Mary left with a face full of confusion and a hint of carefully hidden anticipation. Meanwhile, Daniel stood quietly on the dim staircase for a long time. His once-burly physique was now hunched and cloaked in a black robe, from which an artificial nerve cord extended from the back of his neck, trembling and emitting a very faint rustling sound. He looked like a faded oil painting blending into the dark background, with a withered and fierce face full of the cracks left by time.
But after standing for a long time, this faded painting was once again injected with a touch of vitality. Daniel blinked, nodded slightly in the direction Mary had left, then turned around and slowly ascended to the top of the Mage tower.
