Stephenson

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Stephenson (斯蒂芬桑)
Alias(es)	Floating City; city of arcane miracles; Magicians' holy land 194 366
Type	Semi-reclusive floating city and arcane center
Location	A mysterious ocean-and-iceberg world north of the Pro World's Northern Continent, above the Sea of Curse 194 488
Affiliation	Inheritor of the Arcane Empire's legacy; maintains cooperation with Lost Paradise 194 205 510
Status	Active; rapidly recovered after the Soul-Stealing Monster invasion 533
First Appearance	Mentioned in Chapter 76; visited in Chapter 194

Background and History

Stephenson was built by survivors of the Arcane Empire and preserves much of its magical and alchemical heritage. Its continued existence is tied to preparing for the Arcane Empire's eventual return, though the city has had to endure repeated crises while relying on its own strength. 194 510

Its isolated position in the Sea of Curse helped it survive. The sea is feared even by gods, is rumored to conceal secrets of the world's end, and is a magic-forbidden zone beneath the city. 194 488

After former chief Jules withdrew from public life, Ansu Li returned to Stephenson, inherited her mentor's position, and became one of its Three Giants. Under her dominance, five of the Eight Leaves' school leaders were loyal to her, leaving White Tower Lord Launs politically and militarily outmatched. 198 202

Stephenson opened negotiations with Lost Paradise despite internal resistance, particularly from Alchemists threatened by cheaper Lost Paradise products. The commercial-spy trial and Xu Nan's exposure of the Protection School vice president's connection to the spies forced the opposition onto the defensive; the two sides subsequently signed the White Paper of friendship and peace. 201 205

The city later endured a major Soul-Stealing Monster Legion assault. Invaders breached Halse Palace and attempted to seize the Artificial Crystal Wall's control hubs, but Stephenson's defenders stabilized its halls and repelled the immediate crisis. 529 531 533

Location and Access

Stephenson is surrounded by the Sea of Curse, a perilous northern sea inhabited by ancient variants. The city lies close to the edge of the world; north of it, few naturally developing civilizations exist beyond exiled races. 194 502

Ordinary outsiders rarely gain entry. Its residents are generally descendants of successive rulers, Magicians, Alchemists, or established city residents, while only exceptional spellcasting talents have a realistic chance of joining through official channels. 194 366

Stephenson reportedly sends five hundred envoys around the world each year to identify and recruit potential “children of the arcane,” but its standards are rigorous. 194

Government and Institutions

Ruling figures

• Ansu Li — One of Stephenson's Three Giants and its dominant political force. She suppresses Launs, commands the loyalty of five of the Eight Leaves, and directs the city's response to major threats. 198 509
• Launs — Lord of the White Tower. Though a powerful Legendary Magician, he has retreated politically in the face of Ansu Li's superiority and focuses his influence within the White Tower. 198 509
• Jules — Former chief of Stephenson and a Supreme Magician. His past withdrawal from public life earned him the reputation of “Eccentric Jules.” 325 541

The Eight Leaves

The Eight Leaves are the leaders of Stephenson's eight great magic schools. Their chiefs are respected for extraordinary achievement in their respective disciplines. 198 483

• Roger leads the School of Shaping and is one of the Eight Leaves. He is a quasi-Legendary Magician and a prominent supporter of cooperation with Lost Paradise. 195 198
• Barbosa leads the School of Prophecy. He became a Legendary Magician at a young age and later revealed himself as the anonymous figure central to Stephenson's alchemical debate. 501 534
• Launs commands the White Tower and can deploy undead forces, including a Bone Dragon Legion. 509 531

Law enforcement

Stephenson's Law Enforcement Team polices rogue Wizards and protects the city's established order. Its authority is formidable; Transcendent Imprisonment is one of its signature self-created spells. 487 495

• A Kai, the team's deputy captain, is a Demon Hunter and one of the Six Apostles. He is feared for his violence in enforcement but is regarded by Roger as fundamentally decent. 487
• The team has also employed Psychic specialists alongside Demon Hunters, combining forceful apprehension with mental interrogation. 496

Society, Alchemy, and Law

Stephenson is a city intensely devoted to magic. Even low-ranking Alchemists retain the Arcane Empire's craftsman spirit, pride, and professional rigor. 194

Alchemy is a major source of the city's wealth and influence. The arrival of cheaper Lost Paradise alchemical products caused tension with local workshops, whose owners feared disruption to the existing market and a loss of incentive for original research. 201

The city maintains severe criminal punishments. Convicts may be transformed into animals according to the seriousness of their crimes; one commercial spy received thirty years as a frog in the Seventh Deep Water Well. 201

Stephenson strictly prohibits research related to the Dark Side Universe. This restriction complicated attempts to use the Pen of Judgment to settle the controversy over God's Alchemy. 537

Known Locations and Infrastructure

Location / Asset	Description
Floating Port Dock	Stephenson's aerial port, where the Queen's Ship and other large vessels are processed under city control. 195
White Tower	Launs's stronghold and center of his political influence. 195 509
Halse Palace	A major city site containing critical Artificial Crystal Wall infrastructure; it was breached during the Soul-Stealing Monster attack. 529 531
Shamrock Hall	A major defensive position during the invasion, later stabilized by Roger, A Kai, Xu Nan, and Sentinel constructs. 530 531
Twilight Hall	One of the halls defended during the invasion; Barbosa held it using the Chaos Magic Sword. 531
Second Ring Island	A subordinate territory of Stephenson, linked to the unexplained transport of stray cats from the Dock District. 488
Seventh Deep Water Well	A prison site used for transformed offenders, including those sentenced to live as frogs. 201
Queen's Ship	An iconic Stephenson alchemical vessel retaining design elements from Arcane Empire Cloud Ascending Ships. 194

Arcane Engineering

• Stephenson produces advanced alchemical ships, airships, magic carpets, brooms, and other flying devices. Large flying machinery must be reported to the highest control tower. 202
• Its airships use limited anti-gravity components but are otherwise mechanically operated, reducing interference from the abnormal conditions near the world's edge. 502
• The Queen's Ship is considered a prestigious alchemical product, though its design and strategic layout remain inferior to the peak technology of the Arcane Empire. 194
• The city deploys the Artificial Crystal Wall as a major defensive system. Its control hubs were a primary target of the Soul-Stealing Monster Legion. 529 531

Aurora Tide

The Aurora Tide is one of Stephenson's most important cultivation celebrations. Mana Beasts appearing during the phenomenon carry Arcane origins that can significantly increase a spellcaster's magic power when absorbed. 475

Participation is tightly controlled. Even Stephenson residents face screening, while external spellcasters must pass difficult trials to obtain invitations. 475

The event draws elite spellcasters from across the Pro World, making it both an exceptional opportunity and a strategic vulnerability. During one unusually intense Tide, Stephenson issued more than three times its usual number of invitations. 502

External Relations

• Arcane Empire — Stephenson preserves the civilization's magical traditions and regards itself as a foundation for its future return. 194 510
• Lost Paradise — The two powers signed the White Paper after a politically fraught negotiation. Lost Paradise's cheap alchemical goods remain a source of tension among Stephenson's Alchemists. 201 205
• Anlun, Goddess of Magic — Stephenson's recurring enemy. Anlun seeks to destroy the city so that her Magic Net can expand into the Northern Continent; at least a quarter of Stephenson's recorded major incidents are connected to her. 509
• Northern Continent — Stephenson's name carries immense political weight across the region, where it is viewed as the surviving glory of the Arcane Empire. 366 435

Major Threats

Anlun's interference

Anlun repeatedly exploits the Aurora Tide to target Stephenson. During one incident, she materialized a five-thousand-year-old projection of a Cloud Ascending Ship from the God Slaying Fleet, trapping attending Wizards in an unknown situation. 509

Stephenson's Legendary Magicians countered her by occupying seventeen secret Magic Net nodes across the Old Continent and disrupting her ability to draw on its full power. 541

Soul-Stealing Monster Legion

The Soul-Stealing Monster Legion fused with Loki Insectoids and launched a surprise invasion through Vanguard Ships. Its forces spread from Halse Palace into Stephenson's streets and attempted to capture the Artificial Crystal Wall hubs. 529 530

Stephenson's defense relied on emergency war sequences, Wizard defense lines, Roger's forces, Barbosa and the Chaos Magic Sword, Launs's undead army, and Xu Nan's Sentinel 35 constructs. 529 531

Internal political conflict

The city's cooperation with Lost Paradise created a divide between supporters of Ansu Li's policy and those defending Stephenson's existing alchemical interests. Launs's allies and the Protection School were implicated in attempts to obstruct the agreement through protests and the commercial-spy scandal. 194 198 201