Looking at the pile of wood shavings on the ground, Fars felt a deep sense of helplessness. If only the window had been weaker, he could have kicked it open without a problem, leaving behind a complete frame that would have shown it was once a whole wooden window.
For now, he decided not to let Danis revert to her ice phoenix form, as he was still unsure of the dangers lurking inside. He folded her large wings and leaped into the magical tower. The space was not very large, barely fifty square meters, with a staircase occupying one corner, making it feel even more cramped. There was likely once a guard stationed here, as a small square table and a few sturdy chairs, presumably as solid as the wooden window, were placed in the limited space.
The magical tower had windows all around, and from the inside, it was clear why Fars's kick had failed to break through. A thick wooden bolt securely locked the window, and although the craftsmanship of the wooden window wasn't particularly refined, it was nearly thirty centimeters thick. Now that he was inside, he didn't need to resort to such brute force to open the windows. However, Fars, who wasn't suited for heavy lifting, still took some time to open the other three windows, allowing him to overlook the entire castle and its surroundings.
He pondered whether the asymmetrical arrangement of the two magical towers near the city gate—one window open and the other closed—would attract the attention of Perugino and his party. The window he had broken faced the interior of the castle, and from the outside, it wouldn't appear to be a recent act of vandalism. To make the other magical tower appear similar, Fars played the role of a violent intruder once more, swinging his sword to break open the window and enter the second magical tower. Both towers offered excellent views, and Fars, feeling lazy, decided not to return to the first one.
Continuing down the staircase, Fars descended to the lowest level of the magical tower, which was much larger than the upper floors. The architectural style of the tower was narrower at the top and wider at the bottom; the upper area was less than fifty square meters, while the lower level boasted over a hundred square meters. This spacious area was not empty; a massive array was drawn on the floor, one that would make anyone dizzy just by looking at it. Clearly, this was the magical formation that maintained the castle's defenses, yet it was not currently operational. Based on Fars's rudimentary understanding of basic formation texts, he deduced that the formation could still function, provided it had a sufficient energy supply. But where had the magical core crystals, which should have been stored here, gone? After rummaging through countless items, Fars found not a single crystal, nor anything that emitted magical energy.
With his hopes of finding something valuable dashed, Fars felt no real disappointment; as long as there was no danger here, that was good enough. He had no intention of meddling with the massive array on the floor. Such a city defense formation was far from simple; what lay exposed was merely the energy control section. The main body was buried underground. Who knew what might happen if Fars accidentally triggered a reaction from the main formation below? This powerful array was capable of protecting the entire castle, and it was not something Fars could tamper with recklessly. Knowledge, knowledge! If only he had read a few more heroic biographies in his youth and avoided provoking noble ladies, how much more he could have learned! Fars couldn't help but feel regretful.
If Fars's knowledge had matched his abilities, he could have ventured out to explore the nearby mage towers that clearly held valuable treasures. Unfortunately, mid-tier mages relied on potions and other resources to advance, spending any spare money they had on various mid- to low-tier spells. By the time they realized their mistake, they were already caught up in a busy life of adventure. Who had time to seriously study various subjects?
But dwelling on regrets was not the way of a wise person. Now that he had come to his senses, Fars decided not to waste time lamenting. Returning to the top of the tower to slowly study the still-warm "Finger of Death" spell was the right course of action.
The use of magic required the caster to control their magical energy with mental focus, tracing specific patterns in the surrounding area, combined with incantations that embodied the laws of nature to activate the array's effects, summoning various elements to form spells, which were then directed by mental power. Cantrips, the most basic form of magic, did not require such complexity; a mage could simply use a small amount of magical energy to directly manipulate the surrounding elements to achieve their desired effects. However, this direct manipulation of magical elements made it difficult to gather large amounts of them, limiting the effectiveness of cantrips, which also depended on the mage's control over the elements. Cantrips were the first spells every magic apprentice learned; those without sufficient magical energy to construct a complete spell could practice various cantrips to effectively learn to control elements, laying a solid foundation for future spellcasting.
High-level spells, however, diverged significantly from the cantrip system that still encompassed mid- and low-tier spells. While mid- and low-tier spells required mages to rely on incantations and arrays to cast, they ultimately still involved manually manipulating the elements. This was a cumbersome process, and in the eyes of high-level mages, it was indeed a laborious one. The external construction of arrays for spellcasting was not only time-consuming but also less effective compared to mages who had already solidified their arrays in their sea of consciousness. The gap in power resulted in a gap in spellcasting efficiency. High-level mages could cast mid- and low-tier spells without such hassle; they could adjust the operation of the arrays in their sea of consciousness according to their intentions, forming the necessary arrays for the spells, and their manipulation of magical energy was internal, making it quick and efficient without wasting much energy.
High-level spells more directly embodied the laws of magic; merely mimicking the results of past explorations was no longer sufficient. The caster had to possess an understanding of the relevant laws. This is why mid- and low-tier spells could be learned across different schools, while mages at higher levels specialized in specific directions. It wasn't that they didn't want to; it was simply that their understanding of the laws was limited.
Fars was fortunate to possess the six runic arrays in his sea of consciousness. He now understood that they were runes, as Master Perugino had cleared up some of his knowledge gaps when inquiring about the arrays Fars had constructed. Based on his judgment, three of them should be of the dark attribute, relating to chaos and evil laws. The specifics still required further contemplation, but they should meet the conditions for learning the "Finger of Death."
The learning process involved reciting the incantation on the parchment while continuously grasping the laws contained within the spell. As he became more familiar and understood it to a certain extent, he would naturally comprehend how to use the "Finger of Death."
What Fars needed to do was calm his mind and try repeatedly. This process would also effectively deepen his understanding of the laws. If Fars had a talent for this, learning would not be overly difficult.
Praise the glorious surname of Hill; it had granted him talents far superior to those of the Delong bloodline. Perhaps the Delong bloodline had thinned by the time it reached Fars, resulting in his own talents being less impressive. In contrast, the bloodline from the Hill family of vampires had directly bestowed Fars with three dark runes upon his advancement. The difference was undeniable.
While others first comprehended the laws before achieving runes, Fars had received them without even knowing what they were, and now he was learning the specific laws beneath those runes. This made the process seem much simpler. In just half a day, Fars was able to emit a weak ray of energy. Perhaps this finger wouldn't even be able to kill a low-level magical beast, but achieving this much in half a day was enough to make Fars feel proud. If possible, he should ask Master Perugino how long it took him to learn this magic, just to find a sense of accomplishment.
Fars waited quietly, and two days had passed since the vengeful spirits had attacked. Finally, he sensed some movement.
The commotion was quite significant, enough to rouse Fars from his meditation. What was that intense fighting? Could there really be other dangerous creatures in the Misty Forest that had gone unnoticed before?
It was impossible for him to ignore a good show. Interrupted from his meditation, Fars felt no annoyance. After waiting so long, what was meant to come had finally arrived.
He cautiously peered out from the side of the window. It wasn't just Master Perugino and his group who had arrived; they were still there, but behind them trailed a massive creature that was growling incessantly. It was indeed a huge creature, much larger than the injured Thunder Python that Fars had encountered. It resembled a land dragon, and with its tail, its body length exceeded ten meters. A massive spiked blade adorned its back, and its wide-open mouth revealed sharp teeth. It roared relentlessly as it chased after the seemingly tiny humans ahead. Yet, the group showed no inclination to fight; they merely dodged continuously. The strongest among them, Master Perugino, was being supported by Dull.
Let's call it the Spiked Back Dragon; magical beasts are often named based on their characteristics. Fars thought this name suited it well.
There was no need to guess; this creature was certainly stronger than the Blue Wolf King. It could single-handedly pursue a mage and a high knight, along with several promising young talents. They occasionally glanced back, either to assess the situation or to tear open a scroll to cast a spell to hinder its progress. Under magical attacks, it displayed a remarkable resistance reminiscent of a dragon; even high-level spells barely caused it any harm!
From Fars's distant vantage point, the sight was profoundly shocking. However, it couldn't be a lord-level magical beast; if it were, it wouldn't allow them to escape so far. As for why Master Perugino appeared heavily injured, it was likely due to a fierce battle with the vengeful spirits.
Having entered the Gonzago Ruins, they had now seen the magnificent castle. To evade the pursuit of the Spiked Back Dragon, the group wisely chose to enter the castle for refuge. Fars realized their intention and felt a wave of regret wash over him—why hadn't he pulled up that rickety drawbridge?