Wizard Bloodline

"I contacted several people for you, sir. Currently, three White Stone Castle wizards are offering 'talent transplantation' services to outsiders. Here is the information they provided," Barisha respectfully handed Ronan several sheets of parchment and a rune stone at the Ice Bat Tavern, where Ronan sat in his usual window seat.

Both the parchment and the rune stone contained detailed information about the "talent transplantation." The handwriting varied, indicating different authors, and Barisha hadn't even had time to organize them before notifying Ronan.

Ronan skimmed through all the information, setting the papers down calmly, and looked at Barisha, asking, "Do you have any recommendations?"

Barisha glanced at the black magic stone Ronan used to weigh down the parchment, visibly swallowing, suppressing the eagerness in his eyes. After some thought, he spoke seriously, "Among these three, the Frise family wizard offers the most beast types for transplantation, but they also have the highest failure rate. I'm not sure if it's related to the wizards receiving the 'talent transplantation,' but the success rate with the Frise family is only about half the norm, sometimes even less. However, they promise to refund half the fee if it fails."

"Icicle Valley used to be the gathering place for the Clavelle family, but now it's just old man Tamsanga left. He's eccentric and unpredictable, sometimes suddenly raising prices, though he's quite courteous to second-level wizards of the same rank."

"Relatively speaking, Lady Reeve of Cold Stone Manor has a good reputation, but there have been rumors of monsters around Cold Stone Manor for a century, and people disappear there every year. If you go, sir, please be cautious."

"Monsters?…" Ronan's eyes gleamed as he asked Barisha, "Has anyone seen what the monsters look like? How strong are they?"

"Most who see them die, and those who survive are either mad or simple-minded, babbling about different kinds of monsters. As for their strength…"

Barisha gave a bitter smile, replying softly, "To us ordinary folks, if it's a monster, it's naturally an overwhelming horror. I'm not sure about their exact strength…"

"What's the highest level of those who've disappeared near there?"

"There have been first-level wizards who vanished there, and they never returned. Not just one, either."

"Don't other wizard families in White Stone Castle do anything about it?"

"Cold Stone Manor is Lady Reeve's family territory; other families have no right to meddle. Few wizards from other families visit there. Most who go are outsiders seeking 'talent transplantation' or ordinary people sneaking in to hunt."

Ronan asked Barisha a few more questions, then nodded, making his decision.

"Let's go with Cold Stone Manor… Contact this Lady Reeve for me."

Barisha didn't try to dissuade Ronan further, obediently agreeing, collecting the magic stone from the table, and leaving in a hurry.

Once Barisha left, Ronan sat alone, gently tapping his fingers on the table.

"Cold Stone Manor… missing people, monsters."

"Is a wizard conducting sinister human experiments there?"

After thinking quietly for a moment, Ronan stood up, passing through the tavern like a cold breeze, quickly returning to his room at the back.

The room wasn't large, with a warm orange glow from the burning fireplace adding a touch of warmth.

Built from some kind of cedar wood, the room was surrounded by snow from a recent blizzard in White Stone Castle, piled halfway up the windows, with intricate frost flowers adorning the glass, creating a fairy-tale atmosphere.

However beautiful the snowy scenery might be, seeing it for over a month had worn Ronan's patience thin.

Kosti had set a two-and-a-half-month deadline for him, and he couldn't afford to push it to the last minute. Missing the opening of the Mirror Court secret realm would be a major loss.

"No matter what peculiarities Cold Stone Manor holds, I'm only there for the 'talent transplantation'…

Whether successful or not, I'll return to the Silver Ring immediately afterward."

Ronan calculated his time, realizing he had at most twenty-five days left in White Stone Castle.

He set aside fifteen days for himself.

If he achieved his goal in fifteen days, great; if not, he'd return, attempting to break through to second-level wizard during the journey.

In reality, Ronan didn't place too much importance on White Stone Castle's so-called "talent transplantation."

For a typical ice wizard, the effects of "talent transplantation" could indeed be a powerful enhancement.

A talent for instant-casting an ice spell could serve as a trump card, and ice energy affinity could transform an ice wizard, enhancing their abilities across the board.

But Ronan wasn't purely an ice wizard.

For him, "talent transplantation" was merely an "added bonus"—nice to have but not essential, and it wasn't a permanent boost.

With these thoughts, Ronan set up a rune array and took out the Sacred Blood Tree seedling from his spatial ring.

After more than a month of continuous blood nourishment, the Sacred Blood Tree had grown rapidly.

Its height had increased from a couple of handspans to over a meter.

The trunk was nearly two fingers thick, and it had over forty leaves, appearing lush and flourishing.

The matured Sacred Blood Tree exhibited more intelligence, with increasingly obvious gestures of closeness. When Ronan retrieved it from his spatial ring, the sapling's leaves rustled, as if it were playfully interacting with him.

Ronan routinely nourished the Sacred Blood Tree with his blood, combined with a special "nutrient solution" Benigo had prepared for it before his departure.

After watering, he habitually patted the tree top, playing with it to strengthen their bond.

"Hmm?!"

Suddenly, Ronan's eyes shifted as he gently parted a cluster of leaves at the base of the Sacred Blood Tree, revealing tiny crimson tendrils beneath the green and pink leaves.

"What's this?"

Ronan blinked, examining the red tendrils, instinctively pulling out a communication stone from his spatial ring.

A moment later, someone knocked on the door, and as it opened, a young, lanky man with a red-tipped nose and shrewd eyes stood respectfully at the entrance.

The young man held a plump, gray-feathered grouse, occasionally flapping its wings.

"Honored wizard, may I… is this acceptable?"

"Yes, thank you."

Ronan accepted the grouse, casually tossing a low-grade magic stone to the young man, shutting the door before he could express his gratitude.

Rushing back to the rune array where the Sacred Blood Tree stood, Ronan addressed the communication stone calmly, "I've found a living creature, Benigo. What should I do next?"

Benigo's voice emerged from the communication stone, unusually tinged with excitement and urgency, unlike his usual calm demeanor.

"I'm not sure how to proceed; you'll have to figure it out, Damien. Try to communicate with the Sacred Blood Tree, make it understand your intention. Remember to document the entire process!!"

"Communicate."

Ronan set down the communication stone, gazing at the Sacred Blood Tree, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

The Sacred Blood Tree.

Legends spoke of its ability to purify bloodlines and resurrect the dead.

From the time it was just a seed, Ronan had been awaiting this day.

Unexpectedly, it arrived so silently and unexpectedly.

According to Benigo, when the Sacred Blood Tree sprouted vein-like tendrils, it indicated it had developed the ability to purify bloodlines.

Ronan took a deep breath, steadying his emotions.

He crouched down, gently releasing his mental power towards the Sacred Blood Tree.

His consciousness was incredibly soft, as if soothing a child.

The process was smoother than he anticipated, likely due to the Sacred Blood Tree being nourished entirely by his blood, creating a true bloodline connection and fostering unreserved intimacy and trust.

The Sacred Blood Tree's intelligence was abundant, quickly grasping his intent.

When the crimson tendrils, previously hidden beneath the leaves, fully emerged, Ronan realized they were far more numerous than he had estimated.

Countless tendrils, resembling thin red threads, clung to Ronan's right hand, gradually wrapping around the bewildered grouse in his grasp.

The entire process exuded a mysterious and sinister aura.

Ronan released his hold, stepping back to watch intently.

Once the experimental grouse was completely enveloped by the tendrils, transforming into a red "yarn ball"...

"Gulp—"

A sucking sound echoed in the quiet room as the crimson tendrils glowed, and the Sacred Blood Tree began to shine, with complex vermilion patterns appearing on each leaf, exuding an indescribable mystical aura.

Ronan watched the fat grouse, enwrapped by countless tendrils, rapidly "wither" in two seconds, though its life force remained, albeit extremely weak.

The Sacred Blood Tree trembled violently, desperately stretching out each leaf, the patterns on them growing increasingly bright.

It was evident the Sacred Blood Tree was making a great effort...

After an unknown period, a large blood pouch sprouted at the treetop, followed by a thumb-thick branch growing rapidly from it.

Rather than a branch, it resembled another tendril, much thicker than before, smooth and patternless, with a small suction-like opening at its tip.

This tendril, connected to the blood pouch, extended towards Ronan, conveying a faint sense of consciousness.

Understanding the message within this consciousness, Ronan thoughtfully inserted the tendril back into the red "yarn ball" wrapped by numerous tendrils.

The blood pouch at the Sacred Blood Tree's treetop quickly deflated, fully shriveling, while the previously withered "yarn ball" swelled once more.

"Whoosh—"

In an instant, the countless tendrils and the connecting tendril retracted, revealing a lively grouse before Ronan.

The grouse, taken from the Ice Bat Inn's kitchen and "altered" by the Sacred Blood Tree, had transformed entirely.

Its size had nearly doubled, with its previously gray-white feathers now purely white, emitting a faint luster under the rune array's light.

Its legs and wings appeared visibly strong and muscular, its beak and claws sharp, and its eyes gleamed like red rubies, with a hint of fierceness.

It seemed a mysterious and powerful energy was awakening within it, its changes ongoing. Ronan even sensed a large amount of free energy particles in the air converging towards it.

"Whoosh—"

The sharp sound of something slicing through the air, a flash of white light, darted towards Ronan's face.

Ronan snapped his fingers casually, and the rebellious grouse exploded mid-air, bursting into a red and white mist, which was then gathered by an invisible force, forming a ball in Ronan's hand, which he placed into his spatial ring.

[Strength increased by three to four times, speed increased, physical changes, awakened ability to absorb energy particles actively.]

A blank rune stone appeared in Ronan's hand, quickly recording observations.

Once finished, Ronan's normally composed and handsome face was overwhelmed with uncontainable excitement and joy.

"Truly… it has the effect of purifying bloodlines!"

"A plain grouse, after a single bloodline purification, almost shows potential to become a zero-tier magical beast…"

"Good, good."

Turning back, Ronan's gaze fell on the Sacred Blood Tree, his eyes gleaming, stepping forward quickly.

The Sacred Blood Tree appeared utterly wilted, its leaves drooping without luster, looking exhausted and depleted.

"This is still too much for you, isn't it?"

Ronan gently soothed the Sacred Blood Tree, his tone soft.

Simultaneously, he entered a "semi-demonized" state, cutting his flesh, generously pouring his vitality-rich blood onto the Sacred Blood Tree.

The tree greedily absorbed Ronan's blood, its appetite unprecedented.

Its vigor returned swiftly, soon regaining its "lively" state, even sprouting a few new leaves with faint, intricate patterns.

"Good child."

Ronan finished watering, lightly patting the Sacred Blood Tree's top, standing up, his eyes filled with immense brightness.

"When I return to the Ring, I'll have Benigo analyze my bloodline, identify valuable parts, and begin purification with the Sacred Blood Tree."

"I recall Kosti mentioning once that I possess a trace of moonlight elf bloodline. I wonder what talents the moonlight elves have… are they a powerful race…"

"Life is starting to look more and more promising…"

Three days later, on a snowy high slope outside White Stone Ridge.

A black, silver-edged carriage raced swiftly across the snowy expanse.