Kings, regardless of whether it was fighting against the orcs or the elves, wizards were often seen as wise men in the background of battles against other races. Many of them were even important strategists by the nobles' side.
However, during the Age of the Empire, the records about wizards and magic began to decrease, and their image became more mysterious, evil, and terrifying. Many books related to religion mentioned some 'faithless people', but they were usually described in a negative light.
'The Travels of Saint Lothona' from the Ancient Empire Era mentioned that Saint Lothona was treated horribly in the land of wizards. His eyes lost their light, and his limbs trembled, making it difficult for him to walk. Even though these faithless people betrayed the Bright God's teachings and mocked his faith, the determined Lothona remained as pious as ever.
'The Extermination of Bandits in the Northland Province' mentioned an illegal expedition. Duke Arunde sent a letter to the people behind the wizards' expedition, sternly reprimanding them for trespassing into the forbidden land as' violating the Convention ', and that it would bring disaster to mankind.
As one of the ancient books of the Temple of Knights, 'The Encyclopedia of the Temple of Knights' described a great battle between the knights and the cultists. One of the knights once lamented that their enemy was' even stranger and more evil than the wizards'. The general historical narration mentioned that 'the Northern Temple Division had no choice but to lower themselves to seek help from the Empire in order to curb the wizards' insatiable greed '.
'The Record of the Plague of Sword Lake City' even wrote: 'The terrifying witches warned the castellan, claiming that he would pay the price for underestimating [Magic]. However, the powerful castellan laughed it off. That night, the castellan's daughter had a high fever.'
Even more recently, after the fall of the Ancient Empire, wizards only appeared in a very small number of records in the books of the Final Empire.
The results of Thales' hard work came to an end. There were only a few bits and pieces of information about wizards' magic.
Logically speaking, these few words should prove that wizards existed as a group. However, even after the Battle of Eradication, King Raikaru of Eckstedt gathered the resources of the entire kingdom to search for a large number of ancient books in order to win the favor of the Queen of the Sky, Thales could not find any positive records about magic and wizards.
From the changes in the descriptions and descriptions of wizards, to the gradual reduction of their figures, to their complete disappearance, to their complete disappearance, and then to their complete disappearance …
'This feeling is just like …'
Thales sighed.
He stroked the dusty wall and followed the person in front of him down the stone staircase.
'It's like having a person everywhere in your life. His footprints, the things he used, the records he wrote, the information he saved, and the pictures he took. However, when you really want to go back and look for this person, everyone around you will tell you in unison that there was never such a person. He did not exist.
Even in a group photo, there was only a blank image of a person.
'This is a wizard.'
Thales could not help but feel a strange sense of fear. Even when he sat alone in the library, he could not help but feel a chill run down his spine.
'And today …'
Thales could not help but raise his head. He looked past the shoulders of the people in front of him and at Ricky's figure.
Today, he really stepped into the legendary Magic Tower, even though it was just a branch. According to him, it might even be the birthplace of anti-mystic equipment.
At this moment, Stake spoke again and interrupted Thales' thoughts.
"How did you find that key, Crassus?"
"I don't think the Constellatiates would keep a lock that can be opened with two keys and use it as a prison for felons."
This question piqued Thales' interest.
Ricky, who was walking in front, paused.
"The Constellatiates thought that they controlled this place, just like how they thought that they covered up history and sent magic and wizards to their graves." Ricky's laughter rose slowly. "A grave that only gravediggers know about.
The problem is, they are not the only gravediggers.
"The records in the Tower of Eradication are no less than theirs."
Stake's voice suddenly rose in the darkness. "So, you used to be a member of the Tower of Eradication?"
Ricky did not speak, as if he had suddenly realized that he had said something wrong.
Thales' expression froze.
"Hmm, that explains it." Stake's laughter traveled into his ears. Thales could imagine the way his lips curled up in the darkness. "Why you were able to break into the Tower of Eradication with an unstoppable force not long ago."
As time passed, the cold around them became more and more unbearable. Through the torch's illumination, there were still only stairs.
Thales' feet touched flat ground again.
They arrived at the next floor.
Ricky kicked away a piece of wood that blocked their way and raised his torch.
What appeared in front of them was still the central stone pillar with the emblem of the Alchemy Tower, the familiar architectural layout, and the nine pitiful skeletons of the prison cells.
'Wait, nine?'
But Thales realized that this room was bigger than the one on the previous floor.
"Still no one."
Ricky put away his torch and shook his head in disappointment.
"Let's continue down."
Thales put away his curious gaze and his desire to scrutinize this place in detail. Behind him, Marina pushed him forward once again.
The third floor was still empty. There were only skeletons left.
The fourth floor, the fifth floor, the sixth floor …
With each floor they went down, the number of corresponding prison cells increased, and the rooms became larger.
'Black Prison,' Thales said to himself. 'This is like a cone buried underground.'
As they failed again and again, they were disappointed again and again, as well as the same dark scenes, just like when Thales was trudging through the desert, he realized that the people in the team were gradually affected.
In the boundless darkness, the group's voices slowly became fewer. Only the sound of footsteps could be heard. The atmosphere became more and more oppressive.
They arrived at the next floor of the prison cell.
"This is the tenth floor." Klein exhaled, and there was impatience on his face. "Ricky, if we still can't find him, maybe we should consider our retreat."
When he said this, the Disaster Swords' expressions darkened.
"Hmm." Lasalle looked at Stake, who was beside him. "Makes sense."
Stake did not answer. He only glanced at Ricky.
Ricky frowned slightly. He first shone the light around him, and was disappointed to find that there were still skeletons. He then turned to Samel and said,
"Maybe he's further down, maybe … Are you sure he's still alive?"
Samel walked to the prison cells, held a torch, bent down, and carefully examined the skeletons in front of him.
"I'm sure." His voice was slightly stiff. "Yes."
He must be alive. "
'Him?'
Thales saw Klein shrug and cast a disapproving glance at Josef.
Josef understood what he meant.
"You may believe that he's still alive …
"But do you know how much damage imprisonment can do to a person?"
Josef crossed his arms, and his voice rang out in everyone's ears. "Especially in the Black Prison, you can only pass your days in solitude, muddle-headed, and die miserably. From the moment you are locked up to the moment you die, you will be cut off from all contact with the outside world. No one will be able to hear your cries."
"Believe me, I've been in a lot of prison cells. Few people can last that long."
Samel paused for a moment and stood up.
But after a few seconds, the former Royal Guard only shook his head firmly.
"If it's him, he will definitely be able to get through it, no matter what kind of damage he suffers."
Thales' heart skipped a beat.
'Him?'
Josef smiled.
"Do you know what is the most terrifying punishment for a person?"
"It's not death, injury, or torture." Josef sighed softly. He seemed to be sentimental.
"It's isolation."
Samel stood motionless on the ground.
Thales could only see his back trembling slightly.
Josef paced slowly.
"When you lose all means of communication with the outside world and are completely isolated in the eternal darkness, no one listens to you or talks to you, no one reacts to you or waits for you to react, no one interacts with you or brings you to interact … You can't see new things, hear new voices, or feel new things. Everything around you, including yourself, is the same. Day after day, this cycle repeats endlessly until eternity …"
Josef's voice grew louder in the darkness. There was a hint of hatred and gloominess in his voice, which made people feel uncomfortable.
Thales saw Samel slowly clench his fists.
"On the first day, it's still alright. You can still handle it.
"On the third day, you feel uncomfortable all over. You're extremely agitated. You jump up and down, hit the wall, and hit the ground.
"On the fifth day, you start to recall your past memories continuously. The good ones, the bad ones, the painful ones, and the good ones. These images are there, flashing back and forth, whether you want them to or not.
"A week later, you start to talk to yourself. You have a dull expression on your face, and you act on your own like a lunatic. But those memories, those past … They start to fade. You feel less of them, as if they're no longer yours."
As Josef spoke, he seemed to be gradually lost in thought.
"Two weeks later, you welcome your final despair and madness. You do all the things you wouldn't even think about after you were born, because you can't even tell what is the present, what is the past, what is you, and what is the you in your memories."
Josef chuckled softly. His gaze wavered, as if he had remembered something.
"And when a month has passed, most people will become inarticulate, and their senses will be in a mess.
"They usually lack emotions, their intelligence will degenerate, and they will break down into beasts.
"Even if you release them at this time, it's useless."
Josef's voice was gloomy, as if he was telling a story with a bad ending.
"They are forever lost in a lonely void, and they can never return.
"This is what imprisonment can do to a person, especially solitary confinement, no matter who you are, no matter how strong you are.
"Once you exceed a certain time, you will not be able to return."
Josef's voice slowly faded away.
The atmosphere among the group also reached its peak.
Samel was silent for a long time.
Ricky did not rush him. He just watched quietly.
A few seconds later, Samel took a deep breath.
"No.
He must still be there. "
Samel turned around abruptly. "He is the most valiant warrior, the noblest knight, and the noblest role model. He taught me how to fight, how to persevere, how to —"
"He can definitely do it."
Samel's knuckles cracked, and his eyes burst into flames.
"Moreover, only he knows what it is.
Only he. "
Ricky nodded slowly and did not speak.
Josh shrugged at Clay and made an expression that said, "I can't do anything about it."
The prince frowned. 'Who is the person they are looking for? What does that person know? '
He was not the only one who had this question.
"Who are you looking for?"
Lasalle heard their conversation and asked in displeasure, "You know, we are in a hurry."
"Is that so?" Samel pointed at the stairs and snorted coldly.
"If you want to go first, no one will stop you."
Lasalle was speechless for a moment.
Ricky looked at the group and sighed. "Let's continue."
And so, they began the cycle of moving downwards.
Darkness.
Serene.
Underground.
Past.
Mysterious.
A few words flashed in Thales' mind, one after another.
Step by step, floor by floor.
Finally, after passing through an unknown number of empty cells, they arrived at a room with more than ten cells on the first floor. No, this room was so big that it could already be called a 'hall'.
Ricky stood still in the hall.
"What's wrong?"
Klein walked forward in disgust. He raised his torch and shone it around. It also illuminated many cells and a land of skeletons.
"It's still the same. There's nothing but dead people."
But Thales noticed something different.
Among the dozen or so cells separated by metal bars, there was one cell that was particularly strange.
It was completely black.
He could not see the bars, the skeletons, or anything behind it.
There was only darkness.
It's like … it's like a black curtain has been drawn over the outside of it.
Soon, the others noticed this as well.
Ricky narrowed his eyes.
"The other cells only have bars." He walked forward slowly and stepped on the rubble. He raised his torch and slowly approached the room covered by the 'curtain'. "But this …"
"Be careful."
Samel approached from the other side. He frowned and said, "You don't know how many things the Constellatiates inherited from the Alchemy Tower."
Ricky nodded. He stood in front of the strange cell, extended his torch, and carefully knocked on the thick 'curtain'.
* Bang. *
A dull and heavy sound echoed in the narrow Black Prison.
Everyone subconsciously pressed down on their weapons, vigilant of any possible accidents.
But a few seconds passed. Nothing happened.
The cell was still silent.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's made of iron. It rises or falls from the crack in the ground outside the bars." Ricky squatted down and carefully observed the point of contact between the iron curtain and the ground. "It's at least some kind of metal. I think this thing separates this cell from the hall outside."
He raised his head and asked Samel, who was on the other side.
"Is it this one?"
Samel was standing next to the iron curtain, looking at an iron plate made of an unknown material hanging on the wall.
"No." Samel scrutinized the words on it and said calmly, "It's written on this plate.
The person locked here is a lone bandit who roamed the south of the kingdom more than twenty years ago. "
Lasalle narrowed his eyes. "Bandit?"
However, the iron curtain suddenly trembled!
* Thud! Thud! Thud! *
Everyone jolted and took a step back at the same time!
In the incomparably oppressive darkness, a frightening, dull sound suddenly came. * Thud! Thud! Thud! *
"Calm down —" Ricky instantly drew his sword and watched the iron curtain, which trembled continuously along with the dull sound.
Klein's face turned pale. "This is …"
The fearful group looked at each other.
At this moment …
* Ughhhh — *
A faint, miserable cry seemed to come from a place dozens of meters away.
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