NOVPUB
Chapter 36: 003: Tower
Riding the horned lizard carriage through the Outer Ring District filled with simple stone houses, then passing by the Inner Ring District where individual Gothic-style houses with courtyards stood elegantly, Lynch finally arrived at the base of the central Tower.
Though he had joined the Shadow Tower two and a half years ago, this was the first time Lynch had ever come so close to the Tower.
The Shadow Tower’s hierarchy was strict; apprentices like Lynch were only allowed activities in the Stone House District and a small part of the Inner Ring. The central core of the Inner Ring was strictly off-limits, let alone coming here.
Standing at the foot of the Tower, Lynch looked up to examine the Wizard Tower he worked under.
The Tower’s body was constructed from massive gray stones stacked together, and the passage of time had etched mottled traces on its walls. Moss and vines clung to its surface, adding an air of ancientness and untamed beauty to the structure.
The overall shape was conical, becoming thinner and sharper the higher it rose. Each level of the Tower had narrow windows strategically designed, some of which occasionally emitted faint blue or green lights. Lynch could vaguely see distorted shadows cast upon the walls inside, twisting and shifting endlessly, lending the Tower an aura of mystery and unpredictability.
At the base of the Tower stood a broad, imposing gate, flanked on both sides by statues of fully armored knights, each gripping a long spear and standing tall and proud.
As Lynch ascended the lengthy stone steps leading to the door, the two statues suddenly came to life. They raised their long spears in a thunderous motion and stepped forward with a loud *boom*. In an instant, they pointed their spears directly at Lynch, standing on the stairs.
Under their stone masks, a beam of red light ignited, and two cold, authoritative voices rang out: "Unknown apprentice, state your purpose!"
Lynch took out the badge given to him by the Raven and pinned it to his chest.
The red beams beneath the masks vanished instantly. The statues lowered their spears and returned to their original positions: "You may enter."
Lynch stepped through the grand doorway.
At the moment he crossed the threshold, the badge on his chest suddenly began to fade and lose its color, quickly turning into a piece of stone. Then, with a *crumble*, it disintegrated into sand, carried away by the wind.
"Single-use, huh?"
Lynch withdrew his gaze and looked ahead.
What lay before him was a vast hall, shrouded in dim and mysterious light—not from sunlight, but from the soft glow emitted by peculiar gemstones embedded in the walls. 𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙥𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝙤𝒎
The floor was dark gray, pieced together from slabs of marble with fine veins resembling a natural painting. The high ceiling was adorned with intricate Magic Arrays and constellations, and the walls were lined with various Magic Wands, scrolls, and strange ornaments.
The air was infused with a faint fragrance of incense, mingled with the musty scent characteristic of old books, forming an indescribably enigmatic atmosphere.
"Flutter flutter!"
Books sailed through the air like birds, their pages flipping, producing a crisp sound like wings flapping.
Mystical, magical, and strange.
"How do I get upstairs...?" Lynch surveyed the hall but could not find any stairs.
At that moment, another apprentice entered through the door—a girl around his age, dressed in a black cloak, with twin braided pigtails, black-framed glasses on her nose, and a large Magic Book clutched in her arms.
Lynch quickly stopped her: "Hello, fellow student."
The girl halted her steps: "Hmm?"
Lynch stepped forward and asked, "I’d like to know, how can I get to the Third Church on the third floor?"
The girl adjusted her glasses and noticed Lynch wasn’t wearing the same cloak design as hers. She asked, "You’re from outside?"
Lynch nodded: "Yes."
The girl said generously, "Follow me."
Following her, they walked toward the center of the hall. There stood a circular structure resembling an altar—stone, approximately five meters in diameter, with two tiers of stone steps and a complex Magic Array engraved at its center.
The girl pointed at the altar and said, "Step onto it and think about the area you want to go to, just like I’ll demonstrate now—"
She stepped onto the altar, and immediately Lynch saw a radiant glow emanate from the base of the Magic Array. The girl standing within the light faded away as if melting into the brightness, disappearing swiftly.
Lynch’s eyes lit up.
He stepped onto the altar, silently thinking: Take me to the third floor.
As before, a gleaming light radiated from beneath his feet. Lynch felt the space around him tighten abruptly, then relax suddenly.
When his sight returned to normal, he found himself in an unfamiliar area.
He marveled: "So this is a Transmission Array?"
"Its proper name is the Jumping Stone Plate. Of course, it’s not wrong to call it a Transmission Array, just not during exams," came a voice from nearby. Lynch turned to see the girl he had met earlier.
Lynch quickly expressed his gratitude: "Thank you."
The girl replied, "You’re welcome—it’s no trouble since I was just headed to the third floor anyway."
She paused and pointed down a corridor: "The Third Church you’re looking for is at the end of this hallway, on the left side. If you can’t figure something out—"
She lifted the Short Magic Wand hanging at her waist and gently pointed toward a flying book in the corridor. With a swoosh, the book quickly flew over and elegantly landed in her hand.
She handed the book to Lynch: "If you have any other questions, look for blue-covered books; they contain all the answers."
Lynch thanked her again: "Much appreciated."
"Not at all." The girl flipped her long braids back and quickly walked away, hugging her book.
"What a kind-hearted girl."
Lynch suddenly found himself liking the Tower’s atmosphere a little more. If he could study magic here alongside girls like her, it might be a rather satisfying experience.
"I’ll give it my all!" Lynch clenched his fists and made up his mind.
Following her directions, Lynch walked down the hallway while flipping through the blue-covered book. The title read: *Guide to Using Tower Facilities*, and it explained how to use the Jumping Stone Plate, light up Magic Lighting, identify restricted zones, and more.
Reading along, Lynch soon reached the end of the corridor, where there was only one room on the left side. At this point, the door was closed, and Lynch knocked on the thick wooden door, assembled with rivets and brass lock fastenings.
"Knock knock knock!"
*Creak*—a sharp, tooth-grating sound echoed as the tightly closed door swung open on its own.
Inside was a spacious hall, where several men in cloaks sat around a table. On the table was a Magic Chessboard, and before each of them was a small pile of Magic Stones. Several goblins lingered nearby, watching the game unfold.
The scene reminded Lynch of colleagues back on Earth, shutting their office doors to sneakily play cards during work hours—the reactions were nearly identical.
As the door opened, one man hid the chessboard, another gathered the Magic Stones—both clearly flustered.
"It’s not the mentor!"
Only after realizing the person at the door was a stranger did the room occupants relax, attempting to restore the earlier scene yet quickly squabbling over it.
"Where was I just now?"
"Who can say? Start over!"
"Damn it! I swear I was about to win!"
Lynch stepped forward politely, addressing one of the men: "Hello, I’ve been notified to come here for task assignment."
The man, about seventeen or eighteen years old and wearing the exclusive cloak of a Tower Inner Apprentice, bore the insignia of two *Wisdom Leaves* on his chest, signifying his status as a Mid-level Apprentice.
Responding to Lynch’s inquiry, the man, busy placing bets, merely cast a casual glance at him. He scoffed in confusion: "Task assignment? Are you sure you’re not mistaken? This is the Tower’s Inner Ring; do you think task assignments happen here?"
Lynch was puzzled too. Apprentices from outside the Tower typically had designated areas for task assignments—it was never handled here.
Lynch explained: "I don’t know either. It was the Raven who informed me to come."
The man asked: "The Raven doesn’t issue commands. Specifically, who sent you here?"
Lynch shook his head: "I’m not sure."
The man’s impatience showed as he grumbled: "If you don’t know, then go back to where you came from. Figure it out and return—whoever sent you here, go find them. What a mess, thinking this place is some marketplace?"
Lynch frowned slightly.
Thankfully, at that moment, a voice came from the doorway: "I sent him."
At some point, a man had appeared at the entrance. He looked about thirty years old with a deep-set face and sharply defined features. His stern expression revealed an air of authority.
Lynch looked at the cloak the man was wearing with some surprise. Unlike the cloaks he had seen, even those worn by Tower Inner Apprentices, this cloak was black, embroidered with intricate silver patterns at its edges, and bore a large red emblem on the back—a snake coiled around a cross.
Snake around a cross...
This was an ancient Wizard symbol passed down from the old ages. Within the Shadow Tower, it symbolized inheritance. Anyone wearing such a cloak held a special position in the Tower—
A *Inheritance Apprentice*.
Apprentices personally trained by one of the Tower’s seven supreme Judges!
