A Promotion Gift, Kosti's Contradictory Words and Actions

A few seconds later, Ronan slowly lowered the Communication Stone.

The message was sent by Kosti, the Seventh Magic Ring Ring Master, asking if he would return, Mirror Garden would be opening soon.

Judging by the time, it's about time.

Ronan activated the Flying Ring in his hand, soaring upwards from the bottom of the cliff waterfall and flying rapidly in one direction.

A gentle breeze caressed his face as Ronan looked down at his feet, his mind and body gradually merging with the sky.

"It's time to change the flying device."

He thought to himself silently.

He was still using the first-tier Flying Ring he had obtained from Lola. It was barely adequate when he was First Level Wizard, but after advancing to the second level, his mental perception improved, and he became increasingly disgusted with the "slowness" of the speed.

With the opening of the Mirror Garden Secret Realm imminent, battles and escapes are inevitable once you enter. Therefore, a high-quality flying item will be quite important.

Ronan thought for a moment and took something out of his Space Ring.

It was a dagger only slightly longer than a palm, with both the blade and the hilt displaying a mirror-like, flowing luster, which was quite extraordinary.

Ronan channeled his spiritual energy into the dagger, activating the runes within. In the instant the dagger flashed with silver light, he gently plunged it into his own shoulder. "Swish—"

Ronan's flying figure vanished into thin air, and almost simultaneously, several hundred meters away, faint ripples appeared in the air, and Ronan reappeared.

"This magical tool is good for chasing or escaping."

Ronan looked at the silver dagger in his hand and felt somewhat satisfied.

This dagger, which resembles a flowing mirror, was brought out by him from the Mysterious Garden Secret Realm. It is a second-tier magical artifact passed down to the Mirror Garden, and its function is to teleport objects within a small area, including people.

When Ronan was at level one, he couldn't fully unleash its power, but now that he's advanced to level two, it's quite handy to use.

The cooldown time of the runes inside the teleportation Mirror Dagger is about half a minute, and the maximum teleportation distance is about 500 meters. It may not be practical for long-distance travel, but it is quite suitable for chasing or escaping within a small area. In some situations, it may even have a surprise effect.

Along with the teleportation Mirror Dagger, Ronan also brought out a magical Silver Comb, which he took out and tested.

The Silver Comb is a second-tier offensive magic item that can unleash extremely sharp spatial blades. Moreover, it is an area-of-effect attack, with power roughly equivalent to the standard spell level of a late-stage second-tier wizard.

If given to a typical level 2 wizard, this would be considered an extremely powerful magical artifact, usable as a trump card and a killer move. To a certain extent, it could even allow a level 2 wizard to dominate.

However, for Ronan, the Silver Comb was not as useful as the teleportation Mirror Dagger. He had many offensive methods and didn't need another one. His opponent was also a top-tier second-level wizard like Clemens, and the power of the Silver Comb was still a bit lacking.

Ronan took stock and suddenly realized that he had nearly twenty second-tier magical artifacts! Even though he included the entire "Winter Homeland" magical artifact set separately, it was still an astonishing number.

For a typical level two wizard, having three or four second-tier magical artifacts is considered "wealthy." However, to be considered "elite," one must look like the two level two wizards he first defeated in the "Damp Jungle," who each only had about two second-tier magical artifacts.

Of course, a normal level 2 early-stage wizard's mental strength is only enough to control two or three level 2 magical artifacts in battle at the same time.

"Even without using my trump cards One Segment Magic Domain Resonance, the fusion of Three Law Domains, the [Immaculate Body], and the Ancient Frost Hydra Bloodline, my ice and Metal Element spells, along with the array of magical artifacts I possess, are enough to contend with most late-stage level two wizards."

During this time, Ronan had already mastered the basics of several second-tier ice spells.

Tier 2 [Small Blizzard], Tier 2 [Ice Rain Armor], Tier 2 [Voice of Cold].

[Small Blizzard] is arguably the most famous second-tier spell for ice wizards. It is a prerequisite for the third-tier [Blizzard], and can summon an ice vortex with extremely strong freezing power within a small area. The stronger the mental power, the larger the vortex becomes.

There's not much to say about [Ice Rain Armor], it's an advanced Law Control of [Ice Armor]. [Voice of Cold] is a rather rare mind control spell among ice spells.

This is a secret technique from the Lanster Family of the [Ice Flame Iris] clan. When used, it can cause a certain degree of negative effects such as sluggishness, fear, and torment to the opponent.

These three introductory second-tier ice spells added three more anchor points to Ronan's [Tundra Frozen Earth] domain Spell Anchor, bringing him to nine anchor points.

If the effect of the [Mirrorlight] rune is activated, it will be similar to "eighteen anchor points"! The power of the Ice Cold Domain will expand to an unprecedented level!

If we also take into account the added effects of the "Yarlis Ice Ring Necklace" and the [Winter Homeland] magic item set, Ronan has enough confidence to shout at the former Clemens without using any other means—"Clemens, you are worthy of a fight!"

Ronan hasn't learned second-tier Metal Element magic yet.

Second-tier Metal Element magic wouldn't significantly improve Ronan's current combat capabilities, so he didn't waste his energy on it, since he wouldn't need it much in battle anyway.

As Ronan's Character Panel gained more and more spells in the skill bar, he felt like he didn't have enough time every day, wishing he could stretch every second into two.

However, one good thing is that the [Frozen Earth] magic style of the Lanster Family [Ice Flame Iris] requires casting all the spells that serve as "anchor points" every time a domain is constructed. For Ronan, who has Character Panel, some of the lower-level spells that have been "discarded" do not need to be practiced deliberately, and their proficiency will naturally increase during combat.

If this continues, these spells might quietly advance to the "Master Level" at some unexpected moment.

Of course, this is a relatively long process and requires time to develop.

Ronan informed Bennigo of the imminent opening of the Mirror Garden via the Communication Stone, and instead of returning to their "secret base," he went to a more expansive primeval forest.

Ancient trees, some over 100 years old, grow everywhere in the mountains. The ancient forests and vines intertwine, creating lush and verdant landscapes. Occasionally, a strong wind blows, stirring up waves of dark green.

This place is quite far from the Silver Magic Ring, and there are almost no traces of anyone having explored it.

The sounds of nature echoed in this sparsely populated world. Ronan could sometimes vaguely sense some ancient and powerful auras leaking out. He didn't know what it was, and he dared not venture any deeper.

Ronan stood quietly in mid-air, a gentle breeze ruffling the hem of his robes. Through a certain mark within his soul, Ronan transmitted a message.

A moment later, something seemed to be rapidly approaching from the distant forest. The forest rippled, and soon a giant ice crystal snake, tens of meters long, swam up to him.

A man and a snake, silently gazing at each other under the clear sky.

Ever since Ronan fused with the bloodline of the Ancient Frost Hydra, he has noticed that the Ice Crystal Magic Serpent's attitude towards him has become extremely complicated.

On the one hand, it has the obsession and ambition to surpass itself, wipe away its shame, and turn the tables and become the master; on the other hand, it is forced to be suppressed by both the Soul Contract and the bloodline.

So much so that now, as the Ice Crystal Magic Serpent stands before Ronan, even Ronan can clearly sense its frustration and inner turmoil in his presence.

"We each have our own battlefields."

Ronan looked down calmly at the Ice Crystal Magic Serpent, whose huge, scarlet eyes reflected his entire image.

"When I return from the Mirror Garden, I will give you your first chance to challenge me."

"Hiss--"

The Ice Crystal Magic Serpent let out a soft hiss, flicked its tongue, gave Ronan a deep look, and then turned and disappeared back into the forest without looking back.

As a magical beast, this is the most suitable place for it to live.

It can not only increase its strength by preying on various other magical beasts, but also learn how to control its bloodline through repeated battles.

Ronan watched the Ice Crystal Magic Serpent disappear into the distance, his right hand gently touching his left chest, where a piercing pain would come with every breath, and the pain would continue to intensify.

If one did not constantly practice Ascetic Body Forging, and frequently befriend pain, any other wizard would probably be tormented to the point of collapse by this seemingly endless pain.

"How could I possibly lose to you..."

Ronan murmured to himself, expressionless, and turned to leave.

The pale silver ring is engraved with a beautiful feather design.

The feathers glowed slightly, and a faint light enveloped the tall and slender boy.

Ronan entered the tower and climbed the stone steps one by one, the hem of his robe trailing on the ground, gently creating ripples of light blue.

He went unnoticed by anyone.

Only the books fluttering around him like birds seemed to welcome him.

Nearly four months later, he returned to the Silver White High Tower of the Seventh Magic Ring. Nothing had changed; everything was as tranquil and peaceful as before.

Reaching near the top of the tower, Ronan stopped, parted the layers of book covers, and gently landed at the door of his residence.

The Brass Door Lock on the black wooden door was yawning. When he suddenly appeared, its face lit up with great surprise. Before it could utter a single word in an excited tone, Ronan had already pressed down on the doorknob, which was also the "mouth" of the Brass Door Lock.

"Shut up."

Ronan asked calmly, "While I was away, did anyone come looking for me?"

The Brass Door Lock opened its eyes wide and nodded vigorously. Ronan released his hand, and the latter immediately "spit out" several snow-white letters from the crack in the door.

Ronan stood at the door and opened the letters one by one.

Those who would try to contact him by slipping letters under his door were naturally people who, to him, could not be considered friends.

One of them was Third Level Wizard had previously exchanged resources for hair with him. In the letter, the wizard proposed to make a second deal with him. This time, the wizard wanted Ronan to provide not only hair, but also blood, nails, semen, and so on. The resources he wanted in exchange were quite generous, and the list he provided filled several pages of paper.

Ronan, of course, refused.

Not to mention that he is currently fusing with the bloodline of the Ancient Frost Serpent, and the composition of his blood is already different from before, the other party's request has really exceeded his bottom line. Furthermore, after Kosti's reminder last time, he will no longer give anything that grows on his body to others. Now, even if Ronan accidentally loses an eyelash, he will carefully destroy it.

In the other letters, there were invitations from unfamiliar tower wizards to attend small wizard tea parties and academic seminars. One wizard, Tatiana, even expressed her desire to become his bed partner, offering mutual comfort in their spare time. She also included a completely naked magical image with the letter, leaving Ronan speechless.

Ronan flicked his fingertips, revealing icy frost, and casually shook all the letters into ice shards, then tossed a few High-Level Magic Stone to the Brass Door Lock, completely silencing its raucous mouth.

He didn't go inside, but instead turned around and went up the stairs to meet Kosti.

As Ronan spiraled upwards to the top of the tower, surprisingly, he did not see Kosti.

On the contrary, in Kosti's usual seat, a young man with bright hair and a striking nose was sitting with his legs crossed, leisurely sipping tea.

"Hey, Damien, long time no see!"

Upon seeing Ronan come up, the big-nosed young man greeted him with a delighted expression.

Good afternoon Porby.

Ronan casually greeted Porby, then looked around and asked, "Where is Lord Ring Master?"

She's not here.

Porby stared intently at Ronan, scrutinizing him from head to toe, and made a clicking sound as he said, "Congratulations, Damien, you've successfully advanced to level two. You're one step closer to stepping out of the fog and touching the Dawn."

I knew you could do it.

After offering his congratulations, Porby continued to explain to Ronan, "The Mirror Garden is about to open, and Kosti will probably be one of the ring masters leading the team this time."

She's very busy; to be honest, I haven't seen her for over a month.

But she still thinks about you. Look, this is a special gift she prepared for your promotion to level two!

As he spoke, Porby pulled a small object from his pocket and tossed it toward Ronan.

Ronan reached out and caught it; it was an exquisite metal box.

Upon opening it, inside lay a pale blue emerald ring and a necklace with a yellow gemstone or something similar set in the center.

Both the ring and the necklace are second-tier magical artifacts, and both are male-only.

Ronan blinked, picked up the two items, and felt them briefly.

He quickly bowed respectfully to Porby and said, "Please thank the Lord of the Rings for me."

These two magical artifacts include a ring, which Ronan is considering replacing with Flying Ring.

However, unlike ordinary Flying Ring, this ring is enchanted with five second-tier wind runes, which almost maximizes the speed during flight.

As for the necklace, it was enchanted with a second-tier earth-based Law Control.

For wizards of any school and level, there can never be too many defensive measures.

The two promotion gifts that Kosti gave to Ronan were both practical and quite crucial.

He remembered that Kosti had said she wouldn't give him much external support, but it seemed she was breaking her promise all along.