Ancient Wizards: A Little Progress Every Day

"There's a limit to the age of a soul? For wizards who pursue immortality, isn't age always just a number?"

"Dago said casually."

Bernal turned to look at him, his eyes slightly narrowed, and said in a calm yet earnest tone, "This is what I'm about to tell you, something very important about wizards, Dago."

Dago paused, waiting for Bernal to continue.

He looked directly into Dago's eyes and said in a low voice, "Dago, if you want to survive well in the Thorn Ring, if you want to establish yourself here, the first thing you must learn is to fight!"

"Compete?"

A slight ripple appeared in Dago's eyes.

"Resources, heritage, reputation, connections—everything is up for grabs! The qualification to stay on the ten floating islands is just the most superficial thing."

Bernal said coldly, "The truly top-tier resources exist in those ancient, uncharted realms, but do you think just any wizard is qualified to enter? The vast majority of these realms have limited entry slots; if you don't compete, you'll never get a chance."

"Among wizards of the same level, the gap in strength often widens step by step in this way."

"The more powerful a wizarding force is, the more it will encourage internal competition, because there is also competition between forces, and there are resources and living space that can only be obtained by fighting for them. If you are not strong enough, you will be overtaken, swallowed up, and eliminated by other forces."

"Are you familiar with the concept of the spirit realm veil?"

Bernal suddenly asked Dago.

Dago paused for a moment, then thought for a second before replying, "I know."

"No one knows how big or deep the spirit world really is."

Bernal said calmly, "In some areas of reality, this veil is very thin, and the influence of the spirit world can also penetrate in. These areas may be permanent or temporary. The concentration of energy particles in these areas determines the abundance of resources. The more resources there are, the smoother the path to advancement will be."

"Every wizard should have the desire to keep moving forward. In the wizarding world, adventure equals progress, while waiting only leads to decay."

"When you get old, when your soul is old, when your soul is like a latrine, being urinated on by the seven sins and the old evil gods, becoming smelly and rotten, then you will have no capital to fight anymore."

"so?."

Dago couldn't help but frown and interrupt Bernal.

He understood Bernal's emphasis on the concept of "competition," the law of the jungle, and the survival of the fittest; he had always lived by that principle.

During his college years, he had many opportunities to escape, but some people are destined to shed their "old clothes" like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon once their lives are unexpectedly disrupted.

They dare to trample on all the rules of the world, chasing the light in their hearts like moths to a flame; these are natural adventurers.

In response to Dago's question, Bernal replied calmly, "Your soul age is your biggest bargaining chip in this game."

"Um?"

Dago blinked, puzzled.

"Young souls are full of energy and ambition, making them more suitable for conquering and plundering resources for the French Ring."

"Most importantly, the entrances to many ancient secret realms can only be entered by souls that are young enough, because the flow of time within most of these realms is different from that outside, and the older the realm, the more chaotic it is."

"At the edge of the entrance to these secret realms, a large number of time energy particles are piled up. They develop into a mysterious power, usually called Time Poison. Time Poison likes to entangle wizards whose souls have a decaying aura. They are like a flock of hungry crows, which can devour a wizard with little life left in the blink of an eye."

"Even if you are powerful, you will still be affected. Only the aura of youth can drive away 'them' and withstand the secret poison."

"Therefore, the wizarding world has always favored young and talented wizards, and resources have been largely tilted in this direction."

"A soul age of one hundred years is a dividing line. Among the same level of third-circle wizards, the treatment of those with a soul age of one hundred years or more is very different from those with a soul age of one hundred years or less."

Bernal stopped and said calmly, "Youth is your greatest asset. Put it on the table and make good use of it. When it's time to fight, you should fight. You must not back down or be soft-hearted, otherwise, you may never have such an opportunity again."

Dago remained silent.

"You can back out, or you can choose to live a life of leisure and wait for your lifespan to clear away all obstacles for you."

Bernal casually tossed a communication crystal to Dago.

"I've offended quite a few people in the French Quarter before. If you ask me to be your recommender, they'll easily label you as one of my accomplices, which could lead to some trouble in the future. Keep this communication crystal safe. If necessary, you can ask the owner of the other communication stone for help. He will definitely help you."

"The rest of the game is up to you, Dago."

Dago stared intently at the communication stone in his hand, his eyes gleaming with a flickering light. When he looked up again, he found that Bernal was nowhere to be seen.

Long ago, Dargo knew that the wizarding world was a playground for high-dimensional wizards, and that lifespan was their most powerful cheat code.

The longer one lives, the more resources one can accumulate; the longer one lives, the more one can become a "veteran" player; the longer one lives, the more one can form an interest group centered around oneself.

This is why wizards are the ruling class. As for those short-lived species who will die of old age within a hundred years, or even apprentice wizards, they are not worth their attention at all. It has nothing to do with discrimination, or even with interests.

Because in the eyes of high-ranking wizards, short-lived species are nothing more than resources for them; lifespan is the biggest class divide.

Reflecting on reality, to break down this barrier, Dagger must desperately try to get into the eyes of these old fogies in order to gain their favor.

By enduring? These old fogies have plenty of experience in tormenting people.

Only by becoming their tool in the pursuit of longevity can they overturn the heavenly order and take the lead.

Inside the Rose Inn, in his room, Dago sat on a soft leather sofa, his eyes fixed on the communication crystal Bernal had given him, which sat on the table in front of him.

"We can't sense where the other party's communication crystal is at all."

Dago frowned slightly. "Is Bernal deliberately setting me up, trying to sabotage me at a crucial moment, or has he been tricked by someone else?"

He felt the latter was more likely.

So far, Dago has come out on top in this deal between him and Bernal.

Aside from recharging the runic array on Bernal's ice coffin—a simple act—he contributed almost nothing.

Perhaps because of Bernal's reputation, he may have unwittingly gotten himself into some unknown trouble, but this was his own choice, and he knew about it beforehand.

"The smartest and wisest choice at this time is to move into the Silver Tower and sever ties with Bernal as soon as possible."

Dago thought to himself casually.

They say a promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold, but I'm different. I keep my promises at 80% off, and for large orders, we can discuss it further.

I'll have to have a good talk with Bernal then. I can use the Agonizing Thorns, but I'll have to pay more.