"The Southern Wizard's Prodigy Gathering has already started," Kirstie stated calmly. "Orion left the Ring a year ago, heading to the Ruins of the Fairy Ancient City. The competition for the Helamsk Prodigy Seat will officially commence in about four months."
"Four months..." Ronan repeated the number silently, saying nothing.
Kirstie thought for a moment, then turned her space ring, taking out three items to give to Ronan.
Ronan examined the three items before him.
The first was a bottle of murky black potion. The second was a small, dried, twisted root-like object, which, upon closer inspection, appeared to be some kind of desiccated animal gut. The last item was a peculiar metal box, its surface covered in densely interlocking brass gears, with a small piece of rune stone inside.
Ronan picked up the rune stone from the box and was surprised to find it was a map.
A large map, encompassing almost the entire southern region.
Two points were particularly marked: one was the location Kirstie had mentioned earlier, the actual site for the Helamsk Prodigy Seat competition—the Ruins of the Fairy Ancient City.
The other point indicated—The Ruins of the Mechanical Heart.
Ronan blinked and looked up, waiting for Kirstie's explanation.
"These are part of the Ring's subsequent compensation rewards for you."
"The first two items are potions that can enhance soul power, which you can consume directly to bring you closer to the third level.
The third item is the key to enter the Ruins of the Mechanical Heart."
"A key to the Ruins of the Mechanical Heart..."
The key naturally wasn't the rune map. Ronan focused on the bizarre metal box that held the map.
"The Mechanical Heart is a remnant of Dwarven civilization, explored many times by southern wizards. Many metal spell golems used by southern wizards originate from the Mechanical Heart's legacy," Kirstie explained.
Ronan frowned slightly but didn't get a chance to ask before Kirstie continued, "However, the most valuable things within the Ruins of the Mechanical Heart aren't necessarily what the dwarven craftsmen left behind."
"It's Shbiart's legacy."
"Shbiart!"
Ronan's eyes lit up with intrigue. Shbiart was the first legendary wizard's name he had come across.
This name held more allure for him than "Helamsk" ever did.
Because every time he used the "Universal Pearl," a youthful, bright voice, full of endless passion and insatiable curiosity, would echo in his ears—a voice belonging to Shbiart: "Welcome, successor of the Universal Pearl, to—Shbiart's Enchanted Space!..."
"Shbiart was probably the first to explore the Mechanical Heart, and some even say it was built under his guidance by the dwarves.
Before leaving the Mechanical Heart, Shbiart left many similar metal boxes there."
"Some of these boxes contain artifacts, some hold rare spell legacies, some have rare runes, some have nothing at all, and some might even contain unpleasant surprises.
Later wizards named these boxes—Shbiart's Wonder Boxes.
Until you open a box, you'll never know whether it holds delight or dread."
It fit Ronan's image of Shbiart—a whimsical, mischievous youth.
Ronan suddenly thought of the full name of the [Silverization] rune and couldn't help but look at Kirstie with surprise.
Kirstie understood his meaning and nodded, "As you guessed, the [Silverization] rune and related metal spell legacies come from Shbiart's Wonder Boxes.
There is a special resonance between the boxes; you might try your luck at the Ruins of the Mechanical Heart."
Ronan nodded.
Kirstie's suggestion was sound. During the final phase in the seclusion room, he had devoted most of his energy to combining metal and spatial spells with mirror spells, but had hit a bottleneck.
If he couldn't make progress in spatial and mirror spells, perhaps he could find a breakthrough in metal spells.
Ronan expressed his gratitude to Kirstie. He could surmise that the so-called compensation from the Ring might only be the last metal box.
The first two items were likely personal gifts from Kirstie.
Some things didn't need to be said aloud; Ronan kept them in his heart.
"Even if you can't directly participate in the seat competition, observing this grand event that gathers all the southern wizard prodigies will greatly benefit your future path. Set off soon, Ronan. Whether heading to the Mechanical Heart or detouring to the Fairy Ancient City, it will take considerable time from here."
Kirstie looked at Ronan with a calm gaze, offering some encouragement, but not much.
She merely believed Ronan should go because it would be good for his cultivation, but she held no expectations for him, nor did she place any pressure on him.
"Kirstie really is suited to be a... mother."
Ronan silently assessed Kirstie.
Kirstie meticulously took care of all his cultivation affairs. When Ronan expressed determination toward a goal, she'd verbally "pour cold water" on him, cautioning him to temper his enthusiasm. Yet, she'd still do everything she could to prepare him.
She encouraged him but never burdened him with pressure.
Sometimes, Ronan felt lucky to have entered the Seventh Ring. Kirstie might not have been the best Ring Master or mentor, as she didn't offer much cultivation guidance, but she took excellent care of him in other aspects.
Under her "protection," Ronan felt comfortable and free.
Even now, he had little sense of belonging to the Ring, most of his attachment centered solely on Kirstie.
"Click—"
The brass door lock turned as Ronan entered the well-lit room.
He glanced around; nothing had changed since he left.
The air carried a faint dustiness, indicating no one had cleaned or entered during his absence.
The soul sealed within the door lock had been removed, leaving no annoying buzzing. Ronan was satisfied with everything.
"Come out, Arrietty..."
Ronan gently tapped his robe's collar, and the Dust Sprite girl Arrietty cautiously peeked her tiny head out from the fabric.
She curiously surveyed her surroundings, this future "new home."
The sprite girl flew from Ronan's collar, fluttering her wings, creating a trail of dust like gray fireworks.
All the accumulated dust in the room gravitated toward her, refreshing the air. This was an innate talent of Dust Sprites; wherever they were, not a speck of dust could be seen.
Seeing Arrietty happily playing in the new environment, her "cleaning game" likely to continue for a while, Ronan raised his fingers. A pile of notes and letters accumulated by the door frame flew toward him like snowflakes.
Ronan leisurely sat at the desk opposite the window, starting to read each letter one by one.
Three years seemed to change much for him, but for most long-lived wizards, it was no different from a brief afternoon nap.
The envelopes before Ronan mostly contained trivial matters. Those close to him naturally used communication stones to contact him; only those less familiar used letters.
Ronan quickly skimmed through until he found a note from Orion amidst the pile.
It contained only a few lines, briefly mentioning that he had left, preparing to head to the Fairy Ancient City.
Though he and Orion had exchanged only a few words and hadn't shared communication marks, Orion had gone out of his way to inform him, which was quite unexpected.
Continuing through the letters, Ronan finally found the one he was looking for—a reply from Havenwind Harbor.
There was also a stiff letter with an unknown content, the sender's name faded, identified only by a small gold tassel stamp in the corner.
The first letter was from Old Wills, containing three different messages from Old Wills, young Cheryl, and Venicia.
The three shared a single letter, likely to save money.
The paper seemed treated with a special solution, remaining fresh after years, with a slight dampness as if the sea breeze scent hadn't completely faded.
Old Wills inquired about Ronan's well-being and briefly updated him on their situation in Havenwind Harbor.
The environment at Havenwind Harbor was more peaceful than at the former Hoddam Academy. Being by the sea, resources were abundant, and the wizards there lived more comfortably than those at Hordadum Wizardry.
Old Wells mentioned using the magic stones Ronan gave him before leaving, along with his savings, to open a small potion shop in Havenwind Harbor, catering mainly to the lowest-level wizard apprentices. Cheryl and Venicia helped at the store, and life was reasonably good.
He specifically noted that Cheryl had officially entered the first-level wizard apprentice stage and showed promising talent in potion-making, which greatly pleased him.
Cheryl's portion of the letter was the longest, detailing every aspect of her life to Ronan, filled with a child's innocence and romanticism, often bringing a smile to Ronan's face.
Cheryl also spent a long time describing Venicia's longing for him, hoping he could visit soon, so they could live like a family as they did in Hordadum. She emphasized that if he came, he'd be "pleasantly surprised" and receive a huge surprise.
Ronan turned to the last page of the letter, where Venicia's brief note contained only a few lines, polite and cordial, like a greeting between ordinary friends...
Ronan's mind instinctively conjured an image of a shy, timid girl with a long braid, stirring a few ripples in his heart, which soon settled.
He picked up the other letter, from the Damien Earldom.
Despite all his travels in the south and near-death experiences, he never lost contact with his mundane family home, which was nothing short of a miracle.
Opening the envelope, a white, gold-embossed card fell out.
Ronan picked it up, realizing it was an invitation to a betrothal banquet, with the names "Leah" and another unfamiliar one written on it.
Ronan paused, realizing he had been away for nearly six years. The little girl who used to follow him around calling him brother, about Cheryl's age, must have grown into a graceful young lady by now.
"Already engaged..."
From the surname suffix, it seemed she was marrying into another noble family.
Ronan's fingers lightly traced the smooth paper, feeling a desire to return home for the first time.
His journey was accelerating, and Ronan worried that at some point, he'd lose the desire ever to look back.
"I'll consider it after the Prodigy Gathering."
Ronan stored the two letters, finished sifting through the remaining missives, and brought out the three items Kirstie had given him.
After carefully examining "Shbiart's Wonder Box" and finding nothing, he turned his attention to the two soul-enhancing potions.
Ronan consumed the potions one by one.
The experience was similar to when he had taken other soul-enhancing potions before, feeling as though he could hear the "growth" of his soul with his eyes closed.
"Shhh—"
In the consciousness space, the three twice-purified mental power crystals emitted faint "crackling" sounds, gradually expanding.
Advancing from a second-level wizard to the third required condensing a fourth mental power crystal, which meant needing more "soul space."
For geniuses with outstanding soul aptitude, this wasn't difficult, but Ronan's aptitude was ordinary, thus requiring external resource assistance.
With these two potions, he'd increased his soul power five times at this stage in the late second level.
Under normal circumstances, this should have been enough to break through to the third level.
However, after the mental power was twice purified by the [Basic Meditation], Ronan's mental power, in both quality and quantity, was at least ten times stronger than that of a typical second-level wizard.
Simply put, his mental power crystals were ten times larger than those of a typical late second-level wizard!
As a result, the soul power standard needed to break through to the third level was also higher.
[Power: Level 2 Formal Wizard (189%)]
After fully absorbing the effects of the two potions, Ronan checked his character panel, seeing his power progress had reached 189%.
The growth in soul power stimulated mental power growth, and the potions Kirstie gave him saved him much meditation effort.
Checking his current consciousness space, he saw three large, pristine, transparent crystals quietly suspended.
Each crystal was sizable, with different soul rune patterns solidified within them.
The purity of the mental power crystals represented the quality of mental power.
Ronan's three mental power crystals were not only free of any impurities, but they also constantly emitted faint, unusual golden light.
This golden light appeared after the second purification of his mental power, and Ronan felt his mental power had been purified to a level nearing "qualitative change."
For him, this was undoubtedly beneficial, as it meant any spell he cast would have more than ten times the power of an average wizard.
Ronan gradually released the supremely concentrated mental power, and instantly, his robe fluttered silently, his entire body emanating a peculiar faint golden glow.
It was like being bathed in the light of dawn, imbued with an indescribable magical charm.
"Whoosh—"
Ronan exhaled, gathering the extraordinary mental power back, rising quietly.
Seeing Dust Sprite Arrietty still busy, now with a tiny broom in hand, singing while cleaning, he left the room without disturbing her.
With a bright-feathered parrot perched on her shoulder, the elegant Kirstie stood quietly at the top of the silver tower, observing the figure leaving the tower's base.
"He's off," murmured Borbi, pecking at his feathers. "Oh Kirstie, I've never seen you dote on someone so much, just like that awful Shelby once did with you. Do you have special feelings for him? Speak up boldly, Kirstie. For wizards, age is never an issue..."
Kirstie turned coldly, casting a glance at Borbi.
Borbi suddenly had a bad premonition.
The next moment, before he could squawk, the entire bird shot like a cannonball in a direction, leaving only a few scattered feathers.
After "dealing with" the indiscreet Borbi, Kirstie watched Ronan's distant figure, her gaze complex, murmuring, "If he had a few more years, like Orion's age... I believe he'd shine at the gathering too. What a pity."
The wind atop the tower carried Kirstie's soft sigh away.
By the tranquil lakeside, the afternoon sun cast countless bright reflections on the water's surface, shimmering like a vast mirror submerged in water.
Ronan stood by the lake, enjoying the gentle breeze, his eyes gradually emitting a white glow.
These white threads, like silkworm silk, grew from his eyes, weaving into a faint, mysterious eye pattern at his brow.
[Detection Spell—Eye of Truth]!
This spell, ranked zero-level, so low that many wizard apprentices disdain using it, had undergone a wondrous transformation after reaching master-level proficiency.
Upon casting, the world seemed to peel away a thin veil of haze, becoming clear and vibrant in Ronan's eyes.
He saw countless energy particles moving on the lake surface, gathering and dispersing like smoke.
A vortex of spatial energy particles appeared strikingly in a tall reed bed over five hundred meters away.
The entrance to the Secret Garden was effortlessly located by Ronan, far easier than the previous times when he'd had to inch along the lakeside, meticulously searching with mental power.
Following the entrance, Ronan entered the secret realm, the beautiful, serene little garden unfolding before him once more.
The landing spot at the entrance had some unnaturally arranged energy particle clusters, which Ronan noticed but didn't dwell on.
"It seems someone was here not long ago."
It was normal, after all, he was the "latecomer."
Using [Eye of Truth], Ronan scrutinized the Secret Garden. The spatial teleportation arrays that once required spell-induced energy particle surges to reveal traces now appeared clearly in his vision.
"The world isn't as complex as you imagine... provided you have the eyes to see."
The white eye pattern at Ronan's brow flickered, and he calmly stepped into the garden.
He had spent three years in the Ring's seclusion loft studying the intricacies of spatial and mirror spells, based primarily on the runes related to space and mirrors he had and his personal explorations of the Mirror Court secret realm.
The Secret Garden before him had appeared in his mind countless times, and Ronan had pondered numerous ways to unravel the spatial teleportation array maze.
Now...
The time had finally come to test his ideas.
"[Living Steel]!"
Ronan whispered, and from beneath his robe, layers of metal surged forth like mercury.