The sea breeze blew past.
Mona turned to look at Ruger.
"You really are progressing fast. Reaching the Third Ring sooner will give you more breathing room to search for your ideal world runes." Mona's smile returned.
"Fast?" Ruger asked in earnest, believing Wizard Mona could hear the sincerity in his voice.
Mona did indeed hear it, and rolled her eyes for the third time.
"Compared with those extreme exceptions, you certainly aren't fast. I'm sure you know there are some extraordinarily unusual people in the Cavern World whose circumstances produce exceptions that offer no useful basis for comparison. Compared with normal Wizards, you aren't the fastest, but you're among the fastest. Anywhere from five to fifty years is normal for advancing from the Second Ring to the Third Ring, and you took a little over ten. So congratulations, esteemed Wizard Ruger, on your outstanding achievement," Mona said at an unhurried pace.
Ruger raised his eyebrows and poured Mona a cup of tea. It had gone a little cold, but he thought she probably needed a cold drink.
"Besides, some Wizards divide this so-called speed into two categories. Some people's mental power grows quickly. I once read an account in a book about a child in Grotto City whose mental power had naturally grown very quickly from birth. By the time the child reached the screening age, it had already grown to the standard of a Level-One Wizard Apprentice. The other kind of speed refers to how easily someone breaks through that boundary when advancing. I believe you belong to the second category, Ruger. Some people remain stuck for a long time even after their mental power reaches its limit." As Mona spoke, she picked up the teacup and took a sip, her eyebrows lifting slightly.
Ruger felt a little