Chapter 136: Lucian's Magic Tower

A few days later.

A silvery-grey tower soared straight into the clouds. Its entire form was defined by sleek, flowing lines, gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen. Compared to most high-tier mage towers, which tended to be somewhat gloomy and dark, it possessed an indefinable quality that seemed remarkably harmonious with the vast starry sky, clearly setting it apart from any current architectural style.

"As expected of a great musician—his magic tower carries a touch of artistry and fantasy," said Rock. Several years had passed, and while he was now a Third Ring mage, his ebullient spirit remained unchanged.

As an Archanist specializing in astromancy, building a taller tower to serve as an observatory was inevitable. But this shape, this color—it was peculiar even among the many unique magic towers of Alington. It didn't quite match Lucian's quiet and steady temperament. However, remembering that he was also a musician, the mages attending the banquet found themselves understanding.

Louise, with her refined features, admired this tower greatly. At least it was closer to her aesthetic sensibilities than a stark black tower or a grim castle. She smiled and said, "Mr. Evans, you seem equally accomplished in architectural exterior design. When I decide to renovate my garden villa someday, you must give me your advice."

Whether as a musician or a mage, Lucian was considered her "senior." Even though Lucian always insisted she needn't be so formal, she still addressed him meticulously as "Mr. Evans." After becoming the famous radio broadcaster "Nightingale," she was no longer short of funds as a Second Ring mage, and so had not skimped on purchasing a garden villa in Alington's prime real estate district.

"I wonder, Lucian, have you given this magic tower a name?" Samantha asked, her expression indifferent, as if merely making casual conversation. Normally, unless creating a Demi-Plane or something like the Council headquarters, no mage would idle away time naming their tower. Artists were the exception.

Lucian smiled and stepped onto the steps. "I'm calling it 'Babel' anyway."

"Babel..." Lazar, Heather, and the others repeated the syllable doubtfully, unable to find a matching word.

K wanted to ask, but seeing Lucian smile without speaking, he understood Lucian didn't wish to reveal the meaning—it must be a little secret of his own.

"Welcome home, my master. Welcome, honored guests. I am Pinocchio, brave, loyal, and honest." The clear voice of the alchemical life form rang out.

Lucian pointed at the slowly opening silvery-grey metal doors. "This is the tower spirit, 'Pinocchio.'"

Lazar and the others, still unfamiliar with what the name represented, smiled and shook their heads, greeting Pinocchio one by one before entering the main hall. There, in the center, they saw a wheel-shaped metal sculpture.

"This is 'The Wheel of History,'" Lucian introduced the sculpture with a touch of mischievous humor.

This joke transcended world boundaries. Rock was the first to burst into hearty laughter. "Lucian, you're truly ambitious! But of course, the future great Archanist who proposed New Alchemy couldn't possibly lack ambition and confidence. Be it the Northern Church or the Southern Church, all will be crushed by the wheel of history!"

"History is winding and repetitive, but it will always move forward," Lucian amended the description lightly, his mood relaxed. With this magic tower, he finally had a true home in this other world. Here, in conjunction with the tower, he could sufficiently defend against a Ninth Ring...

Samantha nodded slightly. "Lucian, you're even clearer-headed than I imagined. I thought that after you proposed New Alchemy and led mages to truly touch the mysteries of matter, you might have become a bit arrogant."

During this period, although the special supplement "New Alchemy" for the journal *Arcane* had not yet been published, Samantha and other mages with deep backgrounds had already read this "era-changing" masterpiece.

After reading it, Samantha, Rachel, Larry, Ulysses, and the others felt genuine admiration and a sense of dejection. Previously, they had considered Lucian as a formidable competitor within their generation, hard to surpass. While admiring him, they still used him as a target, as motivation to advance. But after "New Alchemy," they suddenly realized Lucian was no longer on their level. He belonged to the tier of Douglas, Brooke, Hathaway, and Claus—the legendary mages. They couldn't even see the back of his head anymore.

This left them with a temporary feeling of powerlessness and gloom.

"Underestimating your enemy means underestimating your own life," Lucian glanced at Samantha and smiled. "Moreover, I'm not as gifted as you imagine. I've said long ago that the domain of atoms is entirely new. Any discovery here could be related to the mysteries of matter. In this field, there are no authorities yet, no distinctions based on magical strength. As long as one has sufficient experimental conditions, one can make astonishing discoveries. I merely walked one step further ahead of you. You might not necessarily be unable to catch up. Youth and a lack of conservatism are assets."

Samantha looked into Lucian's deep, calm eyes, sensing his sincerity rather than polite modesty. A faint smile appeared on her face. "It's a pity I'm not skilled in the elemental domain."

Larry, K, Lazar, and the others nodded thoughtfully. In the past, hearing Lucian say something like this still carried a flavor of encouragement. But now, "New Alchemy" was laid solidly before them. This was indeed a domain belonging to "gods"!

Lucian pointed at the sky. "The macroscopic world is equally important."

"Master, could we see your laboratory?" Before Samantha could answer, Hetty asked curiously, speaking first.

Lucian didn't refuse. He led them down via the lift to the first basement level. Passing the backup energy chamber, the containment room, and the underground magic garden, they reached the vast laboratory.

Most of the magic circles and alchemical devices were familiar to everyone. However, the two opposing semi-circular silver metal boxes placed within the strong magnetic vacuum magic circle in the center of the lab left them somewhat baffled.

These two metal boxes, engraved with numerous magic runes, seemed to share a certain stylistic resemblance with the entire tower. They also emitted that same indefinable quality.

"This is the Electromagnetic Cyclotron... If you wish to build one, you can go exchange for the design scheme I submitted," Lucian briefly explained the principle, subtly tempting them.

This tower, which had far exceeded its original budget, benefited from special Council support, with many advanced materials priced as low as intermediate ones. Nevertheless, Lucian had still spent his entire three years of savings, along with the rewards from his alchemy work. This would make future upgrades much easier, but right now, he needed Arcane Points to replenish his finances.

This made Lucian sigh to himself; he had advanced too quickly. Even with numerous income-generating projects and generous Arcane Point rewards, there was still a gap compared to high-tier mages who had lived for over a century. After all, his own tower used only the best of everything, and included configurations that exceeded even the current needs of an ordinary high-tier mage.

"And what is this?" Larry asked, eyeing the Electromagnetic Cyclotron with palpable interest. He then pointed at the sealed box connected to the emission end, which seemed covered in many magic circles related to the field of thermodynamics.

Lucian indicated the observation device and recording magic circles atop it. "This is an auxiliary alchemical device I designed. It's called a cloud chamber."

"Cloud chamber?" K's honest face showed clear puzzlement.