The thunder gryphon spread its massive wings, forcefully pushing off the ground, and soared into the air.
Erin, lying by the window, watched this spectacle in amazement.
As the thunder gryphon ascended, the surrounding environment underwent a dramatic transformation.
The once calm landscape gradually blurred, shrouded in a dense fog.
The mist, spreading through the air, rendered the view hazy and indistinct.
Trees and buildings in the distance slowly vanished into the thick white fog, as if entering a mystical world.
A gentle breeze swept by, dispersing the heavy mist. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the clouds, illuminating everything below.
Erin's heart filled with joy at the sight.
However, all this seemed unrelated to Owen.
He sat on the bed, silently perusing an ancient tome Berkeley had given him. Its leather cover had faded, revealing an old, yellowish-brown hue.
The surface was covered with cracks and scratches. The edges of the pages were frayed and incomplete, some even completely detached.
Faint text and patterns remained on some pages, but time and wear had erased most of their details.
Still, Owen was able to discern some clues from what remained.
After finishing, he closed the book and fell into deep thought.
Indeed, the book contained the secrets of how an arraymancer could ascend to godhood.
In essence, it spoke of the need to understand the laws governing the world and the nature of magic itself.
It discussed a method to explore the essence of magic - dissecting arcanergy particles.
Arcanergy particles, chaotically moving through the air, vary in concentration depending on location.
Areas rich in arcanergy particles are known as blessed lands.
However, arcanergy particles are not uniform; they contain a variety of elements.
For instance, in magma and the earth's core, fire arcanergy particles are abundant; in rivers and oceans, water arcanergy particles dominate; above the clouds, ice and light arcanergy particles are more prevalent...
Absorbing arcanergy particles is challenging enough.
After all, not every species possesses the innate ability to use arcanergy.
For example, disadvantaged races mostly comprise individuals incapable of utilizing arcanergy.
If absorption itself is not attainable for everyone, capturing arcanergy particles is an even more daunting task.
And the most crucial part – dissecting them – sounds almost like a joke.
Owen felt a stirring of interest and channeled his mental energy to enter the world of arcanergy particles.
These tiny particles, shimmering with strange light, danced in the air, forming a spectacular and colorful tapestry.
Countless arcanergy particles streaked across the night sky like meteors, leaving behind brilliant trails.
They radiated intense energy fluctuations, representing the most pure source of magical power in the universe.
The particles sometimes clustered into magnificent light balls, and at other times dispersed into fine beams of light, weaving together into an exquisitely beautiful pattern.
In this ocean of arcanergy particles, time and space seemed to lose their meaning.
Everything became blurred and distorted, as if one were in an ethereal dream.
Owen's mental energy reached out like tendrils, attempting to grasp an arcanergy particle.
Unfortunately, as soon as he caught one, the particles swarmed around his mental energy and then suddenly vanished.
He knew they had been absorbed by his body.
Dragons, being a naturally advanced race, absorb arcanergy particles as naturally as breathing.
This is why dragons, after slumbering for a thousand years, can emerge invincible in the world.
"Is it a mistake to have such a gift?" Owen mused to himself.
Now, his desire to capture an arcanergy particle intensified even more.
...
Three days passed, during which Owen practiced capturing arcanergy particles daily.
His mental strength, paradoxically, grew stronger with each attempt.
In the world of arcanergy particles, his mental energy formed an impenetrable net, enveloping an arcanergy particle completely.
Blessed with the power of stellar, his mental strength was exceptionally robust, and after just three days of practice, he succeeded in capturing an arcanergy particle.
Subsequently, his mental energy transformed into a knife, barely touching the surface of the arcanergy particle.
At that moment, Owen's heart started pounding like a drum.
His blood flow inexplicably accelerated, and a sense of discomfort invaded his mind.
Instantly alert, Owen internally commanded: "[Prophecy] activate."
In a flash, Owen stepped out of his own body.
He saw himself sitting cross-legged on the bed, and then suddenly, a black dot appeared in the air near him.
This dot emerged abruptly and was strikingly conspicuous.
Owen understood that in the realm of [Prophecy], he might have already sliced open the arcanergy particle.
The black dot rapidly expanded, engulfing Owen, then Erin standing by the window, followed by Berkeley lying on a chair, and finally, the entire gryphon.
Standing in the void, Owen's mouth hung open.
The black dot gradually disappeared, along with the gryphon, as if they had never existed.
Still reeling from the shock, Owen found himself able to move again.
He was still in the world of arcanergy particles, his mental knife hovering close to the particle.
He immediately halted all actions and withdrew from the realm of arcanergy particles.
Turning once again to the ancient tome Berkeley had given him, he found it too aged to discern any details clearly.
The text and images were indistinct, obscured by the ravages of time.
"Berkeley," Owen called out.
"Mr. Owen, is there a problem?" Berkeley leaped up, quickly approaching Owen's side.
"Do you have magic that can restore the contents of this ancient book?"
Berkeley's eyelids twitched slightly, wondering how the usually astute Mr. Owen could ask such a question.
"Mr. Owen," Berkeley said with a hint of difficulty, "such magic does exist, but this ancient tome is under a restriction. Trace-back magic won't work on it."
Owen licked his lips and chuckled lightly: "I had forgotten. If it were possible to trace back, you would have already restored it to its original state."
The shock of what he had just witnessed in [Prophecy] seemed to have momentarily clouded his judgment, leading him to ask such a basic question.
Berkeley nodded slightly, his face bearing a sycophantic smile: "Mr. Owen is indeed astute, quickly realizing the key point."
After a moment of contemplation, Owen asked: "Have you ever heard of someone dissecting arcanergy particles?"
"No. My master's teacher once wanted to try, but ever since he proposed this idea, he disappeared without a trace. Even my master doesn't know where he went. My master speculated that perhaps he succeeded and ascended to godhood."
Owen's brows furrowed tightly, and he involuntarily swallowed hard.
Ascended to godhood?
It was clearly being devoured by that strange black dot!
If not for his prophetic abilities, he too would have been swallowed by the black dot!
"What's the matter, Mr. Owen?" Berkeley asked curiously.
Owen placed the ancient book into his spatial ring: "Nothing, keep the book with me for now. I'll return it to you once I've thoroughly researched it."
Berkeley, ever generous, waved his hand and said: "Mr. Owen, I am now at your service. Everything I have is yours."
...
Half a month had passed when Erin suddenly pointed towards the window and exclaimed loudly, "Master, we've arrived. The gryphon is descending."
Owen walked over to the window, taking in the view outside.
From high above, the capital of the Laine Kingdom presented a magnificent and bustling scene.
The city lay on a vast plain, encircled by a wide river.
Under the sunlight, the river shimmered with a silvery glow, like a flowing mirror.
In the city's center stood a grand and majestic palace, its imposing presence evident even from this high vantage point.
Surrounding the palace was a bustling commercial district with skyscrapers rising abruptly, their glass facades reflecting the dazzling sunlight.
The streets were bustling with activity, and although the people appeared as mere specks from Owen's perspective, it was clear that Star City, the capital of the Laine Kingdom, was densely populated.
One particular scene caught Owen's attention.
A cluster of ancient buildings nestled at the foot of lush green hills, enveloped by a dense forest.
Towering towers and majestic structures were strategically placed within this area, radiating an aura of antiquity and sanctity.
Pointing to that area, Owen asked curiously, "What place is that?"
Berkeley looked towards the location, his gaze filled with complexity: "Mr. Owen, that is the Grand Magus Academy. It's the most unique place in the Laine Kingdom."
"Indeed special, it seems like a separate entity altogether," Owen's eyes lit up slightly, filled with anticipation for the Grand Magus Academy.