Early the next morning, the group followed the old knight around the castle with food and water provided by Boyd to the base of one of the six towers. The entire tower towers into the sky, and the gilded tops shimmer in the morning sun. Standing at the bottom of the tower, everyone felt their insignificance.

"The tower was built after Doyle defeated Darktide for the first time. "During that battle, Aydra I learned that the source of magic was the source of the Tide, so he built a tower on top of it with the intention of sealing it in. ”

Boyd looked around at the other five tall towers around him. After that, the king of Doyle would pay tribute to Idra I by building a similar tower each time he defeated Darktide. However, only the first one was built to seal the source of magic. ”

"What a good story. Rui said disapprovingly.

Stan looks up at the top of the tower and doesn't speak.

Ness and Fern looked at each other, helpless by the strange atmosphere.

"Don't you need someone to guard this place?" Ness thought to herself. "Someone has to protect such a dangerous place. ”

"Absolutely. Boyd looked at Ness with a smile. "Originally, the Mage Tower sent a mage to watch over the tower, and then every ten years they sent a new mage to replace it. ”

"Mage Tower!" Ness cried out excitedly. "I didn't expect to meet someone from the Mage Tower here, what's his name?"

"Hessey, you'll see him in a moment. Have you heard of him?" Boyd asked the little girl in front of him curiously.

"Hessey, yes, I know him. Ness's hands clenched into fists with excitement. "He is the most gifted archmage in the last fifty years of the Mage Tower, and he is a model for the entire Mage Tower, I had the pleasure of meeting him several years ago, and I have never had such good luck since. ”

"Then your good luck for today is here again. Boyd smiled faintly.

Walking into the tower, a cool air penetrated the noses of the people. There is no decoration in the tower, except for a few bookshelves with many books, only candlesticks for lighting. Looking up, there is darkness that cannot be seen, and the entire tower is hollow.

"It's amazing!" Ness admired.

"You know that, too?" Fern didn't expect Ness to understand this.

"There are many books in the Mage Tower, and there are all kinds of them, so I know a little bit about them. Ness blushed shyly at Fern's compliment.

"Mage Tower! It's been a long time since I've heard that word. An old voice came from the small room next to the tower, and an elder dressed in a mage's robe appeared in front of everyone. "This place finally has guests. ”

"Hessey, you really are Hessey. Ness couldn't hold back her excitement, and after experiencing so many dangers, she finally met an archmage of the Mage Tower, and a sense of security filled her heart.

"You know me?" said Hessey, brushing his long beard. "Are you a mage from the Mage Tower?"

"My name is Ness, I'm just an apprentice, and I need to enter the source of magic to complete the trial. Ness said excitedly, completely oblivious to the others on the side.

"Source of magic, trial ......" Hessey pondered for a moment, seeming to understand something. "Well, since Byron agreed to let you in, and presumably your strength convinced him, then I have no reason not to let you in. ”

Fern stepped forward and asked Hussey, "Is there anything you can give us a hint of, I'm sure you've been guarding here for so long, you must know what's inside." ”

Hussey looked at Fern, then raised his hands and looked around. "I don't have time to read so many books here, so how can I have time to explore what's in the source of magic?"

Fern was obviously unhappy with the answer, but with Ness on the side, he couldn't have a seizure. "Then give me some advice, at least think about it for the juniors of the Mage Tower. ”

"No one has been allowed here since I came here more than two years ago to take over the previous mage. Hussey raised his right hand, and a ball of light appeared in his hand, and with a wave of his hand, the ball flew to one of the bookshelves and illuminated the books on it. Then the archmage stretched out his left hand and made a gesture of holding it back, only to see a heavy book fly out of the bookshelf and fall into his left hand.

The mercenaries and knights alike stared at Hessey's spell with wide eyes, and Ness and Ray were not surprised, it was normal for them.

Hussey flipped through the thick book and said to himself, "Where is this? I remember here...... Ah, no, no, it must be here...... No, well, let me think about it, it should be there. ”

Fern leaned in and asked softly, "Is this old man reliable?"

Rui turned his head slightly. "Anyway, it's better than those knights. ”

Fern was about to continue talking when Hussey smirked. "Found it, it turned out to be hiding here. He held the book in his left hand, as if announcing something important. "The book says that you can't trust everything in the source of magic, you must have your own judgment, otherwise you will be trapped in it, unable to extricate yourself, and will never return to reality. ”

This remark made everyone present shudder, and even Boyd couldn't help but shake his head. "Young man, I advise you to go back and not make meaningless attempts. ”

"There's no way back, thank you for your kindness, but we have to move on. Fern nodded in thanks to Boyd.

Stan pondered for a moment, seemingly not fully understanding what Hussey meant. "Archmage, do you mean that everything we see in the source of magic is an illusion?"

"You can't say it's all fake, it's up to you to judge, and I think ......," Hesie paused, making sure everyone was listening. "The real scary thing is not that you can't tell the truth from the fake, but that even if you do, you don't want to leave the illusion. ”

Everyone was reminiscing about Hussey's words, and Ness's gaze swept over her companions. "This is the real test, and if you feel it's too dangerous, you can quit now. Her gaze fell on the mercenary last. "Fern, you too, I don't blame you. ”

Stan was the first to say, "I can't do anything to leave my companion behind." ”

Rui still didn't think so. "You don't have to worry about me, Fern is the one who needs to be careful. ”

Fern smiled and teased Ness, "Ness, it looks like you can't get rid of us. ”

Ness was a little incoherent. "Thank you...... Really, thank you very much. ”

"Well, it's time. Fern turned to Hussey. "We're ready, please lead the way. ”

"Very well, then, please follow me. Hussey walked over to a large white silk curtain, raised his hands and paused, only to see the silk fall from the top, sliding to the ground like white milk, and a large bronze mirror appeared before everyone's eyes.

The frame of the bronze mirror is very beautifully carved, carved with all kinds of words and symbols that no one has ever seen.

Then, Hessey gradually brought his hands together and began to chant incantations in his mouth. With the sound of the incantation, a tumbling vortex began to appear in the mirror, and the vortex grew larger and larger, and even the highest Boyd present could already be passed.

Hussey stopped casting the spell and looked at the whirlpool in front of him. "I thought I'd never use this magic. ”

Hearing Hussey say this, Fern suddenly remembered that he had just said that he had come here more than two years ago to replace the previous mage, and a question arose in his mind. "Do you know where the last mage you replaced has gone?"

Hussey raised an eyebrow to look at Fern. "He only left a note saying that something would happen to Wallis in two years, and he was looking for a way to save him, and this guy had escaped halfway through and had only been guarded for six years. ”

"What's his name?" Fern asked, remembering that even if he knew the name, he wasn't sure if it was the one he had in mind.

"Black Ward. Hussey still said his name. "His name is Black Ward, and I think he must have learned something from it while guarding the source of magic. ”

Fern nodded in agreement, and Hussey turned his head and asked the mercenary suspiciously, "Have you seen him?"

"Oh, no, no, just curious. "Fern didn't want to break his agreement with Black Ward, if that person was Black Ward.

"If you see him, thank him for me, so that I can finally be freed from the trivial matters of the Mage Tower, and I can study here with peace of mind. Apparently Hussey didn't believe Fern's words, but he didn't ask much. "Of course, you'll have to get out of here first. Hussey watched as the whirlpool turned and turned.

"Can't we come out at any time, even if we don't complete the trial?" Fern tried to touch the vortex with his fingers, only to see that the first section of his fingers was completely caught in it, and he didn't feel anything unusual.

"Once inside, you can't see the whirlpool on the other side, and only when you get what you want will the whirlpool reappear. Hesey walked up to Ness and looked at the juniors of the Mage Tower. "Show me your wand. ”

Puzzled, Ness took out her wand and handed it to Hussey, a pale blue orb set into the oak staff, as if waiting for another color.

"Sure enough, yes. Hussey returned the wand to Ness, putting her hands behind her back. "You've got the Blue Seal, you're going to get another one here, and after that, you'll be able to see the whirlpool of exits. Hussey glanced at the crowd. "So, you get the idea. ”

"Yes. Ness nodded, looking at the wand in her hand. "It turns out that this is a holy seal, what does this do? ”

"You'll know, Ness. Hussey's hopeful eyes left Nessy at a loss. "Now, go forward bravely, the god of mages is with you. ”

Boyd also whispered a blessing from the sidelines, "May the god of warriors protect you." ”

Ness felt a sense of mission pressing down on her, as if the whole world was pushing her forward, and she couldn't control her pace, and the feeling took her breath. Ness looked at the whirlpool, suddenly confused, what kind of role she played, whether she listened to her own inner voice, or was just a pawn of someone else.

"Let me do it first!" Fern saw that Ness's condition was not quite right, so he volunteered to take the lead. "You follow me. He turned back to his companion.

Fern carefully stretched out his right hand and submerged his entire arm in the whirlpool, then took a deep breath and stepped into the whirlpool, and the whole person disappeared into the whirlpool.

The companions' eyes widened as they watched Fern disappear into sight. Stan drew his sword, clenched it in his right hand, and slowly walked into the whirlpool, the second disappearing into the whirlpool.

Rui glanced at Ness and said coldly, "If you don't go in, they'll never get out." With that, the mage flicked his cloak and walked unhurriedly into the whirlpool.

Now only Boyd, Hussey, and Ness are left in the tower. The other two looked at Ness, waiting for her action. And Ness, watching her companions walk into the source of magic one by one without hesitation, couldn't help but feel ashamed of her cowardice. She shook her head vigorously, trying to dispel the distractions in her mind.

Finally, Ness made up her mind that no matter what, she would bravely face the arrangement of fate. She took one last look at Hussey and Boyd, and ran into the whirlpool resolutely.

Hessey raised his hands and chanted the incantation aloud with a trembling voice, and the whirlpool spun slower and slower until it finally stopped, leaving only a static void suspended in the bronze mirror.

"The wheel of fortune spun forward a little more. Hessey muttered to himself.