The gentle breeze rustled the leaves, creating a soft, whispering sound.
Ronan sat cross-legged beneath the Sacred Blood Tree, his upper body bare, the Wizard Robe draped around his waist. He spoke calmly, "I'm ready."
Benny nodded silently, picking up a half-foot-long bone needle from the mobile workbench beside him. He dipped it into a ceramic dish filled with a dark red, mysterious liquid, then began to carefully inscribe on Ronan's body.
The process resembled tattooing. The tip of the bone needle slightly pierced Ronan's skin, injecting a special medicinal solution from the needle's chamber.
When the "tattooing" was complete, a large inverted tree pattern adorned Ronan's chest and abdomen.
Benny was drenched in sweat, the seemingly simple steps having taken a toll on him.
Without bothering to wipe the sweat, Benny quickly handed Ronan something resembling a beetle. "Don't swallow it, keep it under your tongue."
Following the instructions, Ronan placed the brownish-yellow beetle in his mouth, pressing it gently with his tongue. He could feel the beetle struggling beneath it.
Meanwhile, Benny stood by the Sacred Blood Tree, busy with the same bone needle, working on the tree's trunk.
After completing a similar pattern, Benny took a dagger and forcefully stabbed it into the tree. The Sacred Blood Tree seemed to react in pain, its leaves rustling violently.
Seizing the moment, Benny crushed a brightly colored green beetle, smearing its remains and juices onto the tree's trunk.
"Now," he commanded in a low voice.
Ronan pressed down with his tongue, and the beetle beneath it burst open. A sweet yet slightly bitter taste immediately filled his mouth.
The exploded beetle seemed to melt, transforming into a warm stream that flowed down Ronan's throat.
At the same time, Ronan felt as if countless ants were crawling over his skin. He relaxed his muscles, and instantly, the "ants" began to burrow into his flesh.
To an observer, the inverted tree pattern on Ronan's body was rapidly fading, as was the pattern on the Sacred Blood Tree. The wound Benny had inflicted on the tree was also healing quickly.
Ronan felt an intense itch, as if countless ants were marching deep into his flesh and bones.
Suddenly, his heart felt as if it had been seized by something!
Ronan's eyelids twitched slightly, then slowly closed.
It was as if a scorching ember had landed on a heart valve, followed by a second, then a third. Ronan watched as his skin visibly reddened, like iron heating under a flame. The searing heat concentrated on his heart's surface, slowly branding into it.
"Whoosh—whoosh—"
He heard the sound of blood rushing through his veins, all of it surging toward his heart. The sphere of vitality within him released a massive amount of life force, continuously producing blood at a rapid pace.
A red light shot from his heart, striking the Sacred Blood Tree directly, aligning perfectly with the pattern on the tree's trunk.
An inexplicable connection was established.
"Hum—"
A strange energy, crimson with threads of gold, flowed ceaselessly through the void channel into Ronan's body.
This energy was like a refreshing stream, rapidly "cooling" his heart, which had felt as if it were about to burn. The searing pain subsided, and it seemed as though something was quickly taking shape within the cooling sensation. "Huu—"
When it was all over, Ronan slowly exhaled a turbid breath.
Looking down at himself, he noticed that the tattoo pattern of the inverted tree on his skin had completely vanished, restoring his skin to its original fair and smooth appearance.
However, his heart now had a faint golden membrane surrounding it, and on its surface was a pattern resembling a miniature version of the Sacred Blood Tree. Blood flowed swiftly along this pattern, forming a complex yet harmonious cycle.
"The Sacred Tree Array."
Ronan touched the area over his heart, deep in thought.
Raising his head, he looked at the Sacred Blood Tree before him. Its aura had weakened significantly, and the ground beneath it was littered with withered and fallen Sacred Blood Tree leaves. It looked as though it had just undergone a "bloodline purification" ritual that was beyond its capacity, leaving it severely drained.
Ronan stood up and gently stroked the trunk of the Sacred Blood Tree, feeling a pang of guilt.
The Sacred Blood Tree, so obedient and understanding, comforted him with its drooping branches and leaves.
"Are you feeling any discomfort?"
Bennigo approached, asking Ronan while holding a notebook ready for notes.
Ronan tried to summon the power of his body and bloodline, then shook his head and replied, "Apart from a slight feeling of 'weakness,' everything else is fine."
"That's good."
Bennigo's expression relaxed slightly as he scribbled in his notebook, then advised, "The array itself is relatively fragile. When engaging in combat, try to avoid direct attacks to the heart. If the array is damaged, I'm not sure what the consequences would be. The energy stored within the array from the Sacred Blood Tree should theoretically sustain it for about five years. After five years, whether the deduction is successful or not, it's best for you to return."
As he spoke, Bennigo glanced at the "spiritually wilted" Sacred Blood Tree and frowned. "I deliberately had it extract most of its energy for you to curb its rapid growth for a while.
But with such a long-lived species, once it takes root, its growth rate will only accelerate like a snowball... Five years... I'm not sure if this place can sustain it for that long."
Bennigo shook his head and said, "Anyway, remember to keep an eye out for a suitable place for transplantation. Once it matures, it will be beneficial for both you and me."
"I understand."
Ronan slowly draped the Wizard Robe back over himself. A piece of black metal, writhing like a living creature, flew out from his sleeve and hovered in front of Bennigo.
"Its name is Ithium."
Ronan looked at Bennigo and spoke calmly, "It can continuously evolve by devouring other metals."
Bennigo was momentarily stunned, a flicker of reminiscence in his eyes.
In that moment, he seemed to recall the time he had handed "Nightmare Tungsten Steel" to Ronan, who was then just a first-level wizard.
Bennigo neither refused nor thanked him, simply nodding and accepting the Ithium that Ronan had relinquished.
After the symptoms of soul decay were alleviated, Benigo's strength could continue to grow, granting him another opportunity to ascend. He indeed needed a suitable metal-based spell medium.
"Let's go."
"Mm."
Benigo calmly watched Ronan leave until his figure completely disappeared at the entrance, then he turned and walked alone to the experimental bench, busying himself as usual.
Exiting the secret realm, Ronan took one last look around the valley before flying off into the sky in a certain direction.
Benigo was the person in this world who knew the most about Ronan's secrets.
Over the years, the two had become an inseparable whole.
Benigo knew Ronan would return, just as Ronan knew Benigo would inevitably wait for him.
Thus, there was no need for overly formal farewells between them.
Half a month later, on a sunny afternoon.
On a street paved with shells and pebbles, beside two rickety carriages, a young man walked leisurely, accompanied by the crisp sound of sea breeze chimes.
The young man stood tall and straight, with deep chestnut short hair that had a natural wave to it.
The color of his hair complemented his skin, presenting a warm tone under the sunlight.
As he walked, his eyes were lowered, as if deep in thought, exuding a sense of tranquility and a strong scholarly aura.
Even dressed in the simplest gray linen robe, he was an exceptionally striking figure, whether in the most bustling capital or in this remote port town. Anyone fortunate enough to see him, regardless of gender, would inevitably pause their work and curiously take a second look.
"Hum—"
At a three-way intersection on a downward slope, Ronan suddenly stopped. In his unseen lake-blue eyes, a deep purple light flashed and vanished, as profound and dazzling as the starry sky, only to dim rapidly the next second.
"Soon..."
Ronan took a light breath, silently reciting in his heart.
Just moments ago, he was only a hair's breadth away from completing the most basic star chart deduction described in the "Ancient Star Scripture."
The shortfall was still in spiritual power, but compared to before, he had made significant progress. Ronan estimated that with a few more practices, he would naturally achieve the breakthrough.
Casually pulling up his character panel—[Basic Meditation Technique - Clarity Realm (Master 1499/1600)]. He was only a sliver away from the third purification of his spiritual power. Although the progress on the panel showed no change, only Ronan knew that his mastery of some details in spiritual power had improved significantly.
He could now perform more complex energy manipulations, which reflected in the release of spells as more refined, natural, and effortless operations.
This kind of progress couldn't be reflected in the data-driven panel but genuinely enhanced Ronan's combat effectiveness.
Gathering his thoughts, Ronan looked around.
Before him were two narrow shell and pebble paths, flanked by low houses made of wood or stone. To the left stood a small monastery, and further in the distance, the boundless blue sea could be seen.
Breeze Harbor.
A wizard town located on the western coast of the southern continent, similar to the former Hoddam, inhabited by both wizards and ordinary people.
The majority of wizards residing here are wandering groups in their apprenticeship period.
Ronan quietly observed everything before him, taking out a few letters from his space ring, lowering his head to read them carefully, and then continued walking in a certain direction.
As he approached the end of the street, the sea breeze blowing through the long alley grew stronger, the air became more humid, and the sounds of seagulls and ship horns could be heard in the distance. Ronan finally stopped in front of a shop with a narrow facade.
Looking at the tightly closed wooden door, Ronan's eyes flickered slightly.
He walked up and saw a conspicuous brass padlock on the door, already covered with a thin layer of dust.
Raising his head, his gaze swept over the door lintel, where a wind chime with local characteristics of Breeze Harbor caught his eye.
Ronan beckoned, and the wind chime hanging from the lintel gently floated into his hand, making no sound because the chime's clapper was missing, leaving only a copper shell and a simple teru teru bozu made of white cotton and blue cloth tied to the bell.
Ronan unfolded the blue cloth wrapped around the white cotton ball and saw a neatly written name in black ink behind it—Cheryl.
Ronan slightly pursed his lips, put down the wind chime and the doll, and an indescribable emotion slowly rose from the depths of his heart.
It seemed he was a step too late.
Following the letters from the three old Wizards, he came to Breeze Harbor and, guided by the letters, found the small potion shop mentioned by old Wizards, only to discover it was empty. Judging by the dust on the brass lock, the shop had probably been closed for several months.
Had it moved locations? Or had the people already left Breeze Harbor?
Ronan didn't know.
At that moment, a slightly nervous voice came from beside him.
"Sir, would you like a cup of Fire Gull drink?"
Ronan turned and saw a boy carrying a wooden basket, looking uneasy.
He was about thirteen or fourteen years old, barefoot, with curly hair, and the typical dark skin of a seaside dweller. His large wooden basket was filled with various tropical fruits.
The Fire Gull drink the boy mentioned was a local specialty of Breeze Harbor, made by mixing several fruit juices with alcohol and adding Fire Gull blood.
A cup only cost one or two magic stone fragments.
Street vendors selling this drink could be seen everywhere in Breeze Harbor. Ronan kindly shook his head at the boy; he had tasted this drink before and, unfortunately, couldn't quite accept its flavor.
He thought the boy would retreat in the face of rejection or persistently continue to peddle.
Unexpectedly, the boy cautiously asked next, "Sir, are you a friend of Mr. Wizards?"
Hearing this, Ronan was momentarily stunned and looked at the boy in surprise.
"You know them?"
"Of course!"
Upon Ronan's acknowledgment, the boy seemed to gain courage instantly. He took two steps towards Ronan and quickly said, "I spend almost two to three hourglasses in Mr. Wizards' shop every day. He likes me very much and even taught me wizard meditation methods. Sir, are you also a respected wizard?"
The boy looked up at Ronan with hopeful and admiring eyes.
Ronan didn't answer immediately but smiled and asked, "Do you know where they are now?"
"I don't know."
The boy shook his head, replying with a hint of frustration, "Mr. Wells left suddenly with Miss Vinnie and Cheryl. No one knows where they went."
"Before they left, they left me a letter, specifically instructing me to give it to someone named..."
As the boy spoke, he suddenly realized something and slapped his forehead in frustration. Then, he widened his eyes and looked at Ronan, "Sir, may I ask your name?"
Ronan's eyes flickered for a moment before he slowly replied, "My name is Ronan, Ronan Damien."
"So you're the Mr. Damien they mentioned!"
The boy exclaimed excitedly.
(End of Chapter)