The plan for the Staff of Equilibrium was ambitious, but its execution came with numerous challenges.
The first hurdle was overcoming the World Master's pressure emanating from the Hand of Earth. Richard's plan was to use the Sealing Art to seal a portion of it, followed by prolonged training to acclimate himself to the pressure.
Next was the issue of crafting.
The strength of this arm was astonishing, and it even hindered the use of Alchemy. This meant that inscribing runes on it would be a time-consuming process.
Then there was the matter of the Light of Equilibrium.
The Light of Equilibrium obtained from the collectors didn't meet Richard's desired specifications. In other words, if Richard wanted to perfect this staff, he would have to make a trip to the Balance Dimension.
Alternatively, he could attempt to exchange the Light of Equilibrium with creatures from the Balance Dimension through some ritual.
This, too, was a daunting task.
However, nothing is impossible for a determined individual.
These difficulties were not insurmountable, so as long as Richard persevered, the plan could certainly be realized.
And Wizards are never short of patience.
After storing the materials needed for the Staff of Equilibrium, Richard left the Secret Realm and returned to his room in the Central Black Tower.
Instead of diving into research, Richard lay on his bed, smiling as he gazed at the ceiling.
The day's gains were so immense that it all felt surreal.
After a long while, he sat up, rubbed his face, and walked over to his desk.
With the excitement subsided, it was time to get down to business.
Among the beneficiaries of the Academy War, Richard likely reaped the most rewards.
He had acquired the Magic Pockets of over 800 Wizards, including more than 500 experimental notebooks, along with a significant amount of Magic Equipment and Magic Stones.
In the Mirror World, Richard made a rough estimate: he had earned nearly 30,000 Magic Essence, and selling the Magic Equipment could fetch him another 50,000 or so.
After all, the majority of the captured Wizards were First Circle, and the financial state of First Circle Wizards was rather precarious. A considerable number of them couldn't even afford to stay in the Tower of Truth for extended periods.
Moreover, most of the First Circle Wizards from the Falling Star Academy were student soldiers, which meant they didn't have much to offer.
However, Richard wasn't particularly concerned about the profits from the Magic Stones.
As long as he didn't embark on any excessively costly projects, such as crafting a dozen sets of Mechanist Type I Individual Armor, he had essentially achieved financial freedom with Magic Essence.
What he valued more were the experimental notebooks and the high-quality Magic Equipment, which provided him with insights into Spell Models and Alchemical techniques.
Richard pulled out dozens of experimental notebooks from his pocket, a glint of excitement in his eyes. He muttered to himself, "Let's see what surprises you have in store for me."
...
Time flew by, and three years passed in the blink of an eye.
During these three years, Richard spent most of his time in his room, studying the knowledge gained from the spoils of war. The rest of his time was dedicated to customizing a set of Magic Equipment for the Magic Dwarves, assisting Jolod in setting up Magic Arrays in the academy, and spending time with Ellie.
Ellie was about to advance to a Second Circle Wizard.
It had been over 400 years since Ellie became a First Circle Wizard, and her mental strength had long reached the peak of the First Circle.
The reason she hadn't rushed to break through was that the Darkness of the Soul posed a significant test to a Wizard's willpower.
Countless Wizards had fallen during their advancement, becoming lifeless Living Corpses.
Now, Ellie felt her will was strong enough, and she had obtained the Second Circle advancement ritual from Susanna.
All that remained was to put it into practice.
...
The third underground level of the Central Black Tower.
The third underground level was a dedicated space within the Black Tower Wizard Academy for internal Wizard advancements.
The advancement chambers here were so secure that even if the Central Black Tower collapsed, they would remain unaffected, making them the safest place in the entire academy.
When Jolod advanced to the Third Circle, he did so in one of these chambers.
Standing at the door of the advancement chamber, Richard asked Ellie, "Are you ready?"
"Ready," Ellie replied, dragging out her words. "My love, this is the tenth time you've asked me this hour."
Richard awkwardly scratched his head and mumbled, "As long as you're ready."
Richard wasn't sure how to describe his current emotions. Even during his own advancement, he hadn't felt as conflicted as he did today.
He and Ellie had been together since their apprentice days, and while their relationship had grown somewhat distant over time, when faced with the possibility of a life-and-death separation, Richard felt a surge of fear.
People often take the good things they have for granted—until they are at risk of losing them.
Tap, tap, tap…
The sound of crisp footsteps echoed from behind Richard. He turned to see a black-robed female Wizard emerging from the teleportation gate at the end of the corridor, walking briskly toward them.
It was Ellie's mentor, Susanna.
She approached Ellie and gave her student a gentle hug.
"Ellie, the path ahead is one you must walk alone."
They separated, and Ellie smiled. "Don't worry, teacher. I will succeed."
Susanna smiled back, caressed Ellie's cheek, and said nothing more.
She stepped past Ellie, opened the door to the advancement chamber, and handed Ellie a Magic Pocket.
"Go in. The materials for the ritual are inside. If anything is missing, use the Communication Crystal Ball to contact me."
Ellie took the bag and hugged Susanna once more. Then she went to Richard, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him goodbye.
"I'm going in. See you in a few decades."
The door closed, and Richard's heart inexplicably sank into a state of panic. He placed his hand on his chest, feeling his heart pounding wildly.
"Don't panic, Richard."
Richard looked up at Susanna, who now spoke. She appeared calm.
"Advancement is an inevitable part of every Wizard's journey. In your long life, you will experience this many times.
Success, failure—you will encounter both. You must learn to adapt.
Moreover, whether the advancement succeeds is not something you or I can control. Don't trouble yourself unnecessarily. Focus on what truly matters."
Susanna's words made Richard feel as though he were being lectured, but she certainly had the authority to do so.
Richard made an effort to calm himself and nodded slightly at Susanna.
"The Master is right."
Seeing Richard recover so quickly, Susanna's eyes showed a hint of admiration.
Rationality is one of the most valuable qualities of a Wizard.
"Go back. If Ellie succeeds, I will notify you immediately."
...
Back on the surface, the sky was a brilliant blue, and the clouds were dazzlingly white.
Black-robed Wizard Apprentices floated leisurely through the academy, while Inspectors stationed along the roads kept a watchful eye on every corner.
After three years of reconstruction, the Black Tower Wizard Academy had mostly recovered.
Richard touched his chest, where his heart was still pounding, and sighed helplessly.
"Sigh, I need to find something productive to distract myself. In this state, it's hard to focus on research."
Returning to the Central Black Tower, Richard headed straight to Jolod's laboratory.
He pushed open the door to find Jolod leisurely reading a Magic Book.
Jolod looked up at Richard and said, "Has the advancement begun?"
"Yes."
"Go out for a walk. Clear your mind and broaden your horizons. Your current strength is starting to outpace your experience."
"That's exactly why I'm here. Teacher, I'm taking the Magic Dwarves with me."
"Take them. Just remember to register them at the Legal Affairs Department."
"Got it."
With that, Richard turned and headed downstairs.
The Magic Dwarves also resided on the 56th floor of the Central Black Tower. After the academy's reconstruction, they had settled down in the Black Tower Wizard Academy.
Now, it was time to take them back to their ancestral lands.
Knock, knock, knock! Bruto, holding a book in his hand, opened the door, a pair of glasses perched on his nose.
He adjusted his glasses, recognized the person at the door, and immediately performed a somewhat awkward Wizard Salute.
"Master, what can I do for you?"
Richard stepped past Bruto and glanced around the room.
Piles of books were stacked on the desk, and architectural sketches covered the walls.
It seemed this Magic Dwarf was teaching himself architecture.
"Nothing much. I'm planning to take you all back to your ancestral lands. Just came to let you know."
Bruto was momentarily stunned, then a hint of joy flashed across his face.
"Thank you, Master. When do we leave?"
Richard pulled out a pocket watch and checked the time.
"10:30… You have half an hour. Meet me at the Airship Field in half an hour."
After a pause, Richard added, "You know where the Airship Field is, right?"
"Don't worry, Master. We know—we were the ones who built it!"
...
The ancestral lands of the Magic Dwarves were located in the central region of the Wizard Continent, outside the territory of Richard's Tower of Truth.
To transport these Magic Dwarves back to their ancestral lands, Richard would have to embark on a cross-realm journey—
from the Fourth Circle Tower of Truth where Richard resided, crossing into the First Circle Tower of Truth in the central region of the Wizard Continent.
The first stop of this cross-realm journey was the City of Bliss.
At the Airship Field, Bob had arrived early, waiting for Richard.
Surrounding airships took off and landed, and some of the people recognized Bob.
They bowed to him in awe, but Bob didn't spare them even a glance.
The onlookers speculated that President Bob was waiting for an important guest. But they couldn't imagine who could warrant such a reception from the head of the Nine Stars Commerce.
An airship descended from the sky.
This Magic Airship appeared unremarkable, but its arrival immediately caught Bob's attention.
The airship landed, and its door opened.
A black-robed Wizard stepped out and embraced Bob.
"Fifty years, Bob. You've lost some weight. Running a commerce guild isn't easy, is it?"
Bob smiled but feigned a sigh.
"Ah, don't mention it. I'm losing hair every day, almost going bald. I wish I could just hand over this presidency.
Being a president is too hard."
Richard laughed and punched Bob lightly, and the two burst into laughter.
Soon, Richard brought up his own matter.
"Bob, did you handle what I asked you about?"
Bob looked smug. "How could such a small matter go wrong? Cross-realm travel? We at the Nine Stars Commerce have routes for that.
No matter which Tower of Truth you're heading to, I can get you there."
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