Chapter Four: The Core Structure

Mu Rongxun responded with a simple acknowledgment, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

“Don’t you conceal your appearance?” Qiqige asked, clearly puzzled by his nonchalant expression.

“No need,” Mu Rongxun replied coolly. He had no one to implicate, and as for those around him, what concern were they to him?

Qiqige shrank her neck, wisely refraining from further questions.

“You’ve read the information, the transaction is complete. The rest you’ll have to figure out for yourself. One last piece of advice: inside the Magic Tower, never provoke magic users—whether mages, warlocks, wizards, Taoists, priests, and so on—they’re all people you can’t afford to mess with!”

When speaking of them, Qiqige seemed rather disgruntled; after all, she too was part of that group, though she was male…

“Magic users?” Mu Rongxun was somewhat perplexed. He recalled his encounter with Ade, who used various talismans—surely, a Taoist.

“Are mages really that powerful?”

In his mind, whether in games or films, these types always seemed frail.

“Not just powerful—terrifying. They’re like walking artillery platforms!” Qiqige corrected him.

“Whenever guilds or adventurer groups recruit, their first choice is always magic users. As long as you say you’re a spellcaster—even a newcomer—you’ll become the target of every major power.”

Mu Rongxun nodded, suddenly anticipating how his own talents, particularly his ability to devour, would fare against such beings.

“One last question.”

“What is it?” Qiqige suddenly felt uneasy, fearing he might ask something troublesome.

“What does ‘novice zone’ mean? Are there other areas?”

“Oh, you’re asking that!” Qiqige visibly relaxed.

“Of course. We haven’t entered the Magic Tower proper—we’re just in its outer region. The entire novice zone surrounds the tower. Complete the advancement quest and trial, and you’ll be able to push open the tower’s gates and enter the true Magic Tower Park, where you’ll face higher tiers and stronger opponents.”

Upon hearing this, Mu Rongxun nodded, refraining from inquiries about advancement.

After leaving the shop, Mu Rongxun resumed his unfinished business, continuing to acquaint himself with the Magic Tower.

But unlike his aimless wandering at first, now he had a clear purpose.

According to Qiqige’s information, his top priority was to head to the very center of Magic Tower Park and first understand the functions of the tower’s core buildings.

He would familiarize himself with the park, try strengthening his attributes, then figure out how to earn money. The most pressing need was to get himself a new weapon, as the short sword he currently used felt very awkward.

He had little park currency left, but during his previous explorations, he’d already conceived a vague plan to earn more.

Through constant wandering, he’d gained a direct impression of the currency’s purchasing power.

The stack of talisman papers he obtained earlier—a complete set of basic talismans—was worth one hundred park coins, but if sold back to the tower, the price was only ten coins, just ten percent.

Ordinary newcomers, after experiencing a world, typically receive a basic reward of one thousand coins, with extra bonuses if they complete quests.

He was unlucky in that, having been dragged in and subjected to an inheritance mode, he received no basic reward and only a paltry one percent of quest rewards.

Even though his rewards were doubled due to quest difficulty, it was still just a few hundred coins.

Walking along the streets of the Magic Tower, observing the diverse attire of the people, Mu Rongxun realized he rather liked it here. There were fewer rules and restrictions; if you wanted something, you had to earn it yourself.

Magic Tower Park was like a primordial jungle, or a cauldron for raising venomous creatures—no pretense, just raw brutality laid bare.

Yet, for all its harshness, it was simple: follow the law of the jungle. If you bear a grudge, settle it swiftly—life or death, the strong survive, the weak perish.

He pressed onward, winding through the streets, and after several dozen minutes, finally arrived at the tower’s central district.

Without concealing his appearance, he stood out starkly among the crowd.

People glanced at him, then quickly looked away.

In the Magic Tower, those who don’t hide their faces are either newcomers ignorant of protocol or formidable veterans who disdain concealment.

Mu Rongxun, though still very much a novice, already possessed considerable strength. His attributes rivaled those of people who’d been through several worlds, and more importantly, the skills he inherited—even though just two—were already terrifyingly advanced for his current stage.

Upon reaching the central area, the most striking sight was the towering spire that pierced the clouds, but he quickly shifted his focus to the surrounding buildings.

Unlike player shops, these structures were massive and grand, exuding a sense of awe at first glance.

[Attribute Enhancement Hall!]
[Equipment Enhancement Hall!]
[Duel Arena!]
[Auction House!]

Mu Rongxun found that these were the only four buildings he could see; the others were shrouded in a thick mist, their details indistinct.

Attempts to approach them yielded only a notice: insufficient permissions.

He paid them no mind and strode into the Attribute Enhancement Hall.

The moment he entered, his vision blurred, and in the next instant, he found himself in an isolated room.

It was similar to his private chamber—no doors or windows, just four white walls, though slightly smaller.

Suddenly, his attribute projection appeared on one wall.

Essence: 2 (+)
Energy: 2 (+)
Spirit: 2 (+)
Allocatable attribute points: 1

[Please pay one hundred park coins to activate enhancement privileges!]

Mu Rongxun already knew that using the tower’s facilities cost money, so he wasn’t surprised.

Examining his attributes, he pressed each of the three options, distributing his sole attribute point.

[Enhancement will commence shortly. The process involves intense pain. If discomfort occurs, please activate the anesthesia effect.]

Mu Rongxun ignored the prompt—not only because of Qiqige’s warning but because he never intended to use that function.

As his physical attributes rapidly shifted, his skin flushed crimson, reminiscent of the time he used enhancement liquid, though this pain was far more intense.

The agony twisted his features; he gradually hunched over, eventually collapsing to the floor.

…

Some time later, drenched in sweat, Mu Rongxun emerged from the Attribute Enhancement Hall.

Despite the pain, the visible increase in strength was intoxicating.

After enhancement, his stats became Essence 2.4, Energy 2.3, Spirit 2.3—distributed evenly, with strength and constitution edging ahead.

Yet, the sudden surge of power felt awkward to him.

He’d already received a substantial boost from his inheritance, and now, after another upgrade, without proper consolidation, he couldn’t fully control it.