Legacy of the Dark Sage

[How did you know that lady is undergoing a challenge to conquer the tower?]

Kyran paused for a moment before replying, \'The arrangement of her platform was too detailed. From the sentries, the buildings, even the positioning of trees and roads. I reckoned its placement was there to camouflage an array formation. Then there\'s the time limit included in her rules.\'

[I don\'t get it.]

True Void replied in confusion.

\'Compared to Loar\'s platform, Olivia had placed too many things in hers. Everything in her platform also compliments her rules. The sentries are there top stop anyone from getting close to the tower. Even the roads and buildings were arranged as baits.

"To avoid the sentries, most will look for a breach around the buildings or the roads, but that was their real purpose. Once challengers entered those areas, they will trigger traps. Others who are confident in their stealth abilities or speed will take their chances with the sentries, but the formulas encrypted in them were mostly statuses. If in case there are those who managed to go pass the sentries and the other traps, there\'s also a defense mechanism around the tower.

"All in all, it prevents anyone from getting near it. While there is nothing wrong with her arangement, the fact that she placed a time limit, means she did not want to drag the challenge. It also showed how she didn\'t want to confront the challengers directly,\' Kyran explained patiently.

[She\'s too cautious. Because one slip from her, means she will fail her own challenge in conquering the tower.]

\'Yes.\'

[But maybe that\'s just her character.]

\'True. But given how she placed too much importance just to prevent others from passing her platform, even using high-grade materials to set up all the formation says a lot. Apart from that, the arrogance she had shown was just to cover up the real reason behind the time limit she set. She wanted challengers to know she is ruthless and capable of killing them easily, but she\'s still giving them a chance to prove they are worthy to pass her platform.\'

True Void sighed. He could not believe Kyran was able to come up with such a conclusion just by Olivia\'s meticulous platform arrangement.

Thinking about it now, it did make sense. She had used too many valuable materials to set up her platform. As if, she did not mind wasting all those resources just to make sure she would stay alive.

\'We\'ve wasted too much time on two platforms. I\'ll speed things up starting now,\' Kyran declared as they landed on the next platform.

True Void snorted.

[If you did not chat with that Loar guy you will not feel pressured with time again.]

Kyran only replied with a slight smile. He did not tell True Void that his \'chat\' with Loar was actually to gather information.

Pushing all unnecessary thoughts at the back of his mind, Kyran adjusted his mindset and observed the next platform. He stealthily spread his magic sense to inspect the whole surrounding.

The size of the next platform was about a five-hundred-meter radius. It was bare and Kyran did not detect any array formation. This in itself was a little strange. It was as if the next platform master did not bother making any adjustments or preparations against his or her challenger.

[Do you still need a mask?]

True Void suddenly asked.

Before Kyran could reply, the light covering them began to fade after which, he immediately felt how nauseating the air around the platform was.

\'This...\'

A beam of light descended in the middle of the platform.

Unlike how a gust of wind or a powerful shockwave was felt after the beam of light descended from Loar and Olivia\'s platforms, this light appeared \'timid.\'

From within the light, a silhouette of a person wearing an oversized black robe was visible. As the light faded around the silhouette, it revealed a mist-like black figure, holding a red glowing orb. Small bluish wisp-like orbs floated around the figure giving off a very eerie feeling.

When True Void saw the robed figure, he remembered something and instantly warned Kyran.

[Void Halfling, be careful. That man came from the Undead plane.]

\'You don\'t say,\' Kyran replied with a slight frown.

From one of the knowledge tablets in the Dark Arts room, he found so many studies that came from the Undead plane. Their magic focuses on curses and poisons. Most importantly, Necromancy.

The black-robed figure made a wheezing sound as the floating bluish wisp-like orbs glowed.

Instantly, the whole platform shook, as fissures appeared on the floor. From within the fissures, a dense aura of death seeped out, and growling sounds could be heard. The sounds felt as if they came from the depths of hell.

The fissures crackled and they expanded, as bony fingers grabbed the edges of the fissures.

[Oi, oi. Void Halfling, you said you plan to speed things up. How are you planning to—.]

Before True Void could finish his sentence, a huge dark purple disc appeared above their heads.

CRACKLE!

Thick dark purple thunder descended from the disc and shot down on every fissure.

Several purple magic arrays appeared around the black-robed figure.

The figure jolted as if in shock, and immediately lifted the red glowing orb it was holding.

However, before the figure could even make a move, the purple magic arrays shot out countless thunder attacks which instantly engulfed the figure.

Miserable shrieks sounded as the figure was bombarded by countless thunder attacks.

All of this happened in less than ten seconds, after which, the thunders that rolled down the platform and engulfed the figure, lasted for almost a minute, before finally fading, leaving behind a floor riddled with cracks. As for the black-robed figure, it fell on the floor unconscious but twitching uncontrollably.

"What was that? I was busy setting up the formation and didn\'t hear you clearly," Kyran suddenly asked distractedly.

True Void blinked twice, before clearing his throat.

[Nevermind, nevermind.]

True Void could only sigh in his heart as he belatedly realized that as soon as Kyran spread out his magic sense, he had also started setting up an array formation.

\'This guy is a monster,\' he could not help but say to himself.

Kyran had only learned about using magic sense as well as the Void magic\'s creation aspect recently, but he had already mastered both to such a frightening degree. Though Kyran was able to utilize Void creation quite well inside the tower because of the dense energy here, creating materials out of thin air to use in an Array formation, not to mention at such a short time, was simply inhuman.

A beam of light descended and covered Kyran after a few seconds and lifted him and True Void toward the next platform.

This was another way in going up the platform. If the platform master was knocked out cold, the challenger would be transported to the next platform in a few seconds.

Kyran also had a choice to do the same with Olivia, but he decided against it when he realized he could use her.

[Let me remind you, if you keep on creating things, you\'ll exhaust yourself in no time. This place has rich magic energies, but these will not help you recover from fatigue.]

Kyran nodded, \'Don\'t worry. I know my limits. Once I feel exhausted, I\'ll ask to go to the Recovery Room.\'

[Good. Good. At least you remember there\'s a Recovery Room.]

Kyran only chuckled but felt grateful at True Void\'s concern. Even though he knew half of the reason why True Void was concerned about him was that he did not want to \'die\' with him.

As Kyran and True Void moved to the next platform, outside the tower, Nolan and Gustaff had blank expressions.

"Thunder..." Gustaff muttered in disbelief. "He can use other elements now?"

"Oi," Nolan\'s expression turned grim as he looked at Gustaff. "Don\'t just spout questions you know I can\'t answer!"

Gustaff belated realized what he just said, and he burst out in hearty laughter.

"Ahahaha! Sorry, sorry."

Nolan sighed as he turned his attention back at the projector.

"As far as I remember, having powerful magic meant one can no longer call upon other magic," he said, feeling a little lost at how Kyran managed to summon powerful Thunder magic that could incinerate those fissures. Not to mention, Nolan felt that the thunder Kyran summoned also contained Void properties, which was simply impossible.

Excitement glittered in Nolan\'s eyes, as he looked at Kyran. He wanted to know what kind of training the kid went through for him to grow this fast.

"Yeah," Gustaff nodded his head in agreement. "I\'ve read about that too."

Then he sighed and shook his head, "As expected of the great master Cade\'s son."

Nolan did not reply and only continue watching Kyran\'s progress.

For the next couple of hours, the two of them watched Kyran\'s progress with one having an expression of full disbelief, and the other a blank expression. Because Kyran moved from one platform to another at an unbelievable speed.

Kyran faced a lot of different types of mages and even battled using puppets. There was even a mage who could summon a horde of beasts. However, for some reason, no fighting happened because the beasts refused to listen to their master and stayed as far away as possible from Kyran. In the end, the mage could only fight Kyran head-on. The result was an overwhelming defeat of the mage.

After almost twenty battles non-stop, Kyran entered the Recovery Room. Then he resumed the challenges before deciding to rest again in the Recovery Room. To be honest, if he had not rested twice, he would have been at least halfway through and soon be able to challenge the Champion.

Just as they were thinking this, both of them gaped in complete shock when after staying for almost half an hour inside the Recovery Room, Kyran was transported to a black room.

This room was no ordinary room because, in the middle, there was a golden door. Behind that door, was where the Champion was.

"Wait... Why is he already challenging the Champion?"

"Oi!"

"Oh. Ahahaha!"

"Don\'t ahahaha me! Tsk," Nolan glared at Gustaff, but he could only sigh and looked back at the projection. "It seems, he actually started midway."

Gustaff\'s eyes widened, "Whoa! That\'s... Whoa!"

Nolan chuckled and said, "This is also good. Now that he\'s about to challenge the Champion, let\'s see how long he will last."

Hearing Nolan\'s words made Gustaff shiver. He said, "Argh! I was too scared to challenge the Champion. You challenged the Champion, right? How was it?"

Nolan raised his brows as he looked at him sideways and only said, "Good."

Gustaff frowned at him.

"Whatta..."

"Just watch," Nolan sneered and turned his attention back at the projection.

Inside the black room of the tower\'s special place, Kyran stood before the golden door.

"Are you ready?" True Void asked.

Kyran nodded, "Let\'s go."

With that, he stepped into the golden door.