The Deep Blue Main Tower was not built like a typical magical tower. Not only was it three times the height of an ordinary tower, but its diameter was also over twice as wide. This meant that the total area of Deep Blue was more than ten times the size of an average magical tower, not counting its enormous accompanying buildings. The sheer scale of the structure, with the amount of resources required, was beyond imagination. More than ten thousand people lived directly or indirectly around Deep Blue, making it the size of a small city. But Deep Blue, like a giant beast, consumed ten times more materials than a city of the same size.
For the circulation of goods, Deep Blue had its own deep-water port, where magic had been used to carve docking points for giant ocean liners into the hard reefs. On land, three main roads connected the tower from different directions, and along those roads, at least five or six towns had thrived due to trade.
Situated at the northern tip of the Frozen Sea Bay in the continent’s northwest, Deep Blue was also located at the mouth of two great rivers. The Frozen Sea Bay spanned vast distances, resembling a sea in its entirety, stretching over 1,500 kilometers from the Starlight Peninsula in the south to the Winter Mountain Range in the north. Every winter, the bay would freeze, with only the southern coastal areas being navigable. However, Deep Blue’s port, located at the end of the warm currents, was a non-freezing port.
The location of Deep Blue was incredibly important. It was not only well-connected but also controlled one of the three major passages from the Ice Ocean Continent. The ferocious Polar Grey Dwarves and magical beasts had no choice but to detour through the Sunset Canyon to the east. This road was more than a thousand kilometers longer, and it forced them to confront the Thunder God Fortress of the Holy Alliance Empire. After a few major battles following the completion of Deep Blue, the Polar Grey Dwarves preferred to attack the Thunder God Fortress rather than face the methods of Su Helen. This woman had already been equated with the most terrifying of evil gods in the legends of many Polar Grey Dwarf tribes. After she officially broke through to the 20th level and became a Legendary Mage, Deep Blue had become a peaceful land.
Even the brutal and fierce Grey Dwarves, known for their strength in battle, no longer wished to disrupt the peace here. Over time, the lands surrounding Deep Blue had transformed into a prosperous and beautiful region.
This was the history of Deep Blue.
The historian telling this story was an almost 100-year-old mage, whose magical abilities were not very strong. At level 8, he was one of the weakest mages that Richard had encountered in Deep Blue. However, the old mage had an excellent appearance and a voice that was rich in tone. His knowledge of Deep Blue’s history was second only to Su Helen. His job was simple: to explain the history of Deep Blue to visitors. For a new apprentice like Richard, learning about Deep Blue’s glorious past was his first lesson in magic, a lesson even more important than magical ability or talent tests. The latter determined how far a mage could go in the complex world of magic, but Richard would only understand later that the former decided whether an apprentice could walk the path of magic at all.
Richard’s status was different from that of other apprentices. He was personally accepted by Su Helen as a student, so what would have been one day of history lessons for ordinary apprentices turned into three days for him. To extend the history lessons of Deep Blue over three days was indeed a test of the old mage’s skills.
In the history recounted by the old mage, many details were omitted, and key aspects were deliberately ignored. However, official histories always make such omissions, knowing what can be said and what must remain forgotten. Richard, with the help of his talents in wisdom and perception, was able to piece together a fairly complete picture in his mind.
The three days of brainwashing had a significant effect. At least now, Richard would never look at Su Helen as a na?ve, innocent, fair-skinned young girl again. He no longer felt the urge to bite her. The woman, feared even by the Grey Dwarves and Ice Ocean Giants, was someone whose terror could not be overstated.
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Of course, this result was not the old mage’s intention, but he would never know. To most people, Richard appeared to be a quiet child, so silent that he rarely showed any extra expression. He had never been seen smiling happily, nor crying after being reprimanded or bullied. Whatever he was asked to do, he would immediately do, doing it meticulously and flawlessly, not at all like a mere ten-year-old child.
There was no sunshine in Richard.
After three days of history lessons, it was time for the magical talent test. Richard was brought into a special hall, where the alchemical instruments dazzled him. More than twenty busy mages were in the hall, and the one overseeing the test was a great mage. When Richard used his "Perception" ability, he didn’t see a mage at all but instead a glowing orb of magical energy! This was at least a level 17 mage, someone who could easily serve as a court mage in any empire but had been assigned to conduct Richard’s talent test.
Richard was stripped of all his clothes and strapped to a cold metal chair, his body bound by various straps. The great mage personally inserted several crystal needles carefully into Richard’s body. The entire process was painful, but Richard quietly gritted his teeth and endured it. Judging by the setup, it was clear that this was no ordinary test. He had never heard of a talent test requiring such elaborate rituals. For ordinary apprentices, a simple zero-level spell cast on a crystal ball suffices. But these mages treated the test as if it were the most significant magical experiment, with each of them serious, precise, and efficient, showcasing the full professionalism of high-level mages.
What Richard didn’t know was that behind the single-sided magical wall, Su Helen was comfortably reclining on a sofa, observing the entire testing process. Although she was engrossed in a book of notes from a previous legendary mage and snacking on fruit, the methods of the legendary mage were beyond the understanding of ordinary people. Even without using her eyes or ears, she had over a hundred ways to monitor everything happening around her. Under Su Helen’s watchful gaze, all the mages were doing their utmost.
There was only one master of Deep Blue, and that was Su Helen. Everyone else was a servant. As long as they could make her happy, the mages’ treatment would likely improve by fifty percent.
A mage walked over and held a beaker near Richard’s nose, making him inhale the mist rising from it. Moments later, Richard’s consciousness began to fade, but he still remained slightly aware of what was happening around him.
Strange sensations started spreading throughout his body. After a while, he vaguely heard a muffled voice say, "High elemental affinity, fire and shadow with a slight affinity for the divine. No specific elemental talent."
Then came sharp pains, testing Richard’s capacity to endure elemental damage and the most basic form of magical resistance. After a moment, the voice announced that his elemental resistance was good.
Next, Richard’s consciousness suddenly felt like a needle had been thrust into it, and the pain directly impacted his soul! Though on the verge of passing out, Richard still couldn’t help but convulse, but his body was tightly bound, unable to escape.
"Excellent mental power, close to genius level." Upon hearing this, Richard finally relaxed. It seemed that the evaluation was quite positive.
Afterward, there were detailed tests of his physical capabilities. What Richard didn’t know was that the professional mages even tested his male capabilities, rating them as quick to develop with excellent potential, which was even higher than his magical talent. The testing went on for a full three hours, resulting in a report over twenty pages long.
During this time, Su Helen read two books of notes, experimented with a new magical concept, and ate ten pounds of fruit. Yet, she never left her monitoring position.
When Richard regained consciousness, he was told that his magical talent had been rated as excellent, with no particular elemental affinity. He also had satisfactory martial talent, which could make him a level 11-12 fighter if he chose that path.
Richard was overjoyed by the excellent rating, but after the long testing, he was so exhausted that he could barely stand. He was then led away to rest. He wondered if there was an evaluation level higher than excellent, though he figured that level would be reserved for true geniuses. However, what he didn’t know was that his rating system was different—above "excellent," there were five more levels: genius, exceptional, legendary, unique, and Su Helen.
