“I still prefer the look on your face earlier, Nuha.”
“The tide of battle has turned from this moment onward.”
“Dali’ang…”
Mei Wei Si, who had been standing behind you with her heart already turned to ash, felt her eyes well up with tears at the sight of your back.
“You… you… do you even want to know how to get out of this tower?!”
You heard Nuha’s words and felt a slight confusion. Could it be that this tower couldn’t be escaped?
You knew full well this was likely a delaying tactic from Nuha, so you naturally wouldn’t fall for it so easily.
“Oh? Can’t get out?”
You rubbed your chin, putting on a somewhat troubled expression.
“That’s right. If you want to leave the Magic Tower, it’s impossible without me telling you the way.”
Seeing the difficult expression on your face, Nuha acted as if he had grasped a lifeline.
“And as for using these magical spaces, how to drive the tower to other places—if I don’t tell you these things, there’s no way you’ll ever figure them out!”
“Don’t you want to use this tower to obtain what you desire? I can tell you everything, as long as you let me live!”
Nuha’s face twisted in anguish. He was clearly pained as he said these words—all of this had once been his, and now it was being handed over to you.
“But… what if I don’t want to leave?”
“What?”
“Look.”
You turned your head and looked at Mei Wei Si.
“I have such a beautiful young lady to keep me company, and I have an army of goblins at my command.”
“Even if I stayed here for the rest of my life, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”
“Besides, once you’re dead, I’m not incapable of finding the tower’s usage methods on my own.”
Mei Wei Si had already developed feelings beyond that of master and student toward you moments ago. Now, she found herself harboring a hint of longing for your words.
The same words sounded entirely different in Nuha’s ears.
His entire body trembled like a sieve, his face turning deathly pale.
“No… none of this is real…”
When Nuha said this, it was as if his soul had already been ripped away, leaving only an empty shell behind.
“Get to it. Make him taste the most terrifying punishment!”
The goblin soldiers were naturally different from those savage breeds in the caves. As the most crucial component of the Goblin Empire, they naturally knew the most popular tortures used throughout the empire.
“Master.”
The Champion Goblin stepped forward and knelt on one knee.
“When it comes to dealing with dwarves, we have specialized punishments.”
“Good. Translate it for this dwarf who’s about to die a miserable death.”
Nuha had no idea what you were discussing among yourselves. He could only stare at you in bewilderment.
“Dwarf, we are about to subject you to a punishment called the ‘Height Increase Technique.'”
“I and another goblin—one will grip your legs, the other will hold your chest, and we’ll pull with all our might in opposite directions.”
“In the words of us goblins, you’re about to become a ‘tall one’!”
“HAHAHAHAHA!!”
In response to the goblins’ cold joke, every goblin present laughed—except for you three humans.
Mei Wei Si was still savoring your words, while you simply felt speechless.
As for Nuha…
“He peed himself! Hahaha!”
The Champion Warrior pointed at Nuha and burst into wild laughter.
The goblins were already gleeful, even fervently hoping to see other species cower in fear before them.
The more fear they saw, the more excited the goblins became, and the more they would torment their target twofold.
Nuha had always been timid, and at this moment, his soul had nearly been scared out of his body.
“I’ll talk, I’ll tell you everything! Just don’t kill me!”
Nuha broke down completely.
“Too late, dwarf!”
“You—come with me and help turn him into a tall one!”
The Goblin Champion pointed at a goblin who was laughing wildly. That goblin immediately spat into his own palm, rubbed his hands together, and walked up with eager enthusiasm.
Seeing that you had no intention of telling them to stop, Nuha finally couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“Everything about this tower is hidden in the underground chamber! I can take you there!”
“Underground chamber? How do I know you’re not lying to me?”
“The underground chamber is right beneath the throne! All you have to do is move it aside! You can open it right now!”
“Is that so…”
There had to be at least some truth in Nuha’s words.
However, the very next second, a voice that seemed to come from all directions resounded.
“Poor Nuha. Even you never imagined you’d end up like this, did you?”
“Who’s speaking?”
The voice sounded like it belonged to an old man well advanced in years. You became alert.
“I am the true master of this Magic Tower—Antoni.”
“Forgive this old man for making a spectacle before this noble young master. I was betrayed by my own servant and reduced to a lingering wisp of a soul within this tower. To witness this scene today is truly a rare occasion.”
“Antoni?!”
Mei Wei Si let out a startled cry from the side.
The name was also quite familiar to you. You had seen it before in the History of Magic.
He was one of the legendary mages, said to have lived for nearly a thousand years before dying. His magic was mostly spatial magic. Legend had it that he could instantly teleport an entire mountain to the other end of the world.
The functions of this tower were also very similar to his magic, both utilizing the power of space.
“So he really might be Antoni…”
“It seems this old man has no need to introduce himself. You two mages, welcome to my Magic Tower. This place was meant to be a hall of learning for mages, but alas, it’s all my fault for letting this servant have his way!”
Antoni’s tone was filled with deep regret.
“This servant of mine wasn’t wrong—it will be very difficult for you to leave. But I can ensure you live comfortably within this tower without worry.”
“This tower connects to countless spaces. What Nuha showed you was only a fraction of them. In truth, a considerable portion of these spaces can provide all sorts of daily necessities. It’s precisely by relying on these spaces that he managed to survive until now.”
“In short, you need not worry about not knowing how to control this Magic Tower once he’s dead.”
Antoni paused, then spoke again with a hint of laughter in his voice.
“This old man… heh heh… truly has no resistance to goblin jokes.”
“Proceed with the goblin torture. Let him die in the most agonizing way possible!”
Antoni’s tone carried a hatred that bordered on malice.
“No… Antoni, you can’t do this to me!”
“My dear servant, good and evil always reap what they sow. For the souls of those you’ve killed, go die!”
The mana throughout the Great Hall began to churn chaotically.
“Go ahead, noble young master. If you don’t trust me, then here is my Control Staff. You may try it out.”
A staff materialized out of thin air and dropped in front of you.