Chapter 1493: Chapter 930: Sunrise Dawn (Part 8): Father and Son 2
Ados hesitated for a moment, then slowly shook his head:
"No, Lord Tony, you must stay connected with the other Chosen Ones, your safety is the most important."
"Ados is right, your safety is the most crucial, and the energy core is also with you."
Mire and Ramsis also said.
"That’s right, I’ll go, I’m a heavy-armored warrior, it’s safer."
Warrior Bols hefted the axe in his hand and chuckled.
Facing the firm refusals of the group, Tony opened his mouth, but ultimately had to concede.
Ados patted Bols on the shoulder, murmured an incantation, and cast a protective spell on him.
"Be careful."
He exhorted.
"Don’t worry!"
Bols chuckled.
Then, he took a deep breath, his eyes focused, and he carried his axe and stepped inside...
Watching his figure disappear behind the stone door, everyone held their breath, gripped their weapons tightly, and stared in the direction of the stone door, waiting without blinking.
"One second... two seconds..."
Tony silently counted in his heart.
Time passed second by second, yet the stone door remained unchanged, the wind howled, and snow fell like goose feathers.
The group’s mood grew increasingly tense.
Finally, just as the time was about to run out, the mist inside the stone door suddenly churned, and Bols’s robust figure suddenly emerged, unharmed.
The group breathed a sigh of relief and rushed forward:
"How is it?"
"There’s no one inside, and no creatures either, but... there must have been a fierce battle, you can see some scratches and bloodstains, it’s been there for a long, long time."
Bols replied.
Everyone was stunned for a moment, glanced at each other, and finally focused their gaze on Tony and Ados.
Tony and Ados exchanged a look and nodded.
"Let’s go! We’re going in!"
Ados said.
With his command, the already prepared group moved, entering the stone door together.
Tony walked in the middle, and as he stepped through the stone door, the surrounding scenery suddenly transformed.
The howling wind stopped, the thunder ceased, snow like goose feathers paused, the billowing clouds in the sky seemed to become a muted backdrop.
In front of them was no longer snowy-covered mountains but a vast and magnificent group of buildings, connected like a castle.
However, most of the buildings in this group were already collapsed, the scene one of ruin, with many traces of past battles evident on the ground, alongside destroyed magic wands and swords.
The ruins had claw marks left by monsters and black bloodstains, which seemed to have been there for a very long time.
At the end of this group of buildings, a high tower pierced the clouds.
Unlike the other structures made of gray stone, this high tower was ice blue, majestic and beautiful.
"It’s the Ice Tower! The Mage Tower of the Legendary Mage Ais of the Ice Fortress, also the core of the entire Ice Fortress! The control center of God’s Wall is probably located there! We must head there!"
The old mage Ados looked into the distance and said solemnly.
After speaking, he glanced around and cautioned everyone:
"Everyone, be careful, battles have occurred here, there might still be remaining monsters!"
Everyone nodded upon hearing this.
Following the roads of the ruined castle, the escort team moved with heightened vigilance toward the Ice Tower.
Inside the Ice Fortress, it was extremely quiet, only the somewhat heavy breathing and slow footsteps of the group could be heard.
Tony walked at the center of the group, advancing while keeping a wary eye on their surroundings, ready to fight at any moment.
However, as they proceeded, the entire Ice Fortress seemed deathly silent, with no signs of life.
Only the half-alive mountain pines along the way faintly added a touch of deep green to this once sacred site of mages.
Finally... after advancing slowly for about half an hour, they reached the base of the Ice Tower.
Unlike the distant view, up close, the group could see the true state of the Ice Tower, with a radius possibly over a hundred meters, also covered in battle scars, evidently having gone through the trials of combat.
On the ground, scattered weapons and tattered magic robes could be seen, occasionally some fragmented bones.
The door of the Ice Tower was tightly shut, surrounded by silence, while the towering Mage Tower inexplicably exerted a pressure hard to describe in words.
Their spirits were more tense than ever, the calm along the way hadn’t made them relax, it made them even more vigilant.
"Should we go in?"
Mire looked at his teammates and asked.
Ados nodded, just about to answer when he suddenly felt something, turning towards the door of the Ice Tower.
The somewhat dilapidated door emitted a rumbling noise, slowly opening.
Ados’s gaze sharpened, he gripped his weapon and quickly gestured for everyone to hide to the side.
Without hesitation, everyone followed him to hide behind a large stone nearby.
After hiding, the stone door slowly opened.
A young man, dressed in a luxurious cyan magic robe, appearing to be about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, somewhat slender, but handsome with bright eyes, stepped out from inside.
His gaze swept around, finally fixing on the large stone where everyone hid.
Then, the young mage snorted coldly, saying:
"Stop hiding, come out, I’ve already sensed you."
Everyone’s heart jumped, instinctively looking at their leader Ados, only to see the old mage staring wide-eyed, his gaze fixed on the young man at the Ice Tower’s door.
His lips moved, his expression mixed with excitement, sorrow, joy, and apprehension...
"Still not coming out?!"
The young man frowned, raising the exquisite magic wand in his hand, aiming at where the group was.
Tony’s heart skipped, about to respond, when he saw Ados suddenly stand up.
He locked eyes with the young man, his gaze complex, his voice trembling slightly:
"Adrian..."
The young mage stood rooted in place upon seeing Ados’s appearance.
His magic wand clattered to the ground, his eyes excited, his voice trembling:
"Father?"
...
The ice-blue prismatic pillars were magnificent, shimmering with dazzling brilliance, a crystal chandelier hung high, emitting soft magical light.
If not for the fragmented magic cube devices on the floor, the cracked walls, and the claw-marked magic altar, this would be a luxurious and splendid magic laboratory.
This was the interior of the Ice Tower.
The young mage sat kneeling by the cracked fireplace, chanting incantations to light the magic fireplace.
In front of the fireplace, Tony and the others sat around a crystal table, their eyes curiously scanning their surroundings, shifting between Ados and the young man.
Ados also sat at the crystal table, leaning on his tattered magic wand, watching as the young man returned from beside the fireplace, his gaze softer than ever.
"Everyone, let me introduce... this is my proud son, Adrian, hailed as a magic genius by Lord Simeon!"
He introduced with a face full of pride.
Then, Ados looked at his son, his gaze mixed with longing and reproach:
"Adrian, have you been here all these years? How have you been living? What about the others? Since you’re alive... why didn’t you return? Don’t you know I was worried about you?!"
His voice was somewhat incoherent, seemingly very agitated.
Hearing Ados’s words, the young man lowered his head slightly, his gaze somewhat guilty.
He sighed and said:
"I’m sorry... Father, three years ago, the Ice Fortress suffered a disaster, all the high-level mages went mad, even my mentor, Lord Ais, turned into a monster, only I and a few survivors remained sane..."
"Before completely succumbing to madness, my mentor transferred control of the Ice Tower to me, ordering me to seal off the Ice Fortress..."
