Black Hearted Mage

In the vast North, only two great magicians remained stationed in the towering, majestic tower. The tower master and the powerful old Roman had already departed for the vast northern grasslands, leaving only Kandel and Joanna to guard this important magical site.

At this time, the young Caesars faced a crucial moment in his assessment as a high-level magician. This important task ultimately fell on Joanna's shoulders, and Kandel decided to accompany her to ensure the entire assessment went smoothly.

When they reached the fifth floor of the main tower, a spacious hall dedicated to spell testing appeared before them. Inside the hall stood more than a dozen magical targets meticulously crafted from precious magic steel. These targets gleamed faintly with magical light, as if waiting to be baptized by powerful spells.

"Is it necessary to make such a grand event? It's just throwing two spells at a few targets, but even the two great magicians from the tower are here in person!" Caesar couldn't help but mutter as he looked at the scene in front of him.

Hearing this, Kandel smiled slightly and said earnestly, "Kaisas, I came here this time purely to take a look. After all, being promoted to a high-level magician at the age of eighteen is extremely rare, even in our tower. There was once a genius like you who showed his talent at such a young age, but unfortunately, his brilliance was as short-lived as a meteor flashing across the night sky. Until the end of his life, he failed to successfully ascend to the level of a great magician!"

Upon hearing this, Caesars curled his lips and retorted, "Master Kandel, the one you're talking about isn't really a true genius. It's said that his early success was entirely due to the massive influx of alchemical potions. Furthermore, he's the son of a renowned alchemist. Detailed records of him can be found in the library!"

After hearing Caesar's answer, Kandel shook his head helplessly, muttering to himself: This guy used to live in that library tower, he must have read all these records long ago. Thinking of this, Kandel couldn't help but feel speechless.

"Kaisas, stop dawdling and get started! There are still a lot of things waiting for me to deal with in the magic tower!"

Joanna's voice sounded calm, but only she knew the turmoil raging within her. Caesar's power was rising too fast, so fast that even she, a seasoned warrior, found it difficult to accept.

"Yes, Ms. Joanna!"

Caesars responded, then walked steadily towards the target with the highest magical defense. He paused, took a deep breath, and his lips moved slightly, a mysterious spell slowly flowing from his mouth. Unfortunately, he wasn't very familiar with the spell yet.

In the blink of an eye, a shadowy arrow suddenly appeared in the air. The main body of this shadowy arrow was a deep, dark gray, like a ghost in the night. However, upon closer inspection, a faint purple light flickered on its surface, like a meteor streaking across the sky in the dark night, adding a touch of mystery and strangeness to the shadowy arrow.

The Shadow Arrow streaked towards its target with lightning speed, its speed astonishing. It reached the target in less than two seconds, a mere thirty yards.

There was a deafening roar, and the entire space seemed to tremble. Immediately afterwards, a powerful wind wave suddenly spread out from the target's location like a storm, and the surrounding air also fluctuated violently.

"Oh my God! This...this target actually flew out!"

The great alchemist shouted in astonishment, his finger pointing at the magic target trembling slightly, as if he had not yet recovered from the shocking scene just now.

The magic steel target, which should have been standing firmly in place, hadn't sustained significant damage, but the frame supporting it had shifted. It had been forcibly moved back over three meters before crashing heavily into the incredibly solid stone wall.

"Kandel, you saw it with your own eyes! The spell cast by Caesars has an attack strength of over a thousand! There's no need to continue the assessment!"

Joanna's voice trembled with excitement, and the two magicians standing nearby, taking notes, were equally astonished. They simply couldn't believe what they were seeing. After all, the power of Caesar's spell attacks was almost reaching the level of a Grand Mage.

Under Joanna's solemn certification and Kandel's strict supervision, a brand new badge symbolizing the identity of a senior magician was placed in Caesar's hands.

Caesars couldn't wait to ask, "So, can the relevant permissions of this senior magician be used immediately?" His eyes full of expectation were fixed on the two great magicians in front of him.

Kandel thought for a moment and replied, "You can now exercise the powers of these high-level magicians in the trading hall inside this tower. However, if you want to use them outside the tower, you will have to wait a day."

Upon hearing this, Caesars nodded, indicating he understood. His privileges only allowed him to enjoy discounts on magic materials and, of course, high-level magic crystals—that was his reason for requesting the High-Level Magician Badge. He could no longer enjoy any other benefits; after all, he was no longer a member of the North Tower.

In the tower's trading hall, Black Snake's bill successfully obtained a sum of magic crystals. Caesars also bought 500 high-level magic crystals with the help of the high-level magician badge.

"Kaisas, can you sell me the venom of the Golden-Eyed Black Demon Snake?"

The Northland Tower is preparing to explore the underground world of the prairie, and antidote potions are essential.

There are also three golden-eyed black snakes in the North Tower, but they have very bad tempers and will spray venom every time someone approaches them, which often makes the great alchemist return empty-handed when collecting the venom.

"Master Kandel, the venom was originally intended for you. Asking me to buy it would be a bit of an insult to our friendship. But as you can see, the carriage from the Thorn Flower Trading Company has left. Your carriage must take me to Fire Maple City!"

The crystal bottle filled with golden liquid was placed in the hands of the great alchemist. The old magician patted his chest and said with a smile: "Caesar, for the sake of our friendship, you can use my carriage as you please!"

Kaisas had originally intended to go only to Black Rock City and then take a public carriage to Fire Maple City. A bottle of Golden Eyed Black Devil Snake venom was worth a fortune, nearly enough to buy half a luxury carriage. He felt a huge loss just by going to Fire Maple City.

Caesars was in a hurry to leave, and the great magician was also in a hurry to ask the coachman to prepare the carriage. When the carriage was about to set off, Kandel slyly stuffed a package into his hand.

After the carriage left the tower, Caesars opened the animal hide package, revealing over thirty bottles of high-level mana potions. Wrapped within the animal hide was a marked map of the Northern Plateau.

"The Great Alchemist actually knows how to reciprocate!"

The mysterious, ancient map of the Northern Plateau is densely packed with over thirty astonishing mineral deposits. These deposits, like stars, dot the landscape, emitting an alluring glow. However, the most eye-catching are the staggering quantities of magic crystals, resembling dazzling gems, accounting for over half of all the deposits!

A careful look at the map clearly reveals the marked cavities beneath the plateau. These cavities meander like giant dragons beneath the earth, their length exceeding a hundred miles!

On the surface, the northern prairies appear tranquil and peaceful, with a gentle breeze caressing the lush green fields, resembling a beautiful painting. But beneath this seemingly peaceful surface, deep beneath the earth lies a different scene. The vast underground cavity, like a vast labyrinth shrouded in darkness, conceals a subterranean world filled with unknowns and dangers.

In this mysterious underground world, all kinds of bizarre life are quietly gestating. There live a large number of ferocious and brutal monsters with various shapes and powerful strengths, as well as many rare and magical plants that exude an enchanting magical aura.

Within the tower known as the Holy Land of Magic—the Frost Crown—are precious and detailed records of the North's underground world. Records indicate that a terrifying creature from the Abyss arrived on the Roland Continent long ago. Exactly why it arrived remains a mystery.

Shockingly, this terrifying creature is actually the descendant of the legendary Dark Dragon—the Abyss Dragon! Although its body has been dead for ages, its incredibly powerful soul has never dissipated...

The records contain additional information about the Dark Dragon, stating that this beast's strength is beyond imagination, and it also has a most amazing feature: it has no reproductive isolation and can deeply communicate with any species, thus giving birth to their offspring.

In the Abyss, there are two or three planes occupied by dragons. They have a common ancestor, the powerful dark dragon Galakrond.

Ten days later, a luxuriously decorated carriage finally arrived at Fire Maple City, the magnificent capital of the Roland Empire. The carriage resembled a moving palace, its body inlaid with dazzling gems and exquisite metal patterns, and even its wheels shone brightly.

As the carriage approached the city gate, the guards immediately became alert. However, upon seeing the magical emblem representing the Northland Tower draped over the carriage, they unhesitatingly opened the heavy gate and saluted respectfully. Under the envious gaze of the crowd, the carriage passed through the heavily guarded gate and headed into the city. Those who had been queuing at the city gate for inspection could only watch the carriage depart, their hearts filled with envy.

Soon after, the carriage stopped in front of a shop in the commercial district. The door slowly opened, and a handsome, elegant man stepped out. It was Caesar. He was dressed in a magnificent suit, and his every move exuded the grace of aristocracy. After exiting the carriage, Caesar waved to the driver, signaling that he could return to the North Tower.

The elven tailor only made three ordinary robes for Caesar, but he felt that these clothes were far from enough. So this time he decided to order some new robes and linings.

Fortunately, the elven tailor had a ready supply of fur robes. One particular one stood out because it was made from fire salamander leather. This special leather was not only soft and comfortable but also highly fire-resistant. This meant that if the robe got dirty, simply igniting it in a fire would clean it back up.

It must be said that the craftsmanship of the Elf Tailor Shop is indeed very exquisite. Every piece of clothing is made with great precision and there is almost no flaw. Unfortunately, their production speed is too slow, and customers often have to wait for several months or even longer to get the finished product.

The crater crafted two magical robes for him, and three elven elders painted powerful magic patterns on them. One of the robes was made of the leather of a mutant dark demon lizard, embroidered with mysterious magic runes and patterns. It was said that wearing it could enhance the power of spellcasting.

The other one was made of red giant snake leather, which had the function of self-repair and resistance to magic attacks. The appearance of these two magic robes made Kaisas feel a little excited.

Caesars turned and walked into the shop. It turned out to be a tailor shop specializing in custom-made clothing for the nobility. The shop wasn't large, but it was filled with a variety of fabrics. Caesars wanted custom-made clothing, so he didn't need the ready-made clothes. He quickly selected the fabric and took his measurements.

"After the clothes are finished, send them to the Cavill family!" Caesar paid ten gold coins as a deposit and then gave the order.

"The Baron Cavill Mansion in the west?" asked the middle-aged female shop owner.

Although the commercial area is a bit large, most people know the Cavill family. After all, the Baron's Mansion produced a great magician.

"Yes, it's the Baron Cavill Mansion that runs a snack shop!"

Caesars said this, then turned and walked out of the shop, heading towards Baron Cavill's mansion. No matter how luxurious a carriage is, it wouldn't be very comfortable to sleep in, especially one filled with the smell of potions.

"Master Caesars!"

After passing through the pastry shop, walking through the courtyard of the Cavill family, and entering the living room of the mansion, the maid Vera shouted in surprise.

"Did they all go to the manor to escape the summer heat?"

"Yes, Master Caesars!"

In the hot summer, nobles with fiefs would go to farms to escape the heat, and this year's weather seemed to be a little hotter.

"Vera, do you know where the black market in Fire Maple City is?"

"Black market? I've only heard of it, but I don't know where it is. Rumor has it that it's underground, and you need someone familiar to lead you in to enter!"