Ether and Itai, Welcome to Schubert's Golden Country!

"I must say, your belated suggestion has made my already bad mood even worse, Vivian."

The young girl threw a tantrum, her delicate face filled with dissatisfaction towards the old woman in black robes.

The latter simply looked at her with a respectful yet indulgent gaze and said softly, "It seems that our Miss Moriel encountered something else inside. Is that the real reason that made you unhappy?"

"Yes, a lowly, weak, and vile insect."

The girl crossed her arms and said coldly, "Only in the remote and barbaric soil of the South could such a filthy and ugly thing grow."

"Dirty?"

The old woman in black robes accurately caught a word rarely used in the girl's words, and her wrinkled, bark-like old face instantly turned cold, and the surrounding air collapsed and distorted in an instant.

"You sound like you've been greatly offended. Is there anything I can do for you?"

The girl realized her mistake, and a faint blush rose on her alabaster cheeks, but it quickly disappeared.

"It's really not a big deal, Vivian. You always make a mountain out of a molehill."

The girl reached up and brushed a few strands of hair that fell beside her ear to hide her momentary embarrassment and annoyance. Suddenly, she changed the subject and asked, "Speaking of which, what was Serena doing while I was inside?"

The old woman in black robes shook her head and replied, "She didn't do anything. She just stayed near the unborn Fairy Ancient City... Oh, she did have a fight with two native geniuses from the south, but she controlled herself very well and only drove them away."

A faint light shone in the girl's beautiful, rose-red eyes. She grinned, revealing a wicked smile.

"Our poor Princess Serena, ostracized by her brothers and sisters, has been forced to come south and compete with a bunch of country wizards for resources... Unfortunately, I won't even let her have her way with that. Let's go, Vivian!"

The girl brandished her cane like a horsewhip, creating clusters of beautiful, flower-like flames in the air.

"I can't wait to see Serena's sour face after her plan falls through."

"I will do whatever you say."

The old woman in black robes bowed respectfully, then smoothed the sleeve of her robe and put away the glowing Teleportation Array in front of her.

Soon, a ball of flame rose abruptly from the wilderness like a burning comet, and disappeared into the clouds in an instant.

Ronan looked as if he had accidentally fallen into a cold, thick lake of glue.

No, describing it as glue is not accurate.

It should be lead-containing solution.

The cold, heavy sensation seeped into every pore of his body, robbing him of his body heat, stiffening his muscles, corroding his bones, and stopping his blood flow. It felt as if he were forcibly sealed inside a hard, cold lead shell, unable to release even his mental energy, forced to retreat into his Consciousness Space, surrounded by solid walls.

All he could do was keep activating the Vitality Orb within his body.

At this moment, Ronan was very glad that he had not neglected his [Ascetic Body Forging Tempering] training during the three years he spent in the Silver Magic Ring Ascetic Loft.

After his Master Level proficiency in [Ascetic Body Forging] broke through 1,000 points, the Vitality Orb within his body was more than five times stronger than it had been three years ago. The immense life energy was condensed within a small sphere, almost compressed into a liquid state.

Driven by Ronan, wisps of pure white flames of life flew out from the sphere of light, nourishing his entire body to resist the waves of terrifying curse power he had never seen before.

If it weren't for his "[Immaculate Body]," he would have been completely transformed into a true golden statue the moment the curse's power erupted for the second time.

However, even when the [[Immaculate Body]] is pushed to its limit, it only slows down the transformation of flesh into metal slightly; the "lead shell" outside of consciousness continues to thicken.

The poor external condition can even trigger a series of chain reactions within the body.

In a corner of his Consciousness Space, within a small patch of shadow that he had exhausted and suppressed, the remnant will of the "Ancient Frost Hydra Hecalto" began to stir, seemingly ready to rise up at any moment and completely take over his body.

Amidst these internal and external troubles, Ronan is struggling to hold on solely through sheer willpower.

The power of the curse continued to seep in, gradually affecting his mind, and even his thinking seemed to become sluggish.

Gradually, Ronan's consciousness began to blur.

Suddenly, Ronan found himself in a vast desert, with no one around and a blazing sun overhead.

He wandered aimlessly in the desert, not knowing where to go, feeling only thirst, his throat burning, and his body utterly exhausted.

Just when Ronan couldn't hold on any longer and was about to collapse.

Suddenly, a large, broad hand reached out from behind him and steadily supported his swaying body.

Ronan turned his head with difficulty, and in the blinding sunlight, he saw a tall, thin figure wearing a large gray robe.

The other person was wearing a hood, so their face was not visible.

Ronan had no idea where or when this person had appeared, since for a long time, he had been the only person walking in this desert.

This guy seems to have appeared out of nowhere.

Or perhaps he had been silently following behind him all along, but he hadn't noticed.

But at this point, Ronan didn't have the energy to think about these things.

"Thanks."

Ronan managed to steady himself. The gray-robed man supporting him didn't speak, but cast a gentle yet slightly admiring glance at him from under his hood.

"After all this time... you're still the first person to get here."

The voice was unusually young, clear and bright, Ronan felt it was very familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.

But in the current environment, this sound could only remind him of an oasis.

Is there any water?

Ronan's chapped lips trembled slightly, and he finally couldn't help but speak, his voice so weak that even he could barely hear it.

The gray-robed man thought for a moment, then asked, "If there's no water, is something else acceptable?"

Ronan's brain, seemingly frozen in metal, was still working, trying to grasp the meaning of the gray-robed man's words. However, the gray-robed man in front of him had already released Ronan's hand and taken two steps to the side.

He took something out of his pocket and slowly buried it in the soft yellow sand beneath his feet.

Then, an unbelievable scene unfolded.

Ronan watched as the flat patch of yellow sand began to rise, and then a golden sapling sprouted from the sand and grew rapidly. In the blink of an eye, it grew into a lush apple tree.

This apple tree is entirely golden, as if it were made entirely of gold. Every branch and every leaf is dazzlingly golden and incomparably luxurious.

Only two apples grew on the tree, also golden yellow, and even radiating a golden luster.

"Alright."

The gray-robed man clapped his hands, making a satisfied sound, then tiptoed and carefully picked two golden apples from the golden apple tree, casually handing one to Ronan.

"Eat up, it tastes good."

Seemingly noticing Ronan's hesitation, the gray-robed man picked up his own golden apple, put it to his mouth, and took a bite.

A rich apple aroma wafts out, accompanied by golden juice.

Ronan smelled the scent, and his Adam's apple bobbed violently.

He could no longer resist and took a big bite of the golden apple in his hand. The fresh and sweet juice quickly moistened Ronan's mouth like a clear spring.

It has the texture and luster of gold, but tastes a thousand times better than a real apple.

This small golden apple seemed to possess a mysterious Magic Power. When Ronan had completely eaten the whole apple, leaving only an inedible golden core, he had fully recovered.

Physical strength, mental strength... everything.

"Call--"

Ronan, now revitalized, let out a long breath. He eagerly ran to the shade of the golden apple tree, plopped down on the soft yellow sand, glanced at the golden pit in his hand, and then looked at the gray-robed man who had been quietly watching him. A strange light suddenly shone in his eyes.

He addressed the man in the gray robe. "Thank you for the apple, Schubert."

Ronan pronounced the name word by word.

Yes, once his brain started working again, he finally remembered why the gray-robed man's voice sounded familiar.

Because he had heard it countless times, every time he used the "Speerbit's Myriad Treasure Orb"! As for where he is now, he must be in a dream.

It's like the dream of inheritance experienced when fusing the "Ancient Frost Hydra Bloodline".

He had seen an ancient overlord who wielded ice in his dreams, so it wasn't surprising that he would quench his thirst in the desert with a fruit from a golden tree.

Ronan sat under the apple tree, his eyes fixed intently on the gray-robed man before him, on the face hidden beneath the hood.

It's impossible not to be curious about the appearance of the legendary wizard Schubert, who has left countless legends in every corner of the Upper Ring Continent.

It didn't matter whether it was a dream or not; Ronan now only wanted to see the face of the ancient legend.

Faced with Ronan's burning gaze and his resolute call of "Schubert," the gray-robed man seemed to smile.

He neither admitted nor denied it.

But it did not disappoint Ronan either.

He casually reached up and pulled the hood of his head back.

What appeared before Ronan was an extremely young face, looking only a few years older than him.

Gray hair, black eyes.

A smile always seemed to linger at the corners of his mouth, and his eyes were exceptionally bright, like jewels.

The face revealed under the hood was neither handsome nor unattractive, yet it possessed a unique charm that made it unforgettable to anyone who saw it.

This face perfectly matches Ronan's fantasy of "Schubert".

Such a bright and enthusiastic voice seems to be perfectly matched with such a clear and bright face.

Ronan's gaze gradually softened.

Perhaps it was because he was influenced by Schubert's aura, or perhaps it was because he knew he was dreaming, that he felt no pressure even when facing the legendary wizard, and even felt unusually relaxed.

It's as if he were simply trekking through the desert when he met a traveler who was willing to share a fresh apple with him.

"Schubert" sat down next to Ronan, biting into an apple, the shade of the golden apple tree perfectly concealing the two of them.

Want to hear a story?

"Schubert" gazed at the endless golden desert and suddenly spoke to Ronan.

Ronan nodded, gesturing that he was all ears.

"Huff."

"Schubert" took a small bite of the golden apple and said softly, "Once upon a time, there was a king..."

As the Schubert, the entire desert fell silent.

The scorching sun overhead, which felt like it could kill someone, seemed to gradually become hazy and less hot.

The whole world seemed to be filled only with the rustling of the golden apple tree leaves and the low, slow voice of "Schubert".

"... He is wise and powerful, possessing exceptional intelligence and formidable skills."

He governed his kingdom well, and the people lived in peace and prosperity, while the army was strong and well-equipped.

"He was deeply loved by everyone, and he dedicated his life to his kingdom and his people."

"He never married and had no children. He can be considered the most enlightened monarch in the history of the continent. Elves, dwarves, orcs, and barbarians all lived in peace under his rule."

He ruled over nearly three-quarters of the continent.

"However... even such a perfect monarch has his own troubles."

"The king gradually noticed that as time went by, his hair was turning whiter, his back was becoming more hunched, wrinkles were appearing on his face, his teeth were loosening, and he could not even sit on his throne for more than the time it would take for an hourglass to pass."

"He's old."

The slow, gentle voice of "Schubert" suddenly became intense, thus setting the stage for the story's future direction, where all the beauty was cruelly torn apart and shattered.

The king was afraid.

Because he still has many things to do and many ideas to realize.

He had just learned that there was another continent beyond the mainland, and that there were still many people in this world suffering in dire straits, waiting for him to rescue them.

He had not yet planted his kingdom's flag in every corner, nor was he willing to hand over the vast empire he had painstakingly built to someone who would surely be more foolish than him.

The king longs for immortality!

"So he went to seek the help of the greatest wise wizard on the continent."

No one knows what kind of deal the king made with the wizard.

Anyway, after the king returned from visiting the wizard, he began to collect gold like crazy.

Before the king turned eighty, he was wise and devoted everything to his people.

However, after he turned eighty, the king took it all back from his people, and even more.

"The king's process of collecting gold was not smooth. His army, under his orders, killed many people, countless people were displaced, countless families were destroyed, and the whole kingdom was wail under the flames of war."

"But the king didn't care, because he had finally collected all the gold on the continent."

Now, all he had to do was follow the wizard's instructions, and he would gain immortality. He was confident that he could repay everything he had taken from his people tenfold, a hundredfold.

"The king used all this gold to build a city!"

"A city entirely made of gold!"

"The king assembled his entire army in the city of gold because his mind had changed."

He not only wanted immortality for himself, but also for every soldier in his loyal army. Only then would he have the resources to build an empire a hundred or a thousand times larger than the one he had built in his previous life.

Finally, the king sat on his Golden Throne, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the wise man who would grant him true immortality.

The story of "Schubert" came to an abrupt end.

Under the apple tree, Ronan blinked and couldn't help but ask, "And then what happened? How did the story end?"

"Just like the ending of every fairy tale."

"Schubert" slowly swallowed the last bite of apple, shrugged, and said to Ronan, "The evil and foolish king, along with his evil army, met a bad end."

"Did the wise wizard deceive him?"

Ronan frowned.

"No."

"Schubert" shook his head. "On the contrary, every word the wise man taught the king about the way to immortality is true."

Unfortunately, before the wise man arrived at the Golden City, the old king died of old age on his throne. However, the wise man did not break his promise; he did grant the king eternal life.

He transformed the body of the dead king, along with his entire army, into immortal golden statues, and buried them forever underground, along with the golden city.

"Oh."

Ronan nodded, a look on his face that said, "I knew the ending from the beginning." He then stood up from under the golden apple tree, looked at the golden desert below, and asked, "Is this the bottom of the desert we're standing on?"

"Schubert" laughed and shook his head, "You're taking it too seriously."

This is just a story.

"Then, let me guess again..."

Ronan looked into Schubert's dark eyes and calmly asked, "You're the wise wizard from the story?"

"I told you, this is just a story."

"Schubert" stood up from under the tree, squinted his eyes, stretched, patted the dust off his backside, and turned to Ronan: "Come on, I'll take you for a walk ahead."

Ronan's eyes flickered, but he didn't speak. He followed "Schubert" towards the front of the desert.

As Ronan climbed a high slope, he looked back and saw the golden apple tree where they had been standing before, still standing quietly in the yellow sand, like a road sign.

Ronan turned around, and suddenly a dark shadow emerged from the sand pile and darted to him.

Ronan instinctively took a step back, just as he heard the soft laughter of "Schubert".

"Don't be nervous, it's just saying hello to you."

Ronan then realized that the dark shadow that sprang out of the sand was a black dog, but it had no facial features.

It rubbed affectionately against Ronan's trouser leg; although it looked strange, it appeared quite docile and obedient.

Ronan crouched down and tried to stroke the Black Dog's back with his hand. It was cold and hard to the touch, with a metallic texture.

The strange Black Dog seemed to enjoy Ronan's caresses, so much so that it grinned broadly across its face.

A giant, shark-tooth-like mouth suddenly opened in front of Ronan, startling Ronan slightly and reminding him of the Giant Magic Box Monster he had seen in the Mechanical Heart Ruins.

The shapes of their mouths are almost identical.

"It's obvious it likes you..."

"Schubert" laughed from the side and said, "Its name is Itai."

"Ether?"

Ronan paused for a moment upon hearing those two words, but was quickly corrected by "Schubert": "Itai."

Ronan had read it in an old wizarding book.

In ancient times, when the wizarding civilization was just emerging and the types of free energy particles in the world had not yet been fully understood by the wizards, they used to use "Ether" to refer to those unfamiliar elements that had not yet been mastered.

As the wizarding system was fully established, the term "Ether" was gradually relegated to the dustbin of history.

It is unknown whether the name "Schubert" gave the Black Dog is related to the "Ether" that Ronan knew about.

However, this name also confirms Ronan's previous speculation that the strange Black Dog might be a kind of "metallic" life form?

The two people and their dog continued their journey through the desert.

This time, Ronan didn't know how long they had walked, but when he looked back and could no longer see any trace of the golden apple tree they had come from, "Schubert" suddenly said, "We've arrived."

Ronan suddenly turned around.

Immediately afterward, he saw a magnificent, immense, and indescribably beautiful golden city suddenly appear before him.

In that instant, Ronan felt as if he had been struck hard by something.

Even though he had prepared himself mentally beforehand, he still felt a deep tremor from the depths of his soul when he saw the entire golden city with his own eyes.

"Didn't you say... it was just a story?"

Ronan stood atop a high pile of golden sand, gazing blankly at the golden city before him, murmuring to himself.

"Schubert" smiled and walked past him, saying softly as he went, "It is indeed a story."

But I didn't finish. Once upon a time, there was a boy who, when he was very young, heard this story, and a golden seed was planted in his heart.

"Schubert" stopped in front of Ronan, gazing dreamily at the distant golden city, golden light emanating from between his fingers.

"Later, the seed took root, sprouted, and grew bigger and bigger."

"The boy grew up, he gained ability, and he finally..."

"Schubert" slowly stretched out his golden, shimmering hand into the distance, as if trying to grasp something.

"It can make all those daytime fantasies come true."

"Schubert" stopped talking to himself, and his story seemed to have finally come to an end.

In a certain instant, "Schubert" quickly snapped out of his memories.

He turned around abruptly, standing against the backdrop of the Golden City, facing Ronan, arms outstretched, a childlike, innocent, and radiant smile on his face.

He shouted at Ronan as if Ronan had heard the shouts countless times in the "Myriad Treasure Orb" space.

He said:

"Welcome, newcomer, to the Golden Country that belongs to Schubert!"