Spellcasting Gods

"Please come with me, Earl." Sensing her father's burning anger, Morroia raised her arm in a gesture of invitation.

"Please wait a moment, I need some time to make some arrangements." With that, Zhang Cheng turned to the old mercenary and lowered his voice to instruct, "Proceed according to the original plan. Remember, once you see my signal, immediately seal off the Tower of Heaven and the Academy City. Do not allow anyone to approach or escape, understand?"

“Of course, my lord. But are you sure you don’t need to bring some guards?” Blanco kindly reminded him.

"No, no need. I'm enough on my own. Also, while I'm away, Kuro Kerba will temporarily obey your orders. Don't let it cause widespread destruction and killing unless absolutely necessary. Alright, that's all I have to tell you. Don't disappoint me, or you know what the consequences will be."

After saying that, Zhang Cheng patted the old mercenary on the shoulder in a pretentious manner and followed Moroya into the tower.

After the two figures disappeared around the corner of the stairs, the Hightar family soldiers guarding the entrance immediately retreated to the first floor and stood ready.

Clearly, they did not regard the reinforcements who had come from afar as friends, but rather treated them with the same caution as potential enemies.

Blanco looked at the guards with pity, then muttered sarcastically, "What a bunch of pathetic wretches. I bet they don't even know who just went in."

"Boss, should we teach them a lesson?" Another mercenary, who had been granted the title of noble, licked his lips, a bloodthirsty expression on his face.

"Idiot! How many times have I told you! Don't call me boss! Call me Baron or Your Excellency! We're not damn mercenaries anymore! We're nobles! Nobles! Nobles!" Blanco rolled his eyes in annoyance.

The middle-aged man, who had been reprimanded, chuckled and scratched his head. "Alright, alright, my fault, Your Excellency Baron. So, do you think we should teach these bastards a lesson?"

"What nonsense! Didn't you hear what the master just said? Proceed according to plan! If you dare to cause trouble, I'll let that dragon eat you." Blanco threatened as he ordered his men to split into two teams: one to surround the Tower of Babel, and the other to head towards the City of Learning.

So far, the residents of the old town are unaware that a horrific massacre is about to unfold...

Chapter 207 The Tower to the Sky (Part 2)

Unlike most castles in Westeros, which are dark and damp, the Tower of Babel seems to have a very special design that allows light to refract through its passages. So during the day, there is no need to light torches or oil lamps. Moreover, under the dim light, the originally black walls will occasionally flash with blurry, mysterious symbols.

To the untrained eye, these symbols might just be an undecipherable ancient script, but to Zhang Cheng, they are remarkably similar to the runes carved on the "Dragon Binder" horn.

Although the two differ greatly in their usage, they both essentially rely on energy to maintain the constancy of a certain spell. In particular, the closer one gets to the top of the tower, the more runes there are, and the stronger the energy sensing becomes.

As for what kind of magic it was, Zhang Cheng was not sure yet, but one thing was certain: the magical techniques mastered by the builders of the Tower of Heaven were definitely no less than those of the once-glorious Valyrian civilization.

Interestingly, compared to Valyrian magic of blood and fire, the magic here leans more towards water element. Coupled with its proximity to the sea, it's no wonder there are rumors that it was built by a hybrid of humans and deep-sea races.

As he was carefully observing the tower that seemed so out of place in the old town, Layton Hightower, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped, turned around, and asked with a serious expression, "Earl Mason, I've heard that you are a powerful magic user who once summoned a hailstorm during the Battle of Blackwater to completely destroy Stannis's cavalry charge, is that right?"

"Hahahaha! Overwhelming? Do you think that's possible?" Zhang Cheng laughed and asked rhetorically.

“Alright, I admit the rumors may be exaggerated, but you have to admit you cast a wide-range offensive spell that could sway the course of the war, right?” Layton continued to probe, undeterred.

After a brief adjustment of his mindset, he quickly calmed down and began to try to figure out the background of the mysterious young man in front of him.

It's important to understand that the Hightower family wasn't like other noble families, who were keen on seizing power and territory. Apart from personally instigating the brutal "Dance of the Dragons" during the mid-Tanglian Dynasty, they rarely participated in civil wars. Instead, they preferred to rely on the Citadel and the Church to slowly infiltrate the Seven Kingdoms and quietly expand their influence.

After all, the Church represents faith and controls the spiritual world of tens of thousands of nobles and commoners, while the Citadel represents the inheritance of knowledge, culture, and values. Almost every castle has a maester who comes from the Citadel stationed there to provide various services to the families that own the castle and to be responsible for educating their descendants.

To some extent, the Hightower family's foundation far surpasses that of the so-called noble houses like the Lannisters, Tyrells, Starks, and Tullys. Therefore, even though he has lost control of Oldtown, Layton has not shown the slightest panic, because he does not believe that anyone would dare to risk such a huge political attack on him and his family.

Sensing the subtle arrogance in the old man's words, Zhang Cheng's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible mockery, followed by a half-smile as he replied, "Ah, that's right, I did indeed cast an interesting spell. How about we discuss the mysteries of magic together?"

Layton quickly shook his head: "No, no, no, please don't misunderstand, I didn't mean to spy on it, I just wanted to confirm. To be honest, I don't know why, but the Hightoar family completely lost the ability to learn and study magic in the last hundred years or so, until recently we discovered that that mysterious power has returned."

"So?" Zhang Cheng deliberately feigned indifference.

"So I hope to get an explanation from you, an explanation of why the magic suddenly disappeared and then suddenly returned. I believe that you, who possess such powerful magic, could not have suddenly gained this power, could you?" With that, old Layton crossed his arms over his chest, his face full of excitement and anticipation.

As the number one "nerd" in Westeros, he devoted almost his entire life to studying and learning about magic, and was extremely eager to unravel the question that had troubled him for decades.

Zhang Cheng was a mage and also a power-hungry individual. He understood the other person's thoughts perfectly, but instead of giving an immediate answer, he asked in a playful tone, "Why should I explain? What good would it do me? Earl, you must understand that knowledge is expensive. If you want something, you must exchange it for something of equal value."

"Oh? Then what constitutes something of equal value?" Layton Hightower smirked confidently.

It is estimated that in his view, with the vast wealth accumulated by the Hightar family over thousands of years, he could satisfy any price no matter how outrageous it was.

"Hehe, it's very simple. I think the Tower of Heaven is a good equivalent. As long as you agree to give it to me, I can not only explain the secret of the disappearing magic, but also tell you about the true purpose of this tower. You know, although you've realized that the Tower of Heaven is a building used for researching and learning magic, you haven't actually used even a tenth of its power. And I will show you just how amazing this tower truly is..."

As the last word fell, Zhang Cheng raised his hand and injected a surge of energy into the wall that was shimmering with a ghostly light.

moment!

The originally dim light suddenly became dazzling, as if some incredible power had been awakened.

Before anyone around could react, a surge of energy began to erupt from below, illuminating the various runes on the wall.

The moment the last rune lit up, the bonfire burning fiercely at the top of the tower exploded with a bang, replaced by a deep blue crystal the size of a small boat.

Under the sunlight, at the center of the crystal, there is a constantly flowing silvery liquid. It is so deep and mesmerizing that anyone who sees it will involuntarily stop everything and stare blankly as if they are under mental control.

"Damn it! What...what did you do?" Moroya asked loudly, her face full of vigilance.

"Relax, darling, I didn't do anything. I merely awakened this tower that has been sleeping for who knows how long." Zhang Cheng ignored the guards who had drawn their longswords and assumed fighting stances, and explained to himself.

"Awaken?" Morroia keenly grasped a key word.

“Yes! Awaken it!” Zhang Cheng nodded without hesitation. “Although I’m not entirely sure whether the Tower of Heaven was shut down due to energy depletion or by the builders’ deliberate decision, it has always been in a semi-closed state. Otherwise, its own power alone could easily stir up storms and tsunamis, and any fleet or soldier that dares to approach would be destroyed in an instant. Yet you, you actually treated it as a lighthouse and a fortress, how utterly foolish. But it’s alright, I will correct this mistake immediately.”

Chapter 0208 Seizure

As the immense energy stored underground in the tower was fully activated, it was completely transformed from the inside out in just a few minutes. In particular, the outer wall, which had been eroded by seawater for a long time and covered with a large amount of seaweed and shells, was directly crushed by an invisible force and fell into the water, splashing up white waves and revealing its original black color.

Such a strange phenomenon undoubtedly alerted the soldiers at the gate. If they hadn't been ordered beforehand not to make any rash moves no matter what happened, they probably would have rushed in to check what was going on inside.

As for the residents of the old town who were hiding in their homes, they were completely attracted by the crystal radiating brilliant light from the top of the tower. Their eyes were dull and lifeless, and they did not react at all even when the deafening shouts and screams came from the port.

In fact, similar situations were not limited to ordinary people. Nearly half of the pirates who were planning to flee to distant places also gave up the struggle, staring intently at the crystal, as if it were the only thing and everything in their lives...

"Don't look! No one is allowed to look up at the light emanating from the towering tower!" Blanco roared at the top of his lungs.

As a seasoned mercenary with extensive experience, he sensed something was wrong almost immediately and successfully prevented his men from being significantly affected.

In contrast, the noble alliance led by Valen Bisbury was not so lucky. Not only were more than 90 percent of the soldiers controlled by the mysterious light, but even he himself could not escape the calamity and stood in the middle of the street like a fool.

Of course, the chaos outside had no effect on the interior of the tower.

Sensing the constant gathering and changing energy, Zhang Cheng was focused on finding the central hub and seizing control.

It's important to understand that a tower built with such powerful magical technology must have a complete operating system. Typically, the builders would implement multiple layers of encryption to ensure that no one could ever take the control core from them.

If the original owner of the Tower of Heaven were still alive, he certainly wouldn't risk being killed to break in, let alone blatantly break through the complex protective spells; it would be tantamount to suicide.

However, the original owner of the Tower of Heaven has long since disappeared, and the Hightower family can only be considered as temporary guests, far from being the "owners".

"So that's how it is... So this is what the Tower of Heights really looks like..." Layton leaned against the wall, muttering to himself in disbelief, his eyes wide open, afraid of missing any detail.

Moroya also clenched her fists tightly, a drunken blush rising on her pale face. She trembled with excitement, completely unaware that her dress was slowly slipping down her shoulders, revealing large expanses of smooth, alluring skin.

Ignoring the reactions of those around him, Zhang Cheng rapidly waved his hands, unleashing one detection spell after another that he had learned from books.

Although these detection spells were far more difficult to cast than skills obtained by directly applying class templates, he managed to master a small portion of them after countless studies and practices.

While it might be quite difficult to crack a mage tower like the one in Dalaran, which is covered with incredibly complex designs including arcane runes, summoning circles, teleportation circles, defensive circles, and trigger traps, dealing with this relatively outdated building shouldn't be a problem.

About ten minutes later, Zhang Cheng, who had just finished chanting a somewhat awkward incantation, suddenly opened his eyes, raised his left index finger, and shot a piercing frost ray at the wall on the side, which was engraved with fish-shaped runes.

moment!

The white frost spread outwards from the rune, followed by a series of eerie cracking sounds, as if something had shattered.

next second...

boom!

Frost and rubble exploded out of thin air, and a large number of sharp ice spikes and stone spikes flew everywhere. Seven or eight guards of the Hightar family who did not have time to dodge were instantly stabbed and mangled, falling to the ground and letting out heart-wrenching screams.

"Aaaaaaah!!!! My eyes!"

"My leg! I can't move my leg! And it's bleeding!"

"Help me! I...I can't breathe..."

……

Seeing their comrades suffering terribly, a small group of soldiers quickly became enraged, drew their longswords and stabbed at what they believed to be the culprits.

Before the sharp blade could even get close, a chilling frost suddenly sprayed outwards from Zhang Cheng's center.

In just one second, the entire narrow corridor was covered with a thick layer of solid ice, freezing everyone with their feet firmly in place.

"Hmph! Foolish fools! Do you think I would dare to walk in alone and be afraid of mere swords and blades?" Zhang Cheng sneered sarcastically.

He didn't even bother to listen to what the other person was saying. He raised his fingertips and aimed at the soldiers' heads one by one, firing dazzling arcane missiles that blew their heads off.

In less than half a minute, the pristine ice surface was covered with red and white brain matter, as well as dozens of slightly twitching corpses.

"vomit!!!!"

The horrifying scene and the pungent smell of blood in the air undoubtedly triggered Morroia's fragile nerves as a woman, and she couldn't help but lie on the ground and vomit profusely.

Although Layton's expression wasn't good either, he at least maintained the basic decorum of a nobleman and managed to hold back from vomiting.

Gazing at the two remaining prisoners, Zhang Cheng slowly drew his demonic sword—the Soul-Binder—and plunged it into Layton's chest without hesitation. Then, he whispered in the man's ear, "Sorry, Earl, I've already gotten what I wanted, so you're useless now. Also, don't worry, I'll kill all your descendants one by one later. From now on, the Hightoar family will be history."

"You! You! You..." The intense pain contorted Layton Hightower's expression, but he still struggled to stand up.

"Ah, don't worry about me. I regretfully announce that by the time reinforcements arrive, the Tower of the Sky will have already fallen to the Ironborn, and the Hightoar family will have been massacred. Only one person has survived, and that is our dear Miss Moroya. Due to severe mental trauma, she doesn't want to see anyone except her family. After the descendants of the Hightoar family return from all directions, Miss Moroya will be so heartbroken that she will go insane and burn herself and her relatives to death. How about that? Isn't this story perfect?" Zhang Cheng stated his follow-up plan without changing his expression.

"No! You won't succeed!" Finally realizing what was happening, Layton shakily drew his sword and thrust it with all his might at his daughter who was standing right in front of him.

It goes without saying that he wanted to kill his daughter to prevent the entire family from being slaughtered.

Unfortunately, just as the sword tip was less than half a meter from Morroa, Zhang Cheng casually pulled out the blood-stained demonic sword, along with the soul of Layton Hightower.

The body, now devoid of its soul, moved forward two steps due to inertia before collapsing to the ground with a thud. The sharp blade grazed Morroya's cheek, leaving a shallow line of blood.

Chapter 0209 Central

A cold corpse!

Bright red blood plasma!

There was also merciless killing and death!

Zhang Cheng used the most direct, primitive, and violent methods to turn the originally clean corridor into a living hell. The pungent smell of blood was enough to make even the most thick-skinned person's scalp tingle.

Apart from Morroya, who still had some use, all members of the Hightoar family and soldiers were wiped out, including the servants who came to see what had happened after hearing the noise.

He didn't even bother to verify the other party's identity, recklessly testing his newly acquired power, especially his lethal spells.

In an instant, biting frost, scorching flames, and dazzling lightning were released in an endless stream. After more than half of the energy stored in their bodies was used up, there were hardly any survivors left in the entire towering tower.