Animated Metal, a Thirty-Year Predicament

Since he couldn't choose a staff for the time being, he thought about buying a Tier 1 Magical Item — [Fortify] enough, sharp enough, and in the form of a longsword.

The combination of [[Immaculate Body]] + [Power of Breaking Law] + Master Level [Basic Swordsmanship] is now Ronan's biggest trump card.

All three of these abilities require a high-quality melee weapon to be fully utilized.

Just like in his previous battle with Lola, if Ronan had had a suitable melee weapon, the fight would have ended much more easily.

"Melee weapon"

Upon hearing Ronan's request, the middle-aged wizard shopkeeper's eyes flickered. After a moment's thought, he replied, "Are you planning to pursue Metal Element melee wizard build? That's a rather niche style, but it's not impossible. Our workshop recently acquired a piece of Chromium-Lu Alloy. While Chromium-Lu Alloy isn't particularly good at energy conduction, its [Fortify] and sharpness perfectly match your requirements."

After listening to the middle-aged wizard shopkeeper's introduction, Ronan was immediately intrigued and said, "Let me take a look."

"Good."

The middle-aged wizard shopkeeper smiled and nodded, then turned and left.

Half an hour later, Ronan walked out of the magic supplies shop with a calm expression.

"The [Animated Metal] spell in the first-tier Metal Element magic can 'activate' hard metals, which can be absorbed or attached to the body surface when used for defense, and can resist most physical attacks and a small number of magical attacks."

When attacking, one can condense metal into any shape at will, and in conjunction with other Metal Element spells, unleash wide-area explosive damage through the violent collision of metal and energy particles!

"... The ability to absorb metal and freely change its form is a perfect match for my melee skills, and the other offensive spells are also quite powerful."

"From this perspective, so far, the Metal Element spells of the Silver Magic Ring are the most suitable first-tier Spell Inheritance for me."

Ronan breathed a sigh of relief, and suddenly he had a goal in mind.

The Silver Magic Ring is called the Silver Magic Ring mainly because it contains a complete set of core inheritances that complement their unique [Silver Magic Ring Transformation] Soul Rune.

The effect of [Silverization] is to temporarily enhance real metals into an energy metal material they call "Rune Mithril". The power of Metal Element spells cast through this material will be greatly enhanced, instantly elevating Metal Element spells, which were not particularly outstanding before, to the level of the best in their class. This is what the middle-aged wizard shop owner in the magic item shop told Ronan.

The reason for such a detailed description was not because the other party thought Ronan was good-looking, but because of the robes Ronan was currently wearing.

A brand new first-tier robe with beautiful floral patterns and delicate silver trim.

Made of first-tier monster belly hide material, it has a high-end and beautiful design and has more than ten functions including wear resistance, self -[Cleaning], Constant Temperature [Wind Absorption], lighting effects, and shield activation.

The robe was bought from their shop. It cost fifteen High-Level Magic Stone, but Ronan bargained it down to twelve. It also came with a bunch of information about the Spell Inheritance the Silver Magic Ring Metal Element.

As for Nash Chromium-Lu Alloy that the middle-aged wizard shopkeeper had introduced at the beginning, the price of that stuff was so outrageous that Ronan didn't even want to mention it. In any case, he couldn't buy more than a few grams even if he emptied his pockets. This robe was already the cheapest item in the shop and the most practical item in Ronan's opinion.

"These twelve High-Level Magic Stone bought not just robes, but knowledge."

Ronan stroked the smooth, delicate hem of his Gray Magic Robe, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Indeed, the most expensive thing in the Wizard World is the inheritance of knowledge."

A robe was only enough for Ronan to know the above. He wanted to know more, but the middle-aged wizard shopkeeper immediately shut up and smiled, indicating that he could continue to answer his questions after Ronan purchased the next magical item.

"The Arcane Circle. Let's just go straight to the Arcane Circle."

Ronan thought for a moment and took out the map that Alida had given him.

Finding the true entrance to the Silver Magic Ring within the Silver Magic Ring sounds like an awkward thing, but it is indeed the case.

Just like Hoddam, a powerful force like the Silver Magic Ring naturally has many people who are not from the Arcane Circle but depend on Arcane Circle for survival.

Ronan is currently in the outer area of Arcane Circle. The real Silver Magic Ring consists of the seven Silver White High Tower that he can see when he looks up, as well as a small area around the towers.

Following the map's directions, Ronan moved closer and closer to the central Seventh Magic Ring Tower.

Once the Silver White High Tower completely obscured the outline of the sun in the sky, a second Rune Array appeared before his eyes.

This Rune Array was clearly much more advanced than the one he had seen when he first entered. Dense streams of light wove into the shape of a water curtain, obscuring everything and making it impossible to see anything inside the array.

Only a metal building stands outside the light curtain, with a huge Silver Magic Ring symbol on its exterior.

Ronan went in, explained his purpose, and was quickly received.

"Name?"

"Ronan Damien."

"Age?"

"Seventeen."

When Ronan gave his age, the middle-aged man with green eyes who was registering him looked up at him.

The other party then asked for his current address and asked him to show proof of residence. Finally, they asked, "Who is the guarantor? Didn't he come with you? A letter of recommendation is also acceptable."

The green-eyed man looked at Ronan and asked a question, which startled Ronan.

"A guarantor? A letter of recommendation?!"

"You don't even know this, yet you're applying to join the Arcane Circle?"

The green-eyed man couldn't help but laugh, tapping the table lightly with his quill pen. "To apply to join the Arcane Circle, you must first possess the strength of First Level Wizard, and secondly, you must have accumulated at least thirty years of residence in any Ring of Magic Ring City... Of course, if a formal member of the Arcane Circle is willing to vouch for you, this requirement can be waived."

If so, please tell him to come over now; I can wait.

Ronan didn't speak, but just stood there with his eyes constantly flickering.

Seemingly noticing his embarrassment, the green-eyed man didn't say anything more, but simply raised his hand to indicate that he should leave.

"Accumulated residency of thirty years or having a formal member of the Arcane Circle as a guarantor"

Inside the room, Ronan sat on the sofa, lost in thought.

He could understand why the Silver Magic Ring had this regulation; its purpose was likely to prevent the infiltration of other forces.

It may not be completely effective, but it can at least isolate a large part of the enemy forces or make it more difficult for them to infiltrate.

Such a small decision from the top echelons of the Arcane Circle felt heavier than a mountain when it fell on a lowly figure like Ronan.

This completely disrupted his previous plans.

"Do you mean I should spend thirty years with an empty soul, without forming a talisman?"

"Should I refine the [[Bloodthirst]] rune, temporarily switch to the plant-based magic system, and then switch back after joining the Arcane Circle in thirty years and obtaining the Metal Element Spell Inheritance from the Arcane Circle?"

Ronan couldn't help but shake his head. "Thirty years is a long time. By then, the spell system and combat style would probably be set. And such a huge change is no less than starting from scratch. It's like wasting thirty years of time. My soul aptitude wasn't good to begin with. Losing thirty years will make future advancement even more difficult."

Ronan sighed softly, stood up from the sofa, and strolled to the window.

Looking at the mysterious and majestic Seventh Magic Ring Tower in the distance, his gaze gradually became distant.

"Then we'll have to find someone to act as guarantor."

"The problem is, where can I find a formal member of the Arcane Circle who is willing to vouch for me?"

In the days that followed, Ronan changed his usual reclusive lifestyle and started going out whenever he had free time, wandering around aimlessly.

Perhaps he was also secretly hoping for a "serendipitous encounter".

Just like Sean, who worked at a pharmacy and was then noticed by a formal wizard-level potion master.

Alida seems to fantasize every day about a powerful wizard recognizing Jacob's talent and wholeheartedly supporting Jacob in advancing to the First Level Wizard, so that she can marry him as soon as possible.

Ronan sometimes imagines that while he's wandering aimlessly outside the Arcane Circle, he might turn a corner and suddenly receive the favor of Goddess of Fate, allowing the huge problem currently looming over him to take a turn for the better.

Unfortunately, in this world, luck usually only comes to a very small number of people. Like the vast majority of people, Ronan only experiences the bitterness and envy of occasionally seeing "luck".

"It only went up this little bit?!"

In the small cultivation room, exquisite medicine bottles were scattered all over the floor, all empty.

Ronan's expression was somewhat grim as he stared at his Character Panel—

[Strength: Level One Wizard (5%)]

A few days ago, he tried to follow the same path he took during his apprenticeship, using drugs to level up.

You can purchase a spirit-boosting potion, which is said to be the most suitable for a level one early-stage wizard and also the most effective, from the best apothecary in Seven Ring City.

Five bottles.

After drinking it all, drug resistance will be maxed out.

The feedback received was only a less than 30% increase in mental strength, and the Strength Progress on the panel only climbed forward by 3%! "Five High-Level Magic Stone for a bottle, a whole twenty-five High-Level Magic Stone, and all I got was a mere 3%?"

Ronan's lips twitched slightly, his heart aching so much that his liver trembled.

Most of his wealth came from Lola's Storage Waist Pouch, from which he obtained a total of fifty-two High-Level Magic Stone. He got two more from cleaning up useless equipment, making fifty-four in total. He spent twelve on a first-tier robe, leaving him with forty-two High-Level Magic Stone.

Now that more than half of it has been lost and the improvement gained is negligible, how could Ronan not feel heartbroken?

[The [Clarity Realm]] is activated, and a deep blue light appears in my eyes. A small white light in my mind ripples out like a tiny sun.

With each ripple spreading outwards, Ronan seemed to hear the "rustling" sound of flowing water washing over gravel—it was the Master Level Basic Meditation Technique washing away the countless impurities in his mental energy.

Even though Ronan's resolve is now far stronger than before, he can't help but feel down when faced with one terrible and unfortunate thing after another.

He had anticipated that the path to becoming First Level Wizard would be exceptionally difficult, but he hadn't expected it to be this difficult; even the path of leveling up through potions was almost blocked.

"If you get tired of a potion and develop resistance, then switch to another one. I'll also start learning Magic Potion Studies on my own. Anyway, I don't need to worry about impurities in my mental energy. I refuse to believe that my strength can't keep up."

Ronan took a deep breath, walked out of the training room, and went out of the Blueberry Inn onto the street.

He was still clueless about finding someone to act as a guarantor. Going out for a walk might not solve the problem, but at least it would ease his mind a little and make him feel less bad.

More than a month has passed since Ronan moved into the Arcane Circle. Enveloped in the full Rune Array, the seasons are imperceptible, and even sunrise and sunset are quite blurry.

During this time, Ronan had practically explored the entire outer perimeter of the Seven Ring City. He knew exactly where the shops were and where they were, so he no longer needed a guide.

Walking along the street made of cold, hard metal, Ronan unknowingly came to a hemispherical silver building.

This strange building, resembling an overturned iron bowl, is where wizards occasionally walk in and out.

A series of distinct energy fluctuations continuously emanated from within.

"Spell Training Room"

Ronan watched for a long time before finally unable to resist taking a step forward.

For a Mid-Level Magic Stone, Ronan gained access to a level one spell training room for one hour.

In the empty room, apart from a small cubicle for convenience, there was only a huge crystal panel completely embedded in the wall.

This was Ronan's first time in a proper spell training room. In the past, he would just find a deserted spot in the wild and randomly throw spells to practice.

Ronan carefully examined the crystal wall at the other end of the room.

This is the Spell Testing Wall in the training room, composed of countless tiny crystal fragments the size of a thumb.

Crystals are a special type of crystal produced by alchemy. They have excellent energy absorption properties and can temporarily absorb most of the energy particles contained in a spell.

The spellcaster judges the power and progress of the spell being practiced by the number of Energy Absorption Crystal that light up after a spell is cast.

Not every wizard has Character Panel like Ronan's, which can display the mastery and proficiency of spells in a data format. In fact, although Ronan can clearly see the progress of his proficiency in a certain skill, he still relies purely on experience to judge the power of spells at that proficiency level.

This Spell Testing Wall is very intuitive, and there is also a spell power comparison chart posted on the side wall.

How many Energy Absorption Crystal need to be lit to reach the normal level of a Level 1 early-stage wizard, how many need to be lit to reach the normal level of First Level Intermediate Wizard, and how many need to be lit to reach the level of a Level 1 late-stage wizard—it's all clear and obvious.

To be honest, Ronan was also very curious about the level of his current trump cards within the realm of First Level Wizard. This was very important, as it concerned Ronan's future decisions.

"Let's start testing with the [Energy Missile-Particle Torrent]."

Ronan didn't waste any time, as he only had one hour to use the [[Clarity Realm]] and immediately activated it.

Beneath the azure sky, a continuous stream of spiritual energy surged from his mind.