"The Arcadia Magic Laboratory... Are we talking about the Grand Mages from the Tower faction’s magic academy?" Ethan’s eyes flickered with curiosity.
The Tower faction was the most proficient in magic among all the major powers, boasting countless types of mages. The most renowned among them were the Silver Empire and the Seven Cities Alliance.
The Silver Empire was the primary empire established and supported by the Tower faction in the main world of Glory Lords X. Its power was formidable—on par with, or even surpassing, the mightiest nations.
In the grand scheme of Glory Lords X, the Silver Empire held a status comparable to the legendary Holy Griffon Empire of the past and the current stronghold of the Forest faction—AvLee!
It was a force to be reckoned with.
As for the Seven Cities Alliance, it was a mage faction that had splintered from the Silver Empire at its peak. While its overall strength didn’t quite match that of a superpower, it still stood above most ordinary nations.
Mages, by nature, were highly individualistic and specialized, making them notoriously stubborn and self-centered. Over time, differing ideologies emerged, leading to the formation of distinct schools of thought. This internal competition between magical disciplines was fierce—so much so that it was the very reason the Seven Cities Alliance broke away from the Silver Empire in the first place.
To them, the Silver Empire represented stagnation and outdated traditions.
The Seven Cities Alliance, on the other hand, stood for openness and freedom.
This ideological divide even extended to their military structures, with both factions developing entirely different unit compositions.
They commanded various creatures—some summoned, others crafted through magical artifacts and imbued with life through arcane power.
The most iconic example? The Silver Empire’s legendary unit was the 14th-Tier Titan, a colossal being wielding the power of lightning. Meanwhile, the Seven Cities Alliance had the 13th-Tier Arcane Eagle, a mythical magical beast.
One represented the pinnacle of summoned creatures.
The other, the ultimate form of magically created life.
If there was one word to describe their philosophy, it would be diversity.
To them, the essence of magic was precisely that—endless possibilities.
At the same time, because mages wielded devastating, large-scale spells capable of leveling entire landscapes, few dared to provoke them. Among all the factions in the main world—and even across Glory Lords X—mages were the most arrogant and self-assured group.
So naturally, when someone mentioned a magic laboratory, the Tower faction was the first thing that came to mind.
After all, powerful mages were practically synonymous with the Tower.
"Master, let me go in first and check if there’s any danger. You should wait here for now."
As Ethan was lost in thought, Seraphina spoke up beside him.
Ethan wasn’t particularly worried, but just to be cautious, he nodded.
With his approval, Seraphina immediately slipped inside. It wasn’t long before she returned, shaking her head.
"Master, I didn’t find any threats inside. But I did come across a Creature Dwelling. There are some units inside, currently in a dormant state."
"A Creature Dwelling?"
"Dormant units?" Ethan blinked in surprise.
"I don’t remember their exact name, but they should be from one of the Tower faction’s branches. You should take a look for yourself, Master," Seraphina suggested.
"Well, let’s go in and take a look." Ethan nodded and stepped into the laboratory.
The so-called Arcadia Magic Laboratory wasn’t particularly large—in fact, it was rather small.
But, much like a Swiss Army knife, it was compact yet fully equipped.
Even though Ethan couldn’t make sense of the intricate and overwhelmingly complex magical instruments and artifacts scattered throughout the room, it was obvious at a glance that they were highly specialized.
And not the kind of "specialized" you could just fake...
"Cicero, can you make sense of any of this?" Ethan asked.
"I can..." Cicero nodded, his eyes gleaming with interest. "This is a standard high-level magic laboratory from the Tower faction, specifically in the style of the Seven Cities Alliance... Generally speaking, any mage capable of independently operating a lab of this caliber must be quite powerful."
Hearing that, Ethan couldn’t help but smile, a flicker of excitement flashing in his eyes.
If even Cicero considered them "quite powerful," then they were probably at least SSS-tier Legendary, or maybe even Crimson Ultimate and above! A mage of that level wouldn’t have a disappointing lab, right?
"What about the Creature Dwelling?" Ethan asked next.
"Master, over here..." Seraphina pointed toward a towering blue obelisk not far away.
Ethan and the others followed her gaze, and the moment Eldorin saw it, his eyes lit up. "That’s the Pinnacle of Wishes! It’s also the recruitment site for 10th-Tier Djinn Sultans, a magical creature of the Seven Cities Alliance."
"Djinn Sultan?" Ethan raised an eyebrow. "How’s that different from the 10th-Tier Master Genie?"
"To us? Not much difference at all," Eldorin replied. "Mages from the Silver Empire call them Master Genies, while those from the Seven Cities Alliance refer to them as Djinn Sultans..."
He shook his head. "There might be some minor distinctions, but they’re negligible."
Ethan was momentarily speechless before turning toward the Pinnacle of Wishes. Normally, at this point, he should have heard the system prompt asking if he wanted to recruit units.
But this time... nothing.
Not even a ripple of response.
"Well, well... It seems we have visitors."
A raspy, ancient voice drifted from within the Pinnacle of Wishes.
Ethan froze for a moment, while Seraphina, Cicero, and Eldorin immediately tensed up. Some stepped forward with serious expressions, while others positioned themselves protectively in front of Ethan.
"My heavens! The great Green Dragon Hero... and a Unicorn Hero... and even an Ancient Treant Hero!"
A voice filled with astonishment rang out.
A thin, almost skeletal, blue-hued magical being emerged from the Pinnacle of Wishes, floating before Ethan.
Overall Assessment: White-tier Common Hero.
What the hell was going on?!
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