Wizard: My Skills Can Infinitely Break Through

Chapter 208: Chapter 202: Meeting the Tower Master

The top floor of the main tower was quiet and empty. Ian could even hear his own breathing.

The old man across the stone table had graying hair and deep wrinkles, but his back was ramrod straight. The cuffs of his gray long robe were washed pale.

He lifted his eyes to Ian. They were very bright.

"Sit."

Ian pulled out a chair and sat down properly.

Morton didn’t rush to speak. He reached out, picked up the ceramic pot on the table, and poured two cups of tea.

The tea was light brown, steaming, and had a faint, fresh, grassy scent.

He pushed a cup toward Ian.

"Try it. I grew it myself."

Ian picked up the teacup and took a sip.

The tea was slightly bitter, with a sweet aftertaste. A gentle warmth slid down his throat, soothing some of the fatigue in his Sea of Spirit.

"Good tea." He wasn’t just being polite; the tea was genuinely good.

Morton smiled, the wrinkles on his face softening a little.

"I heard about what happened in the Sleeping Underground Palace."

His voice was low and a bit hoarse, but every word was clear.

"Blood Slaughter, Samael, Theodore... they all died at your hands."

Ian set down his cup and listened without replying.

"You did well," Morton said, a flicker of approval in his eyes.

"Those bastards from Deep Red and Withered have been getting more and more arrogant over the years. It’s about time they felt the sting for a while."

Losing so many Level One Wizards at once, plus a few Crystalized Seeds—anyone would be furious.

He paused and looked at Ian.

"It’s been less than a year since you advanced to Level One, right?"

"Yes, about nine months," Ian answered truthfully.

Morton nodded, tapping his fingers lightly on the tabletop twice.

"Nine months... and you can already kill a Peak of Liquidation and directly injure a Level Two monster."

He chuckled. "I wasn’t that capable back in my day."

Ian didn’t reply. ’What could he possibly say to that?’

Morton didn’t seem to mind and continued on his own.

"I originally wanted to take you on as my student." He gazed out the window, his eyes distant.

"But I’ve already taken one—that girl, Irena, from the same group that entered the High Tower with you."

Ian was taken aback for a moment, a wave of understanding washing over him.

’No wonder she had a Liquidation Wizard following her during the Demon Hunting war, and her Merit Points even surpassed his.’

’The special-grade genius from his cohort who he’d never crossed paths with, the one he’d heard almost nothing about?’

"Her Talent is good, and her temperament is steady," Morton said, pulling his gaze back.

"But compared to you... she’s still lacking something."

He took a sip of tea, sighing inwardly.

’A Wizard who hasn’t been tempered by life-and-death struggles, no matter how talented, is truly no match for a genius like Ian, forged in blood and fire.’

"I’m a man of my word. Since I’ve taken Irena, I won’t take a second student."

Ian nodded, feeling no sense of disappointment.

"I understand."

Morton looked at his calm eyes and suddenly smiled.

"You certainly take it well."

"Training still ultimately depends on oneself," Ian said. "That’s one bit of wisdom I’ve gleaned from my limited experience."

"Well said." The approval in Morton’s eyes deepened. "However, there are a few things I must warn you about."

He set down his teacup and leaned forward slightly.

"Deep Red and Withered have already issued a bounty. It’s not public, but it’s still very troublesome."

Ian’s expression didn’t change. "I know."

"You’re not afraid?"

"What’s the use in being afraid?" Ian retorted. "If they dare to come, I dare to kill them."

Morton roared with laughter, the sound echoing in the empty room.

"Good! Confident enough! I like it!"

After he finished laughing, he looked to the south, and his gaze gradually turned cold.

"Ian, are you worried they’ll go after your family?" Morton asked.

Ian was silent for a few seconds before nodding in admission.

"Yes."

Morton snorted coldly and slapped his right hand on the table.

THUD!

Not only did the tea on the stone table ripple, but even space itself trembled slightly.

"Let them dare!" His voice was soft, yet it carried an unquestionable authority.

"I defeated the Master of Deep Red back then, and I can certainly bring the Withered council’s leader to heel now!"

He stared at Ian. "The rule of the Wizard World is that grudges end with Wizards. Mortals are not to be involved."

"If they dare to retaliate against your family..."

A cold glint flashed in Morton’s eyes.

"I’ll pay another visit to their headquarters and see how powerful my new Witchcraft is!"

As his words fell, the temperature in the room seemed to drop by several degrees.

The pressure from a Level Three Great Wizard, even just a sliver of it, made it difficult to breathe.

Ian took a deep breath, suppressing the suffocating feeling in his chest.

"Thank you, Tower Master." Ian’s gratitude was much more sincere now that a great weight had been lifted from his mind.

Morton waved his hand, and the pressure dissipated.

"Don’t thank me. Since you come from Shadow Moon, it’s the High Tower’s duty to protect your family."

He paused, his tone softening.

"However, I also have something I need you to do."

"Please, speak."

"Potions," Morton said, looking at him. "[Rock Bear Potion], and the Tier One [Starlight Potion]."

’It seems the Tower Master has a very clear grasp of my situation.’ Ian’s eyes flickered.

"The [Rock Bear Potion] can rapidly increase an Apprentice’s strength, and the [Starlight Potion] can improve the Meditation efficiency of a Level One Wizard. This would be a great benefit to Shadow Moon’s overall power."

After speaking, Morton leaned back.

"I won’t take your formulas for free. You can name your terms."

Ian mulled it over for a moment, weighing his options.

’Now that my strength has reached the Level One Limit, I can afford to trade the [Rock Bear Potion] and [Starlight Potion] formulas I valued so much before for resources.’

’I won’t be concocting large quantities of Potions anymore. I have more important things to do.’

"I can trade the formula for the [Rock Bear Potion] to the High Tower."

Ian looked at Morton. "But the [Starlight Potion]... I still need to improve it."

Morton considered this for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Alright. What do you want?"

"I have a new type of Bloodline Potion. I hope to exchange it for some Tier One Magic Potion ingredients."

Ian thought for a moment, then continued, "It would be best if the High Tower could provide a stable supply of materials. Also... I’d like to have long-term borrowing access to some of the books in the Star Library."

Morton looked at Ian’s business-like demeanor and laughed.

"You little rascal, you sure know how to bargain."

He paused his finger on the tabletop. "The main ingredients are no problem. As for the books in the Star Library... core Inheritances require registration, but you can read any of the other knowledge as you please."

"Thank you, Tower Master." Ian was overjoyed. ’This trip wasn’t a waste after all.’

"Don’t be so quick to thank me." Morton waved his hand. "I have one more request."

Ian looked up at Morton. "Please, go on."

"On the condition that it doesn’t affect your own training, concoct as many [Rock Bear Potions] and [Starlight Potions] as you can."

Morton’s gaze was serious. "Shadow Moon needs these Potions. We need to raise our strength quickly."

Ian was silent for a few seconds, then nodded in agreement.

’Since he didn’t specify a quantity, my own affairs will naturally take priority.’

"I’ll do my best."

"Good." Morton smiled, satisfied. "You can head back for now. I’ll have Alevia coordinate the specific details with you."

Ian stood up, bowed, and turned to leave the top of the tower.

Just as he reached the door, Morton suddenly spoke.

"Ian."

Ian stopped and turned back.

"Advance as soon as you can. The world outside is much more exciting than you think," Morton said, looking at him.

"Just don’t die."

Ian nodded, pushed the door open, and walked out.

The door closed, leaving Morton alone in the room.

He picked up his now-cold tea, drank it in one gulp, and gazed out the window.

"Now this is a true genius..."

He muttered to himself, "He’s already no weaker than those top-tier bloodlines from the central regions..."

He didn’t finish, just shaking his head. Compared to him, Irena had been too sheltered.

"I’ll have to find some time to send her out for some real-world experience, too."

...

By the time Ian came out of the main tower, the sky had already darkened.

Lighting Crystals on both sides of the High Tower’s streets had lit up, casting a pale white glow on the stone slab roads and drawing out long shadows.

A few Apprentices hurried past, clutching books. When they saw Ian, they stopped abruptly.

Awe and curiosity flashed in their eyes before they lowered their heads and quickly walked away.

Ian paid them no mind and walked straight toward his small building.

Along the way, he could feel more than one pair of eyes on him from the shadows.

Some held curiosity, some awe, some a desire to curry favor, and some... jealousy.

But he didn’t care.

He pushed open the door to his home. Gaga was sprawled on the sofa, belly up, sleeping with its limbs akimbo.

Hearing the door open, its ears twitched, and it opened its eyes.

"You’re back, gaga?" It rolled over and hopped onto Ian’s shoulder. "What did the Tower Master want with you?"

"We discussed a trade and I got a few benefits," Ian said, taking off his outer robe and hanging it on a rack.

"A trade?" Gaga tilted its head. "What kind of trade?"

"I traded the formula for the [Rock Bear Potion] for some materials and privileges."

Ian walked to the table and poured a glass of water.

Gaga’s eyes lit up. "Does that mean we’re rich, gaga?"

Ian took a sip of water, watching Gaga’s little eyes begin to sparkle. "Not really."

He put down the glass and took the three Flawless Magic Stones out of his Dimension Ring, placing them on the table.

The fist-sized crystals glowed with a milky-white halo under the light, their Energy fluctuations gentle yet powerful.

Gaga leaned in and poked one with its claw.

"So this is a Magic Crystal, gaga? It’s so pretty..."

"Mhm." Ian put the Magic Stones away. "Starting tomorrow, things are going to get busy. You’ll have work to do, too."

"Gaga? I have work to do?"

"You’re going to help me feed the little tree regularly," Ian said. "I’ll be concocting potions and won’t have time."

Gaga shrank back. "I don’t wanna! Lucy and the other four all yell at me..."

Knowing that Ian valued them greatly, Lucy and the others were no longer afraid of Gaga.

They had spent the entire previous day bickering, which angered Gaga so much it almost ate them before Ian stopped it.

Seeing that it couldn’t get out of the job, Gaga’s little eyes darted around.

"Hmph. I’m Ian’s best partner. Lucy and the others are just ingredients."

Ian ignored Gaga’s scheming and walked into the room next to his bedroom.

The small silver tree still stood in the center of the array, its branches and leaves spread out, glowing with a soft, silver light.

The Five Fruits were gathered at its base, their silver tendrils intertwined, sleeping soundly.

The little tree sensed Ian’s presence and its branches swayed gently, sending out a friendly consciousness.

Ian nodded and placed some Blood Essence and Potions beside it.

Attracted by the scent of the Potions, the five little ones woke up.

"Quick, quick, the Great Demon King is serving food! Ow, Benny, don’t push..."

They all extended their thin silver tendrils, dipping them into the Potions to enjoy the meal.

Ian didn’t disturb them and quietly retreated.

The night passed without a word.