Free Web NovelChapter 207: Chapter 201: Authority Upgraded Again
He stood up and walked to the window, looking out.
On the streets of the Shadow Moon Tower, Apprentices still hurried past, vendors hawked their wares, and the sound of a blacksmith’s hammer rang out in the distance.
Everything was the same as before.
But Ian knew things were different now.
From this day on, his name would spread throughout the entire Angela Ring Mountain Range.
The Deep Red Royal Court, the Withered Council, and all the minor and mid-tier powers... they would all remember him now.
’Heh. Then let them remember.’
He turned, walked back to his desk, and began to sort through his spoils.
’Tomorrow, I still have to check out the Star Library.’
’And I need to build the Abyssal Altar and comprehend the Phase Soul Weaving Technique...’
’There’s still so much to do.’
The next morning, Ian’s identity Token lit up.
A faint blue light flowed across the Token’s surface, finally coalescing into a line of small text:
[Privileges elevated to Core Elder Level. Star Library access granted. Please register today.]
Ian put away the Token, changed into a clean robe, and left.
The Star Library was next to the Tower Master’s Wizard Tower. It was a slightly shorter, auxiliary tower, not part of the main structure.
It was built entirely of dark gray megaliths, its surface densely carved with Protective Runes.
Ian walked to the tower gate, where two guards in silver-gray armor stopped him.
"Identification."
Ian presented his Token.
The guard took it and inspected it carefully. He then scanned it with a Crystal Stone, and after confirming its authenticity, respectfully handed it back.
"Elder Marcus, please come in."
The tower gate slowly swung open.
Inside was an upward-spiraling staircase. Lighting Crystals, embedded in the walls at regular intervals, cast a soft white glow.
Ian ascended the staircase.
The staircase was very long, and it took about five minutes to reach the top floor.
The top floor opened into a circular hall with a high, domed ceiling. A starscape was painted across it, the celestial bodies twinkling as if they were slowly rotating.
In the center of the hall sat a white-haired old man, his head bowed as he read a thick book.
Hearing footsteps, the old man looked up.
"Ian Marcus?" His voice was old, but clear.
"That is I."
The old man closed his book and stood up.
He wasn’t tall and was slightly stooped, dressed in a gray robe that had been washed to a faded white. But his eyes were bright, like two polished pieces of obsidian.
"I am the guardian of the Star Library. You can call me Rod," the old man said. "Follow me."
He turned and walked to one side of the hall.
There stood a heavy metal door, engraved with a complex runic lock.
Rod reached out and pressed his hand against the door.
Spiritual Power surged from his palm, flowing along the runic lines. One by one, the Runes on the door lit up until, with a final CLICK, the door swung open.
The space behind the door was immense, apparently converted from a fractured Half-Plane.
Ian walked in. The first thing he saw was books.
Countless books.
They were stacked from floor to ceiling. Rows of bookshelves stood as dense as a forest, crammed with tomes made from all sorts of materials.
Books of parchment, wooden planks, stone slabs, bone fragments, and even some strung together from metal plates...
The air was filled with the faint scent of ink and old paper.
"The Star Library is divided into three sections," Rod said as he walked.
"Section One is the Knowledge Section. It stores all the Witchcraft knowledge, historical records, and experimental notes collected by the Shadow Moon Tower."
"Section Two is the Materials Section, where we store Rare Materials, parts from Magic Beasts, ores, herbs, and the like."
"Section Three is the Miscellaneous Section. It houses Witchcraft Equipment, Rune Arrays, Alchemy Creations, and other such things."
He stopped and looked at Ian.
"Your privileges grant you access to all sections. However, anything you borrow or take must be registered. You must either return it within a specified period or replace it with an item of equal value."
"Understood," Ian nodded.
"Then look around for yourself," Rod said, gesturing inside. "Call me if you need anything."
With that, he turned, walked back to the entrance, sat down, and reopened his book to continue reading.
Ian stood where he was and swept his gaze over the sea of books.
Instead of rushing to browse the books, he first headed toward the Materials Section.
The Materials Section was in the depths of the Star Library. It was smaller than the Knowledge Section, but just as spectacular.
Rows of neatly arranged wooden shelves held all sorts of Crystal Bottles, Jade Boxes, and Metal Boxes.
Each container had a label on it, describing the name and characteristics of the material inside.
Ian walked past slowly, his gaze sweeping over the labels.
[Dragon’s Blood Grass, 300 years old. Suitable for bloodline-related Potions.]
[Meteorite Iron. From an otherworldly meteorite. Extremely hard, suitable for forging weapons.]
[Shed skin of an Abyssal Worm. Possesses spatial properties. Can be used to craft storage equipment.]
...
’So many good things.’
But Ian had come today for two things in particular.
Flawless Magic Stones, and several core materials needed to build the Abyssal Altar.
After searching for about half an hour, he finally spotted the Flawless Magic Stones on a shelf in a corner.
They were three fist-sized Crystals, completely transparent. A milky-white halo of Energy flowed within, like liquid moonlight.
The label read: [Flawless Magic Stone (Magic Crystal), Energy purity 99.9%, suitable for High Tier Rune Arrays, Alchemy Enchantments, Level Two and above Witchcraft Charging...]
Ian reached out and took one of them.
It was warm and smooth in his hand, surprisingly heavy. He could feel the surging Energy within.
’This is it.’
He looked around some more and found the other materials needed to construct the Abyssal Altar.
Void Dust, Uncertain Iron, and a palm-sized Abyssal Crystal.
With everything in hand, he headed to the Miscellaneous Section.
The Miscellaneous Section was the smallest, with only a few dozen display cases.
Each display case held a piece of Witchcraft Equipment: Magic Staffs, Inner Armor, Rings, and a few other bizarre-looking items.
Ian glanced over them. There were very few Tier Two Witchcraft Tools, and none of them were suitable for him.
He had no interest in the Tier One Witchcraft Tools; some were less effective than his own Witchcraft.
He already had the Ring of Overlapping Peaks and the Crystal Energy Barrier. For offense, he had the Frost Ash Beam and the Gravity Collapse Ball. He wasn’t lacking for equipment at the moment.
This equipment would soon become obsolete, unable to keep up with his growing power. It would be a waste of Magic Stones.
He turned and returned to the Knowledge Section. This was the real treasure of the Star Library.
Ian walked up to a bookshelf and casually pulled out a book.
The title was *Principles of Constructing Level Two Witchcraft Models*.
He flipped through a few pages. It detailed how to upgrade, expand, and solidify a Witchcraft Model from Level One to Level Two...
It was profound, but it would be useful to him.
Ian pulled out a few more: *Characteristics and Applications of Crystalized Spiritual Power*, *Initial Exploration of Phase Space Theory*, *Abyssal Creatures Atlas*...
’This is all great stuff. If it weren’t for my performance in the Sleeping Underground Palace, I would never have gotten access to any of this.’
His heart pounded with excitement as he stuffed them all into his Dimension Ring.
’Besides, my privileges are high enough. I can borrow as much as I want.’
Finally, he walked over to a separate bookshelf.
This bookshelf was smaller than the others, holding only a dozen or so books, but each book’s cover was ancient, some even damaged.
Ian glanced at the labels.
*Full Version of the Starry Sky Festival*
*Shadow Moon Inheritance: Star Track Witchcraft Notes*
*Tower Master Morton’s Sketches (Partial)*
*Detailed Analysis of the Distribution of Power on Anoroya Continent*
...
Ian’s eyes grew even brighter.
’I don’t need to complete my Meditation Method right now. I’ll focus on what’s most important.’
He reached out and took down the book: *Tower Master Morton’s Sketches*.
The book wasn’t thick, only a few dozen pages. The paper was yellowed, and its edges were frayed.
He opened the first page.
Scrawled across it were the words:
After Level Two Crystalization, where does the path lead?
Anoroya is merely an overseas island in the Wizard World, a corner of the East Coast.
To see the true continent, one must cross the Endless Sea and witness the grandeur and vastness of the Wizard World.
However, the journey by sea is long and fraught with danger. No one less than a Level Two Wizard should dare attempt it.
...
Ian continued to flip through the pages.
The journal recorded the Morton Tower Master’s insights after his advancement to Level Two, his speculations about higher Realms, and his descriptions of the continent’s limitations.
When he finished, he closed the book and let out a long sigh.
’So that’s how it is.’
’The Anoroya Continent really is just a corner of the Wizard World.’
Here, a Level Two Wizard is already at the apex, and Level Three Great Witches are few and far between.
To advance further, one must leave the island and go to the wider world.
But leaving also meant danger.
In the depths of the Endless Sea, there are terrifying Sea Beasts, bizarre weather patterns, and unknown factions...
Unfortunately, the Tower Master hadn’t written about his travels on the Central Continent, as if he were deliberately concealing something.
"Looks like I have to start preparing early too," Ian muttered to himself.
He put the book away and walked toward the entrance.
Rod was still sitting there reading. Hearing footsteps, he looked up.
"Made your selections?"
"Yes." Ian took out the selected materials and books and placed them on the desk.
Rod glanced at them, his gaze pausing for a moment on the three Flawless Magic Stones, but he didn’t ask any questions.
He took out a ledger and began to record the items.
"Three Flawless Magic Stones, one bottle of Void Dust, one piece of Uncertain Iron, one piece of Abyssal Crystal..."
"Books: *Principles of Constructing Level Two Witchcraft Models*, *Characteristics and Applications of Crystalized Spiritual Power*, *Initial Exploration of Phase Space Theory*, *Abyssal Creatures Atlas*, *Tower Master Morton’s Sketches*..."
As he wrote, he said, "The materials must be returned or replaced with items of equal value within three months. The books must be returned within six months."
"Thank you, I understand."
Once the registration was complete, Rod pushed the items back to Ian.
"Oh, right," he said suddenly. "The Tower Master wants you to go see him once you’re done here."
Ian was taken aback. "Now?"
"Yes, he is waiting for you on the top floor of the main tower."
Ian gathered his things, nodded, and turned to leave the Star Library.
’A Level Three Great Witch... I’ve never met one before. I must be careful.’
He had vaguely heard that the current Tower Master, Morton, was the most ambitious and brilliant leader the Shadow Moon Tower had seen in nearly a thousand years.
During the last war with the Deep Red Royal Court, he had decisively defeated the Master of Deep Red at a critical moment, crushing their usual arrogant demeanor.
Ian followed the directions to the top floor of the main tower. He had never been here before, nor had he been qualified to come.
The space was even more open than the Star Library, consisting of a single, enormous circular room.
In the center of the room stood a stone table and two chairs.
An old man in a simple gray long robe emerged.
Morton, the Eye of the Stars.
