The circular pavement upon which the Ivory Tower stood was a work of arcane artistry. An array of complex runes encircled the base, each pulsing with a subtle, rhythmic light. These rune rings were intricately engraved, nested perfectly within an outer circle that hummed with latent mana.
Kyle had studied fragments of ancient magic, though his knowledge was limited. He assumed the runes were a defensive barrier—a ward against intruders. Yet, the irony wasn't lost on him: why would someone who could nullify magic itself require a defense against it? It was yet another riddle he would have to solve.
The walls of the tower were smooth, seamless obsidian, as if the entire structure had been carved from a single, gargantuan stone. Vaygar, having emerged from Kyle's core, drifted beside the tower and settled onto one of the glowing rune rings.
"This is where I leave you," Vaygar said, his voice echoing with finality. Kyle stood frozen, left in a state of utter amazement as his companion vanished.
There was only one entrance into the interior, and stepping inside, Kyle found the tower to be far more alluring than its stark exterior suggested. The walls were crafted from polished silver, while sapphires and gold filaments were woven into the architecture to decorate the surfaces. At the far side of the room, he spotted the same metal box he had seen attached to the cliffside, with ropes tethered from the top of the tower down to the platform.
The upper floors featured circular gaps in the center, allowing one to observe the goings-on below. However, whatever Kyle had seen in the city was nothing compared to the demi-humans present here, even without taking the upper floors into consideration. What Kyle felt was not agitation; it was a cold, simmering detachment, for no one paid him the slightest heed, as if his presence were nothing more than a passing shadow in their grand, cold design.
That rattled unnoticed, as it came when everyone turned unanimously at he and Mongrel. He felt like throwing up. Kyle couldn't stand it when he was the center of attention for such vile things. Whenever he and Mongrel passed by someone, they would bow until they had gone a good distance before the demi-humans would raise their head.
Kyle had expected Mongrel to load them into one of those metal mechanisms he had seen people entering, or to simply fly to the first floor. But instead, Mongrel took him round to a hidden door of the tower.
As soon as they stepped through the door, the loud chatters of the crowd ceased. The door led to a tunnel, dark and devoid of any ambient light.
As Kyle stepped foot inside the door, the runes engraved on the walls of the tunnel lit up. The runes would activate when they sensed a mana core and deactivate when they could not. This made the tunnel bright as long as Kyle had mana, whereas Mongral was always submerged in darkness.
Does that mean that Mongral had no mana core? How was he able to nullify his magic without a core? These were the sorts of questions that ran through Kyle's head as they arrived at what looked like a hall. They had come out from a door that had the same engravings as the entrance above.
Kyle concluded that he was most likely deep underground, outside the Ivory Tower. The circular runes were also there too.
There was a sudden movement deep down from the corner of his eyes. The battle reflexes he had honed for years kicked in. His hand had instinctively formed on his lance; he adjusted his body to counter any attack that would come his way. He freed his mind of all distractions, preparing for battle.
Maybe this was the gift the Dark Lord wanted to give—to test him, to see if he had grown stronger. If it was, then now Kyle would know just how strong he had become. He turned his face towards the mist.