Ancient Power?!
Could it be referring to the rune that had grown in his palm, named [Ancient Power]? Beside the [Ancient Power] label, there were two small words in parentheses: (Beginner).
Yes, perhaps it was because the twisted, tadpole-like black rune in his palm was incomplete, as if it were just the first stroke of a rune being inscribed.
Ronan was momentarily dazed and bewildered.
Having a rune grow from one's body... this was something he had never heard of, not even in the most fantastical wizardry tales.
And the fact that this phenomenon occurred through practicing a body-tempering technique made it even more astonishing.
Ronan realized he needed to reassess the origins and value of the [Ascetic Body Training] technique.
He had always regarded [Ascetic Body Training] as merely a body-tempering exercise. It had no combat applications, and the "Giant Demon Transformation" was a technique he had devised himself.
But now, with the emergence of the [Ancient Power] rune, Ronan suddenly understood—perhaps [Ascetic Body Training] was originally a combat technique.
All the effort he had put into body-tempering was to prepare his body to one day withstand the descent of this [Ancient Power]!!
"Hiss—"
Ronan took a deep breath, raising his arms as ancient, mysterious energies swirled around him, distorting the space around him.
He stood like a bow drawn to its limit, the tension on the bowstring rising to an unimaginable, terrifying height.
Finally, he released a punch.
"Boom!"
A thunderous explosion echoed as dense black light flashed from Ronan's fist, creating a collapsing "black hole" at the point of impact.
The compressed force exploded, creating a bright vacuum trail visible to the naked eye, shooting forward like a meteor and instantly striking the nearby ice crystal serpent.
The 50-meter long, 4-meter thick serpent, coiled to the size of a small mountain, had its head blasted into a mix of red blood and ice fragments. The massive body was hurled backwards uncontrollably, flung hundreds of meters away.
"Boom!"
The serpent crashed, sweeping a large clearing in the dense forest, rolling in a pathetic fashion before finally letting out a lamenting hiss.
Ronan panted heavily, feeling an exhaustion he hadn't experienced in a long time.
The punch's power was beyond his expectations, but the consumption was unprecedented.
He involuntarily exited the "half-demon" state, his life force orb depleting by half.
Raising his still slightly trembling hands, he examined his palms. The runes representing [Ancient Power] had vanished, as if they had never appeared.
"And this is just the beginner level of [Ancient Power]."
The [Ancient Power] rune was incomplete, not whole.
Ronan couldn't imagine what terrifying power the intermediate, advanced, or complete [Ancient Power] could unleash.
At that moment, excitement and anticipation filled Ronan's heart.
The mainstream wizarding view pursued the immortality of the soul, often dismissing and even despising the physical aspects.
Due to [Ascetic Body Training], Ronan had never abandoned his physical training.
Now, with the emergence of [Ancient Power], it felt like all his perseverance and efforts were rewarded, offering a genuine hope that physical cultivation could stand alongside the true wizard path.
No, "stand alongside" wasn't accurate; it was "run parallel."
Because Ronan didn't want to abandon either path; he sought to walk both.
"Perhaps this path was pioneered by some ancient wizards exploring the potential of the body, a new path they forged."
To hide runes within a technique, passing them down like seeds buried to sprout—such a method was breathtaking.
This level of runic mastery surpassed Ronan's understanding.
A technique that even the mundane world would dismiss as an ascetic's coarse method, yet its true creator was likely a mighty ancient wizard or many such figures.
The contrast was remarkable.
Ronan mused, gradually calming his exerted body.
His expression returned to calm as he focused on the ice crystal serpent, using his flight ring to approach.
Upon delivering the [Ancient Power] punch, the battle with the ice crystal serpent effectively ended.
The serpent, having taken the full brunt of [Ancient Power], was severely injured—its large head missing a chunk of scales, its skull dented, and its once-lustrous horn now dull.
As Ronan approached, the serpent strained to rise, maintaining a defiant stance, yet its gaze betrayed hints of fear and shock.
Its young, inexperienced mind couldn't comprehend how this small, fragile human body could repeatedly unleash such terrifying power that shattered its understanding.
"This is a good start."
Ronan noted the flicker of fear in the serpent's eyes.
Fear was beneficial.
When fear accumulated enough to outweigh its inherent defiance and arrogance, that day would mark Ronan's true taming of it.
In a sense, the "Bosilinna's Bet" was beneficial for both Ronan and the serpent.
Ronan had something constantly pursuing him, keeping him moving forward without complacency, while the serpent had a target to chase and surpass, speeding its growth beyond that of its kin.
"It's a pity you didn't seize this opportunity."
Ronan approached the serpent, extending his fingers over its wound, from which slender, sharp silver metal threads shot out, embedding deep into the serpent's flesh.
"The next opportunity I give you won't be so easy. Each challenge you pose must be met with the price of failure."
Extracting its blood essence again, the serpent hissed in pain but didn't resist.
It watched Ronan intently, its eyes filled with deeper resentment and obsession.
Ronan met its gaze unflinchingly, speaking calmly, "If you formally acknowledge me as your master, I promise to help purify your bloodline, giving you a chance for further atavism."
Upon hearing Ronan's words, the serpent's eyes froze, then flickered with hesitation and struggle.
Ronan, uninterested in further engagement, took the blood and turned to leave.
The serpent knew of the Holy Blood Tree's existence, and Ronan used it as a bargaining chip to mentally dismantle it, coupled with repeated physical suppression. The day it fully submitted seemed not far off.
After dealing with the serpent, Ronan intended to check on Bennigo.
Suddenly, his space ring emitted a communication stone's signal.
Checking it, he found the message was from Kirstie.
His eyes flickered, and after reading the message, he hurriedly headed back to the Silver Ring.
Kirstie had summoned him; the exploration of the Mirror Court's first battlefield had concluded.
"I heard about your achievements from Third Ring Master Caroni, Damien. You surpassed my expectations."
With wavy hair cascading like a river, her presence as serene as the night sky, Kirstie sat amidst towering bookshelves, her gaze on Ronan a blend of complexity and satisfaction.
Ronan discerned more than admiration in her eyes; there was a hint of surprise and expectation he couldn't fully grasp.
"It seems your bloodline has further awakened, able to suppress the Sakiels family's bloodline from Molten Lake."
Kirstie paused, then seriously admonished Ronan, "From now on, never lightly offer your bloodline for others to study, no matter the price they offer."
Ronan nodded, and after enduring Kirstie's lengthy admonitions, she finally broached a topic that piqued his interest.
"The exploration of the first core region... was even smoother than anticipated, yielding two dawn-level artifacts."
Two dawn-level artifacts?!
Ronan was astonished.
The second battlefield had yielded a dawn-level silver staff, but he hadn't expected the first battlefield to produce two at once. Truly, it was the most core area.
Noticing Ronan's surprise, Kirstie smiled wryly, "In fact, far more were unearthed, but we only managed to secure two. The rest escaped. Artifacts with self-awareness are difficult to subdue, especially those skilled in spatial and mirror evasion. Honestly, obtaining two was a pleasant surprise."
Ronan couldn't help but ask, "Was the dawn-level artifact from the second battlefield captured?"
"No, it wasn't."
Kirstie shook her head, and Ronan felt a subtle relief.
She continued, "Besides that, we found a complete space-mirror spell legacy, and... a shattered World Stone!"
Ronan's heart skipped at "complete space-mirror spell legacy."
The ancient Mirror Court had taken most of its legacy knowledge when it left. Until now, no complete spell legacy had emerged from the Mirror Court. This should be the first instance, the only window for southern wizards to glimpse the mysteries of ancient space and mirror spells.
Before Ronan could relish the thought, his expression turned peculiar.
For when Kirstie mentioned the "World Stone," he distinctly felt a mark on his right hand's back twitch slightly.
He hesitated briefly, then recounted his experience of acquiring a marked brand in a waste fluid tank in a wizard's lab on the second battlefield to Kirstie.
Kirstie examined the mark on Ronan's hand and concluded, "Damien, what you have is a coordinate for a World Stone."
Ronan was stunned by the revelation.
Kirstie began explaining "World Stone" knowledge.
"...This world isn't as simple as it seems. Apart from our world, many independent otherworlds exist. A World Stone is the bridge connecting two worlds, the key to opening another world's space."
Kirstie demonstrated by conjuring two differently colored, bubble-like light spheres, connecting them with a beam of light.
"But opening an otherworld space channel with a World Stone is random, as any world beyond ours is unknown and alien to wizards. No one knows what awaits behind the door—an endless bounty or an infinite disaster."
"As successors of spatial magic, the Mirror Court naturally studied World Stones early on, experimenting with otherworld exploration. From the 'forbidden,' 'failed' terms you found in the lab, and this broken, abandoned World Stone, I suspect the Mirror Court's experience with an otherworld wasn't favorable... Perhaps this is why it hurriedly relocated."
Kirstie's expression grew serious, her eyes flashing quickly, "For something to force a powerful entity like the Mirror Court to abandon their home, the disaster behind that world might surpass all imagination. Your information is crucial, Damien, while others were contemplating how to restore the World Stone... I need to inform them immediately."
Kirstie muttered urgently, then turned to Ronan's hand, saying, "You've obtained the spatial coordinates of that unknown disastrous world, but don't worry. Without a World Stone, coordinates are just coordinates, posing no threat to you. Ignore it; over time, it might fade on its own."
"Also, keep this coordinate information to yourself. Some people's madness and ambition are beyond your imagination..."
Seeing Kirstie's grave demeanor, Ronan nodded solemnly.
He glanced at his right hand, the odd arrow-like mark faintly visible beneath the skin.
It was hard to fathom that this was half the key to opening an unknown world.
Such matters seemed distant to hi
m now.
He lowered his hand, tucking it beneath his robe.
At this point, Kirstie began discussing another matter with him.
Translators note: From now on the name kosti will be change to Kirstie