Chapter 81: Mage Tower Assessment

“Welcome to my mage tower. I wonder from where these travelers have come.”
The moment the last member of the squad stepped inside the mage tower, a mature and alluring female voice sounded. There was a hint of a smile in her tone, but in the dead silence of the tower, it felt strangely lonely.

Jiang Cha knew this was a standard indicator that the voice’s owner had already passed away. That sense of deathly stillness wasn’t conveyed through the words—it was the sensation her body instinctively received from the residual magical energy.

The arcane energy forming the voice had no vitality or source; it could not replenish or regenerate.

“Be careful. The master of this place may be stronger than we expected,” Jiang Cha warned.

Daisy nodded silently. Her innate magic differed from Jiang Cha’s, so she wasn’t as sensitive in analyzing magical information, but as a Great Witch, she could still sense something.

“What are you talking about, latecomers? How is your world? How did you find me? Are you from a buried ancient ruin, or a mage tower drifting in the interstice of the unknown?”

“Oh, and the border between worlds that hasn’t been proven to exist… no matter what, at least you are bearers of arcane power. You are qualified to face the trial I have left and claim the knowledge here.”

No one responded. These were just pre-recorded words, so no reply was necessary. Nevertheless, the amount of information conveyed far exceeded the witches’ expectations.

“Can I request to leave? This doesn’t look like a normal ruin.”
Jiang Cha shrugged and glanced at Daisy, her eyes flicking toward the still-open door. She was asking for the employer’s opinion. Based on the information received so far, the tower’s owner was far more than just a simple arcane elf mage. The terms she mentioned, like the “interstice,” were not commonly known to ordinary witches.

The term “interstice” wasn’t a mundane term—it had existed since billions of years ago, established by a coalition of civilizations from another world. Though that association no longer exists, the term persisted among civilizations that reached a certain level.

Even disregarding the minor possibility that the tower’s owner had coincidentally used the same term, this implied that the civilization she came from was at least of Sage-level. In other words, the civilization possessed Sage-class power. Consequently, the danger level of this ruin increased substantially.

“Fortune favors the brave, doesn’t it? My darling, this is just a mage tower left by a deceased master,” said the employer.

“Alright, alright, you’re the boss,” Jiang Cha sighed, confirming that Yixi hadn’t abandoned the idea, then released a burst of arcane energy toward a mechanism she had already noticed.

“Oh, it seems your rumors aren’t bad. At least you’re not a bunch of arcane fools. Then let the trial begin.”

“I don’t care who takes my knowledge, but I at least want the heir to understand it, right?”

The mature female voice sounded again, even with a hint of surprise, as if she were observing everything within the tower.

In truth, this was just the effect of magic. Whether it was the communication spell “Convey All Things” or the “Arcane Replica” spell, which could make the recording appear to act like a living person, it was only a minor part of the profound arcane discipline.

“Choosing this little monster as captain is truly my wisest decision this year. These elf spellcasters are always so picky and high-handed.”
Meisha muttered, unable to understand arcane magic, and didn’t see how to activate the mechanisms. Without Jiang Cha, they would have had to risk dismantling them blindly.

“I need to earn my salary, senior,” Jiang Cha shrugged. Once the mechanism was fully activated, she walked straight into the first room.

“Oh, the master didn’t use spatial magic from the Arcane school. That’s relatively gentle,” Daisy said with a smile.

But Kelly behind her quietly rolled her eyes. Jiang Cha ‘happened’ to notice—the gesture was directed at their “useless” captain.

“It’s not that I don’t want to. Most spatial magic in the Arcane school requires a massive amount of energy. The tower’s power system has long since broken,” Jiang Cha quietly explained to Daisy.

“Currently, the tower runs only partially on residual power and mostly relies on my magic. Energy is not abundant.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s clear it,” Daisy said.

“Indeed~”

“If Daisy wanted efficiency, she could have just cut off the power supply, smashed through everything, and gambled that the tower had no self-destruct mechanisms or that there wasn’t enough energy to trigger them. It’s not impossible. This tower might even be a relic from the ancient era, drifting through time. Over the millennia, even the most reliable designs fail. Many adventuring squads, when faced with ruins outside their specialty, take such risks.”

“Let’s see… The first trial left by the ruin’s owner is simple. Or rather, it’s mostly common arcane knowledge, just with broader scope. For scholars from a lower-level arcane civilization, it might already be challenging—like giving a modern high school textbook to ancient scientists and asking them to solve the problems. No matter how advanced they are in their time, they cannot surpass the era’s limitations. To modern high school students, it’s just basic education.”

“For witches who have transcended the Arcane school and developed new disciplines from its basics, these arcane questions are just elementary exercises. Their main gain from the tower isn’t more arcane knowledge but the unique understanding the master had, the civilization’s special magic, and potential rare magical materials.”

“Do you really need my inheritance? For a civilization with such mastery in Arcane magic, my legacy might be unnecessary…”

“Very well, you insist. Then continue. I only hope you can inherit my research.”

“The second trial is a unique arcane question. If you are an Arcane master, solve it for a poor little elf—this was her lifelong puzzle before death. If you are an apprentice, provide your unique understanding. I will grade fairly.”

As the voice fell, Jiang Cha finally saw the question—though her expression looked… strange.