It was the same tree spring that Ronan had discovered during his first morning training.
After mastering Energy Missile, Ronan started visiting it regularly once again.
The tree hollow, constantly bubbling with sweet spring water, showed clear traces of human activity around it. Ronan wasn't surprised—if he could discover this place, others surely could too.
According to what he knew, a sorceress lived nearby.
She was a young woman, about sixteen or seventeen years old, with thick bangs and a long braided ponytail. She always kept her head down while walking.
Ronan had crossed paths with her several times but never got a good look at her face.
"She's probably a pockmarked, buck-toothed ugly girl," Ronan speculated with a hint of mischief.
Then he suddenly remembered that he himself had quite a few freckles on his face. It felt like the boomerang he had thrown hit him right back in the face.
Circling around the spring, Ronan continued westward.
After about ten minutes, a small black treehouse came into view.
Underneath the treehouse, on a small patch of open ground, a brown-haired old man in a tattered black robe was crouching by a fire, roasting something.
"Smells amazing!"
Ronan emerged from the woods and called out deliberately.
The sorcerer, startled at first, quickly relaxed once he recognized Ronan.
"Oh, dear Ronan, you've come at just the right time!"
The old man laughed heartily, standing up and inviting Ronan over.
"Red-Tail Grey Mountain Goat meat! Took me quite an effort to catch one. Come, have a taste!"
"An honor," Ronan replied, smiling as he stepped forward without hesitation.
The old man's name was Wells—a "new friend" Ronan had made this month. He was also Ronan's only friend at the moment.
Wells was old enough to be Ronan's grandfather. He was a third-level sorcerer apprentice, slightly stronger than Ronan.
Old Wells was a kind man, with little desire or ambition. According to him, he had long given up on advancing to the fourth level of sorcery apprenticeship. He had already booked a ship ticket for later this year, planning to leave Hoddam Sorcerer's Territory and find some mundane kingdom where he could retire as a nobleman and enjoy the rest of his life.
Being an old resident of the treehouse district, Wells had good relationships with many other sorcerers. Thanks to his decent cooking skills, Ronan occasionally dropped by to enjoy a free meal.
The fresh lamb meat sizzled on the grill, dripping with oil under the orange-red flames.
Wells skillfully controlled the heat and finished it off with a handful of special spices from his pouch, instantly filling the woods with a rich aroma.
Ronan picked up a knife and helped cut the roasted lamb into portions. The two sat on a fallen tree trunk and began eating.
"Want some wine?"
Wells pulled out a silver flask from a hollowed-out part of the tree trunk and offered it to Ronan.
"No, thanks," Ronan shook his head while biting into the lamb.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Wells, but alcohol dulled the senses and slowed reaction time, affecting spellcasting speed.
In case of any unexpected situations, Ronan wouldn't risk his life for a drink.
Red-Tail Grey Mountain Goats were unique to this region. They didn't eat grass but fed on a type of sweet berry, which supposedly gave their meat an exquisite flavor with a hint of fruity sweetness.
After tasting it, Ronan found it merely decent—not as amazing as the rumors claimed.
What was true, however, was that the goats were incredibly fast, extremely timid, and hard to catch. Ronan couldn't help but wonder how Wells managed to get his hands on one.
"So, how's your rune studies going?" Wells asked casually as they ate.
Ronan didn't plan to keep his rune engraving practice a big secret. He had casually mentioned it during a previous conversation, and Wells had surprisingly remembered.
"Ah, it's tough," Ronan sighed, his distressed expression only half an act.
"Don't rush it," Wells patted Ronan's shoulder in comfort. "You're young, with plenty of time to learn. Take it slow."
Ronan nodded, and neither of them dwelled too much on the topic.
As they ate, Wells suddenly brought up something new.
"Did you hear? A pair of half-elf siblings just moved to the eastern area recently!"
"Half-elves?!"
Ronan froze, immediately picturing a fair-skinned, long-legged elf girl with pointed ears.
Whoa, he hadn't expected that even fantasy beings like elves existed in the sorcerer's territory.
A surge of curiosity welled up in Ronan. He eagerly asked Wells for more details.
"They probably have a bit of elf blood. I only saw them once, so I'm not too sure."
Then Wells added a warning. "If you plan to meet them, be careful. I've interacted with them—they're not easy to get along with. Quite fierce personalities."
On the way back after eating, Ronan's mind was still preoccupied with thoughts of the half-elf siblings.
The idea of an "elf girl" was immensely appealing.
In his past life, he had only seen them in anime and movies. Now that a real girl with elven blood lived nearby, it was impossible not to want to meet her.
But Wells' serious warning made him suppress his excitement for now.
If even a third-level sorcerer apprentice like Wells found them difficult to deal with, it wasn't wise for Ronan to approach them recklessly.
"How interesting… I'll definitely find a chance to meet them. Better than only having an old man to chat with all the time."
With that thought, Ronan felt a wave of anticipation.
After wandering around for a while, he returned to his residence, feeling refreshed.
He practiced Energy Missile for a while in the clearing, then bathed and meditated.
Once he adjusted his condition back to its peak, Ronan sat down at his workbench again.
"Three chances," he reminded himself as he looked at the last three blank rune stones.
The bag of universal powder he had bought earlier was almost used up. Only one unopened bag remained.
Scooping a few spoonfuls of the grayish powder into a small clay pot, Ronan mixed it with morning dew he had collected, preparing the solution for rune engraving.
The preparation of the solution was a skill in itself, but after so much practice, Ronan had developed his own method and could precisely control the ratio between powder and water.
He loaded the solution into the engraving knife's reservoir and picked up a blank rune stone.
Taking a deep breath, Ronan visualized the Cleanse rune in his mind, reviewing every detail.
Once he felt ready, he grabbed the engraving knife and began his work.