Fifteen minutes later, the ponytailed witch, who previously looked like a red shrimp with steam practically rising from her head, finally calmed down, and her chaotic mental fluctuations steadied as well.
"That mirror isn't mine."
With the misunderstanding cleared, the witch's emotions had settled, though she still couldn't meet Ronan's eyes out of embarrassment.
"It was something our little team found while exploring a secret realm. Everyone has the right to use it; I was just given it for the duel to secure victory."
"Can I have a look at it?"
Ronan noticed her hesitation but she complied, taking out the mirror tool he had seen before from her storage pouch and handing it to him.
In a sense, the witch was now "under Ronan's control," and had little choice but to cooperate with his requests.
A second-level magic tool.
This was Ronan's first time handling a proper second-level magic tool... well, Demon Tungsten could be considered second-level material.
The mirror, about a palm's width, felt cool to the touch, emanating a faint energy particle fluctuation and an aura of arcane runes.
The mirror was oval-shaped, framed by an unknown silvery-white material engraved with intricate patterns.
The front mirror surface was a nearly transparent bright silver, rippling like water when touched.
The back bore a symmetrical, dual-circle silver pattern, with a spiraled line in the center, resembling both a symbol and a labyrinth.
"Mirror Court."
Ronan gently traced the mysterious labyrinth pattern, his eyes reflecting a thoughtful gleam.
He retrieved the mirror fragment he had obtained during his apprenticeship from his storage pouch, comparing it with the complete tool, and found a near-perfect match on the upper right corner.
Infusing mental power into the complete mirror tool, he examined the core rune, and the comparison yielded the same result.
"It truly is the same model from the Mirror Court."
Ronan exhaled lightly, then asked the ponytailed witch, "May I replicate the runes inside?"
"Sure, you can."
With her permission, Ronan used a recording rune stone to copy the mirror tool's rune shapes.
This wasn't like rune engraving; it was merely recording the shapes, akin to tracing a pattern on paper, requiring engraving and enchantment to activate the runes.
"Thank you."
After finishing, Ronan returned the second-level mirror tool to the witch, surprising her, as she hadn't expected him to give it back.
"Where is the secret realm where you found this tool? Can you take me there?"
Ronan asked, and she nodded, "It's an undiscovered hidden space, not fully explored by us... actually, we barely explored it. The formations and dangers inside aren't something a first-level wizard can handle."
Ronan activated his flight ring, and they flew out of the valley, conversing as they went.
In the wizarding world, secret realms are classified by different standards, with both artificial and natural formations.
Regardless of origin, they are categorized as either owned or unowned.
Owned realms, like the "Corpse Garden" and the "Damp Jungle," are claimed after discovery and exploration.
Some realms, discovered but not fully explored, remain "public," accessible to all with the ability.
In the Silver Ring's region, the most famous public realm is the ancient wizarding site, the Mirror Court.
During his time with the Ring, Ronan heard numerous tales of the Mirror Court, discovered many years ago and still not fully explored by powerful wizarding factions, including the Silver Ring.
It's said core areas remain sealed by ancient, complex rune formations, resisting even the most powerful wizards.
Major factions seek keys and methods to unlock the core. The Nefa Key obtained by Hoddam Academy, a relic from antiquity designed to open secret realm formations, exemplifies this.
As a major site of ancient wizard gathering, the Mirror Court hosts numerous secret realms beyond its central area, with various medium and small realms scattered around.
The ponytailed witch and her team found a relic of a small realm linked to the Mirror Court.
"...The tool lay near the entrance; we easily picked it up.
But we were forced out by danger before further exploration."
The witch narrated as they flew.
"What's the mirror tool's function? To release the fire wave you used?"
Ronan frowned, "But the core runes don't resemble fire spell runes."
"They were later infused."
She quickly explained, "The tool stores spells for use with mental guidance. The fire spell you saw was stored by a second-level wizard from our First Ring who mastered a fire domain, hence its power."
She lamented, "Originally, the tool stored several space spells, each strange and powerful... but they were used up when we retreated from danger."
"Space spells."
Ronan murmured, intrigued, then asked, "What danger forced you out?"
"A creature."
She replied seriously, "Hard to describe, like an energy being from mirror and space spells, very powerful, beyond first-level capability."
Ronan nodded, saying nothing further.
They flew in silence for a while until she broke it.
"I'm Fuling. I never caught your name?"
"Ronan. Ronan Damien."
He replied simply.
Wind whistled past as they flew, with him unknowingly leading.
He felt her gaze on his cheek, stealing glances.
Turning, he caught her staring.
"What's wrong?"
He touched his cheek, "Is something on my face?"
She shook her head, gathering courage to say shyly, "You seem like a silent gem now, but before... you were a shining star."
Ronan's eyes flickered, lips pursing slightly as he turned away.
"A nice metaphor."
Her face fell at his reaction, flying silently beside him.
After some time, they landed on a vast, open grassland.
A small lake mirrored the sky, its surface calm and bright.
Upon landing, she appeared thoughtful, leading him around the lake until stopping at a reed-covered spot.
"Here."
She pointed to the water, "The entrance is tricky, moving within the lake, requiring effort to find."
Ronan squinted, extending mental power to probe the water.
The surface was calm, shaded by reeds, with spiders resting on it, occasionally knocked by falling reeds.
As his mental power submerged, faint space particles emanated before disappearing, as if swallowed.
She was right; a secret realm entrance lay here.
A mere water barrier concealed it flawlessly, a technique surpassing any Ronan had seen.
"The Mirror Court truly masters mirror and space spells."
A magical feat of spellcraft.
"How did you discover this entrance?"
He asked, learning a teammate found it while relieving himself by the lake.
"Only Barbus, a few others, and I know this entrance."
She remarked quietly.
Ronan refrained from asking if bringing him would upset her team, focusing on the task.
Though he trusted her, caution remained.
She wrapped herself in mental power, stepping into the lake.
No splash or ripple followed; she vanished silently.
Ronan waited, sensing no danger, then followed.
"Wow—"
Light shifted, like waking from a dream.
When his vision cleared, he stood in a new place.
A sunny garden, bathed in warm golden light, a scent of flowers and earth in the air.
Lush green grass underfoot, with lavender and geraniums. A small fountain sat at the center, and an apple tree bore unripe fruit.
Despite the idyllic scene, Ronan sensed no reality.
The sun's warmth didn't reach him, nor did insects or birds sound.
The garden was eerily silent.
"That's where we found the mirror."
Her voice came from nearby; she stood a few steps away.
She looked tense, pointing out a spot while scanning the area nervously, rooted in place.
Following her direction, Ronan's gaze froze.
He noticed a small wicker chair in the garden corner, beside a white table with fine tea sets, steam rising from cups.
Other unidentifiable items lay on the table.
She pointed to a spot a few meters from the chair, where an oval imprint marked the grass.
Ronan's eyes flickered, calmly approaching the wicker furniture.
"Careful!"
Her warning echoed as he turned, seeing her tense, on edge.
She seemed genuinely concerned, though rooted in place.
He gave her a reassuring look, silver mist forming twin swords in his hands.
"Likely no danger until reaching the mirror's location."
He thought, proceeding cautiously.
Golden light cast shifting shadows around him.
As he advanced, the garden's eerie nature grew clear.
He felt no change in light, temperature, humidity, or scent. Everything seemed vibrant yet lifeless, like a mirror image.
Reaching the mirror's location, "crack—"
He struck something fragile, like breaking glass.
A transparent angle formed in the air, like a folded mirror.
Before he could react, his vision blurred, and he found himself surrounded by lavender and geraniums.
The table and chair seemed distant.
"Spatial transport?"
He frowned, trying to move, when her panicked shout came.
"Ronan! Behind you!"
He spun, eyes widening.
His eyes reflected lush flowers, where a transparent humanoid figure emerged, leaving a warped trail, charging straight at him!
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