Chapter 167: The Most Terrifying Creatures in the World—Women

Li De was moved by Spark’s fervent description. A mage tower capable of withstanding a legends assault—how majestic and magnificent! Legends! They are legends! In the two centuries of the Vampire Progenitor's memory, across the southern part of the Nolan Empire, with tens of millions of people, he had never heard of such an existence. Perhaps there were powerful figures hiding, but at least on the surface, none existed. Transcendent power was already akin to nuclear-level strength. And a mage tower able to resist legends—just thinking about it made his heart itch. However, he wasn’t so naive as to be swayed by a mere promise. "Teacher, it’s not that simple. Forget about those 80,000 Gold Pucks; even investing a million more might not build a magic array capable of resisting legends, right?" "If it were really that simple, the White Tower wouldn’t be what it is today, and the entire south wouldn’t lack such mage towers." Even after being exposed, Spark didn’t care and coughed dryly without blushing. "That’s because the White Tower doesn’t have enough Gold Pucks to buy magic crystals." "Magic crystals?" Li De’s eyes showed confusion. Magic crystals were essential materials for magic arrays. These stones, condensed from veins of dense mana underground, played a crucial role. Their status was equivalent to Earth’s black gold—oil. Spark nodded matter-of-factly. "This ancient alchemical magic array requires a massive amount of magic crystals. All your tens of thousands of Gold Pucks have been converted into magic crystals buried under the Crimson Mage Tower." Li De nodded and directly asked the most critical question. "So, how much will it ultimately cost to build this ancient alchemical magic array?" "This..." Spark was momentarily speechless, his gaze wavering under Li De’s pressing stare. "It seems... probably not much, right?" After saying that, feeling a bit frustrated, he turned and glared fiercely at Li De. "Boy from the Kachar family, this is a great ancient alchemical magic array. Isn’t recreating the glorious civilization of alchemy and magic something a noble mage should do? How dare you discuss such vulgar matters as Gold Pucks with a noble and high-class Grand Mage like me!! By the Goddess of Magic, I bet your brain must have been eaten by abyssal demons." Li De looked at this shamelessly self-promoting old man, both amused and exasperated. This audacity was even more formidable than his Level 19 Grand Mage strength. "Teacher, give me a rough estimate. Let’s not discuss reviving ancient civilizations for now. Tell me first how to achieve resistance against Transcendents—or rather, Grand Mages. Otherwise, the Crimson Mage Tower’s Gold Pucks won’t be spent on hopeless endeavors." Li De shrugged. The pie might be well-drawn, but he had no interest in eating it. After muttering a few words, Spark looked at Li De’s unmoved expression and helplessly said, "To defend against Grand Mages is simple. Just complete the basic hexagram magic array. Once activated, a powerful mana shield will appear, enveloping the entire Crimson Mage Tower. The shield’s strength can withstand five Tier 5 spells. Forget Grand Mages—even Transcendent mages would need a lot of time to break through. Moreover, the mana consumption to maintain this shield is very low. It can remain active for ten days without depleting its magical energy." Hearing this, Li De’s eyes lit up. This was what he wanted. What use was some ancient civilization? This was practical. Being able to resist a Transcendent mage’s attack was indeed powerful. "What about offensive spells? Can’t just take hits without fighting back, right?" Spark smiled proudly. "Of course. The alchemical era was a time of great prosperity. Our great ancestors had already fused alchemy with magic. Just construct the magic array at the uppermost corner of the hexagram. Then, it will connect to form a new magic array centered around the Crimson Mage Tower. This magic array will be an offensive one. At that point, even intermediate mages can control the hub inside the Crimson Mage Tower to release magic—at least five powerful Tier 5 spells!!" Great stuff. Li De’s eyes fully brightened. Tier 5 spells—that was power only Transcendents could wield. If completed, this meant he wouldn’t have to worry about the safety of the Crimson Mage Tower even if he weren’t there. Spark smiled smugly, seeing Li De’s obvious interest. He knew Li De couldn’t resist the temptation. Even he couldn’t refuse such powerful protection for his mage tower. "How much will it cost to build these two functions?" Li De gritted his teeth and still asked. There was no helping it. This pie was much tastier and easier to swallow than the previous one. Tier 5 spells, Transcendent power—it was too tempting. "Not much, about a million Gold Pucks." Despite being mentally prepared, Li De’s hand still trembled. A million Gold Pucks!! That was Gold Pucks, not stones. The Crimson Mage Tower currently earned about 80,000 to 90,000 Gold Pucks per month. But this money couldn’t be spent freely. He needed to reserve at least 30,000 for developing Dawn City. And the larger the Crimson Mage Tower grew, the higher the monthly expenses, consuming a large portion of funds. Additionally, he needed to reserve some for purchasing magical materials and issuing acquisition tasks. Thus, calculating this way, he could allocate about 40,000 Gold Pucks per month from the mage tower to invest in building the magic array. Meaning, to achieve the functions Spark mentioned, the Crimson Mage Tower would need to continuously invest two years’ worth of profits. And this was just a preliminary estimate. Considering Spark’s unreliable nature, this figure would undoubtedly be higher. But no matter how difficult, it was Tier 5 spells, Transcendent power. The word “Transcendent” was like a stunning maiden shedding her last garment before him, constantly teasing his nerves. Gritting his teeth. Let’s do it. The position of the Crimson Mage Tower in his strategy was almost irreplaceable. And as Dawn City developed, the sole external window, its status would rise even higher. If he could possess such a powerful deterrent force as Transcendent power, there was no doubt it would greatly benefit his plans. With the Crimson Mage Tower secured, Dawn City could be secure, and the dual-development strategy could proceed smoothly. Walking on two legs was the right path. This plan—I, Wang Duoyu, approve! [T/N: Wang Duoyu is a character from a movie called Hello Mr. Billionaire.] "Teacher, I hope you can help me recreate the glory of ancient civilizations. As mages, we should bear this honorable mission." At this moment, Li De appeared noble and grand, as if he had faith in the God of Justice. Spark looked at Li De disdainfully, sneering. The boy from the Kachar family was becoming increasingly cunning, like a snow fox in winter. "By the Goddess of Magic, if you knew how much of a bargain you’re getting, I’d bet you’d be so happy you'd be sleepless at night." "If the White Tower had the financial capability, I would definitely invest in building it myself. This is an ancient alchemical magic array. Even with a million Gold Pucks, you wouldn’t find such blueprints outside." Mentioning this, Spark became irritated. During the peak production of magic scrolls, the White Tower could produce only a thousand scrolls per month. Though a considerable fortune, it was insignificant compared to the bottomless investment required to build an ancient alchemical magic array. He hadn’t expected Li De to achieve this level. Initially, he gave Li De the technique to make magic scrolls to earn money to rebuild his family town. But unexpectedly, Li De managed to turn magic scroll production into an art. The notoriously difficult-to-produce magic scrolls flowed out of the Crimson Mage Tower like farmers harvesting wheat in bulk. Li De looked at Spark’s persistent expression curiously. "Why are you so determined to build this magic array?" Given Spark’s carefree and seemingly indifferent nature, such persistence in doing something was puzzling. And the man clearly preferred lying down to sitting. Why put so much effort into helping build a magic array? What was he aiming for? He didn’t believe the other party was merely trying to help. This old man wasn’t that diligent. Upon hearing Li De’s inquiry, Spark’s tone suddenly dropped. His deep eyes carried memories and a touch of sadness. "This ancient alchemical magic array was something I obtained with a lady when I was young. Before she passed away, she said her biggest regret in life was not being able to create the alchemical magic array we found together." Li De silently observed Spark’s expression. "Did that lady pass away?" "Twenty-two years ago, during an adventure in another plane, she sacrificed herself to protect me from demons." Spark sighed deeply. "I once tried to build the magic array on the White Tower, but completing this ancient alchemical masterpiece consumed too many Gold Pucks. I spent five years, exhausting the White Tower’s resources, and only built less than a tenth. Later, I couldn’t continue." Standing up, he walked to the glass window in the study, his profound gaze looking outside, his tone completely different from usual, low and somber. "I originally thought I’d carry this regret to my grave, but I see hope in you." Li De looked at that somewhat desolate figure, strangely touched. His teacher was truly a sentimental soul. Even though he liked to privately collect some unspeakable picture books... "Why don’t you continue producing magic scrolls?" Spark shook his head, his back to him. "I’ve calculated. With the White Tower’s productivity, even until my lifespan ends, I wouldn’t earn that much Gold Pucks." "Too much obsession sometimes loses its original meaning." "Kachar, life is always so unpredictable and full of regrets." "No one can foresee everything in the future. All we can do is strive to resist the injustices this world forces upon us." "Hmph, that bitch the Goddess of Fate will one day be forced to the ground and humiliated." Li De stared blankly at Spark, who suddenly transformed from a lecherous old man into a life mentor. Women are truly the most terrifying creatures in the world. Even twenty years after death, they can still leave someone yearning and unforgettable. [T/N: That's the end of the mass release guys. I'll be uploading two chapters each day from now on. If you want more there's an extra 5 chapters available on my patreon for free.]