The future

His advancement to the Fifth Ring caused quite a stir in the family.

First, Old Phil Cabrolon was already approaching his thirtieth century, and no Fifth Ring mage had emerged in the family all this time. This also meant that after Old Phil passed away, he might have no successor, and the family's mage tower would cease operating for lack of a suitable arcanist.

Second, young Cabrolon had entered the Fifth Ring before even reaching his first century, which would give the clan's future development in Silvermoon City a considerable boost.

The family was desperately short of high-ranking arcanists. Apart from Old Phil, no one understood how difficult it was for a medium-sized clan to seek growth in a place like Silvermoon City, where all the major powers intertwined.

The Cabrolon family was Silvermoon City's foremost family in alchemy, and its herbalism was also among the very best. Its alchemical products went directly to the council and the military, making it the equivalent of a defense contractor.

Unfortunately, no one in the family had entered the inner circle of power in Quel'Thalas, leaving them with little say in Silvermoon City. Yet the Cabrolon clan's alchemical creations apparently still had some value, making it a target for recruitment by great clans such as Dawnstar, Dawnblade, Sunwing, and Morningwalker.

Old Phil did not want to become entirely dependent on another clan. He had struggled to keep things going all this time, hoping that one day the family would produce a high-ranking arcanist and escape that fate.

Patrick rose and headed toward his father's mage tower.

Everyone in the family had heard that Patrick had advanced to the Fifth Ring, and happiness shone on every face. Everyone he encountered along the way nodded in greeting, full of confidence in the clan's future development.

After entering the mage tower and using the Orb of Translocation, Patrick was transported to the fourth floor, where his father usually worked and wrote. Bookshelves lined the room, with a large desk in the middle and a large wooden chest in front of it. A magical lamp illuminated the scrolls on the desk, where his father was bent over writing something. There were also alchemical potions at the workbench beside him.

"Father." That single word softly alerted his father to his arrival.

"Oh, Pat, your progress really has been a wonderful surprise." His father rose and walked over to Patrick.

"Yes, the Fifth Ring. For an arcanist, this is only the beginning."

"That's right, my child. The Fifth Ring is only the beginning. Mages who reach the Fifth Ring begin to master the flexible application of arcane magic, as well as projecting their Spiritual Power to perceive their surroundings. We begin to sense a truer world hidden beneath what the naked eye can see."

"Yes. When I advanced, my Spiritual Power began spreading outward as though I'd had an epiphany, then returned to my sea of consciousness after gathering perceptions."

"My child, your talent for arcane magic is exceptional, but exceptional talent also requires even greater effort. Hardworking elves are far too rare. Your diligence and drive will take you further along the arcane path, allow you to gain more knowledge and power, attain higher standing, and become a pillar of our people." His father was delighted and spoke at length. "You will always be the pride of the Cabrolon family."

Father and son talked for a long time. Patrick described his experiences studying under Thas'wether in great detail, while his father spoke of things that had happened during Patrick's absence. They greatly enjoyed their conversation.

Afterward, as Patrick left, his father handed him a large chest-the one he had seen earlier in the study.

Inside were books and scrolls. One scroll recorded several Fifth Ring arcane spells:

Transmutation School: Arcane Resonance.

Conjuration School: Teleportation.

Evocation: Forcefield Construction.

General School: Permanency.

Abjuration: Energy Resistance.

These should be the highest-level arcane spells in the family, Patrick thought. Old Phil was only a Fifth Ring mage, yet he possessed arcane spells from five different schools. It was simply incredible.

There were also recipes for a whole range of top-tier potions, including the Flask of Distilled Wisdom, Flask of Supreme Energy, Flask of Multiple Resistances, Greater Arcane Protection Potion, Magic Resistance Potion, Elixir of Growth, Elixir of Fortitude, Elixir of Giants, Elixir of Arcane Power, and Elixir of the Mongoose,

and formulas. There were also books such as "The Connection Between Runology and Enchanting," "Runic Smelting Techniques," and "Alchemy and Elemental Transmutation."

They covered the alchemy, runology, and enchanting researched within the family.

Leaving his father's mage tower, he returned to his own quarters. All the family's core knowledge was now in his possession, but learning it would still take time.

[Soul Reading and Memory Touch can both help you memorize the contents of these books. As for mastering their practical applications, you'll have to practice yourself.] Ellen popped up again, insistently making her presence felt.

Arcane light flashed, and Patrick immersed himself in an ocean of books. The text in the arcane scrolls and books became projections that flowed into Patrick's brain.

Although skills such as Soul Reading could help mages rapidly memorize magic, this data-import-like method of memorization affected the brain. Importing too many memories in a short time could cause mental derangement. In a sense, the spellcaster memories Ellen possessed, along with the boost to Spiritual Power her possession provided, were a great help to a mage.

Patrick sorted through the memories in his brain. He had to master the family's inherited alchemy, because it was something like the Cabrolon family's hallmark.

Hardworking elves were too rare. Ordinary elves' lives consisted only of pleasure, loving ease and shunning work, with no concept of studying hard. Silvermoon City's arcane masters had perfected arcane golems, making even farming so comfortable that it involved almost no physical labor. Relying on the Sunwell's radiance, endless energy created a kind of eternal prosperity for Quel'Thalas.

Nothing is eternal. All of this will vanish in the future, Patrick thought.

He had only just entered the Fifth Ring. If he intended to develop his career in Silvermoon City, relying on the family business would yield twice the results for half the effort. But as a rising arcanist, he would inevitably receive invitations from the great families. Over time, he might become a puppet of power. How would he be any different from those elves in Silvermoon City mired in the struggle for authority?

Patrick had to break free of Silvermoon City and slowly cultivate influence of his own elsewhere.

Silvermoon City's education was a failure, a complete failure. In Patrick's eyes, the golden age for education was adolescence, when a person's subjective views had not yet fully formed. Their worldview, values, and outlook on life could be deliberately shaped during this period, playing a decisive role in the course of their lives.

Having been through middle school and high school in his previous life, Patrick had initially felt that all that heavy coursework was utterly unnecessary. After seeing Silvermoon City's education system, he felt fortunate and came to believe that the coursework he had once considered unnecessary had at least some merit.

He thought of how certain Western countries in his previous life had championed liberalization and freeing students' innate natures, letting them develop freely and loudly promoting the idea of letting students "do what they wanted." The result was just like Silvermoon City: people grew lazy and shortsighted, sought only pleasure, and could not bear to hear even a single differing voice.

This was a textbook case of keeping one's own people ignorant. On one hand, they encouraged the public to free their innate natures; on the other, they had their own children and descendants study all manner of knowledge and arts. Class divisions began to emerge from there. The descendants of the great clans would only become more accomplished, thus taking hold of real power, while ordinary people immersed themselves in lives of liberated impulses, lost in luxury and indulgence, drifting from day to day.

Silvermoon City was already dominated by great families such as Sunwing, Light of Dawn, Dawnblade, and Windrunner. Leaving Silvermoon City meant either traveling the world or finding a place where he could realize his own worth.

"The road ahead is long indeed." Patrick closed "Alchemy and Elemental Transmutation" and began carefully planning his future.