Round 24: Crystal Tower

The woman named Xinbu indeed let out a storm-like laugh.
“Storm Queen?” she repeated the title. Her messy hair was now somewhat smoother, but it still fluttered as if in a strong wind. “Don’t use such titles casually. I’m no queen—just an ordinary human mage. Speaking of which, you, with your bloodline from powerful divine beings of the heavens, would be more fitting to be called a queen—what prey have you found lately?”
“Don’t speak so harshly. I’m just admiring these beautiful flowers… while men only know how to rudely pluck them from the branches and ruin them.” Chloé and Xinbu walked side by side out of the alley. Just then, a group of young girls laughed as they passed by them—someplace must have strange items for sale that attracted girls, leaving behind a fresh scent like lilies. After this pleasant scene, the carriage Moriel was in had long disappeared, and the streets were as crowded and noisy as ever.
“Hmph, Deepflow City is still as annoying as ever.” Xinbu didn’t share Chloé’s peculiar tastes. Frowning, she seemed to dislike this bustling metropolis and wasn’t used to it either. “I hate crowds, hate noise, hate being squeezed around—yet all these things make up Deepflow City. Why do people like to gather in crowds… Where was the last time we met?”
“On the Storm Summit of the High Mountain Range. Didn’t you build a mage tower there?” After leaving the alley, Xinbu chose a direction, and Chloé followed. Given Xinbu’s carefree appearance, it seemed she didn’t have a clear destination anyway. “It’s not finished yet, right? You actually left it behind to come to Deepflow City. Aren’t you afraid the mountain giants and orcs will destroy your hard work?”
“Do you think I wanted to?” Although the air in the city was stagnant and murky, there was a refreshing breeze around the Storm Queen. A flexible, impenetrable wind wall silently kept any passerby too close at bay, causing them to unconsciously step back from Xinbu. “It’s because I have relatives here.”
“Relatives?” Xinbu’s answer clearly surprised Chloé.
“My sister has always lived in Deepflow City. Well, no wonder you don’t know—we rarely keep in touch.” At another crossroads, Xinbu stopped. “There are also other reasons… Um, Chloé, do you know where the Crystal Tower is?”
“…”
“What’s wrong?” Xinbu stretched carelessly at the busy crossroads, her chest curves immediately protruding from her robe. It was obvious she was wearing nothing under it, as two buds were faintly visible where they should be. Fortunately, she quickly put her hand down before Chloé noticed. “It’s fine. It’s just visiting relatives. We haven’t seen each other in a long time—perfect time to catch up.”
Chloé had long realized that, whether as a lover or a travel companion, Xinbu wasn’t a good choice.

The female swordsman pointed in another direction. “Although I’m not familiar with Deepflow City either… at least you can look up and try to find it.”
In the direction she indicated, a dazzling tower that reflected the sunlight stood atop a peak in Deepwater City. Not to mention in the commercial district, even in the port area outside the city, it would be easy to spot this extremely prominent building among the many towers.
The Crystal Tower wasn’t actually made of crystal, but its entire structure—from the base to the spire—had hundreds of smooth, mirror-like surfaces that reflected light constantly. Even on starless, moonless nights, it glowed with light. That’s why it was called the Crystal Tower. The residents of Deepflow City sometimes called it the Tower of Radiance, but that name might offend the Dawn Knight Order and wasn’t very popular. Chloé had learned all this last night. She also knew how tall the tower was, why it was located on a corner of the peak rather than in the center, and how famous its owner was and how much respect he commanded among the city’s residents… It hadn’t been in vain to endure Fat Merchant Freys’s nagging all night—especially after hearing all the gossip about Vanden Daleiro, the owner of the Crystal Tower, who was both the chief advisor to the Deepflow City Lord’s Alliance and possibly the most powerful mage in the North. But—
“What are you going to the Crystal Tower for? Is your sister a mage there?”
“No, she hasn’t been a mage for a long time… What a waste. But my brother-in-law, Daleiro, is a mage.”
“Daleiro is your brother-in-law!?”
Freys hadn’t mentioned that. Chloé stared at Himb, incredulous, and asked, “Is your sister Lady Laila?”
“Yes, why?” Himb replied indifferently as they walked. But judging from her tattered robes and messy appearance, one might think her sister was a cook.
The Crystal Tower was already in sight.
Just as all beauties need makeup and all legends get exaggerated, up close the dazzling effect of the Crystal Tower diminished somewhat. Yet its structure, built entirely of smooth marble with numerous polished surfaces, was still breathtaking.
Seeing no guards, Himb didn’t plan to knock or announce herself. She simply made a casual gesture to cast “Knock Art” and opened the iron door as if it were her own home. After Himb and Chloé entered a secluded mountain courtyard surrounded by vine-covered iron fences, and walked along a winding path of cobblestones to the base of the tower, Lady Laila, the tower’s owner, was already waiting by the main entrance, smiling at them.
In every way, Laila now resembled a graceful and luxurious noblewoman. Any traces of her past as a mage had almost vanished. Her layered dresses emphasized her noble demeanor, and every gesture revealed the etiquette and upbringing befitting a woman of noble birth. Aside from her slightly upturned eyes and thin lips, Chloé really couldn’t relate Laila before her to the messy and carefree Himb.

“Chloe, consider her my friend.” After sitting down in the living room on the second floor of the tower, Chloe bowed slightly at Himb’s brief introduction, while the latter responded with a noble, polite, and friendly smile that still maintained a certain distance. The female swordsman suddenly regretted her decision—she should have continued wandering the streets; she wasn’t used to such formal family gatherings.
“As I expected, there are Shirek Church lackeys lurking everywhere in the corners. It seems this time it’ll take a long time.” Himb leaned back on the sofa, looking distracted, unsure to whom she was speaking. “Isn’t Dale at home?”
“He went to the city council to meet with the lords and hasn’t returned yet. If you were coming, you should have notified us earlier. If it weren’t for Miss Chloe showing you the way, you’d probably get lost in Deepflow City again.” Laila smiled at Chloe, who nodded in agreement, then ordered the servant to bring drinks. A sense of foreboding struck Chloe, as if she was about to be trapped in another awkward and lengthy conversation.
“Oh. Is that so… It’s not good for a mage to get involved in such messy worldly affairs.” Himb lazily picked up the tea in front of her, seemingly finding it troublesome to bring the cup to her mouth, so she quickly placed it back on the table. “By the way, Chloe, what have you been doing lately? Still traveling around aimlessly?”
“Yes, what else can I do?” The female swordsman also picked up her cup, and soon a deep, aromatic scent filled the air. “But I’ve met a few interesting people during my travels lately, so life isn’t entirely boring.”
“Then tell me about it.”
“I’m surprised you have the time for this.” By the time Chloe noticed, the hostess Laila had quickly and appropriately smiled at her before getting up and leaving the living room. “But you won’t like her—she’s a red-robed mage and her construct… Hey, what exactly are you here for? Maybe I should leave. This is a private family gathering.”
“Oh? Did you get a new girlfriend? Haha…” Perhaps because she was relaxed at her sister’s house, Himb now laughed as if she’d just had a good dream while sleeping. “I really don’t like red-robed mages. They’re not much better than Shirek Church followers. So what I’m about to say might upset you…”
Suddenly, noise came from the hallway outside the living room room. Himb stopped talking, and Chloe couldn’t help but look toward the door.
“Damn it—Oh, I’m sorry, madam, but President, you clearly promised me! If you break your promise, I’ll throw you into the Arctic glaciers to feed the snow wolves!” It was the voice of a loud guy, sounding confident and likely aggressive in nature.

“Because this year’s ice age arrived especially early, and with frequent storms, the guild’s fleet simply couldn’t deliver the supplies you need on time to the ports near the World Spine Mountains. This isn’t the guild alliance’s fault—you’re well aware of that yourself!” The voice arguing reasonably was soft and delicate, even carrying a slight sweetness typical of a youthful voice.
“Please, come this way, both of you,” Laila quickly led the other two guests into the living room.
After introducing Himb and Kroy, Laila turned to the other two: “This is Tig, the deputy leader of the Ice Wind Knights, as famous as the Dawn Knights. And this is Mark, the president of the Northern Guild Alliance…”
“Oh, hello, two beautiful ladies!” Tig was boisterous, his voice so loud it seemed capable of shaking the magic crystal chandelier from the ceiling. But contrary to Moriel’s expectations, this barbarian wasn’t particularly tall or muscular—even shorter than her. His leather armor, though not very neat, was clearly top-quality. What caught everyone’s attention even more were the two huge axes strapped to his belt; their gleaming blades seemed to form a protective barrier around him. It was hard to imagine how he managed to sit on those expensive sofas.
The other man, dressed in luxurious noble attire, said nothing but nodded politely at the two ladies. He must be the one with the soft voice. Yet the contrast between his appearance and his voice was even greater—it was hard to imagine this bearded, burly man, who looked like a true barbarian, speaking in such a childish tone.
“Then please follow me. Dailuo will be back soon. Let’s go to the meeting room and wait for him.” With that, Laila led the way out of the fairly large living room through the door on the other side, followed by Tig and Mark.
“Ah, what a hassle…” Himb reluctantly got up from the sofa. “Come on, Kroy. Let’s go see what interesting things there are.”
The day after meeting a barbarian warrior leader who didn’t resemble a barbarian and a merchant who did, Kroy listlessly picked at the steak in her plate, exchanging occasional casual words with Lady Laila. She deeply regretted agreeing to wait with Himb until after the combined spellcasting by her and Archmage Dailuo. But who would have thought it would take almost a day and a night? Moriel had always been quick with her spells.
“Is the problem with the northern glaciers really that serious?” Looking at the elegant and serene noblewoman, Kroy could only come up with some “serious” topics to talk about. It didn’t matter much since she was already married, but she certainly didn’t want to lay a hand on Himb’s sister—after all, who knew if the sisters shared the same genetic makeup?

“Yes.” Laila changed into simple home clothes, the silver jewelry on her wrists and ankles emitting a soft magical glow. “This year, the activities of the monsters on the World Spine and the Fractured Glaciers have been extremely abnormal… Both in number and variety, they far exceed anything seen in previous times. Now, the Snow Elves have sent a reconnaissance report to the Ice Wind Knights, saying they found groups of white dragons deep within the Fractured Glaciers… It’s truly unimaginable.”
Chloe had already cut the small steak into dozens of pieces with a dining knife, almost all of equal size. “I need to go to the north and take a look when I have time… Isn’t Xinbu moving too slowly?”
Footsteps came from outside the door.
Archmage Vanden Deylro entered—compared to Laila’s graceful and regal presence, he appeared very old. His temples were gray, and his thin face showed the weary look typical of those who wield great powers beyond their control for long periods. His gray mage robe trailed to the ground as he entered, frowning slightly while stroking his neatly trimmed, gray beard.
“Dear,” Laila stood up, and Chloe followed—but she didn’t see Xinbu’s shadow behind Deylro.
Laila invited Deylro to sit beside her, tossed her curly long hair over her shoulder, and took his hand with her carefully maintained delicate hands. “How is it?”
“Chaos, darkness, massive fluctuations…” The archmage of Deepstream City gently held his wife’s hand, looking quite exhausted, not even greeting Chloe. “The distant lands are shrouded in thick mist, making it impossible to see.”
Chloe felt she had to say something.
“Um…” She touched her nose. “I think I should take my leave. Master Deylro, could you tell me where Xinbu went?”
“Xinbu?” Deylro raised his head, looking at the female swordsman with his deep, well-like eyes. “Ms. Xinbu went to the docks. She has an appointment with the Dawnlight Knights. One of her reasons for coming to Deepstream City is to deal with the increasingly rampant drug trade by the Red Robe Mages and the Xirik cultists… What, Miss Chloe, don’t you know?”
Chloe’s expression darkened instantly.
“Damn it!” she muttered.
Moriel carefully selected the spells for the evening’s transaction, striving to maximize their effectiveness. Complex incantations were carved into his mind row by row until they reached saturation—a moment when a mage is at their most powerful and terrifying, just like a gun loaded with bullets is more fearsome than ten axes—especially since Moriel was undoubtedly an accurate marksman, making it even deadlier.
By the time he ended his meditation, dusk had fallen. Forty-seven wasn’t waiting in the study, so Moriel thought he should go look for him. Perhaps he should continue researching how to solidify the mind-link spell in him. With that thought, Moriel had just entered the living room when he suddenly saw a completely naked man standing across from her. With his back to her, he was fiddling with his face in front of a mirror. His muscles were bulging, making him as fearsomely muscular as an orc, yet his skin was deathly pale, startling Moriel.

“Who are you?” Moriel asked coldly.
The man turned around—his face was an indescribably terrifying sight. His features seemed like a mess of twisted rags, knotted together, enough to scare most people into fleeing.
Moriel also stepped back, almost tempted to strike first.
The man grabbed his face and pulled hard. Suddenly, with a sound like tearing fabric, his features unfolded. He rubbed his forehead and straightened his face. Two faint red glows emerged from his blood-soaked eyes, like lights from the depths. A large gap split his left lip, and through the blood covering half his face, a metallic sheen peeked through.
“You… this is…” Moriel recognized the familiar gaze and squinted at him. “Is this the skin of a shapeshifter? Did Kani give it to you?”
“Mm, she thought I should disguise myself. Whatever it is.” Forty-Seven proudly raised his hand and moved his fingers. “Biological skin wrapped around a metal frame—average lifespan of 120 years… I will be bake!”
“What are you talking about? Does that mean you’re about to break down?” Moriel slapped his forehead. “Good heavens, you look terrible. Go wash up, sew up those holes in your clothes, and find some attire! We’re leaving!”
“Sure.” Forty-Seven twisted his neck. “Wait, there’s one more thing.”
By the time Kani came to find Moriel and Forty-Seven, the two were already ready to set off. Moriel wore the iconic robe of a red-robed mage, its color as red as blood, even his belt was red, and the tip of his staff featured a large red gem—exuding the eerie aura characteristic of red-robed mages. Forty-Seven simply wore warrior’s gear, mostly to cover up the crude skin he wore. Surprisingly, the wound on his lip had mostly healed, leaving only a slightly protruding scar, as if the mimicry skin itself had life.
But what caught Kani’s attention the most was the large black box beside Forty-Seven. It seemed to be made entirely of steel, reflecting a faint, cold glow. Its sharp edges were roughly joined together, extremely dangerous and likely to scratch people.
“What’s this?” Kani asked.
Forty-Seven patted the box. “This? Of course, it’s something for the deal.”
Kani said nothing more. At this point, there was nothing more she could say. Since Moriel had decided to use her and Xeric’s followers for a “big deal,” she could only follow.
The three didn’t leave their base but went to the basement of Kani’s residence—a very spacious place resembling a magic laboratory. Workbenches were filled with test tubes, vials, and various magical potions, while walls were hung with animal heads, skins, bones of unknown origin, as well as various half-rusted weapons and strange gadgets. Under the dim light of magic torches, everything appeared shadowy and eerie. Forty-Seven recalled the laboratories in the Swamp Mage Tower and realized that mage laboratories weren’t all the same.

In the center of the basement, a clear space had clearly been cleared out temporarily. The floor was covered with numerous complex magic runes, along with various magic items arranged in a specific order to form a magic circle. Nancy, who was waiting beside the magic circle, was also startled when she saw Forty-Seven. As one of the leaders of the Tattooed Warriors, she didn’t remember there being warriors with such strange appearances in the stronghold.

Forty-Seven placed the iron box on the ground, causing a loud thud.

Kani turned to glare at him, then quickly checked whether the array carved into the floor was damaged and whether the crystals and gems arranged in a specific order were loose.

“Be gentle—this is very delicate,” Moriel also criticized Forty-Seven, referring again to the magic circle rather than the contents of the box. “If there’s even the slightest mistake with the teleportation circle, your head could very well be separated from your body in moments.”

“Heads and bodies are meant to be separated anyway, right?” Forty-Seven muttered, lifting his hand to tug at his face. “Another space transfer. I hate space transfers… Moriel, have you ever thought about it?”

“What?” Moriel retorted.

“When you go through a space transfer, even a fly gets transferred along with you. During the transfer, you both get reduced to particles, and after it’s over, you and the fly end up mixed together, causing your body tissue to mutate. Then you become a giant fly that looks like a human… or a human that looks like a giant fly…”

“Shut up! Come here! That won’t happen!” Moriel snapped angrily, but her eyes quickly scanned the teleportation circle for any issues.