Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 44 Tyrandeur's Conditions

Tyrantir's speculation is not without merit. The core essence of the main summoning spell system is to use the power of incantations to launch spell probes and beacons to places outside the main plane (usually outer planes), such as the Wilderness Plane, Paradise Mountain, the Abyss, etc.

When a suitable target is found, mages will either threaten (the weak) or entice (the strong) the other party to sign an oath, thereby projecting and summoning them to the prime plane.

Basic summoning spells are usually directed at wild planes where wild beasts congregate, such as the Beastland, the Gray Wilderness, and the Wilderness. These outer planes are probably because wild beasts have relatively low intelligence, making them easier to fool and control.

But can a level one spell really communicate with the absolutely ordered plane of the Mechanical Realm? These guys, whose brains are made of gears and springs, have no interest in getting involved in things outside of themselves.

Who could have tampered with it? Old Man Bartley? He probably wasn't qualified as an archmage yet, Tyrantir thought. Or was it a mutation in the spell due to an innate awakening? But this kid is a mage, not a mind sorcerer.

Interestingly, the mages, who seem very idealistic to the transmigrators, are actually rigorous materialists in this world. And the only true idealists, besides those on the outer level, are the mind sorcerers.

In the end, Tyrandeur gave up on his useless guesses, since there was too little information available and he couldn't possibly make any guesses.

Without any pretense, the archmage spoke frankly: "I am indeed very interested in your summoned creatures, and I am also eager to understand your inexplicable connection with the Mechanical Realm, but this is not enough to justify me taking you as my disciple."

He made a suggestion: "I can offer you satisfactory terms. You can choose from money, magical items, scrolls, and books, but you have to stay with me for a while so I can study your stone golem."

Zhang Yuan was in a dilemma. The Tyrantir in front of him was unyielding, but he dared not refuse the conditions offered.

Indeed, he had inquired about Tyrantir's reputation in town; he was just strange and eccentric, but there were no evil or terrifying rumors about him, which was not easy for a mage who was often misunderstood and feared.

Besides, with the power of a great mage, why would he need to set any ridiculous conditions? Imprisoning his entire group would be no more difficult than catching chickens.

But ultimately, the difference in strength was too great, and he was really unwilling to gamble on the other party's magnanimity and character.

Seeing the restrained expression on Zhang Yuan's face, as if he wanted to say something but dared not, Tyrantir spoke first:

"What do you take me for? A robber? A magic madman? A tyrant who kills his target if he can't get what he wants?"

"How could that be? If the master wanted to deal with us, wouldn't he have already made his move?" the person quickly said with a forced smile.

"Hmph~" Tyrantir said noncommittally: "Boy, I spent more than twenty years pursuing and acquiring power, but after I obtained it, it took me even longer to restrain my impulse to abuse it."

"Whether it's magic or power, they are merely tools you use, not the ultimate goal you would abandon everything to pursue."

“But I’ve also heard that some monks are willing to give up everything in pursuit of the truth,” Zhang Yuan muttered under his breath.

"What is truth? Who gets to define it? When a person can't see or care about anything except magic, they've already gone mad. What kind of truth can a madman without reason talk about? Isn't that a joke?" Tyrantir clearly disapproved of the actions of some mages.

Relieved, Zhang Yuan began to seriously consider his choice and try to find a better solution.

"I am very honored to be able to participate in your research."

“You’re not qualified. You’re the one being studied,” Tyrandeur said bluntly.

The person who was choked and unable to speak took a long time to catch their breath before recovering: "Ahem, in short, Master, I can fully accept your conditions, but I'm sorry, I have a mission as a Flame Fist soldier right now and it's impossible for me to join your experiment, and I don't need any other items."

“I only hope that while I’m here cooperating with the experiments, I’ll have the honor of becoming your assistant and being allowed to consult some basic spellbooks.” Zhang Yuan finished speaking, carefully observing the other’s expression. Tyrantir’s thin lips, which held a hint of mockery, pursed slightly, a furrow forming between his brows, before finally relaxing.
"Alright, since you're still not giving up, then I won't waste my resources. Come over after you finish Flame Fist's mission. There's no rush."

Without wasting any more words, he directly saw the three guests out and told them to get lost.

The three who emerged from the mage tower felt as if they had been transported to another world, as if everything they had seen and experienced inside the tower had taken place in another world.

"We're finally out. Thankfully, that mage didn't do anything to us." The dwarf Bard looked relieved, and Münster next to him nodded vigorously.

Zhang Yuan smiled, but a certain thought became even more firm in his heart. Regardless of how powerful Tyrantir was, the restraint he showed in the face of power, especially in the face of someone weaker than himself, was already rare and precious.

There was something he hadn't told his teammates: while the flesh golem was indeed a type of construct, it differed from other golems in that necromancy was essential in its creation.

Furthermore, considering his act of resurrecting Melikan in the game, Kegan was actually right about one thing: Tyrantir is indeed a necromancer, and the unusually large number of skeletons and undead around Highhold is an effect caused by him.

However, it was precisely because of this that the master deliberately chose to live in seclusion and place the mage tower in such a remote location.

When the group left the mage tower, it was around afternoon. The days of the decaying moon were gradually shortening, and the early winter sun was already showing signs of weakness and waning.

"Hurry back to Belgost, or we'll have to travel in the dark. I don't want to wander in this godforsaken place in the dark," Kegan urged the group onward.

Unfortunately, these three were the ones who ultimately dragged us down: Kagan, Bard, and Tiny. The combined height of these three short guys was probably more than a story high. No matter how fast they tried to move, their short legs made it all pointless, not to mention the weight of their armor.

Sure enough, they had only walked halfway when it began to darken. The jungle was shrouded in shadows as night was about to fall. The trees, which were not dense but were crooked enough, seemed like evil spirits during the day, turning their distorted shadows into ghosts that haunted the passersby.

Fortunately, everyone was somewhat knowledgeable and wasn't intimidated by these things; they just moved forward a little more cautiously.

This caution quickly yielded the corresponding rewards.

Just as the team was crossing the path between two large trees, a dark shadow flashed past from behind the tree. Just as the wary group was about to try to see its face clearly, a sharp white light slashed down from above towards a certain mage.

The attack was sudden, but Zhang Yuan's training and accumulated combat experience were not to be underestimated. He dodged the fatal attack with a side roll, got up and drew his sword, and only then did he have a chance to see the identity of the attacker.

The gnolls, however, had already been turned into legless corpses by Münster and Bard who had realized what was happening. Could they have come for revenge? Someone wondered with suspicion.

There was no time to think. Then, a group of about twenty gnoll soldiers appeared one after another, walking out of the surrounding woods and trapping the group in the woods.

The four members of the team, along with Xiao Xiao, stood back to back in a circle to avoid being ambushed from behind and surrounded by enemies. However, the current situation was not much better.

The mage only had one sleep spell left, but he couldn't find an opportunity to cast it. The gnolls weren't stupid enough to let the mage chant spells so casually.

The small throw has very limited lethality and control time, and it is difficult to play a decisive role against such a large number of opponents.

Seeing that the other party was about to make a move and was about to charge forward recklessly, Zhang Yuan couldn't find a way to stop them.

(End of this chapter)