Master Level, Particle Torrent!

A streak of lingering clouds in the sky looked like blood, and the afterglow of the setting sun fell upon the gray-white little square.

The chanting of "Soul Returns to Peaceful Village" rang out from time to time. Passersby hurried along, and an atmosphere of sorrow and despondency flowed through the square.

Another group entered the square.

They had come from the direction of the forest, looking bedraggled and miserable. Their Wizard Robes were torn and filthy, stained with blood to varying degrees, as if they had just gone through a life-and-death battle.

The moment they stepped into the square, every face in the group revealed the relief and lingering fear of those who had survived a disaster.

They embraced one another, their expressions agitated. Some even shed tears.

The passing wizards nearby cast either curious or indifferent glances their way, thinking that this was probably another group of pitiful people who had narrowly escaped the clutches of evil Black Robe Wizards.

After their excitement subsided, the wizards began moving toward one direction of their own accord.

They gathered before a tall figure within the group, offering him magic stones before solemnly bowing to kiss the hem of his gray robe.

This was the highest gesture of gratitude and respect among wizards. It was rarely used outside formal occasions.

Yet now, many wizards were performing it upon a single person, and not one of them felt there was anything improper about it. It was truly astonishing.

"I paid fifteen magic stones for this proper robe."

After the last accompanying wizard left, Ronan looked at the visibly saliva-soaked patch on the hem of his robe, the corner of his eye twitching uncontrollably.

For the sake of that bag of magic stones, he endured it.

He raised his head to look at the blood-red setting sun. Hoddam Academy, shrouded in thick white fog, resembled a giant beast quietly lying dormant. For a moment, Ronan felt as though a lifetime had passed.

"Good thing we survived."

He murmured softly, then came back to himself and looked at Old Wells, Venecia, Sheryl, and the wizard Barry and his son, who had yet to leave.

Old Wells and the other two would certainly follow him. As for Barry and his son... "My uncle has always served as an assistant to a formal wizard at the academy. He owns a property in town. Though I really don't want to, this time I have no choice but to seek refuge with him."

Wizard Barry explained helplessly. After leaving the others an address and once again expressing his heartfelt gratitude to Ronan, he hurried away with his son Sean.

After seeing off Barry and his son, Old Wells and the other two asked Ronan where he planned to go next.

By now, he had clearly replaced Old Wells as the backbone of their small group.

"Let's find somewhere to stay first. Tomorrow, we'll try contacting Andre and the others.

If nothing unexpected happened, they should have arrived in town long ago."

Ronan rubbed his brow, unable to conceal the exhaustion on his face.

Hoddam Wizard Land was bustling with people at the moment, tense and oppressive everywhere he looked, yet all he wanted was a soft, comfortable bed where he could lie down and sleep properly.

Night fell.

Inside a small wizard inn in the town's residential district.

The room was not large. Its windows were tightly shut, while several sluggish moths tirelessly rammed themselves again and again against an old glowing crystal wall lamp.

"Splash—"

Ronan stood naked from the bathtub, casually grabbed a towel, and stepped barefoot onto the cold wooden floor.

"Whew—"

After drying the water from his body, Ronan let out a breath and walked to a silver full-length mirror in the corner of the room with his half-damp hair.

The youth in the mirror was slender and upright, handsome and masculine, as vibrant and radiant as the rising sun.

But the few gray-white strands that occasionally showed through his chestnut hair gave him a maturity and mysterious air unlike that of his peers.

"Are they aftereffects?"

Ronan gently brushed aside the hair on his forehead, frowning slightly before beginning to examine the rest of his body.

Everything was intact.

Other than the gash on the inner side of his left thigh that he had stabbed himself with a dagger, as well as several tiny cuts on his cheeks and the backs of his hands that had been torn open by the aftermath of battle, he had no other injuries.

Since he had applied medicine, the wounds had already scabbed over and now felt slightly itchy.

Only after checking his body did Ronan put on his clothes and sit at the table in the middle of the room, reflecting on the danger of that battle earlier in the day.

That Black Robe Wizard at the advanced apprentice level possessed formidable Spiritual Power, cast spells smoothly, had excellent equipment, and was rich in combat experience. Even among those of the same level, he was undoubtedly a true powerhouse.

The reason Ronan had been able to survive his hands and ultimately kill him in return—

Aside from the enormous gap in their actual strength levels, which had inevitably caused the other man to underestimate him, the most important factor was... the sheer power and shock brought by Master Level Energy Missile!

Thinking of this, Ronan could not help opening his Character Panel.

Name: Ronan Damien

Age: 16

Talent: Non-attribute Affinity

Strength: Level Five Wizard Apprentice (11%)

Skill: Basic Meditation Technique (Expert 219/800)

Energy Missile-Particle Torrent (Master Level 1/1600)

Charged Weapon (Proficient 344/400)

Rune Engraving—[Cleaning] (Skilled 177/200), [Shine] (Skilled 27/200), [Protection] (Beginner 13/100)

Ascetic Body Forging (Proficient 105/400)

Basic Swordsmanship (Proficient 395/400)

Fireball (Beginner 10/100)

Ice Ball (Beginner 20/100)

Detection Spell (Skilled 8/200)

Master Level Energy Missile! After consecutive fierce battles against the Black Robe Wizard and magical beasts, Ronan had unknowingly maxed out the last bit of proficiency for Expert Level Energy Missile when he had planned to flee, successfully breaking through to the Master Level.

After advancing to the Master Level, Energy Missile had undergone an earth-shaking transformation in both spell form and power. Its name had even gained an additional suffix: Particle Torrent.

"Particle Torrent."

Ronan softly read the words aloud as he stared at the panel.

Thinking back to the scene when he had cast Master Level Energy Missile, it had drained all of his Spiritual Power in one go. The black particles condensed from an enormous amount of free energy particles had indeed possessed a terrifying momentum when unleashed, like a rushing torrent that crushed and shredded everything in its path.

Even now, the memory still sent chills through him.

He had only just entered the Master Level, with merely 1 point of proficiency, yet it had allowed him to leap across several minor realms and instantly kill a powerful High-Level Wizard Apprentice!

Could its power possibly rival the first-circle spells that only formal wizards could learn?!

"After advancing to the Master Level, Energy Missile seems to have completely transformed into an entirely different spell."

Ronan could not help recalling the words the man in black had muttered before his death.

One particular term had left a deep impression on him.

It seemed to be called... a spell domain?! "Tap—tap—tap."

Ronan lightly tapped his fingers against the wooden table. Amid the crisp, rhythmic sound, he finally remembered the term's full name.

"Transcendent... Spell Domain!"