Super Magician: The Magic Network Collapsed Again at the Start

Chapter 104 It turns out I'm illiterate

Anser looked wary and, upon closer inspection, realized that the steel structure was likely damaged.

It is about three and a half meters tall, with a slender body, and its entire body is covered with thick silver-gray metal, like armor, with sharp edges and corners, looking like a steel warrior from a distance.

'It should be the Shield Guard.'

The Shield Guard is a fearsome magical self-propelled machine that is bound to a specific command amulet when it is created, making it easy for its master to control.

This construct resembles a soldier on guard; it has no intelligence and its function is to obey its master's commands and protect the master's safety.

Some shield guards also store one or more spells within their bodies, which they release at specific times.

The Shield Guardian's standard challenge level is 7. It is immune to toxins, charm, exhaustion, panic, paralysis, petrification, and poison. It possesses regenerative abilities and is extremely powerful, something that ordinary people cannot possess.

Anser raised his hand and tapped its steel shell, making a clanging sound.

'Could it have repaired itself after being damaged? I wonder if it's still usable?'

Unfortunately, he didn't understand construction, alchemy, magic circles, forging, or magic scrolls... so there was nothing he could do even if it broke.

'Turns out I'm illiterate,' he said with a self-deprecating laugh.

To avoid any accidents, he did not continue exploring, but instead went back and brought Blatt and the other two in.

The group was extremely excited, experiencing a thrilling sense of exploring ancient ruins.

Blatt was startled by the shield guard as soon as he entered the hall: "Won't this thing suddenly wake up?"

“Almost impossible.” Anser shook his head slightly; controlling the Shield Guard required a command amulet.

The group maintained their battle formation and continued their exploration.

Each floor of the Black Tower is nearly two thousand square meters, and the main hall is about a thousand square meters, but apart from the constructs and shield guards, there is nothing usable left; it is completely empty.

There are several doors on the inside, made of the same material as the Black Tower. They close perfectly and are easy to miss if you're not paying attention.

Blatt and Giant Tail went in to investigate one by one, and came out looking disappointed.

"This place looks like it's been burned; it's all ashes, and the weapons are all broken," Blatt said, holding a deformed piece of iron.

"Let's go up and take a look," Anser said, still unwilling to give up.

The group continued upwards along the stairs on one side.

The Black Tower has twelve floors. From the outside, the layers are not obvious, but the internal structure is clear, and the layout of each floor is different.

Since the furniture and decorations have been completely destroyed, their original purpose is no longer discernible, and we can only speculate.

The second and third floors are also quite spacious, and judging from the layout, they might be places like restaurants, libraries, or conference rooms, but they are empty.

The fourth floor has many rooms, probably dormitories or similar places. Each room is spacious, with at least fifty rooms, and each has its own bathroom.

Anser pushed open the door, reached out and turned on the black stone faucet. A gurgling sound came from the faucet, and after a while, clear water gushed out, carrying the ashes in the basin and disappearing into the drain.

"There's water!"

He turned to look at the squat toilet next to him, which was also made of black stone, and seemed to be deep in thought.

Clearly, the Black Tower was designed with water and air circulation in mind from the very beginning, and the necessary living facilities were integrated into the tower itself.

Moreover, the fact that there is still clean water after so many years indicates that magical power is still active inside the tower.

Thinking of this, his disappointment lessened a little.

“At least we can stay here,” Blatt exclaimed, echoing Anser’s sentiment.

Anyone who has lived in a high-rise building knows that without enough water, it would be a disaster.

The group continued upwards. The layout of the fifth and sixth floors was similar to that of the fourth floor, but from the sixth floor onwards, there was no more ashes. Each floor was empty and clean, with nothing but the water supply and drainage system.

Anser had expected this and wasn't disappointed: "Let's go downstairs, there must be a basement here."

"Yes."

The group returned to the first floor and tried to feel the walls one by one, but to no avail.

Anser turned to look at the location of the construct shield guard, which stood in a corner of the hall, with the staircase leading up to it on the opposite side of the hall.

"Ashes are everywhere, how did you manage to survive?"

He initially thought the shield guards were just tough, but after witnessing the scene inside the tower, he was horrified by the terrifying power of the magic and suddenly realized that the shield guards' existence was somewhat special. "Push it away!"

"Alright." Giant Tail put down his weapon, grabbed one of the shield guard's legs, and dragged him aside.

Blatt gently pushed the wall, and a magical light swirled around him. The Paradise Mark on his chest lit up, and a tall door appeared, opening effortlessly.

"It really is here."

The group perked up; they had been full of expectations, but were still somewhat disappointed by their lack of results.

Giant Tail and Blatt went down first, followed by Anser and Finn.

The door was abnormally large, and the stairwell was equally tall and wide, with each step being large, so they had to hop to get around.

As soon as they entered the basement, a shadow flashed past them.

"What is that?" Blatt exclaimed in surprise.

Giant Tail had excellent eyesight, and he asked in confusion, "It looks like a broom."

Anser walked a few steps quickly and came into view a square hall, which was very clean, with two brooms flying around.

Upon seeing the group enter, the broom did not attack, but continued to fly rhythmically along the corridor. However, the place was already spotless, and there was really nothing to clean.

"Activate the broom".

"This is... a storage room."

Anser looked at the corridors and rooms extending from the hall, a smile spreading across his face. At least it was no longer ashes.

The doors weren't locked, and the group searched each room with great enthusiasm.

This is indeed a storage room, with a small machine shop in the corner.

The good news is that there are quite a few items; the bad news is that most of them are unusable.

Miscellaneous items, tools, clothing, rice, flour, and various food ingredients... almost everything became garbage.

The mechanical factory is where the shield guards should be repaired. Inside, there is a shield guard that only has its upper body left. The surrounding rooms contain many mechanical parts, metal ingots, and the like. They show obvious signs of aging and should still be worth repairing.

Anser deduced that the shield guard in the hall was manipulated to escape from the basement after the mage tower was destroyed, possibly to scout out the situation.

The most valuable items are the six activated brooms, which are also constructs and have been in good condition for many years.

They won't attack those who possess the mark of Paradise. They come at your beck and call, and wherever you throw them, they'll tirelessly clean up.

“There’s another door here.” Blatt stood at the top of the stairs, his hand on the wall. “The magic mark is the key to open it.”

"Let's go take a look." Anser walked over quickly.

But as soon as he stepped onto the second basement level, the Scepter of Protection suddenly lit up, a beam of light enveloped him, and a pulling force descended.

At the same time, a hazy underground space appeared in his mind, right beneath his feet.

'Hidden room?'

He re-examined the scepter, confirmed there was nothing amiss, nodded to Blatt and the others, and then teleported over.

With a flash of light, he appeared in a dimly lit spherical space, tens of meters in diameter. The sphere's walls were covered with interwoven silver and purple magical patterns, and the nodes twinkled with starlight, giving him an unreal, dreamlike feeling, as if he were in the starry sky.

There is no gravity here, but it's not like outer space either. He floats in mid-air and can adjust his body posture at will without drifting aimlessly.

At this moment, the Scepter of Protection emitted a faint light, the spherical space trembled, the magic runes lit up one by one, and the starry sky seemed to come alive, rotating slightly, as if wandering in space.

Anser sensed something, closed his eyes slightly, and the three-dimensional image of the Black Tower was immediately projected into his mind, every detail was clear, even the tense expressions of Blatt and the others were vividly displayed.

This is the control center of the Mage Tower - the Astrological Ritual Array, and the Scepter of Protection is the controller.

'Luckily, the underground area wasn't destroyed, otherwise everything would be over.'

He opened his eyes, stared at the intricate magical runes around him, and shook his head helplessly: 'I don't understand them, I don't understand them at all.'

He suddenly felt a sense of inferiority, like a rich and handsome guy discussing science with a top student, feeling quite powerless.

"Meow-"

A cat's meow rang in his ear.

(End of this chapter)