Exploring Technology in a Wizard World

The time had reached noon.

The sunshine was splendid.

Yet, Sherlock, being confined, couldn't feel a trace of sunlight; all he had for company in his field of vision was the flickering candlelight.

The place where he was, the family's ritual altar's secret chamber, measured over twenty meters in length and width and stood five meters tall, was immensely vast, so large it felt desolate and eerie.

In the middle of the secret chamber, a four-tiered altar rose, devoid of any decorations on top since no ritual was being performed. At that moment, Sherlock lay there, eyes shut, rolling back and forth incessantly, trying hard to hypnotize himself into believing he was lying on a bed.

But the hard, icy touch beneath his body made it terribly difficult for him to succeed in his self-hypnosis. After a while, unable to bear it any longer, he sat up, glaring and speaking out in discontent, although he didn't know to whom he was talking.

"Hey!" Sherlock called out.

"Hey..."

"Hey..."

"Hey..."

His voice echoed on and on.

Sherlock shook his head and complained, "This is too much, I don't want to marry that violent woman, why do I have to be locked up here? Even if I'm actually locked up here, there's not much, but could you at least let me bring some life essentials? Like a soft big bed, a smooth desk, a comfortable armchair, a square, upright footstool...Oh right, most importantly, let Lucia come in to keep me company, after all, it's too boring in here."

"Hey, I'm talking to you, can you hear me? Is there no response?" Sherlock prattled on. He knew no one was listening, but he strived to create a conversational scene because if he didn't, he would die of boredom.

After a while, Sherlock lay back on top of the altar, stretching his body and continuing his grievances while looking at the altar's top, "I've got to say, you really are too much. Using a crystal ball to warn me, tricking me into coming back, clearly you were in the wrong first, and forcing me to marry that violent woman is wrong again afterward. I don't get it, I'm so young, why the rush to get married? Don't you understand? Once married, I'd be tied down, how can I interact with more beautiful girls?

Can't you consider for a moment? Have you ever thought your actions are entirely unreasonable? Let's not talk about me, even Ilo is being pushed by you to go on an adventure; it's like using one's life to resist. And now, locking me up here is pretty much using my freedom to resist—although not willingly."

"Ah! Are you listening at all? I'm really angry now, let me out!" Sherlock yelled at the end.

The next moment, a response appeared, a voice arose by his ear, whispering, "Do you really want to leave?"

"Who?!" Sherlock exclaimed, and 'swoosh' he stood up at once, vigilantly scanning his surroundings, his gaze sharp.

He was well aware that apart from him, there wouldn't be a second person in the entire secret chamber.

What baffled him was that the voice by his ear spoke again, "You don't need to know who I am, just know that I have no ill intentions towards you."

"Ha, you think I'd believe that?" Sherlock was not a bit less wary, his gaze remained sharp as he continuously scanned his surroundings.

"Believe it or not, that's up to you," the voice said. "But I truly won't harm you, in fact, I can even help you."

"Help me? How?"

"You are eager to leave this place, right? I can help you escape."

"Big talk."

"No, I never brag. Look straight ahead," the voice instructed.

Sherlock lifted his head and looked forward, his eyebrows shooting up when he saw the seemingly impregnable walls of the secret chamber suddenly crack with a 'crack,' followed by the formation of a hole big enough for one person to pass through.

"See that hole? Go through it and you'll be able to leave this place and encounter an interesting world," the voice said.

"But why do I feel like you're tempting me?" Sherlock said. "I'm not so foolish. I definitely won't follow your words and squeeze through that rat hole, after all... I'm not a rat."

"Ha," the voice laughed, full of confidence, "No, you definitely will. Because you've never been one to play by the rules. Your creed in life is to experience and explore all sorts of interesting things; you definitely won't pass up this sort of thing."

"Psh!" Sherlock scoffed, full of disdain, "You think you know me that well?"

"In fact, yes. In some sense, I am within your soul, so I know you better than you know yourself," the voice said.

"Then I wouldn't be crawling into any rat holes either."

"Five minutes."

"Hm? What about five minutes?" Sherlock asked, puzzled.

"You'll know when the time comes," the voice replied.

...

Five minutes later.

Sherlock gritted his teeth and descended from the altar, huffing with anger as he squeezed into the broken hole, muttering threats as he went, "I'm telling you, I'm just taking a quick look to see what's in there. If I find something, anything bad, I won't let you off the hook!"

As he finished speaking, Sherlock's figure vanished into the hole.

...

In the real world, within a secret chamber, Sherlock lay atop the altar, sound asleep.

A faint blue light emanated from his body, and with a shriek, a Blue Elf leaped out from him, darting around his body.

On his wrist, an insignificant wound turned an intense red, and after a moment, fresh blood began to seep out, dripping drop by drop onto the altar before disappearing into it.

Suddenly, the altar seemed to shake, or perhaps not.

...

At dusk,

In the northern part of the Main Continent.

Witch Cesi, along with Narlyd and Heidi, two young girls, appeared before a magnificent city.

Both Narlyd and Heidi were somewhat surprised by the sight of the city.

By comparison, Witch Cesi remained calm, casually saying, "Alright, let's go."

And with that, she led Narlyd and Heidi into the city.

...

Deep into the night.

In the central part of the Main Continent.

On the banks of a great river, a gray Stone Tower stood tall.

At this moment, the Tower's door was wide open, and the light that shined through was visible from a great distance.

Drawing nearer to the Stone Tower and entering through its gate, one could see the chaos within. Furniture shattered everywhere, the walls bore numerous cracks, and in a corner, a pool of sickly green viscous liquid slowly oozed, intermixed with suspicious chunks of corrupted flesh.

On the staircase leading to the upper floors of the Stone Tower lay several tall figures clad in heavy Armor. The Guards had fallen, bleeding profusely, unable to stand again. Any connoisseur would recognize the Magic Runes on their armor and know that they were powerful Magic Knights, but without exception, they were all dead.

Clearly, the Stone Tower had suffered an external attack, and its defensive forces had sustained grievous losses.

In a room at the top of the Stone Tower, the owner of the Tower—an Old Wizard garbed in a green robe—slumped in a chair, his Life Power clearly ebbing away.

His eyes widened incredulously as he looked at the green-haired youth standing in front of him, asking in confusion, "Raymond, why... why are you doing this? Why betray me?"