"What exactly is going on in there?" Serys asked as she looked at Lana.
"I donât know either. Normally, when the fifth pillar lights up, it means he has cleared all five trials. By now, he should have come out." She frowned as she spoke.
Anyone who clears the five trials is automatically ejected from the temple â there isnât anything else inside to hold them.
"Could it be that he did so well he triggered a hidden trial?"
"Maybe, maybe not. But I doubt thereâs anything like that inside," Lana dismissed the idea.
"Look over there!" A sudden shout came from the crowd.
Everyoneâs eyes turned to the temple entrance, which suddenly began to glow.
Before long, a tall, striking figure stepped out of it.
"Is that him? The one who managed to clear all five trials?"
"Iâve never seen him before. Could he be a new member?"
"A new member clearing all five trials? Thatâs impossible â especially in such a short time!"
Daniel cast a strange glance at the crowd. Where had all these people even come from? And why were they even gathered here?
Spotting Lana standing a bit farther away, he ignored the others and walked toward her.
"Told you, it wouldnât take long." A grin spread across his face.
Lana just stared at him, not knowing what reaction to have. She had literally said just a few hours ago that it was impossible to clear the templeâs trials in less than a day.
The result? Daniel had done it in just two to three hours. The outcome was so far beyond her expectations she almost felt like he must have cheated.
But was cheating even possible inside that temple?
"Looks like I was wrong. But that doesnât change anything â youâre just too much of a monster," she finally sighed.
Daniel shrugged. He didnât mind being called a monster. To reach the peak, that was one of the minimum requirements anyway.
Then his eyes landed on the beautiful girl standing next to Lana.
"And you are?"
"Heh, I almost thought youâd forgotten about me! Pleased to meet you, Mr. Daniel. Iâm Serys Alvindar," Serys greeted him with a smile, her gaze carefully studying the young man before her.
She hadnât expected someone Lana called a "monster" to also be this handsome... This guy was even better looking than the young master of the Magic Tower.
"Likewise. And since it seems you already know who I am, no need to introduce myself," Daniel said with a smile.
"This is the person I told you about, the one whoâs going to the Black Auction with you to help retrieve that weapon," Lana introduced Serys.
"I see."
"Letâs go somewhere more private to talk." Lana took hold of Daniel and Serys, and the space around them shifted.
In the next moment, they found themselves in a lavish royal office, decorated like something fit for kings.
She went behind the desk, sat in the chair, and gestured for the two to sit down.
"Before we get into the main topic, let me fully introduce Serys. Sheâs the disciple of the current head of the Central Magic Tower, and sheâs here to help us."
The room fell silent for a moment at those words.
"The disciple of the Central Magic Towerâs head?" Daniel asked, his surprise unhidden.
His eyes shifted to the girl sitting beside him. This girl was the disciple of the Central Magic Towerâs head?
He used his power to inspect her, and the result shocked him. She was at mid-A Rank! On top of that, he could feel an immense magical power within her â even greater than the high-level mage he had befriended back in the Elthanor Empire.
But that wasnât what truly shocked him. The reason was her background.
The Central Magic Tower â the most powerful magic tower in the Celestial Domain, standing at the level of a superpower.
And more importantly, as far as he had heard and knew, the Central Magic Tower didnât have good relations with otherworldly powers.
So why exactly was this girl here to help them? Also, if he recalled correctly, Lana had said that the weapon stolen from them was a shipment belonging to them and their ally.
And that ally was sending someone to assist... Based on all this, did it mean the Central Magic Tower was allied with the Everlight Moon Guild?
But wasnât the Central Magic Tower famous specifically for never forming alliances with outsiders, and for never wanting to?
So what exactly was going on here?
"I know youâre confused and probably want to know how the Magic Tower ended up becoming our ally, but thatâs a long story. Now isnât the time for it. Right now, the stolen weapon takes priority," Lana said seriously, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Daniel nodded. If this weapon was so important that even the Central Magic Tower cared about it, words couldnât describe its value.
"This weapon is beyond what you can imagine. In fact, as I said before, I was supposed to go with Serys to retrieve it myself, but because of recent events, I canât. Youâre the best remaining option."
"I understand. But why not send someone stronger if itâs that important? Is it because youâre worried about drawing attention from other forces?"
"You just answered your own question," Lana nodded.
"This weapon is so important that if we fail to retrieve it, the informal alliance between us and your guild will fall apart. But if we succeed, our alliance will become official," Serys said, turning to Daniel.
"If you donât want others to notice, then why send you? Isnât that a bit risky? After all, youâre the disciple of the Central Magic Towerâs head. Youâll definitely attract a lot of attention," Daniel nodded again and asked another important question.
"Normally, thatâs true, and I would attract a lot of attention. However, right now, things are different," Serys said, though a hint of loneliness and frustration could be heard in her tone.
"Oh? Iâd appreciate it if you explained a bit more."
"At the moment, all the attention is on another member of the Tower â someone who will most likely become the heir and the next leader. No one has the time to care about someone secondary like me."