Standing in the crowd, Richard Abraham casually glanced to the side in a bored manner, which was a large mirror-like floor-to-ceiling window.

Standing on the window made of iron fences and looking down, you can see countless rolling mountains and wide rivers, and the scenery is magnificent and beautiful, no matter how many times you see it, it makes people feel emotional. Outside the glass window is a smooth and wide metal wall, and a faint cloud shrouds over it, and there is no end in sight. Occasionally, white birds with fluttering wings can be seen gliding through the clouds and high and low towers.

The place where he was now was a tall tower, but it was not an ordinary place to be seen, because the tower did not stand above the earth, but floated among the clouds. Anyone who stands by the window for a few more moments will notice that the mountains and rivers below are slowly moving behind the horizon with the passage of time, which is a testament to the fact that the tall tower in the clouds is sailing. On the mainland, this bird-like tower is known by:

- "The Wizard's Tower".

As the name suggests, this is a place built by wizards and inhabited by wizards. Only a very small number of wizards with strong mana can build and maintain such a tower in the clouds, because it requires huge energy support to function normally, and a perfect protective formation to stand tall in storms and high-altitude currents, and the wizard tower itself is a symbol of strength and status.

The wizarding tower that Richard is currently in is still unique even among its kind: it is taller than the average wizarding tower, and the interior area is vast, equivalent to a town.

It would be almost impossible for mortals to maintain such a heavy flying tower, and even a legendary wizard at the top would hardly have this level of magic; In fact, there is more than one powerful wizard who rules here.

Also known as the "Black Tower" and "Magic Tower", this wizarding tower gathers free wizards from all over the world. They do not belong to any school, do not serve the state, and may even be defectors and wanted criminals belonging to a certain power. As a result, it is considered one of the most dangerous and chaotic places in the world.

The Wizard's Tower is divided into seven floors, with different floors separating different levels, and each floor is strictly hierarchical and distinct. At the very top is the Supreme Council of Wizards, a group of five known as Steppenwolf, who are the masters of the tower. There are more than 3,000 official wizards in the tower, with a total number of more than 10,000.

……

Three huge fireballs hung in the sky. The sun was especially shining today, so the inhabitants of the first floor of the tower were fortunate enough to enjoy the bright light that illuminated the windows through.

Normally, the shadows cast by the large number of sprawling buildings from the upper floors tend to block out the light, resulting in the domed hall in the center of the first floor remaining dim even during the day, and the people on the lowest floor living for long periods of time in dusk and night.

Of course, no one ever complained to the people above about it—even if it was the largest number of people living on the first floor. Because everyone knows very well that in the magic tower, power can represent everything; The apprentices who live at the bottom have no say at all. The only way to get out of this situation is to keep climbing up.

The Hall of the Domes was bustling. Because of this scarce sunlight, people with gloomy faces on weekdays will also smile unconsciously. But Richard was an exception, because today was hardly a good day for him.

"Two ounces of black snake grass, one-tenth of an ounce of orange-red crystal, one-third ounce of star flower, and ten ounces of refined red sand...... And what about the rest? ”

The man standing next to Richard said with a gloomy face. He was dressed in a black robe of delicate fabric, with a clean and straight mouth, and he was tall and thin, looking like a wizard of the Tower. It's just that the huge hooked nose and the eyes of the yin owl ruined his appearance, and he was not a good person at first glance.

"Yes, I'm sorry...... I don't have that much stock in my shop......"

A stocky young man knelt on the ground, his round face pale and bloodless, his forehead drenched with sweat, and his bulky body trembling like a sieve.

"Oh?" The thin man deliberately dragged out his voice. The man glanced at Richard quietly, shook his head at him, and continued, "You should thank the messenger for your kindness, Mr. Ender. He allows you to pay what you owe with gold coins, which is coined by the Rhine Kingdom, and the missing materials are made up at a floating rate of one-fifth of the market value. Do you understand? ”

The fat wizard who was kneeling on the ground opened his mouth and muttered after a while.

"But, but...... I don't have that much money......"

The skinny man raised an eyebrow and was about to have a seizure, when the wizard pounced on him and grabbed Richard's feet—apparently the only thing he could think of. There was no point in begging for mercy from the man next to him, he knew the cold and cruel character of the other party, and there might be a faint glimmer of hope in asking for the young and kind Mr. Messenger from the top.

"Please, Messenger! Please forgive me a few more days, I really don't have anything now! I—I've been deceived! I was deceived by the people of the Black Blood Society, so I ......! ”

Black Blood Society. Richard had heard of the name, it was a wizarding guild that spread across almost every floor of the Tower, one of the most powerful groups within the Tower, and no one would want to provoke such a behemoth. And the reason for such momentum is obviously inseparable from its backstage: the leader of the Black Blood Society is one of the "Steppenwolves".

The skinny man glanced at Richard again covertly. This time, although Richard sighed slightly in his heart, he still nodded slightly. So, the neighborhood supervisor next to him no longer hesitated. He snapped his fingers, only to hear a "snap", and a flash of lightning flashed through the fat wizard's body, bouncing him all away.

Most of the inhabitants of the first layer of the Demon Tower are apprentices, that is, they are at level 1 or 2, and the fat man in front of him is no exception. In the eyes of most wizards, people at this level are not even true spellcasters.

The skinny man was different, he was one of the seven district directors of the first layer, and he had already achieved the official rank of level 3, so it was really easy to defeat the other party - not to mention that even regardless of the difference in strength, it was impossible for a timid and cowardly wizard apprentice to have the courage to disobey the other party.

The fat wizard shivered on the ground like a ball. The district supervisor walked unhurriedly towards him, grinning the corners of his mouth, his pupils flashing with a greedy light like a shark staring at his prey, and bent down and whispered.

"You say you have nothing? I'm afraid that's not the truth, Mr. Ender. Aren't you still running an alchemy material shop? ”

"No, don't ......!"

The fat wizard, who was still silent just now, suddenly screamed.

"That's what the teacher left for me! You can't take it away! ”

The man spread his arms and tried to grab someone's foot. But the district supervisor obviously wouldn't give him this chance, and the official wizard snapped his fingers again, and the apprentice's hand in front of him was barely halfway stretched before it was bounced off again, and the whole person rolled backwards twice like a ball.

Richard narrowed his eyes slightly, and said nothing.

Even though it wasn't the first time he had seen such a scene, he still felt a heaviness in his heart. But Richard didn't choose to stop it, because he didn't have the ability. Only those who follow the rules can survive in the magic tower. This is a land of chaos, where the weak must find shelter strong enough, and if they exceed the rules, they will only be set on fire.

"Don't cry like a prostitute." The corners of the thin man's lips curled up slightly. "Trust me, I'll ask someone to help. If you can pay off your debts and pay a little more for the overhead during this time, Mr. Ender, the shop is still yours. ”

Ignoring the poor creature lying on the ground, he bowed slightly to Richard and made a gesture of invitation.

*

It was completely different from the greedy and intimidating expression just now, and the gloomy face of the Mr. Supervisor who accompanied him at this time was trying to squeeze out a smile, and it looked quite crazy.

"Mr. Emissary, thank you for your help this time."

Richard shook his head.

"I'm the one who should say thank you. The 'monthly tax' was collected so quickly thanks to the help of Mr. Supervisor. ”

"You're welcome, that's what I'm supposed to do."

The thin man grinned and said modestly.

They walked the streets under the shade of low iron eaves. The bluestone pavement beneath your feet is overflowing with sewage, and the smell of rot is coming from the damp corners. In the distance, rows of buildings spread toward the barely visible edge of the street, steaming white steam rising from high and low chimneys.

This is the view at the bottom of the magic tower...... Although it was not the first time he had visited, Richard still felt a little dazed. It's a very different environment from the top floor.

As soon as someone sees them on the street, they immediately change direction in a hurry, or hide in a house on one side. It seems that the district supervisor can be called "notorious" in this area. But the thin man obviously didn't care, and there was more smugness in his expression.

Richard could understand what he was thinking. As long as he is still a wizard with an official rank, and the high-level forces behind him to rely on, no one dares to touch him. On the first level, such people have always acted unscrupulously.

Richard speculated that this was the real reason for their reluctance to go to the higher echelons: once they reached the second level, the rank of skinny men would immediately change from a "privileged class" on the dominant side to an ordinary person.

Young wizards with real talent and ambition will naturally look down on such people, thinking that they are like rats in the gutter. But Richard felt that this was a wise move, because the most important thing in magic is talent, and mediocre people should learn to give up as soon as possible, otherwise they will end up miserably sooner or later.

Like the neighborhood supervisor next to him, he must have lived happily ever after—even though this "happiness" was achieved by oppressing those who were more mediocre and weak than himself.

"Your Excellency, let me take you to your lodgings to rest, right? I've got everyone ready below, along with a few beautiful young female apprentices. The skinny man winked at him, "Don't worry, they're all sent to your door voluntarily, and they promise to satisfy you." ”

Richard shook his head.

"No, I don't. Take me to the ladder. ”

"Yes, yes."

The district supervisor walked ahead with a smile on his face. He didn't think it was strange, because in his opinion, the age of the man in front of him was estimated to be about twenty years old, and a wizard like this who could live at the top level at such a young age was without exception a young genius who was accepted as an apprentice by the big people, and the future was promising. It is not uncommon for this group of people to think that exploring the mysteries of the Devil's Path is far more enjoyable than satisfying their physical needs.

……

Known as the "Ladder", it is a huge spiral structure located in the southwest corner of the Black Tower, which can be seen from the same position on every floor.

Along the way, they soon saw the massive building that stood at the end of the Black Tower. The monstrous corner of the spiral staircase stabbed towards the bright and lofty sky. It was like a crouching giant crouching on the ground, its back bulging high, looking aimlessly down the tiny human as it walked down the street in front of it.

Once here, the figures in a hurry immediately thinned out. The ladder connects the upper and lower floors and even the outside world, and ordinary people are forbidden to approach it without permission. Of course, Richard, as the emissary at the top, will not be limited in this regard.

The thin man stopped and said with a smile.

"My lord, it's not a place I can go any further."

"It's okay, you can send it here."

Richard shrugged and prepared to move forward.

……

For Mr. Director, this was probably the most gentle emissary he had ever seen. The people sent in the past were basically cold and arrogant. Although he is not so bored as to teach him a lesson, it is not uncommon to tend to treat people as air.

The skinny man realized that this might be an opportunity. No matter what, it never hurts to have a good relationship with someone like the other person. And based on previous experience, the emissaries did not refuse gifts from the lower classes.

He gritted his teeth, looking determined.

"Wait, please stay, Mr. Emissary!"

Richard turned his head, only to see him carefully holding the glass bottle in his hand, looking like a treasure, but stuffing it to himself.

"This is a little bit of my heart......"

Richard glanced down and blinked in some surprise.

This is a bottle of "Activating Elixir", which can promote the activity of the perceptual magic net after taking it, which is quite suitable for use before meditation. It is not a particularly rare potion on the top floor, but for the wizard living on the first floor of the magic tower in front of him, it can indeed be called a rare treasure. What's more, the two are only meeting for the first time, and they may not have a chance to meet again, because the next time the messenger who comes to collect the "monthly tax" will not be the same person.

But he didn't take it. Richard shook his head, pushed the potion away, and turned to leave.

"This ......"

The thin man stood there in a daze, looking at the other man's back.

This time it was really unexpected, if the woman who refused to take the initiative to send it to the door could still understand, but it was unreasonable for any wizard to refuse materials that could help promote the rank. Is it true that the other party has no desire and no desire to this point?