Tylanthyr's Conditions

Tylanthyr's speculation wasn't without merit; the core essence of a summoned Conjuration spell was using incantations to send spell probes and beacons to places outside the Prime Material Plane, such as the Outer Planes like the Beastlands, Mount Celestia, or the Abyss.

Upon finding a suitable summoning target, mages would either threaten (the weak) or lure (the strong) them into signing a pact, thereby projecting and summoning them to the Prime Material Plane.

As for lower-level summoning spells, they typically targeted the Beastlands, a plane teeming with beasts, also known as the Beastlands, Gray Waste, and The Great Beyond. This was likely because beasts had lower intelligence, making them easier to trick and control.

But a first-level spell could communicate with Mechanus, a plane of absolute order? Those fellows, whose minds were made of gears and springs, had little interest in anything beyond themselves.

Then who could have tampered with it? Old Banterley? As someone who hadn't yet become an Archmage, he likely wouldn't have the qualifications, Tylanthyr mused. Or perhaps it was due to innate awakening causing a mutation in the spell? But this kid was a mage, not a psion.

It was rather interesting; mages, who seemed so idealistic to travelers from other worlds, were actually rigorous materialists in this one. True idealism, apart from the inhabitants of the Outer Planes, could only be found in psions.

In the end, Tylanthyr abandoned useless speculation. There was simply too little information to guess anything.

Without any preamble, the Archmage spoke directly: "I am indeed very interested in your summoned creature, and I also wish to understand your inexplicable connection to Mechanus. However, this is not enough reason for me to take you as my apprentice."

He proposed a suggestion: "I can offer you satisfactory terms. You can choose from money, magic items, scrolls, or books, but you must stay with me for a while so I can study your stone golem."

At this moment, Zhang Yuan was in a difficult position. Tylanthyr was unyielding, yet the offered terms were too good to refuse.

Indeed, he had inquired about Tylanthyr's reputation in town. He was eccentric and reclusive, but there were no rumors of him being evil or terrifying. This was not easy for a mage who was often misunderstood and feared.

Moreover, with the Archmage's power, why would he need to offer any conditions? If he had decided to, imprisoning Zhang Yuan and his companions wouldn't have been much harder than catching a chicken.

But ultimately, the gap in power was too great, and he truly didn't want to gamble on the Archmage's generosity and character.

Seeing Zhang Yuan's expression of wanting to speak but not daring to—his timid demeanor—Tylanthyr spoke first:

"What kind of person do you think I am? A bandit? A magic fanatic? A tyrant who kills his targets if he can't get them?"

"How could that be, Master? If you wanted to deal with us, wouldn't you have done so already?" someone quickly replied with a smile.

"Tsk~" Tylanthyr remained noncommittal. "Kid, I spent over twenty years pursuing and gaining power. But after I obtained it, I spent even longer restraining my impulse to abuse it."

"Whether it's magic or power, they are merely tools for you to use, not ultimate goals that you must seek by abandoning everything else."

"But I've also heard that some mages abandon everything in pursuit of truth," Zhang Yuan muttered softly.

"What is truth? Who defines it? When a person can see nothing and care about nothing but magic, they have already gone mad. What truth can a lunatic without reason talk about? Isn't that a joke?" Tylanthyr clearly disagreed with the actions of some mages.

Relieved, Zhang Yuan began to seriously consider his options, trying to find a better solution.

"I would be honored to participate in your research, Master."

"You are not qualified; you are the one being researched," Tylanthyr said bluntly.

Stunned into silence, the person took several deep breaths before recovering. "Ahem, in any case, Master, I can fully accept your conditions. However, I apologize, but as a Flaming Fist soldier, I have a mission. I cannot join your experiment now, and I don't need any other items."

"I only hope that while I am here cooperating with the experiment, I can have the honor of being your assistant and be allowed to consult some basic magical texts." After speaking, Zhang Yuan carefully observed the changes in the Archmage's expression.

Tylanthyr's lips, thin and tinged with mockery, pressed together slightly, and a frown appeared between his brows. Finally, he relaxed:

"Alright. Since you're persistent, I won't have to waste my resources. Come back after you've completed your Flaming Fist mission. There's no rush."

Without any further ado, he ushered them out, telling the three to scram.

Emerging from the mage tower, the three felt as if they had passed through another world. Everything they had witnessed in the tower seemed to belong to a different reality.

"Finally out. Thankfully, that mage didn't do anything to us," the dwarf Bard said with relief, and Minsc nodded in agreement.

Zhang Yuan, however, smiled. A certain thought had solidified in his mind. Regardless of Tylanthyr's immense power, his self-restraint, especially towards those weaker than him, was truly rare and valuable.

There was something he hadn't told his teammates. Although flesh golems were a type of construct, unlike other golems, Necromancy spells were essential in their creation.

Coupled with his act of resurrecting Melican in the game, Kagan had guessed partially right: Tylanthyr was indeed a master of Necromancy. The unusually large number of undead skeletons around High Hedge Castle was a consequence of his influence.

However, it was precisely because of this that the Archmage had chosen to live in seclusion, situating his mage tower in such a remote location.

As the group left the mage tower, it was around afternoon. The daylight of the Month of Decay was already growing shorter, and the early winter sunlight felt weak, like the sun setting.

"Let's hurry back to Beregost. If we're any slower, we'll have to travel at night. I don't want to walk in the dark in this cursed place," Kagan urged everyone to move faster.

Unfortunately, the ones holding them back were these three: Kagan, Bard, and Tiny. The combined height of these three short individuals might not have reached a single story, and their short legs made any attempt to speed up futile, not to mention the weight of their armor.

Halfway through their journey, the sky had already darkened. The jungle at dusk was shadowy, and the trees, not dense but sufficiently twisted, which seemed unremarkable during the day, now resembled malevolent spirits, twisting their shadows into phantoms that entwined passersby.

Fortunately, they were all experienced enough not to be frightened by these apparitions, but their pace became slightly more cautious.

This caution was quickly rewarded.

As the party passed through a narrow path between two large trees, a dark shadow flashed from behind a tree. The vigilant group was about to get a clear look at the attacker when a shrill white light slashed diagonally downwards towards a certain mage.

The event happened suddenly, but Zhang Yuan's training and accumulated combat experience were not for naught. With a sideways roll, he dodged the fatal ambush, got up, and drew his sword, finally getting a chance to see the identity of the attacker.

A gnoll, but it had already been turned into a corpse with no lower legs by the reacting Minsc and Bard. Could it be here for revenge? Someone wondered in surprise.

However, there was no time for contemplation. A group of about twenty gnoll soldiers appeared shortly after, emerging directly from the surrounding trees and encircling the group in the forest.

The four in the party, along with Tiny, stood back-to-back in a circle formation to avoid being ambushed from behind and falling into a desperate situation where they faced enemies on all sides. But the current situation was not much better.

The mage now only had Sleep remaining, but there was no opportunity to cast it. The gnolls were not stupid enough to let a mage chant spells openly.

Tiny's throwing damage and control duration were very limited, and against such a number of opponents, it was difficult to achieve a decisive victory.

Seeing the enemies fidgeting and preparing to charge forward recklessly, Zhang Yuan couldn't find a breakthrough point to stop them.