Before receiving the recognition of Herams' inheritance, Ronan couldn't "see" the full picture of [Law-Controlling]. Naturally, this thought was impossible, but now, there was a glimmer of possibility.
However, to achieve this, Ronan faced two major challenges.
First, the [Law-Controlling] runes were profound and complex, more obscure than anything Ronan had ever encountered, even surpassing the mysterious spatial rune he had obtained in the ancient Mirror Garden, which was in a constant state of shattering and reassembling.
Fully comprehending and condensing these runes was undoubtedly a monumental task, requiring extensive time and effort, but it was not impossible.
What truly made Ronan frown was the second problem—
His Mental Power Crystal couldn't withstand the engraving of the [Law-Controlling] runes!
Ronan had tried to engrave the [Law-Controlling] runes on a single Mental Power Crystal, but it was akin to planting an entire blooming garden on a grain of wheat! Moreover, his Mental Power Crystal was too "fragile" to handle the hundredfold amplification of the [Law-Controlling] runes when activated! The [Multiple Mirror Image] could barely push [Hekalto's Ancient Devour] to the [Four-Headed] or [Five-Headed] level, nearing the height of the Forbidden Magic Domain, before it was on the verge of collapse. Imagine the pressure a hundredfold amplification would require.
It could only be said that Herams' spellcraft was unparalleled in the world!
"I can only hope that when the [Basic Meditation Technique] reaches a master-level proficiency of 1,500 points, and my mental power undergoes three purifications, it will meet the requirements."
If that still wasn't enough, Ronan would have to rely on the [Basic Meditation Technique] beyond the master level to continue purifying his mental power, but that might have to wait until he advanced to the Dawn Realm.
After reaching the fourth level of wizardry, nine Mental Power Crystals would merge into one, forming a "Primal Spirit Embryo," significantly enhancing both mental and soul power, and it would still be possible to continue engraving Soul Runes.
However, completing the engraving before the fourth level would increase the "spirituality" and "quality" of the Primal Spirit Embryo, thereby elevating the grade of the future "Primal Spirit." The [Law-Controlling] runes were of an extremely high grade, and if Ronan could complete the engraving before the fourth level, it would greatly enhance the potential of his future Primal Spirit.
This matter, which concerned the foundation of his Primal Spirit, was something Ronan was determined to strive for.
Serena and Moriel had shown Ronan the vastness of the world. Born from humble origins, if he wanted to compete with the top wizard geniuses of the central region, or even enter the Middle and Lower Continents, he had to ensure that every step he took now was executed to perfection.
"Fate can only be held in one's own hands."
Ronan's eyes were calm, but his will was firmer than ever.
After fully inheriting the will Herams left in the Law-Controlling Arm Ring, Ronan's consciousness had undergone some changes.
He casually flicked a bit of Ithium from his fingertips. The Ithium alloy fell to the floor and instantly transformed into a person-sized, exquisitely crafted silver mirror.
Ronan stood up and slowly walked to the mirror, gazing at his reflection.
When he had left the attic of the Silver Magic Ring after three years of arduous training, he had looked into the mirror in the same spot.
Now, over half a year later, the person in the mirror seemed to have changed once again.
His appearance and physique hadn't changed much, but his demeanor had become more reserved and colder.
The color of his eyes had deepened, with hints of purple now mingling with the azure blue, like ice shards floating in a frozen lake, deep and sharp, almost impossible to look directly at.
Calm, dominant, proud... These were the traits Ronan saw in the person in the mirror.
"The cruelty and dominance of ancient frost, the purity and romance of the Golden Country, the ambition and arrogance of a Law-Controller..."
As Ronan looked at his reflection, he realized that the more inheritances and wills he carried, the more he had changed from his original self.
Every person he met, every spell he learned, every rune he encountered... All of them had influenced him in some way.
In the future, he might become an entirely different person.
Ronan gently touched his face and whispered softly.
"I am who I am."
"My path, in the past, present, and future, will be determined by no one else."
After fully merging with the residual soul of his predecessor "Ronan," the greatest gain Ronan had received was this.
An unprecedented, crystal-clear, and unshakable sense of self.
For a wizard, this was far more important than any powerful inheritance.
The silver mirror melted before Ronan's eyes, turning back into Ithium and returning to his Wizard Robe.
Ronan had always believed that the greatest value of a Magical Artifact lay in its core runes.
Having already obtained the core runes of Herams' Law-Controlling Arm Ring, the ring itself was no longer something he couldn't part with.
"The effects of the [Law-Controlling] runes in a single arm ring are already so exaggerated. I wonder what kind of absurd and terrifying heights the complete [Law-Controller] set of Magical Artifacts could reach?
What are the core runes in the other components of the [Law-Controller] set?"
Ronan pondered, though these thoughts were still far beyond his current reach.
In comparison, Schbiert the Alchemist's [Golden Country] inheritance was a powerful legacy he could actually grasp.
His battle with Zephyrin, a genius wizard from the Star School, had fully demonstrated the terror of the [Golden Country] inheritance.
With just the simple combination of the [Black Steel Touch], [Silver Body], and [Brass Head] spells, summoning the most basic [Ling Moye] spell body, its power was enough to crush Zephyrin's [Star Prime]! Of course, this outcome was also due to Ronan's mental power far surpassing Zephyrin's.
But it was enough to prove the strength of this spell inheritance.
He hadn't even comprehended a corresponding supernatural law domain, nor had he ignited the "Golden Fire" of [Ling Moye].
"After the Dawn Realm, the [Golden Country] might become my greatest reliance."
As Ronan was thinking, "Creak—"
The sound of a door opening came from behind.
He turned quietly and saw Ke Si Di stepping out from a small, glowing door.
The two of them stared at each other in silence. Ke Si Di stood at the door, looking at him with an indescribably complex gaze.
From Ronan's perspective, Ke Si Di was rapidly shedding the "maternal" aura she had always exuded in front of him, replaced by a sense of hesitation, awkwardness, and shyness he had never felt from her before.
This strange feeling made Ke Si Di seem like a completely different person in Ronan's eyes.
"Da... Damien."
After much hesitation, Ke Si Di finally "mustered the courage" to step forward and softly call his name.
"Have the people from the Star School left?"
Ronan tried to speak to Ke Si Di in the most natural tone possible, to ease her "nervousness."
"Yes."
Ke Si Di nodded, but then quickly shook her head.
Ronan frowned in confusion, but then he heard Ke Si Di quickly add, "There's someone who wants to see you."
"Who?"
Ke Si Di opened her mouth to answer but then tightly shut it, her eyes showing a hint of helplessness.
Ronan narrowed his eyes slightly, already guessing the person's identity.
"I see."
He had anticipated this kind of situation and wasn't surprised. He simply nodded calmly, "Now? Where is he?"
Ke Si Di stepped aside, revealing the small, glowing door behind her. "You'll see him once you go through here."
Ronan nodded and slowly walked toward the glowing door Ke Si Di had come from.
As they passed each other, just as Ronan was about to step through the door, Ke Si Di suddenly spoke, "Damien."
Ronan turned to see Ke Si Di looking at him with an unusually determined gaze. "The Magic Ring and I are behind you."
Ronan didn't respond, only giving a faint smile before stepping through the door.
As he entered, Ronan immediately sensed the fluctuations of space and the Rune Array.
When he regained his senses, he was momentarily stunned. Before him was a beautiful and mysterious night sky.
Starlight showered from all directions, with occasional shooting stars leaving trails of light.
In the midst of this starry sky, there was a small gray floating island, empty except for a figure sitting cross-legged, seemingly waiting for him.
A Spell-constructed illusory space.
Ronan wasn't seeing this for the first time. Inside the Myriad Treasure Orb, there were countless similar illusions, some even more realistic than this.
But when Ronan extended his mental power in all directions, he couldn't touch the edges of this illusion, as if he were truly in an infinite space, which surprised him slightly.
However, Ronan didn't dwell on this for long. He calmed his mind and stepped forward into the void, walking toward the floating island.
After a short while, Ronan landed on the island and approached the figure at its center. He saw an elderly man in a wide gray robe, with snow-white hair and beard, wearing a pointed wizard hat, and a long wooden staff resting against his knee.
When the man looked up at Ronan, Ronan felt as if he had been instantly pierced by those deep gray eyes. He sensed the aura of accumulated wisdom emanating from the man, who seemed like a true "sage," exuding an incredibly steady and wise presence.
Ronan walked forward slowly and bowed calmly to the gray-robed old man.
Even with Herams' pride in his inheritance, Ronan still held his own sense of reverence.
"Wizard Rona."
Ronan spoke the man's name.
In the southern region, the only person the Silver Magic Ring couldn't refuse on his behalf was Rona.
The head of the Star School, the only fifth-level wizard in the south, Rona Oran Gabmengo.
Most people respectfully referred to him as Wizard Rona.
The gray-robed Rona narrowed his eyes, the wrinkles on his aged face deepening as he looked at Ronan with an almost benevolent gaze.
He didn't speak, only extended his hand.
Ronan placed his palm upward, following the ancient wizard's etiquette, gently touching the space between Rona's ring and middle fingers, then lifted the hem of his robe and slowly sat cross-legged before the old man.
"Play a game of chess with me."
The gray-robed Rona spoke after Ronan had settled down. His voice, though aged, was magnetic, carrying a special power that felt like a warm breeze yet was impossible to refuse.
Ronan nodded slightly. The gray-robed Rona swept his sleeve over the empty ground between them.
From his sleeve fell fine, starlight-like particles, which solidified upon landing, gradually forming various "stones" of different shapes.
Ronan looked at the scattered stones on the ground, unsure of what kind of ancient or new chess game this was. Rona didn't seem inclined to explain either.
Ronan thought for a moment, then tried using his mental power to nudge one of the stones on the ground.
The pebble-like chess piece rolled several times, and a light began to swirl above it.
Looking up, Ronan realized that as he moved the "chess piece," the stars in the sky above also shifted accordingly.
"Each stone corresponds to a star, the stars are the chess pieces, and the entire sky is the chessboard."
Ronan's eyes flickered with realization. The gray-robed Rona noticed his understanding and smiled, his eyes narrowing.
"What are the rules, then?"
Ronan pondered thoughtfully, his mind fully immersed in the "chess game" before him.
Under the eternal night sky, the young, handsome man focused intently on the scattered stones before him, his eyes constantly reflecting thoughts of contemplation, occasionally looking up to gaze at the stars above.
The gray-robed, white-bearded old man sat across from him, occasionally reaching out to move a stone, but most of the time, he watched the young man he was playing against.
The stars alternated between brilliance and dimness, the constellations shifted, light and shadow changed, and time flowed like sand through fingers, quietly passing.
After an unknown period, when all the changes of light and dark paused, and the night sky returned to peace and quiet, a soft exhale sounded in the starlit night.
"I lose."
Ronan spoke calmly.
Retracting his gaze from the "chess game," a deep weariness appeared between his brows, but more than that, there was a sense of novel joy he had never experienced before, along with a faint reluctance and lingering fascination.
Ronan thought for a moment, then reached out and removed the arm ring from his right arm, gently placing it before the gray-robed Rona.
The old man didn't speak, only picked up the ring and examined it closely.
"Herams liked young people who were as vigorous and unstoppable as he was. I'm old now. Even though it's charming, it's ultimately not for me."
The gray-robed Rona sighed softly, then gently raised his hand, and the ring returned to Ronan's grasp.
Ronan frowned slightly. "So you really just wanted to meet me?"
"Not entirely. I had my own selfish thoughts too."
Rona shook his head, then smiled again. "But now, they're gone. Let's return to the game."
He casually shifted the topic, reaching into his robe's sleeve as he spoke to Ronan. "You're smarter than I expected. For a wizard who's just encountered star chart divination, your performance can already be called outstanding... Actually, it's not a true chess game, so there's no real winning or losing."
As he spoke, Rona's hand, which had been in his sleeve, reappeared, holding something.
It was a thick, black-covered book. He handed the book to Ronan and said softly, "It's all recorded in this book. Take a look."
Ronan took the book with both hands. The seemingly plain black cover suddenly shimmered with moving purple dots of light.
These dots of light traced beautiful and mysterious patterns on the cover, continuously forming various complex and simple designs.
Ronan's mind was unconsciously drawn into these patterns, deeply immersed.
When he couldn't resist reaching out to touch the cover, a flood of ancient and mysterious information rushed into his mind.
Ronan's body trembled slightly. He looked up sharply, staring at Rona before him, and blurted out.
"The Ancient Star Book?!"
(End of Chapter)