Mage Legend

"I was thinking the same thing." The mage led the companions into the pavilion, and in just a brief moment, they were back at the base of the blue crystal, standing on the still dusty ruins.

A few Rock Spirits rolled in front of Lynch; they had now gained the right to enter here. Lynch handed a bag full of gemstones to the leading Rock Spirit and began to converse with them in awkward Tribe Language.

First, the ruins here need to be cleared, and then a new palace can be built. The Rock Spirits estimated that it wouldn't take much time to dig through the passage. They move through rocks even faster than the Purple Worm. However, for the Rock Spirits, an elemental creature, "a very short time" is relative to their eternal life. After multiple analogies, Lynch understood that the digging would take at least two years.

This means they need to guard against their Snake-man neighbors for the next two years. Sooner or later, those scaly monsters will discover the newly excavated entrance. As long as they proceed carefully, they can find this city. Though the Rock Spirits are excellent craftsmen, they may not necessarily have sufficient defensive capabilities. Moreover, such creatures probably don't have a concept of "battle" in their minds. Lynch instructed them to not let anyone in, especially after the mages have left. The Rock Spirits gathered for a discussion and assured the mage that it wouldn't be a problem.

As long as the gray crystal is in their control, there's no fear of external invasion. To be safe, Lynch found an open space and began to draw a magic array.

Zilvra and Morgan watched the mage work in silence, but shortly after, they grew bored and asked the Rock Spirits to show them around the city. After the passage of time, most items here were decayed, with only the stone and ceramics remaining intact. The Rock Spirits took the two to where they stored their items; they periodically cleaned the things in the warehouse. Originally, it was filled with countless magically imbued items, but even the finest shield becomes brittle and loses its effectiveness due to long disuse.

Zilvra searched the treasury but couldn't find any weapons that remained sturdy. Only by having the mages spend time to repair them could they be reused. Morgan also gave up the search, but he did find a few solid helmets, one of the few usable items here: these were clearly the work of dwarf master craftsmen, which delighted him. No doubt, even in a place where all races gathered, dwarves remain the best craftsmen.

Lynch finished drawing the magic array. It was a channel the Dark Elf used to summon elements. The mage believed that with the castle's inherent powerful elemental energy, he could summon some guards with half the effort. Although he wasn't prepared with spells to bind the elements, with the aid of the monsters in the Undead Magic Bead, Lynch wasn't fearful of a backlash.

Zilvra and Morgan hadn't returned yet, so the mage began the process alone. Surprisingly, no matter how hard Lynch tried, he could only summon fire elemental creatures. Although the environment here wasn't devoid of water, air, or soil advantages, only the Fire Element could emerge from the magic array.

The violent flames are always the hardest to control, and even though Lynch subdued it now, he couldn't confidently entrust the defense tasks to the Fire Element. So the mage ultimately drove it back to the Elemental Plane and had to think of another way.

"It seems we'll have to relocate the castle, move it as far as possible from the direction of the Snake-men, and rely on the Storm Barrier for defense." Once Lynch made this decision, he called out Zilvra and Morgan's names, informing them it was time to leave.

Embarking on the return path lightened everyone's mood. Lynch bid farewell to the Rock Spirits on the bridge and then cut off the only access route. The All-Knowing Tower, wrapped in airflow, now appeared seamless; besides the Rock Spirits and Lynch, no one else knew the correct angle to enter without getting blown away by the storm.

They carefully returned to the excavated entrance, which fortunately hadn't been discovered by any Snake-men. The illusion at the door was still effective. Lynch gathered soil piles, at least covering the passage. Morgan, adept in stonework, skillfully disguised the area in just a short while.