Tundra Frozen Earth, the Ancient Ice Crystal Magic Serpent, and the Weighty "Motherly Love"
"It was always yours."
The woman named Soraya was even more approachable than Ronan had imagined. After taking the metal box, her attitude toward Ronan softened almost instantly.
The woman opened the letter, sat on a high stool, and examined it closely. Beside her, the girl in the oil painting clung to the frame, also leaning closer to observe quietly.
Ronan could sense the fluctuations in the spiritual energy and free-floating energy particles permeating the room, which were the undulating emotions of the woman as she read the letter.
He stood quietly in place, waiting.
The sound of sobbing gradually rose from inside the room, coming from the innocent and romantic girl in the oil painting.
The sobbing gradually grew louder, eventually turning into a full-blown wail. The beautiful girl in the oil painting sat on a grassy field full of irises, crying like a child without any restraint.
Tiny ice shards slowly drifted into the light, but these were seen from the corner of the eye of the woman reading the letter outside the oil painting.
Even Ronan couldn't help but feel a touch of sadness, a result of being infected by the mental power that far surpassed his own.
Finally, everything calmed down.
As the woman detached herself from the contents of the letter, she seemed to age ten years in an instant.
"Who is Halowen to you?"
She asked Ronan in a hoarse voice.
Ronan had read the letter more than once and knew that the name Halowen was the true owner of the metal box.
"Have no idea."
Ronan looked at him honestly and answered truthfully, "He might be my mentor's mentor, or even someone of a higher generation."
Soraya sighed softly and whispered, "Time and fate are two things that no one in this world can resist. What's your name?"
"Linas".
"Linas Lanster".
Soraya looked at him with gentle eyes, her gaze as warm and loving as an elder would to a direct descendant.
"You have condensed the Frozen Earth, so you are now a member of the Lanster Family."
"The bloodline of the Ice Flame Iris continues in your veins."
"Well"
Ronan didn't know how to answer, but Soraya simply said with emotion, "Truly powerful wizards or families pass on their bloodlines in the form of runes, and their will is immortalized in power."
The significance of bloodlines is not as shallow as you understand it. You will know later that this is only a corner of the Southernmost Land part of the Upper Ring Continent. Only when you have the opportunity to travel to the Upper Ring, or even the continents below the Middle Ring, will you truly understand the vastness and immensity of this world."
"The bloodline of the Upper Ring Continent... and the Middle Ring Continent in the Southernmost Land, passed down in the form of runes."
Ronan was stunned. The information revealed in Soraya's few words was like a storm to him, causing him great shock and disbelief, as if a corner of a vast world was slowly being revealed to him.
How should I address you?
Ronan took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and respectfully asked Soraya.
"Just call me Auntie..."
Soraya looked at him kindly, completely devoid of the terrifying aura she had displayed Third Level Wizard earlier. "There's no need to dwell on seniority or anything like that. After all... the Lanster Family might only have the two of us left now."
"Aunt Soraya."
Ronan called out softly, his heart filled with complex emotions.
If he had known that everything would proceed so smoothly after sending the letter, he wouldn't have needed to deliberately disguise himself as "Linas" after entering White Stone Fortress. He probably would have gotten a similar result by confessing his true identity.
Ronan had imagined and rehearsed countless times in his mind for this meeting, taking all sorts of possibilities into account. Becoming "Linas" was also a precaution.
"I sense a trace of Metal Element magic on you. Do you also practice Metal Element?"
Soraya, like a true elder, beckoned to Ronan, "Come here, Linas, come closer... let me take a good look at you."
"Yes, after I was promoted to First Level Wizard, I joined the Silver Magic Ring..."
Ronan responded softly as he approached Soraya. He could feel the genuine and intense concern and care Soraya emanated from him.
It wasn't just talk; she seemed to genuinely consider Ronan her only blood relative in the world.
All of this was simply because Ronan had condensed the [Frozen Earth]. Ronan found it all incredible.
The answer may lie in Soraya's earlier explanation of the word "bloodline".
No wonder.
Soraya gently took Ronan's hand, carefully looking him up and down, a smile playing on her lips.
Beside her, the young girl in the oil painting frame also looked at Ronan with great kindness, her smile incredibly bright.
"I've heard of this wizarding faction. Their strength and foundation are quite considerable in this remote place. Their roots are in the central region, and they have a good reputation. Unfortunately, after this branch broke away, they abandoned their roots and turned from a powerful all-around elementalist into a niche Metal Element."
Soraya shook her head in judgment, seemingly knowing everything perfectly, revealing a level of insight and eloquence that Ronan had never seen in anyone else.
To Ronan, it was like a noblewoman who had fallen on hard times in a remote, impoverished area?!
"What about before joining the Arcane Circle?"
Soraya asked again.
Ronan lowered his eyes and answered "truthfully," reflecting Linas's identity. "The teacher who passed on my skills to me died early, and I've spent most of my time wandering alone..."
"My poor Linas."
Upon hearing Ronan's reply, Soraya called out softly and gently embraced him with both hands.
Ronan was caught off guard and was initially a little stiff, but he gradually relaxed.
He gradually began to immerse himself in the role of "Linas," although he mostly spoke of his own experiences.
The fact that the metal box's lineage had been interrupted for generations provided him with the perfect cover. He didn't need to lie at all, because all the secrets of the "Lanster" family were hidden inside the box, and no one knew them until the box was opened.
Soraya kept asking him all sorts of questions, and Ronan answered them one by one. He could feel that Soraya's feelings for him were growing stronger and she was becoming closer to him.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but when Soraya had completely accepted Ronan's presence as "family," she stopped asking questions and looked at him with a loving expression, "Do you plan to come with me from now on, or continue to stay in the Arcane Circle?"
"An ancient secret realm will open in a month, and I will participate in its exploration as a member of the Arcane Circle. I don't want to miss this opportunity. After the trial in the secret realm, I will come to see Auntie again..."
Ronan answered meekly.
Soraya was quite satisfied with his answer, nodding and saying, "It's actually a good thing for you that you didn't grow up under anyone's protection during your apprenticeship. You possess the strong and decisive qualities of the true Lanster Family bloodline... Only harsh cold and fierce winds can create a truly brilliant flower... If you want the Ice Flame Iris to bloom again in the Northern Lands one day, you should indeed undergo more trials on your own."
Soraya, then changed the subject, saying calmly, "Training is tough, but when you're out in the world, you can't let yourself be bullied."
Ronan was taken aback when he heard this, and then he saw Soraya take out several Rune Stones.
"You're about to advance to level two, right? Perfect timing, the [Frozen Earth] Seal can be upgraded for the first time."
This is the rune for [Tundra Frozen Earth]. After you advance to level two, you only need to make some optimizations and additions to the original [Frozen Earth] rune. The effect of [Tundra Frozen Earth] can greatly enhance the coldness of the domain and cause ice spikes to grow in your [Frozen Earth] domain. Anyone within the domain's range will be affected by the coldness and the ice spikes.
"You shouldn't have much trouble obtaining ordinary second-tier ice spells. Here are a few second-tier Ice Magic created by our Lanster Family, which are more powerful than general-purpose second-tier spells."
"This contains the [Ice Flame] rune, which is another core rune inheritance of our 'Ice Flame Iris' Lanster Family, besides the [Frozen Earth] rune."
"You should familiarize yourself with it first, and wait until a new space for the rune opens up in your soul before refining it..."
The "[Ice Flame]" rune allows you to condense your cold energy into fire.
Soraya glanced at the Frostburn Bracelet on Ronan's wrist and said, "It's similar in effect to the rune [Frostburn], but its power is far greater. It's Frostburn extreme cold flame capable of freezing everything."
Ronan's chest was filled with immense joy.
Finding Soraya was tantamount to finding the complete lineage of "Ice Flame Iris". He had previously considered the issue of the succession of ice magic, and now... all of this was resolved.
"I have some unused second-tier magical artifacts here; you can keep them."
Soraya then took out a series of second-tier ice-attribute magical artifacts from her Space Ring, including rings, pendants, staves, and even a complete set of magical equipment such as shoulder armor, chest armor, and belt.
Ronan was initially pleasantly surprised, but gradually began to feel a chill run down his spine.
"... Aunt Soraya, there are too many of these... I... I probably can't use them all."
Soraya's actions never stopped, one item after another, like a merchant wholesaling magical artifacts.
"Is it too much? Not at all, I even think it's too little."
Linas, you never know what kind of opponent you might encounter. Every additional magical item you acquire increases your chances of victory.
Soraya presented Ronan with more than a dozen second-tier magical artifacts. Finally, she personally put the "Yarlis Ice Ring Necklace" that she had previously "snatched" from Ronan back on Ronan head.
Soraya tucked the necklace back under Ronan's neck, smoothed out the slight wrinkles on his collar, and whispered to him, "Linas, you are the only hope for the rise of the Lanster Family."
Before this happens, you cannot allow any accidents to occur.
You must remember this.
Soraya looked directly into Ronan's eyes, and the blue of each other's pupils were reflected in their own.
Soraya's tone suddenly became resolute and cold. She said to Ronan, word by word, "Your opponent is in the Northernmost Land, in that permafrost Frozen Earth that has never thawed."
Their name is 'Frost Leader', a group of natural ice controllers with the coldest and most powerful blood flowing through their veins. You are far from being able to fight them.
"You're wearing Ice Ring; even if you don't go looking for them, they'll find you sooner or later."
A glint flashed in Ronan's eyes as he slowly nodded to Soraya.
Soraya smiled with satisfaction and patted his shoulder affectionately.
Ronan sighed inwardly. He knew that the benefits wouldn't be so easy to obtain... Perhaps when he chose [Frozen Earth] as his first Soul Rune, his fate was firmly tied to the so-called "Ice Flame Iris" Lanster Family.
Ronan put away everything Soraya had given him, after which she asked him, "When do you plan to get promoted?"
Ronan replied, "My mentor from the Arcane Circle guided me to White Stone Fortress to find a suitable 'talent' for transplantation, to make final preparations for the opening of the Ancient Secret Realm in a month and a half. This is also my true purpose in coming to the Cold Stone Manor. I did not know you were here beforehand."
"Talent Transplant is indeed a good way to temporarily boost your combat power at this stage. Which monster have you chosen as the transplantation target?"
Ronan was about to answer when Soraya waved her hand and quickly said, "Never mind, the previous choice doesn't matter anymore."
Since the goal is to improve combat power, the best option should naturally be chosen.
"The bloodline of a second-tier magical beast is ultimately a bit lacking."
In the dim light, Ronan saw Soraya's eyes flashing rapidly. He whispered, "It just so happens that the major wizarding families of White Stone Fortress are preparing to hunt a third-tier Cold Scale Python that has awakened a trace of the Ancient Ice Crystal Magic Serpent Bloodline Cold Scale Python. I'll go and get you some of its essence blood... Only Cold Scale Python with the Ancient Ice Crystal Magic Serpent Bloodline is worthy of my Lanster family's genius."
A third-tier Cold Scale Python... with the Ancient Ice Crystal Magic Serpent Bloodline. Ronan opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but didn't know what to say.
He had previously felt that Kosti had been very good to him, showing him care that was like that of a "mother".
But now, compared to Soraya, he realizes what true "motherly" love is.
This intense, almost suffocating "motherly love" made Ronan feel something growing heavier and heavier on his shoulders. "Let's go out, it's too stuffy here."
Soraya stood up from the high chair and casually greeted Ronan.
She was very thin and extremely tall. When Ronan stood up, he realized that she was only about half a head shorter than him.
This makes her look older than her actual age.
However, after Soraya stood up, her whole body seemed to radiate a new vitality. Her skin was glowing slightly, and a girlish aura emanated from her.
For a fleeting moment, Ronan seemed to see her figure overlap with the girl in the long dress in the oil painting, indistinguishable from one another.
"I've almost forgotten how many years it's been since I last left this room, since..."
Soraya looked around the studio, a hint of nostalgia and reminiscence in her eyes.
The girl in the oil painting smiles and leans on the frame, waving to her as if saying goodbye.
Let's go.
Soraya turned around and stepped out of the studio first.
Ronan followed behind Soraya, his eyes flickering slightly, and asked softly, "Why did Aunt Soraya come to White Stone Fortress in the first place?"
"It's been too long, I can't remember anymore."
Soraya paused in her tracks upon hearing Ronan's question.
"It seems... it's because of a man."
I severed all ties with my family and traveled thousands of miles from the Northernmost Land to get here. Carlos, who left you with the Frozen Earth, is my brother, and also the one who helped me escape the Northern Lands. When people are young, their hearts are easily captured by things that unexpectedly enter their lives, and they unknowingly follow them. Perhaps it was fate's arrangement. When the fleeting happiness fades and they look back, they realize that so much time has passed.
Soraya's voice was calm and even, yet it stirred up waves in Ronan's heart.
He pursed his lips, able to roughly imagine what kind of story it was.
Ronan turned around and saw the girl in the oil painting in the studio still staring fixedly in the direction they had left, standing on the grass full of irises, until she was slowly swallowed up by the darkness. "Creak—"
The closing of the studio door seemed to signify that some of Soraya's memories had been completely sealed away.
The two stood in the brightly lit, softly lit corridor, with a slight chill in the air.
Ronan recalled something and couldn't help but ask Soraya, "Madam Livy mentioned to me before... that Cold Stone Manor seems to have mastered the true method of Bloodline Transplant?!"