As a fourth-rank wizard and creator of the Sighing Wall, white-haired Murphy stepped forward and knocked on the door of the wizard tower’s top floor.

Inside the wizard tower, apprentice Heywood and his sister Heidi both looked up simultaneously.

“Strange, it’s not time for touring wizards to visit. Why would someone come calling?”

If it were other wizard towers, there might be social visits, but Gorsa’s wizard tower… under normal circumstances, truly no one came.

“I’ll go see.” Heidi, like a black shadow, was about to phase through the wall when she heard a low, slightly hoarse voice.

“You stay here.”

It was Gorsa’s voice.

Immediately, both Heywood and Heidi froze in place, responding quietly in acknowledgment.

Gorsa slowly walked up the spiral staircase.

He could clearly teleport directly outside the wizard tower, but he chose to walk over slowly.

Even though the person waiting for him outside was the only fourth-rank wizard in the extreme north.

Gorsa walked step by step to the top floor of the wizard tower and stood inside the door for a moment.

The person outside already knew of his arrival but still made no sound, waiting quietly.

As if at this moment, their positions and status had been reversed.

Finally, Gorsa opened the door and faced the old man respected by many wizards outside, smiling slightly. “Lord Murphy, what brings you here?”

Murphy didn’t answer immediately but slowly scanned Gorsa’s entire body from top to bottom, then bottom to top.

This heir of the Glare Family possessed the handsome appearance characteristic of their lineage. His unkempt long hair was messy yet graceful, and his skin was so white it seemed to glow.

But when Murphy examined Gorsa, he completely ignored the other’s appearance.

Even when he met Gorsa’s golden eyes again, he let out a sigh.

“It seems you’re already prepared.” Murphy’s expression was complex, his face showing compassion. “Have you thought about what will happen if you fail?”

Gorsa tilted his head, as if hearing a question so simple it made him laugh.

“Hehe, then I’ll just die.”

Murphy shook his head, both admiring the young man’s courage and regretting his recklessness.

“Death comes in many forms. Some deaths happen in an instant—you don’t even feel pain, it’s just that the world ends for you.”

“But some deaths are very long. You might beg for it all to end in an endless black night, yet be powerless to do anything.”

Murphy’s voice was full of lamentation, as if he were experiencing all this himself.

Gorsa slowly shook his head. “I’m not afraid of dying, nor am I afraid of living.”

“Then what are you afraid of?” Murphy didn’t get angry at Gorsa’s repeated contradictions. Instead, he was even in the mood to joke. “Tell me, so I can use it to scare you.”

Gorsa’s curved eyes blinked.

“I’m afraid there’s no road at the end, afraid of losing the courage to move forward.”

Murphy’s lips suddenly trembled, and his smile became somewhat forced. “You really… blocked me off in both directions.”

He sighed deeply. “You’re braver than I am. Then I won’t try to dissuade you. But how much longer do you need to take that final step?”

Gorsa raised his hand to tap his chin. “I’m waiting for an opportunity. I think it should be soon.”

Murphy asked with a smile, “Can you still help during the next black tide outbreak?”

Gorsa only gave a vague estimate. “Probably.”

After their conversation, Murphy left alone.

During the time they talked through the door, Murphy didn’t ask to come in, and Gorsa didn’t invite him in.

They understood each other tacitly.

As if they weren’t people from the same world.

…

After escaping from Keli’s laboratory, Saul saw Hope waiting for him in the corridor again.

Checking the time and seeing he still had enough, Saul, this incompetent tower master, finally had time to hear Hope’s report on the situation at the Purity Wizard Tower and Rhine City.

Although Hope’s previous master Gorsa was also incompetent, at least he stayed in the wizard tower year-round, so Hope could find him for urgent matters.

Saul, on the other hand, simply disappeared, only returning for a few days each time, as if the Purity Wizard Tower were just an inn where he stopped to rest.

Hope saw that Saul was still eager to handle other matters, so he reported the situation in a quick but clear voice.

“…The current lord of Rhine City is Luke, who was once your patient. I observed for a while and found his loyalty to you very high, and his mind flexible, so I had him temporarily manage Rhine City’s affairs. If you have other candidates, you can replace him at any time.”

“No need, let it be him. We’ll deal with problems if they arise.” Saul waved his hand broadly, directly agreeing.

Luke was extremely loyal to him—even his fate lines had appeared around Saul.

Hope nodded in acknowledgment and spoke about wizard tower matters.

“…I’ve recruited some more wizards, mainly first-rank wizards, to coordinate with the various experimental projects currently at the Purity Wizard Tower.”

Now the wizard tower wasn’t like when Gorsa was here, with a mentor teaching many apprentices.

It was more like a combination of Sky City’s Academy of Knowledge and Academy of Practice, organized around experimental research projects, with one or several true wizards leading senior apprentices in research. They weren’t responsible for training new apprentices.

Anyway, true wizards surviving in the Borderland were no weaklings, and wizard apprentices were even more tenacious.

Saul continued nodding. “Just consult Byron and Keli.”

Saul was now a third-rank wizard, and his method for advancing to fourth-rank was unique—no one could participate in his experiments.

After reporting everything, Hope bowed respectfully and immediately withdrew.

Saul went down the stairs to the second basement level, where Little Algae was sealed.

Just as he opened the door to the second basement level, Saul saw a black shadow rushing toward his face.

Saul’s eyes were quick and his hands fast—he grabbed it in one motion.

“Wuwuwuwu…”

Little Algae’s shark-like mouth was skillfully held shut by Saul gripping its upper and lower jaws. Not daring to struggle forcefully, it could only obediently play pitiful.

Saul smiled with relief. “Little Algae, you’re awake! How do you feel? Is the Black Sea Tree working well?”

After Saul released his grip, Little Algae came forward again, wrapping around Saul’s shoulders twice like a scarf.

“Mmm~”

“Why do you look a bit aggrieved?” Saul thought to himself as he continued walking down, then he saw the body connected behind Little Algae’s tentacle…

“Uh…”

Little Algae’s originally thick main trunk was gone, replaced by dense, slender, curved branches tangled together indistinguishably.

It looked even more like a ball of seaweed than its original form.

Moreover, its size wasn’t large—Saul could lift it with both hands. It even trembled slightly when moved.

Saul poked it with his finger, and the tangled ball of seaweed moved twice, then shrank even smaller.

After carefully observing for a while, Saul frowned and looked up at the only tentacle tip still extending outside.

“Little Algae, tell the truth—did you… tangle yourself into a knot you can’t untie?”

“Yingyingyingying…”

(End of Chapter)

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