Mirror of Emptiness, Mirror Soul Spell, Inheritance Space

"Space mirror magic unearthed from the Ancient Mirror Garden."

"Originally, this should have been a reward for the winner of the competition, but after the Ancient Wizard Revival Society incident, the higher-ups of the major powers decided that anyone who enters the third round of the competition would be eligible to learn it."

"Actually, this isn't exactly compensation from our Arcane Circle organization specifically for you; it's a reward you deserve."

Kosti raised her hand, and the crystal floor-to-ceiling windows in front of them swung open with a bang, letting in the evening breeze that blew in, ruffling their robes and hair.

Ronan saw a delicately crafted crystal bracelet on Kosti's fair and slender right wrist flash, followed by the crisp sound of flapping wings.

A huge albatross darted out from Kosti's sleeve and hovered in front of the two of them.

"Let's go."

Kosti called to Ronan, "I'll take you somewhere else."

Ronan's eyes flickered slightly. Without asking where Kosti was going, he nodded and followed Kosti onto the back of the white albatross.

This should be a unique flying artifact, with magical effects far stronger than ordinary flying artifacts.

Ronan stood on the albatross's back, while Kosti was a couple of steps ahead of him, a faint fragrance from her hair wafting on his face in the breeze.

"The only real compensation is the place you're going to next."

Kosti said to Ronan that the white albatross carried the two of them over the tower and flew straight toward the huge metal ring atop the seven Silver White High Tower.

"Ronan, do you know the true origin of our Silver Magic Ring?"

Kosti suddenly spoke to Ronan.

Ronan blinked and replied, "I've heard people say that the Arcane Circle originated in the central part of the continent, and the word 'silver' in the Arcane Circle was added later."

This secret was told to Ronan by Bennigo, but it wasn't really a secret; many people already knew it.

"Right."

Kosti nodded and said, "The origin of the Arcane Circle is in the Central Region, called the 'Omnipotent Magic Ring.' It is a top-tier large-scale wizarding force, and even in the Central Region, it has a considerable reputation."

After arriving in the south, it was renamed Silver Magic Ring. This was partly due to the unexpected acquisition of the [Silver Transformation] talisman, and partly to distinguish it from the main headquarters.

Kosti suddenly sighed softly in a rather wistful tone, "Back then, a group of ten of us traveled thousands of miles from the Central Plains to the South, full of ambition, and now..."

Kosti didn't say anything more, and Ronan didn't ask any more questions.

The fact that there are only seven rings in the current Arcane Circle, and only seven ring masters instead of ten, suggests that some changes must have occurred along the way.

"... Actually, our main purpose in coming to the south was to visit the ruins of the Ancient Mirror Garden."

After calming herself down, Kosti said to Ronan, "The clues about the ruins of the Mirror Garden came from the headquarters of the Arcane Circle, and were issued within the organization in the form of a mission."

Only ten of us took on this task.

"Now that the ruins of the Ancient Mirror Garden have been basically excavated, can this mission be considered accomplished?"

Ronan interjected, but Kosti shook her head.

No, not at all.

There's nothing we want in the Mirror Garden at all.

"Um?"

Kosti glanced at Ronan, hesitated slightly, and then said in a low voice, "The real purpose of the main Arcane Circle sending us here is to obtain knowledge about space and mirror magic within the Mirror Garden, in order to improve the part of the 'Omnipotent Magic Ring' system related to space Spell Inheritance. Then, we are to find the whereabouts of the lost space magic treasure - the [Mirror of Emptiness]."

"[Mirror of Emptiness]?"

Ronan's face showed a hint of curiosity.

"Yes."

Kosti explained, "The Mirror of Emptiness is an incredibly powerful spatial artifact created by the Ancient Mirror Garden... It's far superior to the few Dawn Rank artifacts we unearthed in the ruins. It's said that the Ancient Mirror Garden didn't take it with them; it was a seed of inheritance deliberately left behind on the Upper Ring Continent."

"But in the end, it's just a vague rumor. Even the wizards at headquarters don't take it seriously. They just issue it as a mission, letting us lower-level members try our luck by following these scattered clues."

"As it turns out, even after the core area of Ancient Mirror Garden ruins was completely excavated, the so-called 'Mirror of Emptiness' was never seen."

Perhaps this spatial artifact was never even within the ruins, or perhaps it, like those Dawn Rank artifacts that have gained sentience, broke through the runic restrictions of the ruins and disappeared somewhere unknown."

"However, that doesn't matter anymore."

Kosti stood atop the white albatross, looking down at the seven Silver White High Tower below, she gently brushed a few strands of hair from her temple and calmly said, "I'm afraid no one remembers why we came here, including me."

Time really can change a lot of things.

A white albatross landed on the huge metal ring, as the last rays of the setting sun bathed the massive metal ring in a golden glow.

Kosti controlled the albatross to fly slowly around the metal ring in a clockwise direction, and continued to talk to Ronan: "... The most core and powerful inheritance of the Arcane Circle is the rune [Omnipotent Magic Ring]."

The power of this rune is closely related to the types of elemental spells you possess.

The more elemental spells one cultivates, the stronger the combined power of the runes, and the fewer weaknesses in one's own spell system when facing enemies; hence the name "all-rounder."

"I've heard that the [Omnipotent Magic Ring] rune requires a very high level of physical strength from the wizard, which is generally too much for most wizards to handle."

Ronan thought for a moment and then said.

Kosti replied, "Only a part."

The impact of multi-elemental energy particles can indeed place a tremendous burden on the caster's will and body.

But to reach that level, one would have to almost hit the limit of 'all-around' capabilities.

In reality, very few wizards can truly achieve 'mastery of all spells'. Human power is finite, and even the longest-lived wizard cannot master all spells.

Most Arcane Circle wizards only choose to study two or three schools of magic, with exceptionally talented individuals perhaps choosing a few more. Therefore, the title of "all-rounder," while seemingly prestigious, is actually only theoretically "all-rounder."

Ronan thought about it and realized that it made sense.

If the wizards of the "Omnipotent Magic Ring" could truly be omnipotent in all spells, the "Omnipotent Magic Ring" wouldn't just be a large wizarding force; it might have already become Super Large, or even ruled the entire Upper Ring Continent.

Take himself as an example. Just by practicing ice and Metal Element, and at most Energy Affinity, plus body tempering, he always feels that he doesn't have enough time and energy, and has to make some trade-offs in his cultivation.

Although his cultivation time was not long, and the lifespan of Dawn- level wizards is mostly over a thousand years, the higher the level of the spell, the more difficult it is to learn.

If one practices multiple spell systems, one must also consider the conflicting concepts between spells from different elemental systems. Moreover, a wizard cannot devote all their energy to spell practice; they must also meditate, go out to compete for resources, constantly acquire knowledge, and conduct necessary research in runes, potions, and alchemy. The so-called "omnipotence" of the Omnipotent Magic Ring is actually just a boastful name; in reality, no one can achieve it at all.

"Even so, the legacy of the Arcane Circle remains powerful."

The more spells one learns and the more perfects the "All-Round" rune becomes, the more one's combat power will increase exponentially. Once one achieves mastery, few wizards of the same level can rival Arcane Circle Wizard.

"Even the 'Elemental Crystal' spell system that we later created by integrating the Metal Element Spell Inheritance from Schubert possesses similar characteristics."

Ronan's expression shifted slightly upon hearing Kosti's words. "The kind that Orian studied?"

"Um."

Kosti nodded, and at that moment, the white albatross they were riding came to a complete stop at a certain point on the huge metal ring.

Ronan saw an entrance that resembled a passageway in front of him. It was inconspicuous on the huge metal ring, but large enough for several people to come and go freely.

Kosti casually dispelled the Albatross spell and led Ronan through the entrance.

Inside was a long metal tunnel, the walls of which were covered with various complex and mysterious runes.

"So, exactly how many schools of spells are included in the omnipotence of the Omnipotent Magic Ring?"

Ronan lagged slightly behind Kosti, looking around curiously while asking her Kosti.

"Earth, wind, fire, ice, electricity, energy, metal, plants, darkness"

Kosti listed them one by one, and finally said, "When I left the Central Region, Omnipotence was at level ten."

Now, it may have increased to the eleventh series, the twelfth series, or even more.

".."

Ronan clicked his tongue in amazement.

Ten series, or even more.

Is the Omnipotent Magic Ring intended to be the "encyclopedia of spells" for the Wizard World?

He strongly suspects that the top brass of the Arcane Circle are a group of wizards with a severe "collecting obsession".

Given that no one can master all these spell systems, why keep adding new content to the system just for the sake of a truly deserving "omnipotent" title? They should be using that time to figure out how to maximize the inherited power of the [Omnipotent Magic Ring] within the limits of human capability.

Of course, he was just a minor level two wizard with a narrow perspective, and the higher-ups in the Arcane Circle might have had deeper considerations that he couldn't see.

"Once you advance to the third level, you will be able to access the true core of the Arcane Circle's inheritance. At that time, you can choose to cultivate the path that we created in the south, or the orthodox path of our main branch."

Kosti suddenly stopped. They hadn't reached the end of the passage yet, and it seemed there was still quite a distance to go ahead.

"I'm about to take you to the Inheritance Imprint Space at the heart of the Arcane Circle."

Kosti pondered for a moment and said:

Theoretically speaking, you are not qualified to enter now, and even if you are promoted to level three, you may not have the opportunity.

However, due to the World Stone Coordinates, they decided to make an exception and open it to you.

The resources of the Inheritance Imprint Space are extremely limited. Originally, only Orian among the younger generation of the entire Arcane Circle was qualified to enter, and many people placed high hopes on him."

Kosti's gaze lingered on Ronan for a moment before she spoke again:

Given your current situation and the unresolved turmoil Ancient Wizard Revival Society, staying here is actually a good choice for you. As for your problems, I will try to see if I can resolve them."

As she spoke, Kosti raised her hand, and her fair and delicate palm emitted a hazy glow, instantly illuminating the entire passageway.

In the glow, a spatial entrance, large enough for only one person to enter, was revealed.

Ronan's eyes flickered, and he took a step toward the entrance, but just as he was about to enter, Kosti suddenly called him back.

"Ronan."

Ronan turned his head, Kosti stared at him intently, her lips moving, but in the end she simply said calmly, "Make the most of this opportunity."

Ronan nodded and stepped into the entrance.

As Ronan's figure disappeared, a hint of coldness suddenly appeared on Kosti's calm face.

She spoke coldly to the empty end of the passageway.

"Is this compensation? It's more like imprisonment. In the end, you still don't believe me."

Only Kosti's voice could be heard in the dimly lit passageway; no one responded.

After a moment, Kosti took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "In any case, I will continue to fight for Damien's true compensation."

After saying that, Kosti turned and walked back the way she came without looking back, her footsteps echoing in the empty corridor.

"Thud—"

Ronan was surprised to find himself in a warm and comfortable room.

Soft light filled every corner of the room.

The room was surrounded by spiral bookshelves, filled with all kinds of books. The bookshelves stretched upwards, and there seemed to be no ceiling overhead, so it was unclear where they led.

In the center of the room stood a long table made of peach wood, and something seemed to be placed on it.

Ronan slowly walked over and found it was a gray Rune Stone with fluorescent text flashing beside Rune Stone— "For Ronan Damien."

For myself?

As soon as Ronan saw the words, the fluorescence vanished as if it had never existed.

Ronan gently picked up the Rune Stone on the table and infused it with his mental energy. After a moment, Ronan's mind snapped out of its immersion, and a strange expression appeared on his face.

This Rune Stone contains a record of a spell's inheritance.

There is no specific rank.

The spell is called—[Mirror Soul]! "It seems this is the inherited spell unearthed from the Ancient Mirror Garden..."

After reading through the entire spell's description, Ronan understood why the Six Families were willing to generously share this spell.

The reason is that this spell does not involve spatial principles; it is simply a pure "mirror" spell.

Mirror magic is derived from space magic, and the two are often closely linked, but there are also completely independent mirror magic spells, such as the one Ronan has right now.

Although it doesn't involve spatial principles, this rankless [Mirror Soul] spell is still powerful.

The core of the [Mirror Soul] spell is similar to the mirror-type runes and spells that Ronan had encountered before, and the effect is the same—replication.

The caster can use a special magical medium to construct a temporary "summon" using [Mirror Soul].

The strength of a summoned creature is determined by the spellcaster's own skill level and the quality of the spell medium.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why it has no rank, because the upper and lower limits of the power that this spell can exert in the hands of different wizards are too different.

The range of magical mediums required for casting [Mirror Soul] spells is extremely wide, including objects, auras, and even memories. The strength and abilities of the "Mirror Soul" summoned through different magical mediums are often vastly different.

Ronan almost immediately thought of a spell medium perfectly suited to [Mirror Soul]'s spellcasting. If his idea worked, "This spell is practically tailor-made for me!"

Ronan let out a soft breath, suppressing his restless desire to try it out immediately, and put the Rune Stone imprinted with the [Mirror Soul] spell into his Space Ring.

He hadn't forgotten why he came here. Could the Inheritance Imprint Space that Kosti mentioned be this library-like room he was in right now? Ronan continued to look around and soon noticed the eight small doors on the four sides of the room.

Each of the eight small doors was engraved with a different pattern. Ronan examined them carefully and felt that they were elemental symbols corresponding to different systems.

He thought for a moment, then walked toward a small door with a flame-like pattern printed on it.

I walked to the door and reached out to try to push it open.

I pressed my palm against the door and applied a little force, but the small door didn't budge.

Ronan frowned, then turned to another small door.

I tried to open it, but it still wouldn't budge.

He continued trying until he reached the fifth small door. Just as Ronan placed his hand on the door, the abstract symbol of two crossed swords on it quietly lit up. Then, the gray door suddenly transformed into a gray vortex, and Ronan abruptly "fell" inside—

Lead gray, black, silver white, and gold—the eyes are filled with the mottled metallic luster, the air is filled with the strong smell of pig iron, and the ground beneath one's feet is incredibly hard.

This is a world made entirely of various metals.

Metal Element energy elements, which are usually the rarest in outer space, are so concentrated in this place that they are almost visible to the naked eye.

Occasionally, a gust of wind would rise, sweeping across the ground with a rough, grating sound like metal scraping against metal, and when it blew on your face, it felt like being slapped by a knife.

"This is the Inheritance Imprint Space of the Metal Element."

Ronan gazed thoughtfully at the heavy, leaden-gray sky.

After staying in this space for a long time, he felt like he was slowly being assimilated by the metal, as if his body was becoming sluggish and erratic.

However, the Nightmare Tungsten Steel and Neumann Metal that had been attached to his body were quite active.

Ronan did not explore further, but left the space and returned to the small room filled with books.

He continued his attempt at the next door.

The next few doors went much more smoothly.

Ronan tried them all and found that he could open about half of the eight small doors.

The elemental spaces behind the small door are: Metal Element, ice, earth, and Energy Affinity.

"Making an exception to open it."

Ronan stood in the center of the eight small doors, his eyes flashing as he pondered.

"It is said to be an exception to open up, but in reality it is only a partial opening."

If it were Orian, I guess all eight small doors would be open to the public without any obstruction, right?

Ronan looked around again.

He's been inside for so long, but hasn't found any "door" to get out.

When he came in, Kosti didn't mention when he was going to leave, so it seems he'll be staying here for a while.

"I wonder if someone is watching us?"

Ronan looked up and squinted slightly at the deep darkness above.

Then he turned his gaze back to the present.

"That's fine. I also need a quiet place and some time when I won't be disturbed to sort out my current combat system."

And also the issue of resolving potential bloodline problems.

Ronan weighed his options among the four small doors he could enter, and finally chose the ice-themed door that he felt most comfortable in and went inside.