"In the Zephyr Forest or the Thunder Hidden Mist Area, there lives a magician named Annie Bell. Young man, if you learn the magic from this ancient magic book, then you must teach at least three spells to this magician. Otherwise, when you return in three years, I'll take back the book. If you can teach her more than five spells, you can keep the book for another five years. If you manage to teach more than ten spells, the book is yours," the old-looking elder set conditions that weren't overly harsh, but Rody found it challenging, uncertain if he could learn, let alone teach.
"Where can I learn these ancient characters?" Rody flipped through the book and found he couldn't recognize a single character.
"This book can't be read with eyes; it must be comprehended with the heart and communicated with the spirit," the old-looking elder nodded silently and said no more.
"Young man, come here," the silver-haired wise elder beckoned, holding something in his palm.
In his hand was a pair of spectacles made of ink crystal, composed of two pieces of ink crystal set in a frame with two slender extensions and a long, thin chain, made of an unknown decorative material. Rody, slightly startled at the sight of the ink crystal spectacles, reached out to take them but was shocked by the elder's words.
"What did you say?" Rody couldn't believe his ears.
"You heard correctly. I want you to eliminate all life forms that shine with a dazzling white light as seen through these spectacles," the silver-haired wise elder said seriously. "At least within your capacity, you must do so. This is the condition for accepting this ink crystal magic mirror. Young man, you can refuse."
"Kill all life forms shining with a dazzling white light?" Rody knew the ink crystal magic mirror must be valuable, but he hesitated.
Looking at the others, he noticed their eyes twinkling with peculiar amusement. Seeing his guide, Alecles, laughing while pouring wine into his mouth, Rody decided to accept the mirror.
The skinny man gave Rody a thumbs up, reassuring him that he had made the right bet.
"I'm a swordsman; I have nothing to give you," Alecles stood up and said, "Let me escort you out. You can come back in three years. Staying here too long isn't good for you, as this place is filled with divine will and the power of laws."
"May I know everyone's names?" Rody nodded, then suddenly remembered he hadn't asked their names.
"Such things aren't important," the silver-haired wise elder said slowly. "Remember, young man, hope is always there, just as our ancestors are always watching and protecting us from the sky."
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"He's still a child; he'll understand when he grows up," the old-looking elder waved his hand. "Go now, come back in three years."
"Close your eyes," Alecles said with a smile.
As soon as Rody closed his eyes, he felt Alecles press his shoulder lightly, and he involuntarily floated forward. In what felt like an instant, or perhaps a long time, when he felt his feet touch the ground and opened his eyes, he found himself in an open, barren land, devoid of life.
This was the path he had traveled before, the outskirts of Argadopolus, the desolate land where the goblins lived.
"How is this possible? I remember this place being at least several hundred kilometers from the Divine Ruins!" Rody felt like he was in a dream, having dreamt of guides, servants, and a group of old men in linen and straw shoes. He quickly took out the ancient magic book and the ink crystal magic mirror from his pocket. These two items, lying quietly in his hand, silently affirmed that everything that happened was not a dream, but reality.
As Rody was bewildered and moved to tears, the old men in the Divine Ruins were chuckling secretly.
Alecles laughed the most exaggeratedly, almost rolling on the ground.
"If you say he's smart, he's smart enough to grasp things at once and even deduce further," the skinny man laughed. "But if you say he's foolish, he's indeed quite naive. How could he think the seven-star potential assessed by the divine servant equates to the human level of Polaris Seven Stars? That was hilarious; I barely held back my laughter just now."
"Seven stars, it's been many years since a human with seven-star potential appeared..." the silver-haired wise elder sighed.
"I was once called a genius among geniuses and was assessed with five-star potential, feeling proud for a long time," the unremarkable elder looked around and asked, "Has anyone here been assessed above five stars?"
"Isn't Joyce five and a half stars?" Alecles laughed. "Don't look at me; I'm only three stars, purely through hard work."
"Saint of Storms, Suffering Saint, to answer your question," the sickly handsome man whispered. "My assessment indeed showed five and a half stars potential, but unfortunately, I practice both magic and martial arts, not specializing in one, limiting my progress."
"An interesting young man, let's quietly observe his growth," the unremarkable elder nodded and fell silent.
"The world is about to be thrown into chaos, the time for the stars of hope to shine," the silver-haired wise elder repeated his words from days before, gazing at the sky, where the deep night was filled with dark clouds. Stars were sparse, but a few of the brightest stars shone undimmed, twinkling endlessly.
Rody quickly stored the ancient magic book and tried on the ink crystal magic mirror, discovering a strange new vision. Besides seeing physical objects with his eyes, he felt another kind of perception. When he summoned Nicholas, Markus, and Emma, his slaves of darkness, for protection, the ink crystal magic mirror flickered faintly, showing their images. In Rody's mind, he clearly sensed their soul fires burning continuously.
When Rody sought to understand more clearly, the ink crystal magic mirror suddenly displayed strange reports and data: unconscious slaves of darkness, firm magical contracts, dark energy 118, ranged mage combat type, weak offensive power, ordinary magical effects, slightly poisonous bones, injured undead bodies, dark energy slowly recovering.
Comprehensive assessment: Weak undead, equivalent to a human five-star senior mage, soul potential one and a half stars.
Regarding Markus: unconscious slave of darkness, firm magical pact, dark energy 76, melee warrior combat type, weak offensive power, slight qi effects, weak poison, severely injured dead body, dark energy very slowly recovering, estimated complete recovery in ten continuous days.
Comprehensive assessment: Weak undead, equivalent to a human five-star great swordsman, soul potential half a star.
Finally, Rody looked at Emma and found her far inferior to Markus, with only 37 dark energy, 12 toxic damage... Comprehensive assessment: fragile undead, equivalent to a human four-star swordsman, soul potential half a star.
With this ink crystal magic mirror capable of assessing the strength and rank of warriors, Rody was both shocked and delighted.
He wanted to see himself, but frustratingly couldn't sense his own existence. Finally, he eagerly wanted to find a living goblin to see if he could detect enemy information. If possible, this ink crystal magic mirror would be the best treasure for self-defense or combat.