Aside from those who, due to culture and experience, hated or distrusted magic, countless mortals throughout ancient and modern times had pursued magical power. They longed to obtain the capital to change the world and create miracles, and from this desire, different spellcasting professions emerged.
Some devoted themselves to exploring the Weave, using wisdom to command the magical energy permeating the universe. This group was known as wizards, and they were also regarded as the finest users of magic.
Some chose to serve the gods, receiving divine enlightenment and infusion, thereby obtaining the mysterious power of magic. These honored individuals called themselves clerics, spreading the doctrines of the gods they believed in and shepherding their faithful.
Others emptied their minds, listened to the echoes of the universe, accepted nature's grace, and called upon the primal powers of the elements. These spellcasters were known as druids.
There were also individuals born with a strong connection to magic. Perhaps it was the legacy of a supernatural bloodline, a gift from another world, or the result of once being exposed to some great cosmic power. Magic had chosen them, and they were the extraordinary beings known as sorcerers.
Warlocks were different from all of these groups. The source of this profession's magic was neither scholarship nor bloodline, nor did it come from a true god or nature itself. They were often outstanding occultists, exploring the hidden mystical knowledge of the multiverse and attempting to forge pacts with mythical powers.
The mighty beings who forged pacts with warlocks were called patrons. Warlocks obtained arcane knowledge from their patrons and integrated it into their own power.
There were many choices for patrons. Any being capable of signing a pact could serve as one.
It could be an Archfey. These legendary creatures had already appeared in the world before the mortal races were born, and they possessed ancient, lost knowledge. Examples included the Prince of Frost, the Queen of Air and Darkness, and Oberon, the Green Lord. A mortal might accidentally wander into a gorgeous magical garden during a journey and unknowingly forge a pact with the fey lord dwelling there.
It could also be a powerful fiend from one of the Lower Planes. They pursued destruction and corruption, brewing evil plans. Examples included demons such as Demogorgon and Orcus, or devils such as Asmodeus and Belial. Fiends extended tendrils dripping venom and reeking of decay into the Prime Material Plane, luring greedy mortals into cooperation.
Another type of patron was the Great Old One, some mysterious entity from beyond the universe, an ancient god from a distant realm. Their forms of existence were incompatible with reality, and their minds could not be understood by mortals, yet the knowledge they possessed was boundless. Even the greatest library in the world could not compare to them. An apprentice might study forbidden texts, let their thoughts drift beyond the mortal realm, touch those great beings that did not exist in the present world, and thus establish a connection with them.
The relationship between warlocks and patrons sometimes resembled that between gods and clerics. These otherworldly beings needed warlocks to serve as spokesmen for their alien faiths, and if warlocks wanted knowledge and rewards, they often had to risk their lives for their patrons.
Different patrons could make different demands of their warlocks. A fey patron might have a warlock run errands, while a fiendish patron might lure a warlock into performing bloody sacrificial rituals.
As for Great Old One patrons, they often did not even realize their warlocks existed, just as humans could not feel the mites on the surface of their skin. To gain power from them, warlocks needed to research secret methods and steal it themselves.
Usually, however, the relationship between the two was more like that of master and apprentice. Warlocks turned the knowledge and power they obtained into their own and used it as nourishment for their growth. Therefore, they would not lose their power the way clerics did when they lost the favor of their gods.
Although warlocks were people who pursued mystical knowledge, not every pact was signed under a warlock's control. A considerable portion of this group had been deceived into signing pacts, especially by fiends scheming against the present world, who developed agents on the Prime Material Plane.
Skyl knew nothing about occultism, and at this very moment, he was facing his own patron, a god from a distant realm beyond the universe.
After passing through the deep-blue doorway of the high tower, Skyl looked around and found himself inside a hexagonal gallery.
In the ventilation shaft before him hovered a gray sun. It was both the light source and the core of the tower.
Within the illusory sun, a pitch-black figure could be faintly seen. It was unaware and unfeeling, yet it seemed to watch everything. Wherever its sunlight reached, the minds of all things in the world had no secrets.
Skyl raised his head and gazed at this cold sun that had no warmth. The light within the skull, which had dissolved into his body, began to boil, then condensed into a silver key that slowly flew out from his chest and entered the palm of the figure within the sun.
Then a black book flew out from the High Tower King's hand.
Skyl took the book in surprise. Written clearly on the cover was The Wizard's Practical Guide.
He placed a hand over his chest and bowed to the High Tower King, then said in a low voice, "Thank you for your gift. If this can help me survive in space, then I will do my best to repay you with the life I have left."
The High Tower King said nothing. It merely existed there.
(Otherworldly Knowledge): Don't you feel like you just bought a can of Coke from a vending machine? This strange glowing orb on the other side reacts very mechanically.
Skyl secretly grinned. It was true. He rather liked dealing with this silent and peculiar being. It felt like a fair exchange willingly accepted by both sides, without complicated conflicts of interest.
He opened The Wizard's Practical Guide. On the first few pages, the following words were written:
[Daily Study Task]: As a new spellcaster, diligence and hard work are the best steps toward truth. Please arrange one subject for independent study. Total study time must not be less than two class periods.
Reward: one bottle of Energy Potion.
[Daily Practice]: The craft of magic lies in both theory and practice. Please perform one hundred practice casts of a specific cantrip.
Reward: one bottle of Essence of Dittany.
[First Lesson]: Warlock who has signed a pact with the High Tower King, you have unknowingly stepped onto the path of the arcane. Arm your empty brain with knowledge as quickly as possible. There is still a whole solar system waiting for you to explore! Please learn two cantrips and two first-level spells.
Reward: one undetectably expanded pocket.
[Missionary]: Not yet unlocked.
Skyl stared at the contents of the book for quite a while.
(Otherworldly Knowledge): So this is where your cheat ability was hiding. Does it remind you of those transmigrator stories? You can become as strong as them too, as long as you seize the opportunity.
Skyl turned to the later pages. This section contained exchange entries for magical knowledge. The light within the skull could be used to exchange for books and texts stored in the Tower of Tomes. It was equivalent to a trading shop, and its contents were so abundant that Skyl hardly knew where to look.
He quickly locked onto several items that were valuable to him.
[Tower Meditation Method]: Price, thirteen candleflames. A casual work by a disciple of the Covenant. Long-term practice can help spellcasters better restore mental strength, improve their sensitivity to magic, and benefit the development of cognitive ability.
[Manual for Building Small and Micro Magical Ships]: Price, one hundred candleflames. This manual contains detailed crafting processes for seven types of small and micro magical ships, helping adventurers better roam the sea of stars.
[Complete Collection of Magical Cantrips, Volume One]: Price, fifty candleflames. The complete series contains three volumes and includes knowledge of one hundred cantrips. Truly an essential item for newcomers setting out on the road.
[Classic Collection of First-Level Spells, Warlock Volume]: Price, one hundred candleflames. The complete series contains eight volumes and is available for multiple class options. A bundled purchase of the whole set even comes with a discount.
The meditation method was very cheap, and it seemed able to let Skyl copy runes for longer, so it became his near-term goal. The magical ship crafting manual was a long-term goal and also the key to escaping his predicament. The spellbook was something he had to obtain, which made it a long-term goal as well.
Right now, Skyl felt that what he lacked most was money. He needed to obtain a large amount of light within the skull, and then survive.
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