Black Hearted Mage

As the snowflakes fell, the north welcomed a long winter. The bitter north wind from the polar regions howled, bringing with it a cloud of snowflakes. After just one night, the snow on the ground was half a foot thick.

The road outside the library tower was cleared of snow in the morning, but Caesars could not go out in the afternoon because the snow was a little thick and exceeded the height of his small boots.

"Teacher, why is it so cold outside?"

Young Caesar wanted to play in the snow, but as soon as he walked out of the gate of the stone tower, he felt the bone-chilling cold and had to escape back into the stone tower immediately.

"A polar cold wave is coming. If you want to go out in this weather, you must wear thick fur clothes. This snow will continue until next winter. Starting tomorrow, no one will come to clear the snow!"

"So we won't go out for the whole winter?"

"Almost! Do you know why there are no windows on the bottom floor of the tower? Why do the tower's doors all open inward? Why is the tower's base over three meters high?"

Caesar shook his little head. He didn't know these things and no one had ever talked about them.

"The North is a plateau. The snow in a winter can be over ten meters thick at best, and five or six meters at least. The snow will block the gates of the stone towers, and the gates can only be opened inward. When the snow is thick enough, a passage will be dug underneath, so that people can go out!"

"It's snowing so heavily! The snow in the Highland Ogre Tribe must be even thicker."

"Of course. You can't build houses near the Icecrown Mountains. The accumulated snow will collapse them. Ogres live in caves. Don't worry about the ogre tribe. Continue studying magic theory and strive to master meditation before spring!"

Unable to go out, Caesars could only nod his head helplessly, expressing his understanding. At this moment, he finally understood why Old Roman had brought back so much food, because they might need to stay in the library tower for a long time.

When he opened the old magic book, he was immediately attracted by the contents of the book and gradually immersed himself in it. For Caesar, magic had an incomparable attraction, as if it was a door to an unknown world.

Caesar's grandfather, Old Ludwig, had repeatedly told him that mastering magic was a shortcut to changing one's destiny. Over a hundred years ago, the Ludwig family was a minor noble family of the Violet Alliance, but now they were ordinary commoners, willing to risk their lives for a few gold coins. They now made a living by raising black demon snakes, but these creatures were extremely dangerous and had claimed the lives of several family members.

As mercenaries entered the Blackrock Mountains, the number of black snakes dwindled, posing a threat to the family's survival. With only three members left, two were disabled: one with a missing hand, the other with a missing leg. Under these circumstances, the responsibility of changing the family's destiny fell upon the young Caesars.

Perhaps Caesars really had a talent for magic. On the tenth day after learning meditation, he sensed faint magical elements, which was two months earlier than old Roman expected.

"Kid, take a break. You're too young to sit for too long. You might even break your bones. Come on, I'll take you to the main tower to claim your reward!"

"Teacher, what's the reward?"

"Don't ask any more questions, just follow me to get your reward. I guarantee you'll be grinning from ear to ear for the whole day!"

Outside the library tower, the snow was so thick it practically buried the entire gate. Opening the small metal door in the middle of the gate revealed a white, icy passageway. The snow had frozen so solid it was practically as hard as ice.

The ice tunnel was devoid of a raging wind, and it didn't feel cold at all. Caesars, dressed in a noble robe, followed Old Roman at a brisk pace, wondering about the tower's prizes.

This time we entered the upper area of ​​the main tower, which is the core center of the Northland Tower. The magic pattern array that protects the tower is controlled from here.

It was Caesar's first time riding the magic elevator, and he looked so overwhelmed, a bit like an inexperienced country bumpkin.

"A magical creation - an elevator. It's a very simple thing. You'll be able to do it in the future!"

Old Roman dispelled Caesar's curiosity, and by the time the magic elevator opened, they were already standing on the top floor of the main tower. The space here was vast, several times the size of the top floor of the library tower.

"Old Roman, why are you here?"

There were several sofas on the side of the hall, with a light red wooden coffee table in the middle. Two magicians were sitting there drinking hot tea.

"Ethan, Joanna, I'm taking my students out for a walk, and I came to your place to get some rewards!"

"Come to us to get the reward?"

The two rulers of the tower were both surprised, because the magic hall on the second floor was the place to claim the rewards.

"My student's reward needs to be claimed anonymously, so he must come to your place. His affinity with dark elements is probably the highest since the tower was built, and his mastery of meditation is also the fastest in history!"

Old Roman smiled with some pride, and the other two great magicians understood their intentions. Since ancient times, geniuses have always had short lives, especially after their magical talents were known to others.

"Old Roman, there's nothing wrong with the reward. It's just empty talk, we need to check his magical talent!"

"Feel free to examine him using the best magical instruments here. I also want to know his elemental affinity. But you three must keep this a secret. If it gets out, don't blame me for getting angry!"

Old Roman's warning was strong. He didn't care that they were two great magicians or the two rulers of the North Tower. The two tower rulers were also well aware that Old Roman was protecting his students, and he also had the power to turn against the tower.

Several very sophisticated magic instruments were taken out by the tower master, Old Ethan. These were the best magic instruments on the Roland Continent, all made by Old Ethan.

"Little guy, I'm going to take a drop of blood first. It won't hurt!"

Old Ethan, wearing a black robe, took out a short, white, sharp needle that didn't look like it was made of metal. Caesars stretched out his hand helplessly, watching his finger being pricked by the other party.

"You're lying, this is one drop of blood? It's clearly five drops!

Caesar's fingers were pinched so hard they hurt as he watched the old wizard put five drops of blood into the crystal bottle. Old Ethan glanced at Old Roman, while Lady Joanna, wearing a red robe, was also waiting for Old Roman's reaction.

"Ethan, this is your fault. You should explain clearly before taking the blood. My students all thought you didn't know how to count. Caesars, checking magical talent does require three to five drops of blood!"

"Oh……"

A few drops of bright red blood were carefully placed within the three instruments, as if they were priceless treasures. As magic power slowly flowed through the intricate magic array, time ticked by, and everyone could only wait silently for the final result.

"Little guy, you need to hold these two things and meditate. You will soon be able to know your meditation speed and the state of the magic sea in your body!"

Old Ethan smiled and handed an ordinary magic crystal and a handle connected to a metal instrument to Caesars.

Caesars nodded obediently, stretched out his two small hands to take the object, and held it tightly. He closed his eyes and immersed himself in meditation. That childish and focused face made Joanna want to pinch it, but she resisted the urge.

At the same time, the magical blood tester began to display numerical values ​​one by one. The three great wizards stared at the magic screen nervously, shock in their eyes. These values ​​were astonishingly high, far beyond the level of the tower magic apprentices, and even they themselves were far behind.

"He has a high affinity for the dark element, reaching a value of 91. His affinity for the fire element is a bit lower, only 55, but this value still exceeds that of most apprentices. His affinity for other elements is negligible. Old Roman, you've found a treasure this time!"

"His meditation speed is also quite high, and he can utilize around 80% of the magic crystals. His magic sea is very stable!"

The two rulers kept staring at Caesar, and old Roman became even more proud.

"He has only learned meditation for a few days, so the utilization rate of the magic crystal may be even higher in the future!"

"Old Roman, do you know the last name Ludwig?"

In order to get old Roman to join the exploration of the ruins, old Ethan used his trump card.

"Of course I know this. The surname Ludwig originated from the Roman Empire five thousand years ago. Originally, the Ludwig family was just a middle-class family, with their fiefdom near Fire Maple City. Later, someone in the family became a magician, established his own family, and became a mage noble, with their fiefdom in the southernmost part of the continent. The Violet City of the current Violet Alliance was originally a town within the Ludwig territory."

Kaisas listened attentively. Ludwig was his last name.

“Do you know about the abandoned Ludwig Castle?

"Ethan, you're talking nonsense. Who doesn't know about Ludwig Castle? It was originally a magical castle. Even though it's been abandoned for thousands of years, it's still very dangerous. The magic circle underground is still running. It uses the magic power of the dormant volcano to the west of the castle. As long as the volcano doesn't cool down, the magic circle will continue to operate!"

"Old Roman, we found a ruin in the north of the castle. The bottom is intact. The magic circle is still in operation, and there are a large number of dark monsters. We have come back empty-handed after two explorations!"

Old Roman looked at Ethan and said, "I've heard of this relic. It's really a bit dangerous!"

Ethan nodded, indicating that he was aware of the situation. Old Roman continued, "How many entrances did you find?"

Ethan replied, "We only found one entrance, but there seems to be an underground maze there. And deep underground, there is a very dangerous magic circle that prevents us from using violence to break into the ruins."

After a moment's contemplation, Old Roman said, "My guess is that this relic is most likely the site of the trials of Ludwig Castle. Historical records show that Ludwig Castle was once a powerful magical power, employing numerous magicians and warriors. However, with the departure of the Ludwig family, the castle gradually declined and eventually became a ruin. This relic is likely one of the remains of Ludwig Castle."

Old Roman went on to explain, "This ruin may have more than one entrance, as Ludwig Castle was enormous and complex. Furthermore, deep underground, there may be powerful magic arrays protecting the treasures within. Therefore, to enter the ruins and obtain the treasures within, one must complete the trial quest."

After hearing what Old Roman said, Old Ethan and Joanna nodded in agreement. They realized the danger and complexity of the ruins, and also understood that to enter the ruins, they must have sufficient strength and courage.

"Teacher, the Ludwig family has territory, why would they leave?"

Caesars on the side couldn't help but ask a question. He found it difficult to understand why the nobles gave up their fiefdoms.

"I'm not sure, but Evans-Ludwig has more than one territory. He has an even larger territory tens of thousands of miles west of the Black Rock Mountains. However, that territory doesn't belong to the human race, so we don't dare to set foot there easily!"

"Wait a minute, where did you hear about this old Roman?"

As a great fire wizard, Joanna has a very hot temper. She has never heard of Evans-Ludwig or other territories.

"There are some secrets you won't know. Although you are all from noble families, your family histories are too short. When the Roman Empire fell, my great-grandfather took away most of the ancient books in the palace, including some secret records!"

"Damn old Roman, who are you? How do you know all this? Are you a descendant of the royal family of the former Roman Empire? That would explain it. You must know a lot of unknown secrets." Joanna asked with her eyes wide open. Her hot temper made Caesar a little dissatisfied. He was listening to the story attentively.

Only then did Old Ethan realize that there might not be any blood relationship between Caesars and Evans. After all, the whole family had left, and it was unlikely that a descendant would be left here.

"That place is indeed a restricted area. Anyone who enters will never come out alive, so all you need to know is that the Western Continent is dangerous. As for the ruins of Ludwig Castle and the underground ruins, they should be connected. So what you found is only the exit of the trial field, and the real entrance should be under the ruins of the castle."

The two rulers of the tower looked puzzled. The old Great Wizard Ethan spoke up, "Old Roman, if it's an exit, why is it so dangerous to go in? Both the Great Magician and the Great Wizard could die. Whose trial ground is that?"

"Ethan, the exit is the back door. If you enter the trial ground from the exit, it would be a form of cheating in the trial. Ludwig Castle is a magic castle, and it should be the trial ground for magicians!"