Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy Chapter 1208: The Mystic Arts Tower

This time around, Lisa had put in tremendous effort, and she simply couldn't hold back any longer.

Her eyes filled with tears while she held onto him tightly.

"I did it, Vale! I'm no longer merely a Vampire Descendant. I've become the possessor of the Dark Arts Tower now!"

Odessa remained close by, completely taken aback. She had anticipated Lisa coming out transformed, maybe more powerful, yet not in this manner, not displaying such intense feelings.

A smile crept onto her face upon witnessing this side of her. Lisa was truly still youthful, and Odessa wished Vale would embrace her emotions...

Indeed, Lisa hadn't even noticed she was there, yet Odessa paid it no mind. The only thing that counted was how Vale would react.

Next, Odessa observed the avatar staying motionless, his face nearly impossible to decipher, though his aura flickered subtly because of her hug.

This wasn't affection, nor dismissal, but mere recognition.

Lisa picked up on it too and grinned amid her tears...

"Ahem... So you're not planning to demand payment from me, are you? The Tower stays available for your use even though it's mine now. I'd never let it go to waste."

"That's not my worry... I trust you won't be harsh toward the students relying on this tower. What intrigues me is what you discovered within." Vale replied.

"It's quite the tale..." Lisa responded, intending to bring Vale to the tower sometime soon. At the moment, though, she had no desire to go back.

Having been trapped inside for some time, she craved a breath of fresh air.

"Well then, Tower Master Lisa, what's your next move? Will you allow the students access again?" Odessa inquired from the rear.

Lisa pulled away and beamed at her. "Haha... Absolutely! Bring back all the students here. I'll provide them with even greater chances to grow stronger within!

A touch of envy stirred in Odessa toward Lisa.

'She really pulled it off and claimed mastery over the Tower. I can't help but wonder what else she'll achieve with it.'

As if sensing her thoughts, Lisa spoke up promptly.

"Exactly... Dispatch more individuals to the other Arcane Arts Towers. Urge them to climb as high as possible, and they could earn the Tower Guardian's approval to take ownership of the Tower." Lisa pointed out.

Vale and Odessa both nodded, having already suspected as much.

With Lisa securing this Tower through her abilities and prowess, others might seize their own opportunities too.

In that instant, Vale employed his telepathy to notify several Immortals under his authority about heading to the Arcane Towers. He shared details of Lisa's achievement as well, and predictably, they all anticipated it eagerly...

Should they not succeed in taking it over, this could still inspire the students to push harder and claim one of the 16 Arcane Arts Towers!

"Hold on... Vale. What's happening here? Why do so many Chaos Immortals and Void Immortals lurk near Clovis City? Is a truce in effect?" Lisa questioned upon spotting various concealed immortals.

Vale admired how Lisa had detected them, yet he denied it with a shake of his head.

"No formal truce exists, but I've already struck their stronghold and inflicted massive harm on them. Regarding the Void Immortal, I'm allowing him to linger for potential leads. I'm continuing my hunt for Lust, among the Seven Sins, who was saved by one of their members."

"Ahhh? That Lust is still alive? I believe you're losing your edge, Vale." Lisa exclaimed in surprise.

"Hey... It's not as if that's my main priority. That Evil Entity has appeared in the Palham Empire as well... Even that's beyond my reach." Vale explained while gesturing dismissively.

Moreover, Lust's safeguarding by a Void Immortal added layers of difficulty.

***

Meanwhile, far westward, past the lush plains and thriving urban centers, an infinite desert sprawled out.

This realm embodied quietude, interrupted solely by wailing winds and abrupt tempests.

Nestled in the heart of this barren expanse stood Zarall, a Celestial roused by Vale from his eternal rest in the mausoleum.

He wasn't someone one could easily overlook. His imposing stature was clad in robes of enchanted silk, impervious to ruin from his unique power.

Currently, his locks had grown lengthy and silvery, cascading like bolts of electricity.

Out of every Celestial Vale had stirred, Zarall possessed the greatest command over Elemental and Mystical Arts.

As Zarall lifted his arm, storm clouds amassed, thunder boomed, and lightning surged from his fingers, scorching the dunes into glassy forms.

He essentially embodied the authentic Thunder Emperor, although only a select few recognized it.

The current holder of that moniker in the mortal realm was simply his apprentice, notorious also as the Bandit King.

Zarall had mentored him ages past, guiding his journey without ever disclosing his own presence to the broader realm.

Typically, Zarall lingered in the western wastes, merging with gales and refining his Celestial core.

A tempest incarnate, he preferred observing the world from a distance. However, upon Vale's awakening, Zarall had lowered his head in respect to the Immortal's might and foresight. From that point, he served as one of Vale's most devoted followers.

On this occasion, with lightning playfully weaving in his grasp, Zarall sensed a wave of telepathic force. Vale's directive arrived distinctly...

"My followers, train inside the Towers. Seize them if possible. Every Tower selects its ruler, and victors will command its hidden knowledge. If one's nearby, act without delay."

Zarall narrowed his eyes upon hearing this. Soon, a subtle grin formed on his mouth.

'So... Vale desires us to challenge the Towers ourselves. Fascinating.'

Following that, Vale detailed Lisa's triumph with the Dark Arts Tower.

"She's a Tower Master already?" Zarall murmured softly, nodding in understanding.

If she, formerly the frailest of them, ascended to mastery, then he might claim one too. The idea captivated him.

Without delay, Zarall pivoted away from the sands.

His form dissolved into a bolt of lightning, hurtling across the skyline swifter than sight could track.

Whoosh!

The dunes quivered in his wake, resounding only with fading thunder.

His target was clear: the Mystic Arts Tower, the closest Arcane Tower...

The Mystic Arts Tower loomed as a massive edifice, adorned with crystals and shadowy stone along its surfaces.

A handful of advanced Academy students were likely training there presently, but that held no significance.

Rumors held that the Tower evaluated not just might, but insight, awareness, and the knack for unveiling the obscure.

Upon Zarall's arrival, the sentinels at the entrance instantly identified him.

His presence was undeniable... In truth, the very gales appeared to trail him. They prostrated themselves, granting passage unasked.

"Lord Zarall," one stammered anxiously. "Do you intend to venture into the tower?"

Zarall affirmed with a nod...

He entered, and the Tower reacted at once.

The moment he crossed the threshold, the initial floor through the fourth became accessible to him...

After all, such advantages came with being an Immortal.

Shortly, the stairs materialized ahead, shimmering with arcane formation arrays...

Without stopping, he climbed to the fourth level.

The room expanded broadly, shrouded in fog and dancing illuminations.

At a cursory look, it appeared vacant. Yet as Zarall advanced, the haze solidified into shapes, spawning dozens of likenesses, all mirroring him, all commanding lightning.

'The initial trial on the fourth floor...'

They struck abruptly, thunderous blasts hurtling his way.

Zarall extended his hand, summoning the gale in reply.

His electricity collided with theirs, erupting energy throughout the space. But he soon grasped that the challenge demanded more than raw might. Every phantom echoed his methods, his own fury.

To overcome them, sheer force wouldn't suffice; he had to exceed his former self.

'How predictable...' Zarall pondered, as illusionary ordeals often followed this pattern. There had to be a twist.

He shut his eyes, concentrating deeply.

The gale inside him refined, growing keener and clearer. Upon reopening them, his lightning ceased its erratic paths. It sharpened into targeted lances, shattering the phantoms sequentially.

In truth, he hadn't elevated his power. He merely honed control over it with finer accuracy. Previously, such precision proved unnecessary against lesser foes.

Before long, the subsequent route revealed itself...

Zarall grinned.

'Excellent. I'd anticipate no less.'

He proceeded to the fifth floor, where the ordeal shifted.

Now, the space brimmed with enigmas etched on the walls, faintly luminous. Each posed a contradiction, a puzzle tied to the Mystic Arts.

To advance, he needed to unravel them, infusing his Celestial essence into the solutions.

Time elapsed as he pondered, sparks of lightning flashing as his thoughts raced. Gradually, the enigmas yielded one after another...

Yet, just as he neared finishing the final one, an unforeseen event unfolded...

His eyes snapped open to discover himself expelled from the Mystic Arts Tower! He'd been ejected!

"What the heck?!"