Ronan stood up and began walking slowly towards the alchemy garden, speaking as he went: "So was this your plan for me all along? To push me to challenge Travis, forcing a battle with no retreat to unlock my full potential, and by losing spectacularly, gain respect from some and eliminate many troubles in the process... Is this what you call a do-or-die strategy?"
"It also draws more attention from people like Lanny, adding more pressure and motivation for you," Benigo said, tapping his pipe with a sigh. "Damien, trust me, you'll gain far more than you lose through this process. You've grown much faster than under normal circumstances, haven't you?"
"You're not wrong," Ronan replied, walking into the garden where, under Benigo's care, the once barren land was now lush with life.
Numerous magical plants thrived there, with one section set aside for a single seed planted in moist, sticky dark-red soil.
The seed had a pink sprout the length of a finger, with countless blood vessel-like veins visible upon close inspection.
"Can I ask you a few questions, Benigo?"
Ronan squatted by the seed, using silver-white metal to form a small knife to gently cut his fingertip.
"Is it truly impossible for me to reach second-level in three months?"
"Advancing to second-level requires crystallizing your mental power, which needs a crystallization rune array. In three months, neither of us can gather the materials needed to construct such an array," Benigo stated calmly. "It's not a matter of effort, Damien."
"Crystallization array..."
Ronan mused, nodding. "I understand."
Watching his blood drip onto the sprouting Holy Blood Tree seed, it swayed slightly, as if enjoying the nourishing rain.
Due to his body's vitality being severely depleted and not fully replenished, Ronan let more blood flow this time.
"What kind of power does a genius with the status of a third-level wizard have? Like you, have they at least mastered a transcendent domain with one-stage resonance?"
"You underestimate the difficulty of one-stage domain resonance. Even in the entire Silver Ring, few second-level wizards achieve it," Benigo explained, exhaling smoke. "There's a hierarchy among third-level wizards, and those at the fourth level can reside in the ten meditation towers. I was once close to the fifth level..."
Ronan looked at Benigo in surprise.
Fifth level...
He realized he only knew Benigo as a third-level wizard but never considered he might be more.
"I reached one-stage domain resonance after my peak," Benigo continued, a hint of wistfulness in his voice. "The ancient potion formula using the Brain-Eating Flower isn't what you think. It doesn't help you understand domains; it develops your brain area."
"Develop brain areas?!"
Ronan was momentarily stunned.
"Yes," Benigo pointed to his head with the pipe. "The brain is the soul's residence. This potion makes you smarter, enhancing wisdom and your ability to comprehend spells. The mental power increase is a side effect. But the process is excruciatingly painful. Even determined first-level wizards can only handle one bottle."
"You can take it multiple times?"
Ronan's eyes gleamed.
Benigo nodded, "But not consecutively. Each bottle doubles the pain. Exceeding your limits could shatter your soul."
"How many did you take?"
Ronan asked quickly, knowing Benigo must've tried it.
"Three."
Benigo said flatly, "That was beyond my limit. My current state might be from overuse."
"How many potions can the Brain-Eating Flower produce? How long will it take?"
"I'm not sure, but it should yield enough for the two you need." Benigo thought for a moment. "Excess materials can help gather resources for the crystallization array."
"Good."
Ronan nodded, standing from the Holy Blood Tree seed, facing Benigo. "One last question. Did you know Shibeirt was a wizard of the Mirror Court?"
"Where did you hear that?"
Benigo frowned. "The legendary Shibeirt tales spread before the Mirror Court existed. Believing Shibeirt came from there is like saying the court received his legacy."
"Is that so?"
Ronan pondered, nodding. "Let me know when the potion's ready."
Leaving Benigo's, he walked back to the Blueberry Inn.
Ronan observed the surroundings; the Ring City was in a different state.
If the Ring was once a calm lake, it was now in full flow.
Under the shining silver tower, wizards rushed about, entering and exiting the Ring quickly.
The streets were busier than usual, with training rooms, workshops, and potion shops all bustling.
This excitement wasn't limited to official ring wizards; independent wizards and even those under the Ring's protection were caught up in the fervor.
News of the duel selection for official members in three months had spread, with non-participants as eager as those involved.
"Master Ronan!"
"Alida!"
"Quiet, you coward!"
As Ronan reached the Inn's entrance, blue-haired Alida and Jacob approached.
"The wizards will duel in three months. Have you heard?"
They didn't know Ronan had joined the Ring, thinking him a wandering wizard enduring the "thirty-year inspection."
"Jacob and I plan to rent a hot air balloon to watch the duels from above!"
Alida was excited. "Wizards dueling, many geniuses we never see. Just thinking about it is thrilling!"
"Will you join? It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance!"
Jacob looked apologetically at Ronan, unable to stop Alida.
"Sorry, Alida."
Ronan shook his head, "I might be busy then."
"Really?"
Alida looked disappointed, but Ronan handed her a few magic stones, silencing her chatter.
"Though I can't join, I like your plan. Consider it a small donation."
Ronan walked past them into the Inn.
Behind him, Alida grinned with magic stones, "I knew Ronan would like my plan. He's the most generous wizard I've met."
"Alida, you'll annoy him."
"No, I won't!"
Ronan entered his room, stood by the window for a while, then drew the curtains, blocking the light.
He placed a silver sphere from his pouch on the living room table.
Transparent ripples emanated, and a deep blue rose, with twinkling lights surrounding him as the world receded.
Shibeirt's All-Seeing Orb!
In the starry, mysterious blue, Ronan recalled Benigo's words.
"Shibeirt's legend predates the Mirror Court."
The garden's owner wasn't Shibeirt, but a court wizard who had the orb.
The orb's and mirror tool's similar runes were likely part of Shibeirt's legacy to the court.
Ronan pondered, touching a twinkling light.
Instantly, the scene changed.
He stood in a snowy expanse, surrounded by endless snowfields, distant glaciers, majestic ice cliffs, and a sky lit with auroras.
Ronan gazed at the scene, eyes wide.
As his thoughts shifted, so did the view.
Suddenly, he was atop a fiery volcano, sulfur smoke and flames around him, with molten lava below. Everywhere, volcanoes threatened eruption, a world of fire.
Ronan turned the orb, the scenes constantly changing.
He appeared in a fantastical forest, giant glowing plants around him, vibrant flowers blooming in the night, trees and grass shining with starlight;
Then in a gem city, all buildings and streets crafted from top gems, with beautiful gem people walking by;
Or on a massive floating island, a colossal white whale beneath, with countless feathered wings, breaking through dense clouds.
Ronan experienced one fantastical adventure after another, visiting places unseen in wizard books, witnessing bizarre, wondrous sights.
Until he stopped.
The deep blue night returned, lights flowing around him like a river.
This...
Was the All-Seeing Orb.
"I didn't expect the risky item to be a toy..."
Ronan looked at the orb, expression complex.
The orb recreated the holder's current or remembered scenes, storing them as light points for later viewing, like an advanced kaleidoscope!
"But it's somewhat useful for me."
The orb's stored scenes could aid Ronan in understanding the unique essence of transcendent domains.
His master-level [Energy Missile-Particle Torrent] had stagnated due to a lack of "torrent" imagery.
With the orb, viewing scenes of torrents might break the bottleneck.
Also, the orb's core rune.
"Fuling's second-level mirror tool seems influenced by the orb's rune, with space and mirror spell legacies hidden within."
Ronan's eyes shone.
He was nearing the point to refine a third soul sigil.
He had no clear ideas for it.
With the mirror and orb runes, he might find inspiration.
If not, he'd choose the rune from "Elyris's Ice Ring Necklace" that doubled ice spell power.
Storing the orb, Ronan retrieved the storage pouch from the green-eyed wizard he defeated in the "Damp Jungle."
The pouch was open.
Ronan found the wizard poorer than expected.
A second-level wizard had only over a hundred high-grade magic stones, a few first-level tools, and some potions.
The large pouch's only valuable contents were a few second-level healing potions.
"Is this poverty why he accepted Travis's job, lowering himself to trouble a first-level wizard for resources?"
Ronan shook his head, disappointed but accepting it.
At least the pouch was high-grade, with space nearly half a room, and an intact rune lock, which Ronan could use.
Sorting his gains, Ronan sat on the living room sofa.
In the dimness, feeling the occasional energy waves outside and the tense "lively" atmosphere, Ronan recalled his conversation with Benigo.
"A dazzling defeat."
He quietly repeated the words, plucking a pretty wildflower from a vase, examining it closely.
"But a beautiful, dazzling defeat is still a defeat..."
Cold flowed from his fingers, freezing the flower's beauty, then it shattered to icy shards on the floor.
"I don't want to lose."
Ronan stood, calmly entering the training room.
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