It took a little while before the pair finally reached the top of the hill, standing before the tower in front of them. Now that they were up close and personal to the tower, the two players got a better look at their destination.

The tower was much larger than they originally believed. It loomed over them like a goliath, as if glancing down at Hazel and Astrid. And, like what they had discovered previously, this place was more than just a tower. It also appeared to be a tall fortress.

Instead of it being a spiral tower, it gave off the appearance of a looming quadrangular fort. This was a type of building that would be used to hold back invaders or where some creepy, mad scientist or wizard resides in to do research. And that only piqued Hazel’s interest in the tower even more.

“Cool tower,” Hazel marveled at the fort.

“It is certainly interesting,” Astrid noted. “Perhaps we’ll be able to find some better weapons.”

“Or maybe grimoire pages,” The mage added; a grin forming on her face.

Although Hazel already had four spells at her disposal, it wouldn’t hurt to get more. There was also her second marker, but neither she nor Astrid knew what level they needed to reach to obtain it.

So, Hazel was hoping that there was another grimoire page inside that she could obtain. Like another curse spell similar to Baneful Sickle or Decay. Maybe a spell called Cursed Beam or something similar.

Now that she thought about it, Hazel had been very eager to obtain more witch-like magic. When she chose Baneful Sickle, it was only because the curse effect and damage over time appealed to her more than Blazing Lance.

As for Decay, it was the only available Grimoire page she found at that magic shop back in the town. Both spells were just out of convenience rather than actual desire. But now, she wanted more cursed-base spells, which was why she felt so eager to find another Grimoire Page.

“Alright, let’s go inside and see what’s in store for us,” Hazel declared and marched over to the entrance of the Tower Fort.

Astrid nodded her head and followed behind the mage, cautiously glancing at the Tower Fort as they approached the door. The entrance was a simple wooden door with rusty iron studs framed to it.

Considering how long it had been since this world collapsed, Hazel was a bit surprised by how intact the door looked. The wood was a little worn out along with the rusted iron frame, but other than that, it still looked functional. It probably just needed some fixing and it would look good as new.

Putting that thought aside, Hazel opened the door and entered the fortress along with Astrid. Once inside, the pair marveled at the base floor of the tower. It looked like the living room of a house with tables, chairs, and much more.

There were no candles lit inside, so the floor was completely dark when Hazel and Astrid walked further inside.

“I wish we had some sort of light…” Hazel mumbled.

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“Can’t you conjure up a flame?” Astrid asked curiously.

She shook her head dejectedly. “No. I can only summon mana bolts, cursed sickles, and a mana shield. And none of those could be used as a light.”

“Well, we can’t just walk around in the dark…”

While walking, Astrid accidentally kicked something, skidding it across the ground. Both she and Hazel were curious and looked down to see what it was.

“What’s this…” Astrid bent down and picked up the object she kicked to get a closer look at the object. “It looks like…a torch?”

“It doesn’t look like your traditional torch, though…”

In the dark elf’s hand was some kind of fire torch used to provide light for travelers roaming a dark place. Though, something seemed peculiar about the torch in Astrid’s hand. Instead of being composed of a wooden material with a metal frame to contain the fire, it had a white metal appearance with a transparent crystal at the tip.

Out of curiosity, Hazel decided to appraise it. When she did, her eyes widened as soon as she discovered what it was.

Uncommon Item

An item created by the infamous Twilight Witch. It allows users to conjure light from the crystal at the top, allowing them to see better. It works by pouring your mana into the device. The amount of time the torch is lit depends on how much mana is poured into it.

“Holy…” Hazel said, looking amazed.

“What is it?” Astrid asked curiously.

“Take a look at its description.”

Astrid was confused by her statement but nonetheless listened. And after taking another glance at the item to identify it, she soon reacted the same way as Hazel.

“A magic torch? That’s amazing…” Astrid continued to examine the object, completely mesmerized by its true identity. Her eyes then shifted over to Hazel. “Since this item requires mana, you should try and turn it on.”

The dark elf passed the item over to Hazel and she carefully grabbed it. Like Astrid, she took a closer look at the item, carefully handling it like it was some kind of ancient and valuable relic. And in context, it kind of was.

The description stated that you can activate the item by pouring mana into it. Hazel closed her eyes and focused on transferring her mana into the torch. Thankfully, she had plenty of practice thanks to conjuring her spells all the time. The image and sensation of her mana building up within her before transferring to her staff was practically imprinted in her mind.

So, with her eyes shut, Hazel looked deep within herself and mentally called upon her mana. For a moment, nothing happened before she suddenly felt something clicked inside. Then, a wave of mana surged within her and transferred into the torch in seconds.

As this occurred, the torch began to light up, giving off a very dim yellow light. Pouring more mana into the item, the light started to get brighter and brighter, to the point it was now as bright as a light bulb.

“That’s amazing…” Astrid marveled at the light, though she shielded her eyes a little with her hands to not blind herself.

“Yeah, it is…” Hazel muttered, grinning like a young child looking at a toy.

With the magic torch illuminating the area, they were able to see a lot better than before. The chairs and tables were seen much clearer thanks to the light shining on them.

Now that they were able to see the floor better, Hazel and Astrid glanced around the area, noting all of the new stuff. Aside from the furniture, there were also antiques and pictures all over the place.

“Okay, looks like we can explore the fort without any worries now,” Hazel said enthusiastically.

“Then let’s get started,” Astrid declared. “Since you are the only one who can activate the torch, you should probably lead the way.”

“Got it!” She nodded.

With the torch in hand, Hazel took charge in leading them through the Fort Tower, as she prayed that they would find something worth their time.