Over the next few days, Versa Laya and her team explained the Black Tower's history, how it fought, and how to beat the undead.
"First of all, the undead aren't truly immortal," Laya declared, standing at the center of the hall. Her palm lifted slightly as magic swirled at her fingertips, coalescing into a translucent crystal model. Her voice was steady and powerful. "Their power source lies in the Undead Crystals hidden nearby. These crystals grant them the ability to resurrect. If we can destroy these crystals first, the undead in this entire area will crumble."
The Dean of the White Tower nodded in agreement and added, "These crystals are usually placed around the battlefield by Black Tower mages. For more important battles, they hide the crystals even more secretly. We've tried to find them before, but the Black Tower mages' Object Manipulation Spell gives them the power to remotely maneuver the crystals, making them constantly change location."
"Object Manipulation Spell?" Lin Yuan furrowed his brow. "What does that entail exactly?"
An elite knight from the capital chimed in, "They establish a connection with the Undead Crystals through special magic runes, making them float and hide. They can even use earth vein energy to change the crystals' positions. Even if we find and destroy one, new ones replace it quickly."
The hall fell silent, and everyone's expressions turned grim.
"Still," Laya said, flicking her hand to burn the crystal model. "We've got a plan. The Black Tower's spell has flaws. They can only control the crystals from so far away, and if we break their concentration, the crystals stop shifting."
Desanro crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow. "So we prioritize taking out these Black Tower mages?"
"Precisely," Laya nodded. "Once we identify their casters and use powerful magic or arrows to stop them from casting, we can expose the undead's vulnerability completely."
Shirori frowned and spoke slowly, "But Black Tower mages are notoriously cunning. They won't reveal themselves easily. Even if we know the undead's weakness, without pinpointing the casters, we'll still be in for a tough fight."
The White Tower Dean's eyes gleamed knowingly. "We prepared for this. Mystic mages from the capital laid down sensing arrays. As soon as those Black Tower mages cast their spell, we'll follow their magic trail."
...
As night fell and moonlight bathed the land, twisted black fissures silently appeared in the wilderness beyond the White Tower town, like wounds torn open in the night sky.
A dark aura seeped out, wilting the surrounding plants instantly. A chilling miasma of death swept across the earth. A group of men and women robed in black stood before the fissures, their cold eyes scanning the distant town.
"Gudora, are you sure the Sacred Book is in the White Tower?" A man with a deep voice asked. Dark red magic runes embroidered on his black robe exuded an eerie chill.
Beside him stood a gaunt, robed woman. She slowly raised her head, revealing eyes glowing with a blood - red sheen. "Yes, Bishop," she licked her lips, voice soft yet spine-chilling. "The Black Magic Book is in the White Tower."
"Good." The Bishop's lips curled into a smirk, and his low laughter echoed in the night. "The White Tower Academy isn't as powerful as it was a thousand years ago..."
"Hehe..." The Black Tower mages around them sneered. One raised his hand, and a surge of deep purple magic rippled out. In an instant, the corpses on the ground quivered and slowly rose.
The army of the undead took shape.
Armored skeletons, ghostly spellcasters, Corrupted Titans, undead creatures of every kind awakened in the gloom. Their eyes flared with crimson flames. At the head of the horde, skeletal warriors in tattered mail gripped rust-encrusted weapons, each exuding a malevolent presence. The undead emerging from the cracks was a scene straight out of nightmare.
At the heart of the undead legion, seven colossal monsters lumbered into view.
Their bodies were coiled in infernal flames. Each monster had seven serpentine heads, covered in black scales, with searing flames spewing from their fangs.
Gudora smiled. "It seems the Bishop has made perfect preparations."
"Of course," the Black Tower Bishop murmured. "This time, we'll not only retrieve the Sacred Book but reduce the White Tower to ashes."
The Black Tower mages lifted their hands together. Dark magic circles appeared in the air, and the voices of the dead echoed in the night.
==================
维尔萨·莱雅和她的精英小队在接下来的几天里,详细讲解了黑塔的历史,战术风格以及不死族的弱点.
"首先,不死族并非真正意义上的不死." 莱雅站在大厅中央,手掌微微抬起,魔力在指尖流转,凝聚成了一块半透明的水晶模型.她的声音沉稳有力,"他们的核心在于隐藏在附近的不死晶石,正是这些晶石赋予了他们复生的能力.如果我们能率先摧毁这些晶石,那么这一片区域的不死族就会彻底瓦解."
白塔院长微微颔首,接着补充道:"这些晶石通常由黑塔的法师安置在战场四周,越是重要的战斗,他们放置的晶石就越隐蔽.过去,我们尝试过追踪这些晶石的位置,但黑塔法师掌握了 '御物术',可以远程操控,让这些晶石不断移动."
"御物术?" 林远皱了皱眉,"具体来说呢?"
王都的一位精英骑士接口道:"他们可以通过特殊的魔纹,与不死晶石建立联系,使其漂浮隐藏,甚至可以借助地脉能量让它们不断改变方位.就算我们找到并摧毁一颗,很快就会有新的晶石补上."
大厅中一片沉默,所有人的脸色都不太好看.
"不过..." 莱雅抬起手,一道火焰骤然升腾,将她指尖的晶石模型吞没, "我们有破解的方法.黑塔法师的御物术并非无懈可击,他们需要维持一定的距离,才能持续控制这些晶石.而且,一旦他们施法的过程中受到干扰,晶石就会失去操控,无法继续移动."
德珊萝抱着手臂,微微挑眉:"意思是,我们要优先干掉这些黑塔法师?"
"没错." 莱雅点头,"只要我们能分辨出他们的施法者,并用强力的魔法或箭矢狙击,阻止他们施法,就能让不死族彻底暴露弱点."
士嫆莉皱起眉头,缓缓开口:"可黑塔法师素来狡猾,他们不会轻易暴露自己.即便我们掌握了不死族的弱点,但如果无法精准锁定施法者,依旧会陷入苦战."
"这一点,我们早有准备." 白塔院长目光深邃,缓缓道:"王都的秘法师已经在城镇四周布下了感知法阵,一旦黑塔法师释放御物术,我们就能追踪到他们的魔力流动."
...
夜幕降临,月光映照在大地之上,白塔城镇之外的荒野中,一道道扭曲的黑色裂缝悄然浮现,仿佛夜空中裂开的伤口.
黑色的气息缓缓弥漫,四周的草木在瞬间枯萎,冰冷的死气席卷大地.一群身披黑袍的男女立于裂缝前方,目光冷漠地扫视着远方的城镇.
"古朵拉,你确定圣书就在白塔?" 一个声音低沉的男子开口,他的黑袍上绣着深红色的魔纹,透出一股森然寒意.
站在他身旁的,是一名身形瘦削的黑袍女子,她缓缓抬起头,露出一双闪烁着血色光芒的眼眸."是的,主教." 她舔了舔嘴唇,声音轻柔却阴冷得令人发寒,"我已经确认了,黑魔法书就在白塔之中."
"很好." 主教嘴角微微上扬,低沉的笑声在夜色中回荡,"现在的白塔学院,已经不如一千年前那般强大..."
"呵呵..." 站在一旁的黑塔法师们纷纷露出冷笑,其中一人抬起手,一道深紫色的魔力涌动,顷刻间,地面上的尸体颤动起来,缓缓站立.
不死族大军逐渐成形.
骨甲骑士,幽魂法师,腐化巨兽...各种各样的亡灵生物在黑暗中苏醒,眼眸中燃起猩红色的鬼火.最前方的,是一群身披破旧战甲的骷髅战士,他们手中的武器锈迹斑斑,但却散发着令人不寒而栗的死气.伴随着一个个的亡灵军从裂缝中走了出来,场面何其壮观.
而在亡灵军团的中央,七只体型庞大的怪物缓缓现身.
这些怪物的身体被地狱火缠绕,每只怪物都有七个蛇头,浑身覆盖着黑色鳞片,燃烧的烈焰从它们的獠牙间喷吐而出.
古朵拉微微一笑, "看来主教大人已经做好了万全的准备."
"当然." 黑塔主教低声道,"这一次,我们不仅要夺回圣书,更要让白塔彻底化为灰烬."
黑塔法师们齐齐抬起手,漆黑的魔法阵在空中浮现,死灵的低语在黑暗中回荡.