Wizard: Starting from the Skill Tree-Chapter 594: The Mechanical Empire

A pure and powerful light shockwave spread out in a ring, flattening a layer of the surrounding ground, and the flying rocks were instantly pulverized and purified by the subsequent Holy Flame.

The Undying Barrier is both offensive and defensive, not only with astonishing defense but also with a final Undying Counterattack that is quite insidious, capable of seriously injuring or repelling enemies trying to break the defense at a critical moment.

After a round of practice, Duke was very satisfied with the combination effect of these four advanced combat techniques and the Light Fighting Spirit.

...

After a brief rest in Torch City, and thoroughly digesting and organizing all the gains including the initial mastery of Light Fighting Spirit and combat techniques, as well as detailed research records, Duke did not linger further.

His next destination was to experience the Witch Array simulation battlefield to quickly enhance his combat capabilities and also to grind proficiency levels.

Duke boarded a short-distance Floating Airship again, but this time the destination was not a border city like Red Rock City but a route to the real core area of the Empire.

The Floating Airship flew through the clouds, continuously heading east over the continent.

Below, the terrain gradually transitioned from the hills and plains around Torch City to richer and more densely populated areas.

Huge rivers, like silver ribbons, irrigated the crisscrossed fields, and cities far larger than Torch City were scattered like pearls on the land, connected by an extensive network of roads and railways sparkling with magic light.

Days later, the Floating Airship began to descend, and through the porthole, Duke saw a sight that even this Wizard from the West Coast found breathtaking.

At the horizon’s end, the first thing to catch the eye was not the skyline of a city but a gigantic island floating above the clouds.

The island’s underside was a mass of complex metal structures and an array of thrusters emitting steady blue flames, supporting tiered towers and domed buildings of strange style, exuding powerful energy fluctuations.

That was Cloud Top City of the Seville Empire, rumored to be a crystallization of the Empire’s highest mechanical and alchemical technologies, and home to important institutions and top academies.

On the ground, an enormous mega metropolis stretched beyond the horizon.

This was Duke’s destination, the capital of the Seville Empire’s eastern province, famed as the Heart of the Empire, the mega city Iron Forge.

Even before landing, the vastness of Iron Forge was already apparent.

The city walls were not traditional stone but cast from activated Magic Metal with a metallic sheen, rising over a hundred meters high, with gigantic magic energy cannons inscribed with complex runes and automatic targeting arcane watchtowers standing at intervals.

Above the city, not only was there the Floating Airship he was on, but various flying machines of different sizes shuttled back and forth.

There were graceful magic sailboats, metal airships spewing steam and sparks, and even some Empire Knights patrolling on mechanical construct dragons, clad in enchanted armor.

The Floating Airship finally landed at a port on the outskirts of Iron Forge, comparable in size to a small city. Stepping off the gangway, Duke was instantly engulfed by a cacophony of orderly noise.

A unique scent of mixed steam and magic energy greeted him, with broadcasts of flight information and Empire announcements in the Seville official language, characterized by a distinctive mechanical rhythm.

He entered a massive passage leading into the city, where the flow of people was bustling and varied.

Besides the common Wizards, Knights, and various races of servants, there was something relatively rare on the West Coast—Mechanical Wizards and their creations.

He saw Wizards with arms completely made of some dark blue Magic Metal, fingers deftly weaving miniature Magic Models in the air.

Some Wizards had half their faces replaced by intricately crafted metallic eyes and sensors, glowing with a calm blue light.

Even more impressively, some directly piloted personal magic energy mechs standing three or four meters high, with sleek lines and armored plating, walking through designated channels, the heavy footsteps echoing in the air.

The city’s streets were incredibly wide, enough for gigantic cargo golems to walk side by side.

The ground was not stone slabs but a hard, smooth synthetic material embedded with energy pathways.

On either side of the street, the towering buildings had a uniform and stern style, heavily utilizing metal, glass, and luminous crystals, with giant holographic ads or Empire news occasionally scrolling across their surfaces, while public trains driven by magic or steam power silently and swiftly glided along elevated tracks.

Energy towers, like a forest, were scattered throughout the city, providing a continuous supply of power to this giant construct.

A low humming sound, from the gigantic energy core deep beneath the city, permeated the air, proclaiming a sense of power.

"This is... the Seville Empire." Duke walked among the crowd, feeling the atmosphere completely different from Black Sail Waters and even the West Coast.

Here, the wisdom of Wizards and mechanics were perfectly combined, forming a unique and powerful form of extraordinary civilization.

Walking down the streets here, Duke even had an illusion of returning to a previous life, almost forgetting he was in a Wizard Plane.

He found a hotel named the Heart of Gears, said to have been open for over a thousand years.

The hotel was located in the inner ring of Iron Forge, within a tower not the tallest but uniquely designed.

The entire exterior of the building was not a flat wall but an interwoven mass of brass gears of various sizes, intricate pipes, and energy conduits emitting a gentle blue glow, and these components were not static but moving slowly and rhythmically, as if the entire building were a living, breathing giant mechanical construction.

Entering the lobby, the interior space was astonishingly high, with illumination mainly from large light-conducting crystals embedded in the dome and walls, and some floating light orbs moving along fixed trajectories.

There was a faint smell of machine oil and ozone in the air that was not unpleasant but instead gave a sense of efficiency and professionalism.

The most striking feature was the front desk, where there were not human receptionists but three elegantly styled mechanical bodies made of polished metal and transparent crystal.

Their faces were smooth, curved crystal screens displaying gentle emoticons.

"Good day, esteemed guest, welcome to the Heart of Gears." The central construct emitted a clear, pleasant, though slightly synthesized female voice, "May I assist you with checking in?"

Its vocal organs seemed to be a set of precise resonance reeds within its chest cavity.

"Yes, a single suite with basic laboratory functions and advanced meditation soundproofing," Duke calmly replied.

"Please place your identification or badge in the sensing area." The construct raised a metal arm composed of numerous fine joints, pointing to a rune-engraved slate on the counter.