Having made his decision, Ronan wasted no time and began refining the [Permafrost] sigil that day.
The process of refining a soul sigil, though seemingly simple, can be incredibly complex. It involves intricate details of soul and mental energy manipulation, a daunting task for many wizards.
In essence, refining a soul sigil is akin to a runesmith engraving runes, except here, mental energy serves as the chisel and one's soul as the blank rune stone.
Each step in the refinement process is painful, as it involves etching a permanent mark on the soul, requiring depth and precision.
Mistakes necessitate erasure and starting anew, adding to the agony.
However, the silver lining is that the process need not be completed in one go; it can be prolonged and intermittent, as long as the final sigil is complete and accurate.
Ronan took a week to complete this process.
During this week, his soul aura transformed daily, becoming deeper, more complex, and imbued with a subtle, mystical quality.
On the day the [Permafrost] sigil was fully formed, it was the morning of the seventh day. Alida, the blue-haired girl, entered the room with her breakfast cart and stood dumbfounded, stunned by the sight of Ronan.
---
Bathed in the morning sunlight by the window, the white-haired youth in his robe was enveloped in golden light.
His smooth skin glowed like white jade, his sculpted profile akin to a statue, and his azure eyes gleamed like gemstones. Faint white lines, almost imperceptible, appeared on his neck.
His entire being exuded a profound, mysterious aura with a subtle chill that seemed to reach the soul.
When Ronan glanced at Alida, she shivered as if electrified, murmuring in a dream-like state.
"Oh my, Master Ronan, you seem even more 'beautiful'..."
"..."
After "shooing" away Alida, who was nearly a starstruck fangirl, Ronan didn't rush to eat breakfast. He sat on the sofa, contemplating the changes brought by the [Permafrost] sigil.
His soul aura no longer resembled a blank slate, marking his true entry as a first-level formal wizard. However, his overall strength hadn't fundamentally changed.
Yet, when [Permafrost] took shape, he intuitively understood its purpose and effects.
"It uses at least three ice spells as anchors to simulate a domain akin to a permafrost... domain?!"
A domain, indeed.
According to [Permafrost], the domain's power and extent would grow with the number and caliber of the anchoring ice spells.
In other words, this was a soul sigil with "growth" potential!
"Fascinating!"
Ronan realized why the letter in the metal box mentioned [Permafrost]'s hidden mysteries and its role as the origin of a legendary ice wizard family.
With its "growth" trait, [Permafrost] couldn't be measured by ordinary "rare" sigil standards.
It's a sigil whose value varies by user. In the hands of a genius, it can shine brilliantly, rivaling higher-tier, more potent sigils.
In the hands of mediocrity, it remains ordinary.
"So, am I a genius or a mediocrity?"
Ronan's azure eyes glimmered, filled with unprecedented interest and anticipation for this "enforced" sigil choice.
He quickly ate breakfast, then retrieved the rune stone holding the spell inheritance, reviewing and selecting.
First-level [Ice Armor], [Frost Spear], [Frost Howl].
Ronan chose these three first-level spells as his "spell anchors."
The three spells corresponded to defense, attack, and control, forming a rudimentary ice spell system.
Unlike zero-level spells, first-level spells lack sub-levels; they depend on the wizard's choice and understanding.
"Practicing new spells, especially first-level ones, seems unsuitable here."
Ronan surveyed the room, deciding to return to the spell training room he'd used before.
Arriving, he noticed Bazel's spell airship parked outside.
Bazel was inside, conversing with a young wizard with red markings on his face, accompanied by a short man.
Ronan's gaze must have been too overt, catching Bazel's attention.
Bazel glanced at Ronan, his eyes indifferent, before looking away, as if they'd never met.
Ronan passed by their conversation without expression, his keen hearing catching words like "join," "Ring inheritance," "benefits," but his heart remained unmoved.
Choosing a training room, Ronan prepaid with a high-grade magic stone, then immersed himself there.
In the following days, Ronan spent most of his time practicing spells, only returning to Blueberry Inn for the occasional hot meal.
After purifying his soul once, a formal wizard's understanding of spells greatly improved.
First-level spells are far more complex and profound than zero-level ones, yet initial mastery isn't difficult for a first-level wizard, especially Ronan with his panel. The challenge lies in proficiency.
Three days later.
"Ah-dah... Shah!"
In the vast training room, waves of potent mental energy emanated from Ronan, who uttered quick syllables.
Soon, a large amount of ice energy particles gathered, releasing cold air. In an instant, an ice spear, exuding a chilling presence, materialized.
With Ronan's gesture, it shot forward like white lightning.
"Boom! Crackle—"
A dull boom, followed by the sound of freezing and shattering ice.
The spell test wall lit with many energy-absorbing crystals.
"One, two, three..."
Ronan counted the lit crystals, eyes flickering.
"Just above the early first-level wizard standard, but not by much."
A typical value for newly learned first-level spells among formal wizards.
"Now let's try this!"
Ronan mobilized his mental energy, preparing a second [Frost Spear]. This time, as the spell neared completion, a flash of light briefly shone from his robe's collar.
"Swish—"
Instantly, the forming spell received a rapid influx of ice energy particles, doubling the cold and power.
A noticeably larger, more potent ice spear emerged, shooting at the test wall!
"Boom!!"
A large area of absorbing crystals lit up. Ronan counted, comparing the chart, noting this [Frost Spear] neared mid-first-level wizard power.
"Incredible."
Ronan's eyes brightened, muttering in awe.
He instinctively reached into his collar, pulling out a beautiful sapphire necklace hidden beneath his robe.
The necklace held a deep blue ring, shimmering enigmatically under the training room lights.
Arliss's Ice Ring Necklace.
The mysterious rune within the ring, once activated, doubled the power of Ronan's [Frost Spear]!
This effect rivaled top-tier wizard geniuses with single-elemental energy affinity!
"I've found a treasure... the best ice auxiliary artifact."
Ronan marveled, holding the ice ring. With such a boost to ice spells, switching to ice spells was worthwhile.
The downside was the necklace's feminine design; Ronan couldn't wear it openly, keeping it hidden in his robe, concealing its wonders.
"I've practiced enough."
Ronan checked his character panel, reviewing his three days of progress.
**[.
Ice Armor (Beginner 12/100)
Frost Spear (Beginner 20/100)
Frost Howl (Beginner 9/100)
]**
The spells had been mastered that morning, and Ronan further reinforced them.
"Finally, I can test [Permafrost]'s effect."
Ronan anticipated this eagerly.
Taking a deep breath, he activated [Realm of Clarity], replenishing mental energy while waiting for the test wall to reset.
Once ready, Ronan chanted swiftly.
Waves of mental energy surged, drawing in free energy particles.
"[Ice Armor]!"
The first spell took shape, a thin film resembling frost on glass enveloping Ronan, emitting a faint cold.
Simultaneously, an intricate rune resembling an iceberg flickered deep in his consciousness.
White rune lines glowed on Ronan's neck and chin.
"[Frost Howl]!"
The second spell formed, conjuring a fierce wind in the room, filled with fine snow, biting and blinding.
In his consciousness, [Permafrost] flickered a second time.
"[Frost Spear]!"
The third spell summoned a spear of ice, forming at Ronan's gesture.
After three spell "anchors," the fully activated [Permafrost] sigil shone brightly.
In an instant, an indescribable chill emanated from Ronan, with white rune lines on his skin turning ice blue, extending from his collar to his neck, chin, and face.
The transformation endowed him with an aura of mystery and nobility.
A terrifying cold spread rapidly from Ronan's feet, frost covering the floor, temperatures plummeting, ice and snow forming, and a bone-chilling cold enveloping the training room, as if winter had arrived.
Amidst the drifting snow, Ronan's white hair and robe fluttered lightly.
He walked forward through the frost, surrounded by cold, which moved with him.
With ice-blue runes covering his neck and chin, Ronan appeared a regal figure, like a spirit born of ice and snow.
He strolled toward the test wall, the source of the room's cold, lighting energy-absorbing crystals as he approached.
When Ronan finally reached the wall, placing his nearly transparent hand on it, the crystals' glow neared its peak.
"One, two, three, four, five..."
Ronan counted, concluding it reached a late first-level wizard's power.
"The cold reaches this level near the source, diminishing farther out. At the domain's edge..."
Ronan sensed with mental energy, estimating, "Around mid-first-level wizard power."
The domain's range wasn't large, about a ten-meter radius.
Frankly, this was far from a first-level wizard's safe casting distance.
"With Arliss's Ice Ring Necklace, the domain's power and range double!"
Given Ronan's current spell anchors were at beginner proficiency, the [Permafrost] domain's power was decent.
The drawbacks were clear—
"Three 'anchors' needed for full activation; the setup is lengthy."
"Panel data on power is promising, but lacks immediate impact; it's mostly for reference."
In summary: complex and slow casting, lacking instant lethality.
For now, it served as a potent control tool, not a trump card.
These flaws aligned with [Permafrost]'s "rare" tier.
"Once the anchor spells' proficiency improves, these flaws should diminish."
Ronan consoled himself with this thought.
"If I master one anchor spell, developing a transcendent domain...
The domain's effect should undergo a qualitative transformation."
Ronan held high hopes for [Permafrost]'s future.
As he considered withdrawing the domain to practice more, he noticed a nearly forgotten spell on his panel—[Ice Ball]!
In that instant.
It was like a lightning bolt struck Ronan's mind.
He froze, eyes locked on [Ice Ball], lost in thought.
Moments later, an unprecedented light shone in Ronan's eyes.
He almost slapped himself!
"I've been so foolish!"
"Anchors, anchors! Why must they be first-level spells?
Zero-level spells work too!"
"Using three master-level zero-level ice spells as anchors...
Would create a domain ten, even a hundred times stronger than three beginner first-level spells!"
At that moment, Ronan saw a new future unfolding before him, gleaming with promise.
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