A unique tattoo was etched over the young man's right eye. His double eyelids and slightly upturned eyes, paired with golden irises shimmering with an unusual glint, made his gaze razor-sharp. His short, sky-blue hair made him stand out even more.
"Ultear, is this the guest you brought back?"
Jellal's voice carried a lazy drawl. He sat with one leg crossed over the other, his right hand propping up his head. From his elevated throne, he looked down at Wes with an appraising air, as though he intended to see straight through him.
Ultear gave a small nod.
"Yes, Lord Jellal. This is Wes Elwin — an exceptionally powerful mage."
Jellal's eyes lingered on Wes for a moment before he withdrew his gaze, maintaining his relaxed, indifferent posture.
Wes's expression remained calm and unruffled. He showed no sign of irritation toward Jellal's dismissive attitude.
To him, Jellal was nothing but a puppet moved by another's will — not worth bothering with.
Ultear, who had already anticipated Jellal's reaction, persuaded him with just a few words.
"Indeed, the final phase of the R-System requires a powerful helper," Jellal admitted. He had already hired the assassination group Trinity Raven to assist with the plan. Adding Wes's strength on top of that would undoubtedly make the operation smoother.
He did not ask how Wes and Ultear met, nor question the reason Wes was here.
To Jellal, only the result mattered. Everything else was irrelevant.
"How pathetic."
After leaving, Wes couldn't help murmuring the words.
"If the Magic Council knew that their most promising young Wizard Saint, Siegrain, was being controlled—and that he helped build the R-System—they'd want to bury themselves in shame."
Ultear snorted with open contempt.
"Hmph… those old fossils have faces thick enough to tank anything. They wouldn't feel ashamed over something so trivial."
With that, Ultear led Wes through the massive structure known as the Tower of Heaven.
As they walked, the secrets of the tower unfolded before Wes's eyes—each level showcasing astonishing wonders created by the fusion of advanced technology and magic.
During their tour, Ultear brought Wes to the tower's observation platform. From there, one could overlook the intricate magical arrays and high-tech mechanisms that permeated the entire structure.
The R-System — Resurrection System — was a magic designed to resurrect the dead by using living humans as sacrifice.
This "Resurrection Art" had been declared strictly forbidden by the Magic Council due to its inhumane nature.
Eight years ago, the dark guild invested enormous funds and manpower to secretly build the R-System. There were originally seven towers, but under the Council's severe crackdown, they were all destroyed one after another.
However, the Council was unaware of the existence of the eighth tower.
"We naturally tampered with things behind the scenes," Ultear said proudly.
"Lord Hades skillfully diverted the Council's attention."
"But even I didn't expect so many geniuses to gather within this eighth tower—Jellal, Erza, and even the Oración Seis."
Ultear sighed regretfully.
"If only all of them could join Grimoire Heart, that would have been perfect."
During the tour, Wes encountered the childhood companions of Erza and Jellal.
However, these people were clearly hostile toward his arrival.
"Who is this guy supposed to be?" someone whispered within the crowd.
"Just ignore him."
"Why would Jellal bring a stranger here of all places?"
Wes paid absolutely no attention to their murmurs.
He had no desire to build any relationship with them—he simply followed behind Ultear, intent on uncovering the secrets hidden within the tower.
During the tour, Wes finally met the legendary assassination unit known as Trinity Raven.
Though Trinity Raven existed within the dark underworld, they were not part of the Balam Alliance. This made them even more mysterious among the dark forces.
The group consisted of three members, the most striking of whom was the fighter known as Fukuro.
"Fukuro" was a towering man, his muscular physique clearly defined. His upper body was bare, displaying raw physical strength.
Strangest of all, a jet-engine-like device was strapped to his back—and the thing that shocked Wes the most was that he had the head of an actual owl.
Is that a mask… or is it real?
The question spun in Wes's mind. He felt a strong urge to investigate the truth behind this bizarre phenomenon.
But now was not the time.
Putting aside his thoughts, Wes returned to the room prepared for him.
The room was spacious and bright, more than sufficient for both his living needs and his magical work.
Wes placed his wand and several useful magical materials on the table. Beside them lay a sheet of blueprint parchment.
The blueprint was filled with complicated diagrams and formulas—it was a design plan for modifying his wand.
"The strength needs to be reinforced… otherwise it won't withstand my magic output. And the curse compatibility also needs adjustments…" Wes muttered as he made notes and alterations on the blueprint.
Over the next few days, Wes practically locked himself inside the room, dedicating his full focus to reworking his wand until the modification was complete.
Everyone else seemed to accept his presence and didn't bother him.
One morning, after many days behind closed doors, the door finally opened. Wes stepped out, holding his wand—now fully transformed.
The wand's shaft was longer than before, and its surface shimmered with flowing silver light, almost as if it were alive.
Wes left the Tower of Heaven and walked toward the shoreline.
He raised his wand toward the boundless sky.
Following the gesture of the wand, the once-clear sky instantly grew dark. Storm clouds gathered at rapid speed, blocking out the sun. A violent storm seemed to be forming.
Moments later, heavy rain poured down, each drop striking the ground with a sharp pattering sound.
Wes was clearly satisfied with his newly modified wand.
"Not bad. After a few battles, it should sync with me perfectly."
The other bystanders at the shore stared in shock.
Most likely, they had never seen power of this level—especially in a place so isolated from the outside world.
Wes calmly lowered his wand and returned to the Tower of Heaven.
After witnessing the display, Simon, Wally, and the others developed a newfound wariness toward the newcomer, Wes.
Though curiosity flickered in their eyes, none of them dared approach to question what kind of magic Wes had used.
The news of Wes summoning a storm with his new wand quickly spread throughout the Tower of Heaven.
°°°
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