Witness, One Hundred Eighty-Three Years

Driven by the potential of Ascetic Body Forging and with the money given to him by A Nan De to buy medicine and recuperate, Ronan recovered from serious injuries that would have been fatal to a normal person and required him to be bedridden for at least one or two years in just two months.

His mental strength was growing rapidly. In order to prepare for his future advancement to First Level Wizard, Ronan even found a "job" to slowly accumulate the resources needed for the advancement.

"I never knew you were so talented in Magic Potion Studies..."

Inside the small shop with the sign "Ding Nan Potion Workshop," Ronan stood in front of rows of shelves filled with potions, wiping the crystal potion bottle in his hand while whispering to A Nan De beside him.

A Nan De looked even thinner than he had a few months ago, with a large linen robe draped over his body, making him look as if a gust of wind could blow him away at any moment.

He seemed to be in good spirits, his eyes were bright, like they were burning.

"It's not really a talent, I'm just quite interested in it."

Ronan carefully placed the cleaned crystal potion bottle back on the shelf, winked at A Nan De, and said half-jokingly, "Just like astrology, I've never given up on it either. I still look up at the stars every night before I go to sleep."

A Nan De smiled, a complex and indescribable expression on his face.

The two became Astrology Apprentice in the same batch and have always supported and encouraged each other.

A Nan De always believed that the two of them could continue like this forever.

As long as you're happy.

A Nan De's lips moved slightly, and suddenly, as if he had made up his mind, he quickly pulled something out of his sleeve pocket and shoved it into Ronan's arms.

"Tell me what you need, and I'll try my best to get it for you."

Almost every astrologer is now aggressively recruiting apprentices, and the requirements and benefits are much better than before. If you...

A Nan De was speaking when he suddenly stopped, then waved to Ronan and quickly walked out of the store.

Ronan stared blankly at a notebook written by A Nan De himself in his arms, looked up in the direction the other had left, smiled slightly, and continued to focus on the trivial matters in front of him.

As night fell, Ronan lay half-reclined on the bed in the cabin, quietly flipping through A Nan De's notebook by the starlight streaming in through the small window.

A Nan De wrote down his recent astrological gains and insights in his notebook, some star orbit data he had calculated himself, and a proper wizarding meditation method.

"The astrologer's meditation method actually gave me a slight feeling of the Primordial Star Meditation Technique. Although it is far inferior to the Primordial Star Meditation Technique, and even far inferior to the Tidal Meditation Technique, it is much more profound than the Basic Meditation Technique I initially practiced."

"If this were in reality, it would be considered an ancient meditation method."

Bringing knowledge back to reality from "dreams" is a good idea. Everything in dreams is illusory, but knowledge is real, so there is no distinction between dreams and reality.

The meditation method A Nan De wrote in his notebook required a certain foundation in astrology. Ronan casually calculated the various star orbit data in A Nan De's notebook in his mind, and then put the notebook aside.

He didn't intend to study it; the Basic Meditation Technique at the Master Level were far more effective. However, A Nan De's actions provided him with a good excuse to increase his mental strength.

Ronan lay on his dilapidated wooden bed, using his hands as pillows, gazing at the starry sky through the small stone window.

In the vast Keldim Wizard Empire, countless people are striving for a possible "Central Hub," but no one knows that the person who knows its exact location is right before their eyes.

"If I were to reveal the location of the Quivada Oasis now, what kind of reaction would this 'world' have, and would it affect the so-called course of history?"

"It will probably be forcibly corrected, and this 'reincarnation' will fail again..."

Ronan didn't want to do that either.

He only wanted to be a witness.

Despite being burdened by many trivial matters, Ronan still managed to memorize the Primordial Spirit Writing at a rate of about one every five days.

In his third year after leaving his Astrology Apprentice, Ronan's mental cultivation reached the Level Nine Apprentice, and he began to try to switch to the [Primordial Star Meditation Technique].

The resources during the Keldim Empire were far more abundant than those in the current Wizard World, but even with his aptitude, it would still be difficult for him to break through to become First Level Wizard.

Lacking the unwavering determination to face death and survive in his dream, Ronan felt he was unlikely to overcome that hurdle.

Moreover, with the income of a potion shop apprentice, it would take more than three to five years to gather all these resources.

A Nan De would visit Ronan every now and then to catch up, sometimes once every month or two, sometimes once every six months, and sometimes many times within a month.

Ronan was his only friend, the only person he could confide in.

He was just an insignificant cog in the vast astrological system launched by the Keldim Empire under the "Central Hub" project, but he had an extraordinary passion for astrology.

He shared everything with Ronan —his joy, his troubles, his sorrows, and his grief.

The two maintained a strong and close friendship, and Ronan would sometimes discuss and study astrological issues with him.

In the tenth year, A Nan De was formally accepted as a disciple by their former astrologer mentor.

In his twentieth year, he was promoted to First Level Wizard, and the following year, he successfully passed the examination of the Empire Astrologer Guild and became a formal First Level Astrologer.

That night, A Nan De found Ronan and happily drank a lot of wine with him. He, who always needed to keep his mind Awakening due to calculations and meditation, didn't even bring any hangover medicine. He shared his joy with Ronan and told Ronan that he had found a lovely and trustworthy partner.

In the fiftieth year, Ding Nan, the owner of "Ding Nan Potion Workshop," passed away. Ronan naturally took over the small workshop, still using the original signboard, but finally "endured" his way up from a small potion shop apprentice to the boss.

One afternoon in July of the same year, A Nan De, beaming with joy, walked into Ronan's shop wearing the magnificent robes befitting Second Level Astrologer.

Before he could speak, a loud bang from outside the door made both of them go outside.

Ronan and A Nan De stood side by side on the street, surrounded by bustling crowds, all looking up at each other.

In the sky Imperial Capital of Keldim, several colossal dragons, each as large as a mountain, spread their wings and soared. Wizards, emanating powerful spiritual energy, surrounded these dragons, summoning powerful spells that collided with the dragons' intermittent Dragon Breath, sparking colorful streams of light and flames.

It was like a mysterious and grand celebration ceremony.

Do you know why?

A Nan De looked intently at Ronan, "Our combined efforts have finally yielded a major breakthrough."

The center has been located within a small area; finding it is just a matter of time!

"You'd never guess where the 'center' is, Damien!"

"Not the sky, not the valley, and not the ocean."

"It's underground! Maybe right where we're standing right now!"

The dragon and the flames of magic reflected in A Nan De's azure eyes, Ronan heard him murmur, "That day will come soon, and you and I will be witnesses, witnessing how the history of this continent will be changed. Damien."

Ronan's eyes flickered slightly, but he did not answer.

"Selfish! You're so selfish, Damien!"

With bloodshot eyes and a strong smell of alcohol, A Nan De stood firmly in front of Ronan, staring at him intently, breathing heavily.

"It is because of selfish people like you that the Empire's great plans have never truly come to fruition!"

Your talent and expertise in astrology clearly surpass mine, yet you prefer to cower in this shabby little shop, spending your days fiddling with useless herbs, powders, and potion bottles!

A Nan De suddenly became agitated, rushed forward, and pushed over all the shelves in the store.

The fragile rune barrier couldn't withstand the powerful mental strength of his level two wizard. Amidst a series of crisp cracking sounds, the murky liquid mixed with crystal shards slowly seeped into the old floor, filling the entire room with the pungent smell of magic potions.

Ronan stood aside watching A Nan De's actions, his expression calm as if the other man hadn't smashed the small shop he had carefully managed for so many years.

You've probably forgotten.

After A Nan De finished venting, Ronan calmly asked, "Who helped you solve those problems all these years?"

"Precisely because I remember!"

A Nan De roared, "I need you! We all need you! Damien!"

You have no idea what we've been through. Seventy years have passed since that day of celebration! And in those seventy years, we've made less than a tenth of the progress we achieved in the first ten years!

The room remained silent for a long time before Ronan finally spoke softly, "A Nan De, you've had too much to drink."

If you feel tired, remember to rest.

After saying that, he walked out of the house and closed the shop door behind him.

Behind them came A Nan De's suppressed, sorrowful, and painful cries.

After that day, A Nan De never came to see Ronan again.

Time flows by like water, and the only constant seems to be the starlight that descends every night.

On a snow-covered winter night, in a dilapidated hut, Ronan casually conjured a fireball and, by the light of the flame, carefully examined a gray stone slab in his hand.

From the first year he moved into this little house, Ronan would carve a white mark on the stone slab every year.

Now, white marks of varying lengths and depths, measured with a ruler, have densely covered almost the entire stone slab.

One hundred and eighty-three

Ronan slowly lowered the stone slab and fell into silent contemplation.

His body, though still relatively strong due to his Ascetic Body Forging, had reached the end of its life.

"Due to my poor aptitude when attempting to become First Level Wizard, I burned too much of my soul, resulting in a lifespan that is significantly shorter than that of a typical First Level Wizard."

Ronan had seen many First Level Wizards who lived to be over three hundred years old, and compared to them, he could almost be considered "dying young".

But that's enough.

It's more than his previous two "reincarnations" combined.

Ronan could feel his life force gradually slipping away, like an hourglass about to run out of sand.

Ronan thought for a moment, then walked to the only table in the room, picked up the nearly worn-out quill pen, and scribbled something on a piece of paper.

"Well then... goodbye, Keldim."

Having done all this, he pushed open the door, facing the howling wind and snow outside, and walked away step by step until he completely disappeared into the snow.

Three days later.

The same snowy night.

An elderly figure with a full head of white hair stumbled into the house.

"Damien! Damien!"

A Nan De, now frail and elderly, excitedly shouted Ronan's name, "We did it! We finally did it! This historic moment, I said we would witness it together!"

A Nan De's voice trembled with excitement, but all he received in response was the wind and snow.

A Nan De looked around the cabin but couldn't find the person he was looking for.

He soon noticed a piece of white paper on the long table in the room, held down by a gray stone slab covered in white marks.

A Nan De moved the stone slab and gently picked up the white paper.

When A Nan De saw what was written on the paper, his aged, almost cloudy eyes froze in shock.

His lips trembled, and the wind and snow pouring in from outside lashed his face and body.

After a few breaths, he slowly slid to his knees as if he had lost his soul.

"So... you already knew the outcome."

Damien

"Whoosh—"

Ronan opened his eyes.

The hardships of 183 years were slowly washed away in his eyes.

It was still that classic but old-fashioned room, and the Star Chart embedded in the opposite wall remained unchanged.

A strong sense of hunger swept over Ronan's body. He took out some leftover dried Wind Serpent Jerky, tore it into pieces, and slowly chewed it to replenish the energy his body had consumed over the past six months.