Cycle of Destiny

Harry also took a moment to examine the gift Cavill had given him before he left. His own black mage robe, issued by the academy, had no magic array added; it offered no buffs whatsoever, not even the most basic defensive magic. The robe Cavill had given him, while also black, was noticeably shiny.

The academy's mage robes were made of the most ordinary cotton and linen, without any magical treatment. While comfortable, they had poor magical conductivity and could only support the simplest magic circles. To better enchant their robes, some mages would sew mithril threads onto the inside.

As is well known, mithril has a high affinity for magic. Mage robes infused with mithril not only make it easier to draw magic circles, but also slightly enhance the efficiency of meditation. However, mithril is expensive; even just the thread needed for a single robe costs at least dozens of gold coins.

The mage robe that Cavill gifted him was far superior to any cotton or linen lining with mithril! It was made entirely of lustrous silkworm silk!

Deep within the primeval forests of the elves grows a mulberry tree called the Mulin Mulberry. This tree thrives on the moisture from the elves' sacred spring—the Spring of Life. Its leaves are not only lush and beautiful but also naturally contain a subtle life force. Only branches from trees over fifty years old, harvested in spring with their first new bud, are considered to contain the most abundant and pure life energy. These tender leaves of the newly sprouted Mulin Mulberry are used to feed an extremely rare magical silkworm—the Woodlight Silkworm.

Once the Wood-Light Silkworm has spun its cocoon, which glows with a pale green light, the next steps must be taken at dawn. The harvested cocoon is soaked in water containing morning dew and specific Moonlight Forest mineral powder, and catalyzed by the chanting of the "Ancient Song of Growth" by the elves, so that the complete cocoon silk, which is Wood-Light Silkworm Silk, can be successfully extracted in the rising steam.

When still, the Wood-Light Silk appears as a warm, deep green, but when a mage infuses it with magic, soft golden light flows through the threads, like sparse sunlight in a forest. This mage's robe is clearly made of Wood-Light Silk, but it's unclear how Kavil used to dye its deep green black.

The most amazing thing about this silk is that it carries a large amount of wood elemental energy without the need for a magic circle. Moreover, this energy is extremely pure and can be quickly absorbed by mages. Harry didn't find any trace of a magic circle on the mage's robe, but after putting it on, he felt a continuous flow of wood elemental energy around him. The wood element, which is scarce at sea, was now incredibly abundant, and the only possible source could be the robe itself.

The elemental energy supplied by the Wood-Light Silkworm Silk can not only be quickly absorbed, but can also be recharged after use. With this mage's robe, Harry can now directly draw wood elemental energy from the robe regardless of the environment. Based on Harry's perception, this energy is at least at the level of a mid-level mage with sufficient magic power! In other words, Harry carries a magic power storage device equivalent to that of a mid-level mage! And after use, he can store magic power in it!

Harry's magic was going to dissipate anyway, but now he's been given a consciousness space that won't leak his magic, and it's at the level of an intermediate mage. If Harry expands his consciousness space through meditation to a capacity that can hold the magic of an intermediate mage, then he can directly possess the strength of an intermediate mage!

Furthermore, due to the inherent defensive properties of the Wood Silkworm Silk, this mage robe is virtually immune to the vast majority of elemental attacks, eliminating the need for any additional defensive magic. The only concern is encountering fire-attribute mages or warriors. To put it another way, if Harry were to face a mid-level mage or warrior, unless their attack was fire-based, it would be impossible for them to break through Harry's defenses.

It is both durable and comfortable, maintaining an incredible lightness and flexibility, making it very comfortable to wear.

On the academy's monster market, even a mid-level attack or defense magic scroll costs at least several hundred gold coins, and that's a one-time use item. Meanwhile, the legendary material, Wood-Light Silk, has always been incredibly rare and expensive, even for elves. Harry had only ever seen it in magic books before. The defensive capabilities and magical element it provides are enough to make any mid-level wood-attribute mage envious. It's no longer just a mage's robe; it's a legendary magical work of art.

The gift Cavill gave us is incredibly valuable; it's practically like giving Harry the magic power and defense of a mid-level mage! And the ability to store magic power is completely custom-made for Harry!

Cavill is far too authoritative when it comes to equipping low-level mages with good magical gear.

Harry was so surprised and delighted by the mage's robe that he jumped up in the room and even hugged and kissed it twice.

This mage's robe is very precious, and the rest of the gifts are no ordinary items either.

If you ask a magician what the most important magical tool is to him, most magicians will choose the magic wand as their answer.

A magician can cast spells without a wand, but how could anyone resist a magical piece of equipment that could significantly reduce the mana cost of casting spells?

This irresistible advantage stems from the terrifying magical conductivity of walnut wood. It's easy to understand that if magic is released indirectly through some medium instead of directly, the magic will inevitably be lost during the transmission process, resulting in the mage having to use more magic to achieve the same effect as a direct release.

However, walnut wood is quite the opposite. Due to its unique internal structure, it not only doesn't consume magic power during its transmission, but it also has an amplifying effect. This allows it to achieve the same effect as direct casting with less magic power, effectively reducing the magic power consumption during spellcasting. Because of this property, walnut wood is also known by magicians as "the crop most favored by the gods."

While magic crystals and mithril have similar effects, their density is much greater than that of walnut wood. It's well known that mages aren't as physically strong as samurai; a heavy sword weighing several tens of kilograms wouldn't be considered heavy for a samurai, while mages prioritize mental cultivation and are mostly physically frail. Asking a mage to carry a piece of walnut wood made of magic crystal is clearly asking too much of him.

Walnut wood is significantly lighter, and although it's also quite expensive, it's much more affordable compared to magic crystals and mithril. This is why walnut wood has become a crucial companion for many magicians.

The most important factor in making these walnut wands is their age. The older the wand, the better its effect, the more magic power it can save, and the better its overall effect. Of course, the price will also be higher.

Harry's previous wand was the most ordinary kind, less than ten years old, and it would reduce the magic power by about 10%, so the effect was mediocre. A better one, like a twenty-year-old walnut wand, would cost about five hundred gold coins and would save about 20% of the magic power.

The wand that Cavill sent had a full fifty growth rings!

This fifty-year-old wand would cost at least a thousand gold coins on the Warcraft market! And its effects are even more amazing—it only requires 60% of its magic power to achieve 100% of its effect!

Furthermore, the wand was engraved with a defensive magic circle, with a magic core of an earth-elemental armored dragon turtle embedded at the top, serving as the energy source for the circle's operation. A small amount of magic power could be transferred into it to instantly activate the magic circle and protect one's immediate safety! Although the defensive effectiveness of the magic circle was unknown, the size of the magic core alone suggested that the magic circle was of a high level.

This wand not only reduced magic consumption but also gave Harry an extra means of survival, which almost doubled Harry's combat power!

Harry couldn't help but nod to himself in approval of Cavill—Cavill was truly trustworthy!

……

It was late at night. When the sun rose tomorrow, he would be able to disembark at the port of Genoa. Thinking back on the past two years at the academy, although they had been bumpy, the outcome was good no matter how you looked at it—the only disciple of the Holy Mage, plus the confidence boosted by the two pieces of equipment, even those who once looked down on mages would have to admit that Harry was indeed a completely different person now.

Although Duel Inheritance prevents the use of magical equipment, and he hasn't yet found a way to address his shortcomings, he feels like a wild beast roaming the forest. The traps are already set, but he's still afraid that his calves will suddenly be wracked with excruciating pain, and all his joy will come to an abrupt end. However, since he can still move freely through the forest, Harry has little to complain about.

Being able to return to the capital and enjoy some time away from worries is like the ripples at the stern of a ship; as the ship moves forward, they are all left behind.

The night before each arrival at the port, there was a large ball in second class, with music and drums mingling together. The vibrations from the dancing were also carried up to the upper decks along with the music, making people feel irritated. But now it's finally quiet.

On the observation deck, the Duke of Langton was chatting with Miss Catherine. They saw Harry, who nodded to them and walked over.

The two of them have been getting very close these past few days. This closeness isn't because they admire each other, but more because they can't avoid each other, and they currently have an urgent common topic—the dying elf prince.

When Harry boarded the Langton, there were already four people in first class: the ship's owner, the Duke of Langton; Miss Catherine; and two others who never appeared—an elf prince who was dying and the cardinal who was caring for him.

"I was just telling the Duchess that if it weren't for her, I would have been on tenterhooks the whole way," Miss Catherine said, taking the Duchess's hand. "Thankfully, we're disembarking tomorrow," she said, turning to Harry. "Mr. Harry, you're also leaving from Genoa, aren't you?"

Miss Catherine was around twenty years old. She wasn't pretty, but rather attractive, and very thin, almost as if only bones remained beneath her skin. She had long, thick, red hair, and her skin was also red, with freckles that matched her hair perfectly. She seemed honest, reliable, and efficient, and was also a good conversationalist. When Harry first met her, he almost mistook her for a maid on the ship. An unattractive maid would spoil the guests' appetite, while a beautiful maid would either belittle the mistress or potentially cause the master of the house to have an affair—neither would be convenient. Harry thought that if Miss Catherine applied for the maid position, she would surely receive much praise and compliments.

Miss Catherine was a Southern noblewoman, but Harry detected a Northern accent in her voice. She explained that her mother had served as a lady-in-waiting to a noblewoman in Rowlandshire in the North for a time before meeting her aristocratic father, and that her accent was heavily influenced by her mother. Harry realized he had guessed wrong, but thankfully not too far off.

The Duke of Langton was no longer young, but she made no attempt to conceal her age. Her face showed no signs of makeup; it was thin, with regular features and no wrinkles. She wore a fitted, light gold floor-length dress, and around her neck was a necklace—the pendant of which was a small, antique-style black sword. Looking at her now, you would think she must have been a beauty in her youth, and while she still possessed some charm, it wasn't much. Her advantage lay in her excellent figure and imposing presence. Standing next to Miss Catherine, she perfectly embodied the image of a high-ranking lady and her most loyal lady-in-waiting.

What frightened Miss Catherine was the elven prince, who was said to be bloodthirsty by nature. Fortunately, for some reason—perhaps divine intervention—he was extremely weak and was rumored to be dying, with a cardinal watching over him.

Harry had never seen either of them on the ship; they must have been in their cabins. In fact, Harry hadn't left his cabin since that "pleasant conversation," except for tonight. His destination was just ahead, and he wanted to get some fresh air.

Harry picked up where Miss Catherine left off, saying, "Yes, I'm leaving tomorrow too."

Having received the response she wanted, Miss Catherine turned to Duke Langton again, "Won't that elf prince be disembarking with us, Your Grace?"

"I think I'll take him to my territory before letting him leave; he's very weak right now." The Duke of Langton smiled, then looked at Harry and said, "But don't worry, I'll disembark with you and make sure you leave safely."

The three chatted for a while longer before Harry left them and returned to his room.