The night had not yet faded, and dawn had not yet arrived, yet the hazy glow brought by the giant sun had already begun to emerge on the horizon. The faint morning light seemed to be struggling to break free from the earth's restraints, while the stars still blanketed this land slumbering in darkness.
Near the Typhon border, a tall tower with silver-white spires and grayish-white walls stood quietly on high ground beside Shadow Marsh. Starlight poured down from above, outlining the tower in a faint radiance. A massive ring floated in midair at the height of the tower's peak, turning silently beneath the night sky as the starlight upon its surface continuously reflected shifting colors.
A magical transmission arrived from afar, and a series of dim runes on the ring suddenly lit up in succession.
The middle-aged mage on duty at the Communication Tower awoke amid a piercing alarm. He swiftly emerged from meditation and rose from the rune array in the "Listening Hall." A complex, dazzling array of runes was continuously lighting up on the wall before him, projecting the emblem of the Royal Mage Association.
The mage's expression changed. He immediately strode toward the intricate array on the wall and casually pressed his hand against a particular Rune Stone. "Shadow Marsh Border Tower here. Speak."
"An order from Alderan," a slightly distorted voice entered the mage's ears. "Notify the border station immediately. Intercept..."
As he listened to the voice from afar, the middle-aged mage's brow rapidly furrowed. Without hesitation, he turned and slapped a nearby rune pillar, calling for another mage standing by on the lower level. "Nim, take over! I'm heading to the station—an emergency order from the imperial capital! Check the records yourself later!"
Without waiting for the other duty mage to respond, he hurried