Odessa froze as the serpent's eyes gleamed, its voice slithering directly into her mind.

"Odessa… be alert. There are Chaos Immortals in this city, disguised as ordinary humans."

'Chaos Immortals? Here?' She didn't expect that they were already infiltrated. However, she also felt curious why Vale hadn't acted yet.

As she reached this thought, the snake inside Darlene's blouse continued.

"I have already informed Vale. For now, none of them is causing harm, so we are watching quietly. Vale has assigned several of his Avatars to remain within Clovis City. He is curious why the Chaos Immortals have suddenly appeared here."

Odessa's heart pounded. She had fought against Chaos Immortals before, and of course, she wasn't alone during that time, and was helping the other immortals. Their spells were too powerful and difficult to defend against since they thrived on disorder, corruption, and destruction.

To think they were walking the streets disguised as common folk unsettled her deeply.

But the serpent was not finished.

"There is more. We have also sensed the presence of Void Immortals. They are not hostile… merely exploring. Still, it is wise to be careful. Their motives are never simple."

Odessa's eyes widened. Chaos Immortals and Void Immortals… both here? She had been away from Clovis City for only a short time, yet so much had changed.

The city was no longer just a hub of students and merchants, it had become a silent battlefield of Immortal presences. She wasn't exactly sure what was going on but Vale seemed to be plotting something since these Immortals suddenly showed up here.

She clenched her fists, as she knew that there was nothing she could do.

'If Vale's Avatars are already here, then he is watching closely. But I just have to continue my work. I must remain at the Academy. The students must be protected at all costs.'

She felt that this was the best option she had.

She would stay within the Academy grounds, ensuring that no harm reached the young disciples.

Yet even as she made that decision, a sudden ripple of energy brushed against her senses.

It was faint, but unmistakable. There was a disturbance in the Dark Arts Tower.

Odessa turned to the location of the wild Dark Energy she had just felt.

'The Tower… something has changed.'

She knew that Lisa, one of the Immortals, was still trapped within that cursed place. The Dark Arts Tower was notorious for its shifting energies, but it had never than that before.

Because of that, many of them were closely watching the situation.

Without hesitation, Odessa turned her steps toward the Tower.

She could feel that Vale's Avatar was already there, handling the situation, so she knew that she didn't have to worry.

'I hope she managed to break through her bottleneck or something.' Odessa mused as she believed that the reason Lisa was trapped inside the Dark Arts Towers was that she had obtained an opportunity to advance or get stronger.

She hoped that once she arrived there, Lisa would already be out of the Tower, filled with newfound power.

***

In the meantime, Lisa didn't know how long she had been trapped inside the Dark Arts Tower.

Time had lost meaning as the Tower consumed her mind, dragging her through endless illusions, trials, and darkness. At first, she thought she would break, that her soul would shatter under the weight of the Phantasm State the Tower forced upon her.

But she endured!

She had come here because she felt weak and the most fragile Immortal under Vale's command. If she could not rise above her bottleneck, she would forever remain in the shadows of the others. That thought alone had driven her deeper into the Tower's abyss.

When her eyes finally opened, she was no longer trembling.

Instead, she stood in a vast chamber filled with treasures...

Then, a figure emerged. It was just a silhouette without form…

"You passed… Your body endured all the trials. The Tower is now yours."

Before she could respond, the shadow dissolved into mist and merged seamlessly into her own shadow. A surge of power coursed through her veins, and knowledge flooded her mind.

Lisa gasped. She understood instantly… The Dark Arts Tower, one of the sixteen Towers Vale had brought from another realm, now belonged to her.

She was shocked.

All its functions remained intact, it could still serve as a trial tower for Arcane students, high‑rank Arcanists, and even Half‑Immortals. But now, she could control its flow, hasten their training speed, and amplify their growth. Every practitioner who entered would leave behind fragments of energy, and she would benefit from it as well.

"This… this is incredible," she whispered with her hands trembling with awe.

She didn't expect this at all. Perhaps, even Vale was unaware that this could happen.

She couldn't help but worry that Vale would get mad at her since she basically stole his Dark Arts Tower.

'Well… I hope you won't get mad since I'm the chosen one.' Lisa thought with a smith.

Driven by curiosity, Lisa began to explore.

She walked through the familiar floors, the trial chambers filled with illusions, the labyrinths of shadow beasts, the meditation halls where Dark Arts practitioners tested their Phantasm State.

Everything was as she remembered, yet subtly different.

Even the staircase was no longer testing her mind and power.

The Tower responded to her presence now. Its walls were even purifying her energy!

Then, as she reached what she thought was the final floor, she felt something strange. A hidden passage revealed itself, a staircase descending deeper into the abyss.

Her heart raced. "There's more? Right… There's a hidden floor."

Well, she just browsed through the memories she obtained and confirmed that this was just one of the features of the Tower.

She followed the path and soon discovered a hidden floor. Unlike the others, this chamber was vast and silent, filled with black crystal pillars with ancient energy.

As she touched one, visions of forgotten Dark Arts techniques surged into her mind… There were forbidden spells, long lost to history. This floor was not for ordinary students. It was a vault of knowledge, reserved only for the Tower's master.

But the surprises weren't over. Another pulse of energy beckoned her further down. She descended again, reaching the next floor, concealed even deeper.

Indeed, there were two hidden floors!

Here, the air was colder…

Then, a colossal shadow beast slumbering in shadow chains appeared!

Its body was restrained by Tower itself. Lisa's breath caught.

She realized this was the Tower's core guardian, a creature bound from another realm. Its existence explained why the Tower had always been so dangerous.

As she approached, the beast stirred, opening one massive eye.

Yet instead of hostility, she felt recognition. The shadow chains loosened slightly, and its voice rumbled in her mind.

"You are the master now. My strength is yours to command."

Lisa staggered back, overwhelmed.

She was expecting some kind of a battle for supremacy in order to get acknowledged. However, it seemed that she was thinking too much.

She was indeed the Tower Master now!

Not only had she inherited the Tower, but she now held dominion over its hidden guardian.

She clenched her fists as she felt that she was indeed blessed by the tower! Of course, she had to thank Vale for this since it was he who had brought this tower to the Human Realm!

"No longer the weakest… I will rise. With this Tower, I will prove myself worthy under Vale."

***

Outside the Dark Arts Tower, Vale's avatar stood silently, waiting for something more to happen.

The Tower started pulsing faintly with its dark energy rippling outward like waves across the city.

There were even numerous bats gathering around the tower for some reason.

For days it had remained dormant, but now its rhythm had changed so suddenly…

'So… she has either failed or passed. After this long, something must have happened.'

He felt curiosity stir within him, but he did not move. He had to be patient on this matter.

Soon, Odessa arrived, her cloak trailing behind her as she approached.

She bowed slightly to the avatar and wanted to tell him something.

"Lord Vale," she began, "I must ask—"

But before she could finish, the gates of the Tower groaned and slowly opened.

A surge of shadow energy spilled out, followed by a figure stepping into the light.

Lisa.

Her dark hair shimmered faintly, and her aura had completely transformed, stronger than ever before!

She looked around, her eyes locking instantly onto Vale's avatar.

Without hesitation, she leaped forward, closing the distance in an instant.

"Vale!" she cried, her voice finally breaking with emotion. She threw her arms around the avatar, hugging him tightly.

She knew it was only an avatar, a fragment of his will, but she didn't care.

After all the endless trials, the illusions, the torment of the Tower, she had succeeded. She had endured. And now, seeing even a shadow of Vale was enough to overwhelm her heart.

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