Wizard Bloodline

A few seconds later, Ronan slowly put down the communication stone. The message was from Kosti, the leader of the Seventh Ring, asking if he had returned, as the Mirror Court was about to open.

Calculating the time, it was indeed almost due.

Ronan activated his flying ring, soaring from the base of the waterfall cliff into the sky, heading swiftly in a set direction.

With the wind gently caressing his face, Ronan looked down, his body and mind gradually merging with the sky.

"It's time to change my flying tool," he thought.

He was still using the first-level flying ring he got from Laura. It was barely sufficient for a first-level wizard, but after advancing to the second level, his heightened senses found its speed increasingly inadequate.

With the Mirror Court's secret realm about to open, conflicts and chases were inevitable. A high-quality flying tool would be crucial.

Ronan considered this and retrieved an item from his spatial ring.

It was a dagger, slightly longer than a palm, with a blade and hilt that shimmered like a mirror, quite peculiar.

Ronan infused the dagger with mental power, activating the runes within, and as the silver light emanated, he lightly stabbed his shoulder with it.

"Swish—"

Ronan's flying figure vanished, reappearing a few hundred meters away with a faint ripple in the air.

"This artifact is quite good for pursuits or escapes."

Ronan looked at the silver dagger, feeling satisfied.

This mirror-like dagger was something he brought out from the mysterious garden realm, a second-level artifact from the Mirror Court, allowing short-range spatial teleportation of objects—including people.

At the first level, Ronan couldn't fully harness its power, but now, after reaching the second level, it proved quite handy.

The cooldown for the dagger's runes was about half a minute, with a maximum teleportation range of about five hundred meters. It's not suitable for long distances, but perfect for short-range pursuits or escapes, sometimes offering unexpected advantages.

Along with the mirror dagger, Ronan also tested a silver comb artifact.

The silver comb was a second-level offensive artifact, capable of unleashing extremely sharp spatial blades in an area attack, with power comparable to a standard spell of a late second-level wizard.

For an average second-level wizard, this would be a powerful artifact, serving as a trump card. In some cases, it could allow dominance at their level.

However, for Ronan, the silver comb was less useful than the mirror dagger. He had plenty of offensive means, and his future opponents would be elites like Clemens, top-tier second-level wizards. The comb's power was somewhat lacking.

Ronan realized he had nearly twenty second-level artifacts!

Even counting the dismantled "Land of Winter" set, it was an impressive number.

For a typical second-level wizard, having three or four second-level artifacts was considered "wealthy," allowing them to be classified as "elite," like the two Ronan defeated early in the "Wetland Jungle," each with only two second-level artifacts.

Of course, a typical early second-level wizard's mental power could only control two or three second-level artifacts simultaneously.

"Even without using the first domain resonance, three-domain fusion, [Immaculate Body], and the Ancient Frost Hydra bloodline, my learned ice and metal spells, combined with this arsenal of artifacts, should suffice to contend with most late second-level wizards."

Recently, Ronan had mastered several second-level ice spells.

Second-level [Small Blizzard], second-level [Ice Armor], second-level [Cold Voice].

[Small Blizzard] was a well-known ice spell, a precursor to the third-level [Blizzard], summoning a powerful freezing vortex in a small area, growing with mental strength.

[Ice Armor] was an advanced defensive spell, while [Cold Voice] was a rare mental control spell in the ice domain, a secret of the [Iceflame Iris] Lanstet family, causing slowness, fear, and torment.

These second-level ice spells added three more anchors to Ronan's [Tundra Frozen Ground] domain, reaching nine anchors.

With the [Mirror Light] rune, it became nearly "eighteen anchors"!

The domain's power expanded tremendously!

With the "Yarlis Ice Ring Necklace" and [Land of Winter] set augmenting, Ronan felt confident, even without other methods, to challenge Clemens—"Clemens, can you fight?"

He hadn't yet learned any second-level metal spells.

For Ronan's current battle system, second-level metal spells offered little enhancement, so he didn't focus on them, as they weren't needed in combat.

As his skill list grew, Ronan felt time was scarce, wishing for every second to stretch into two.

However, a benefit of the [Frozen Ground] school of the Lanstet family's spells was requiring all anchored spells to be cast when constructing a domain. For Ronan, with his character panel, this meant "discarded" low-level spells gained proficiency naturally in battle.

Over time, these spells might quietly reach "master level."

Of course, this was a gradual process, requiring time to ferment.

Ronan informed Benigo of the Mirror Court's upcoming opening through the communication stone but didn't return to their "secret base." Instead, he went to a vast forest.

In the mountains, ancient towering trees grew, intertwined with old vines, lush and green. Occasionally, the wind stirred, creating waves of black.

This place was far from the Silver Ring, with no signs of exploration.

Nature's sounds echoed in the remote wilderness, and Ronan sometimes sensed powerful auras but didn't dare delve further.

He stood silently in the sky, his robe's hem fluttering in the breeze, sending a message through a soul imprint.

Soon, something approached swiftly from the forest, parting the waves of trees, and a massive Ice Crystal Serpent appeared before him.

Man and serpent, under the clear sky, met in silence.

Since Ronan fused with the Ancient Frost Hydra bloodline, he noticed the serpent's complex attitude.

On one hand, it harbored ambitions to surpass him and become the master. On the other, it was bound by soul contract and bloodline.

Now, facing Ronan, the serpent's frustration and conflict were palpable.

"We each have our own battlefields."

Ronan looked down calmly at the serpent, its giant crimson eyes reflecting his image.

"When I return from the Mirror Court, I'll give you a chance to challenge me."

"Hiss—"

The serpent hissed softly, flicked its tongue, then turned back into the forest without looking back.

As a magical beast, this was its ideal environment.

It could grow stronger by preying on other beasts and learn to control its bloodline through battle.

Ronan watched the serpent leave, his hand gently touching his left chest, where a stabbing pain pulsed with each breath, deepening.

Were it not for his continuous practice of [Ascetic Body Training], enduring pain as a friend, any other wizard might have been driven to madness by the endless agony.

"How could I lose to you..."

Ronan murmured, expressionless, turning away.

A silver ring with a feather motif glowed faintly, enveloping him in light.

Ronan entered the tower, ascending the stone stairs, his robe's hem trailing blue ripples.

He drew no attention.

Books flew like birds, welcoming him.

After nearly four months, he returned to the Silver Tower of the Seventh Ring, unchanged, tranquil as before.

Reaching near the top, Ronan stopped, parting the book curtain, landing at his door.

The brass lock yawned, surprised by his sudden return, but before it could speak, Ronan grabbed the handle, silencing it.

"Quiet."

Ronan said calmly, "Did anyone visit while I was away?"

The brass lock nodded vigorously, and Ronan released it. It "spat" several white letters from the door crack.

Standing at the door, Ronan opened each letter.

Those contacting him by slipping letters weren't friends.

One was a third-level wizard who previously traded resources for his hair, now requesting blood, nails, and more, offering a generous list of resources.

Ronan refused.

Not only was his blood different due to the Ice Crystal Serpent bloodline fusion, but the request also crossed his limits. Moreover, after Kosti's warning, he no longer gave away anything from his body, even destroying a fallen eyelash.

Other letters included invitations to small wizard gatherings, academic seminars, and a witch named Tatiana proposing a casual relationship, complete with a nude spell image, leaving Ronan speechless.

With a flick of frost, Ronan turned the letters to ice dust, tossing the brass lock some magic stones to silence it.

He didn't enter his room but ascended the stairs to meet Kosti.

Surprisingly, Kosti wasn't at the tower's top.

Instead, a bright-haired youth with a prominent nose sat in her usual spot, sipping tea.

"Hey, Damien, long time no see!"

Seeing Ronan, the youth greeted him warmly.

"Good afternoon, Polby."

Ronan greeted back, asking, "Where's the Ring Master?"

"She's not here."

Polby's eyes gleamed as he sized up Ronan, clicking his tongue. "Congratulations on reaching the second level, closer to stepping out of the fog and touching dawn. I knew you could do it."

After congratulating him, Polby explained, "The Mirror Court is opening soon, and Kosti might be one of the leading Ring Masters. She's busy; I haven't seen her in over a month. But she remembered you and prepared a gift for your advancement!"

Polby handed Ronan a small item.

Ronan caught it, finding a delicate metal box.

Inside lay a pale green emerald ring and a necklace with a yellow gemstone.

Both were second-level artifacts and male designs.

Ronan blinked, examining them.

Soon, he solemnly thanked Polby. "Please thank the Ring Master for me."

The ring was a flying ring Ronan needed to replace.

Unlike typical flying rings, it was enchanted with five second-level wind runes, maximizing flight speed.

The necklace was enchanted with a second-level earth defense spell.

For any wizard, at any level, defensive means were always welcome.

Kosti's gifts were practical and crucial.

Ronan recalled Kosti saying she wouldn't provide him much external support, yet she seemed to consistently break that promise.