Chapter 159
Garrett Nordmark had been at the headquarters of the Magic Council for over a month, and this was his first opportunity to climb the mountain and witness the core group of mage towers. The small train clanked along the tracks, ascending steadily. As the train gained height, the outside light gradually dimd.
Moisture began to cover the glass windows. Garrett reached out to wipe the mist away and looked outside. The train had entered into a thick fog, reducing visibility to less than 20 ters. Climbing further, rain started to fall, creating dots on the windows that quickly ford into streaks.
"I didn’t bring an umbrella!"
Garrett pleaded for help from the red-robed mage. High-level mages might have magical protection, like Master Karel, who effortlessly walked in the rain with water parting around him. However, Garrett, being only a 1st-level mage, didn’t possess such abilities.
"Don’t worry; you won’t get wet," chuckled the red-robed mage, Harvey. Garrett felt a bit relieved, thinking the rain might stop once they reached the mountaintop. The rain did stop, but...
A fierce snowstorm ensued.
Before the train even stopped, howling winds carried snowflakes, pounding the windows. The glass rattled, and the train carriage itself seed to sway suspiciously.
Garrett: "..."
How strong is this wind? Seven levels? Eight levels? Maybe it’s even beyond nine levels? At this point, I’m not worried about getting wet; I’m concerned about being able to walk!
The red-robed mage opposite him remained silent, still smiling. The train ascended a little, reaching a plateau. After advancing another thirty ters, the carriage suddenly quieted down, the wind slowed, and the snowstorm disappeared, as if entering another world.
"Welco to Igor Peak."
Harvey Mage had been enjoying Garrett’s astonished expression all along. Finally, as the train ca to a stop, he smiled and pointed forward:
"What you see is the defense system of the Mage Tower group, Igor Lock. Igor Peak experiences thunderstorms and blizzards all winter, so the lock is usually activated. It not only regulates the climate but also actively absorbs power from the storms."
This... is a large active teorological defense system?
And it absorbs energy actively?
Even advanced technology in my previous life couldn’t achieve this!
Garrett sighed sincerely. So, in this otherworld, technology might not be as backward as one would think; perhaps their technological path just took a different turn...
Harvey let Garrett marvel for a while, then handed him a small badge. He gestured for Garrett to wear it on his wrist:
"This is a temporary pass for the lock’s interior. Without certification at the Celestial Tower – the main mage tower – hang this, and it will make your movents easier."
With that, Harvey stepped out of the carriage. A beam of light imdiately descended from the sky, illuminating both of them. In Garrett’s hand, the small round badge humd softly, and his vision instantly beca clear.
At the top of Igor Peak, instead of a sharp peak, there was a vast plateau. In the center stood a magnificent mage tower, its upper half deeply embedded in the clouds, occasionally lit up by lightning dancing around it.
Surrounding the main tower were various mage towers of different shapes and sizes. So tall, so short, so fat, so thin, and one even leaning at an angle exceeding that of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Looking at it, Garrett was genuinely worried it might fall off the cliff. Harvey pointed to a pyramid-shaped tower and introduced it:
"That’s the Necromancy school’s..."
Garrett: "..." Can I guess there’s an inverted pyramid below it?
However, he didn’t have ti to explore each one. Harvey led him straight ahead, entering the right side of the main tower, a mage tower with smooth, flowing lines and a grip-like waist. While walking, Harvey continued the introduction:
"Your paper on bats has garnered significant attention from our teachers. They brought it up at the review committee eting, and after considering recent developnts and receiving a letter from Master Wood, they decided to call you up to discuss the situation..."
Having said that, Harvey entered the mage tower. The right side of this subsidiary tower, from the wall to the ground, was all a translucent light blue, resembling ripples on water. The interior of the wall seed deep and ever-changing, as if ripples were continuously rolling.
Garrett was about to observe more closely when Harvey pulled him into a semi-circular room. He reached out and touched the wall, then pointed to a semi-transparent black panel at shoulder height and said softly, "Floor 35, thanks."
"Floor 35, please wait," a soft female voice replied. Garrett felt a slight sinking sensation under his feet, and on the black panel, numbers began to flicker: 1, 2, 3... 10, 11...
Voice-controlled elevator? Garrett was a bit surprised. Observing his expression, Harvey explained, "We can stay here. The tower spirit will control this room and elevate it to the 35th floor. When you need to co down later, you can talk to the tower spirit here."
I’m not surprised by the voice-controlled elevator; I’m surprised you have a voice-controlled elevator here... Garrett silently complained.
On the 35th floor, they were received by the Archmage. The one who ca forward to inquire was the one who taught soundwave courses, Master Zephyr, Harvey’s teacher. He called Garrett forward, flipped to the last page of his paper, and pointed to a few lines, asking him:
"Garrett Nordmark? Your paper ntions limited experintal conditions, making the results uncertain. So, what conditions do you need to ensure accuracy?"
"Animal types, quantity, caretakers, experintal environnt, equipnt," Garrett fluently replied. "For the experint, there should be at least mice, rabbits, pigs, sheep, horses, and, if possible, add pigeons and dogs. It’s even better to have monkeys. Seek healthy adult specins, an equal number of males and females, according to a configuration of 100 multiplied by the number of bat species. Bats should be at least 3 to 5 species... Personnel... Housing... Experintal equipnt..."
I’ve been wanting to ask for a lot! When I sought help from Elder Wood, the experintal conditions were cut and cut again until it couldn’t be cut anymore. It’s like the Southwest Union University building, going from three floors to two, from two floors to a single-story building, from brick walls to adobe walls, from blue tiles to thatched roofs...
"If you’re given all these conditions, can you produce the sa results?" Master Zephyr patiently asked.
"No. I can only say that the more complete the experintal conditions, the greater the probability of obtaining results," Garrett replied without hesitation.
"But with your proposed conditions, the consumption would be significant," Master Zephyr said with a hint of a smile. "If you can’t guarantee results, why would the Magic Council agree to a redo?"
"I’ve done my best," Garrett answered without hesitation. "I’ve issued the warning, submitted the paper. Whether to spend money on it, whether to repeat the experint – aren’t these decisions for the Magic Council to make? If the patient refuses to pay,
refuses to undergo examinations, we can’t force them, can we?"
"Consider this assignnt; you just need to give
a score, and I have no issues with anything else," he said frankly. Master Zephyr’s smile deepened:
"Then I’ll consider it as your agreent!"
Before Garrett could respond, he grabbed a pen, scribbled two lines on the paper, and handed it to Harvey:
"Organize the experintal conditions Garrett needs, make an assessnt, and apply urgently to the Magic Council. Once approved, let him lead and conduct the experint again."
Garrett: "...Hey!"
What did I agree to? I didn’t agree to anything! If you want to repeat the experint, do it yourselves! I have a lot of things to research, a lot of magic to learn, ditation to do, and upgrades to achieve!
Archmages are cunning!
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