Ancient Wizards: A Little Progress Every Day

After finishing their discussion about Dago, Bernal continued, "I will be staying here for the rest of the time to cultivate moonflowers and experiment with your new method of refining spiritual potions, but I lack resources and need your help."

"And Serena, you'll stay here for now. I'll intensify your magical training. As for the family castle being targeted recently, just leave it there for now and I'll handle it myself."

Dago remembered his deal with Bernal at the castle, where Bernal was responsible for providing resources and Dago for providing technology, but now he still had to do it himself.

Perhaps sensing that Dago was feeling a little upset, Bernal said, "Actually, I didn't mean for you to bear all the burden. I'm capable of supporting myself, but it's just not convenient for me right now. The Painful Thorns have been keeping an eye on me in Cletam City."

"I know all of these: forging, alchemy, medicine making, enchanting, and rune engraving. I just need a middleman to exchange what I produce for the resources I need. If you have any needs of your own, I can help you with those too."

"I admit your method is important to me, but if my experiment succeeds, it will be of great benefit to you as well. I wonder if you've ever heard of those powerful ancient wizards."

A strange light flickered in Bernal's eyes. "My experiment is about capturing the spirit world's past. It's my only way to save my wife, but you might one day join that ranks too."

"Does an old-time wizard like Kalida count?"

Dago murmured softly, Bernal's words seeming to have turned the corner of a more magnificent and beautiful ancient book before him, instantly bringing him endless reverie.

But a few seconds later, Dago realized that this was just empty promises! He almost got turned into a dog by the CPU without even realizing it.

"Let me see how good your side job is first!"

Dago stood up, placed the silver cup in his hand on the wooden table in front of him, and said to Bernal, "First, help me refine some rare mental power enhancement potions that are not available on the market. If you need anything, tell me using the communication stone."

After saying that, Dago left two communication rune crystals in front of Bernal. One was specifically for contacting him, and the other was the one Bernal had given him.

He also left the storage pouches he had looted from the castle there; Dargo wasn't short of magic stones at the moment.

Then, without looking back, she turned and walked towards the exit of the folding space.

Bernal and Serena watched Dago leave, and only after Dago's figure had completely disappeared did their gaze fall on the things he had left behind.

Bernal immediately recognized the communication crystal he had left for Dago. His eyes flickered slightly, and he reached out and picked up the communication crystal.

A moment later, his soft sigh echoed in the empty and silent secret realm.

"Karl!!!"

The communication crystal was crushed into powder, which fell to the ground through Bernal's fingers and was completely dispersed by a gentle breeze.

Dargo returned to the Rose Inn and stayed alone in his small room, with a freshly brewed, still steaming cup of black tea beside him.

"A single layer of resonance!!"

He was reflecting on several points Bernal had mentioned to him today, the most important of which was naturally the content about resonance within the field.

He pondered these words repeatedly, and then opened his system panel.

【《灰日冥想法》（极）；《冰核巡航弹》（极）；《元素共鸣术》（极）；《维度探测术》（极）；《魔药炼製》（入门18/1000)；《基础剑术》（蜕变2030/10000）；灵魂法印【冬星】（蜕变3/10000）】

Dago hadn't thought there was anything wrong with it before, but after being pointed out by Bernal today, he suddenly realized that he might have been practicing the Soul Seal technique blindly all along.

After the Soul Seal [Winter Star] undergoes a breakthrough transformation in progress, acquiring each point of progress becomes exceptionally difficult and slow.

The improvement was solely based on the insights gained from the practice panel, without ever considering the reasons behind it.

He said that the soul sign is not just a tool, but also a manifestation of the wizard's will and soul. It touches on some very deep things that Dargo has always overlooked.

Back then, when he cultivated Winter Star, he lost his right hand, which was a part of his soul.

Dago dipped his finger in tea and wrote the words "Winter Star" on the table, pondering, "Could it be that people in this world can observe ice giants, or perhaps ice giants exist in the spirit world?"

He closed his eyes and tried to recall in his mind the ice giants he had seen in science videos during his two lifetimes, the most typical of which was Neptune in the solar system.

That splash of azure against the backdrop of the void of the universe left an incredibly deep impression on Dago.

That was the first time he had ever truly felt the grandeur and magnificence of the universe, and how insignificant and minuscule his own power was in the face of such power.

In fact, from a certain perspective, extraordinary energy particles are also a natural force. No matter how powerful a wizard is, what is he compared to the universe and the starry sky?

Everything appears so insignificant on the macroscopic scale of the universe, like a grain of sand in the Ganges.

When the first ape looked up at the stars, it marked the beginning of humanity's great journey, but it also marked the beginning of despair for humanity's fate. In the universe, is humanity truly alone?

In the darkness at the edge of the solar system, there is a forgotten, icy blue lone star. When the sunlight reaches it, it is already as dim as a distant firefly. Countless ice crystals are condensed in its atmosphere. The wind blows, but it cannot dispel the deathly silence around it.

Lifeless, cold, only the faint light scattered by methane reflected a cold blue in the desolate atmosphere, like a forgotten, translucent sapphire from the depths of the universe.

His mind kept replaying various images related to "Neptune," and gradually, his entire aura underwent a slight change.

A sense of oppression, deathly silence, and desolate despair slowly emanated from his body, growing stronger and stronger until it permeated the entire room.

As this breath entered, the air in the room seemed to stop flowing for a moment, and the sunlight shining in from the window lost its original luster, becoming lifeless and devoid of warmth.

The roses planted on the windowsill for decoration are gradually withering and dying.

Finally, Dago opened his eyes and saw the cooled black tea and the withered roses, feeling as if he had grasped something.

The images of Neptune and Winter Star constantly alternated in his mind, and he even found some commonalities, showing a trend of gradual overlap.

"call--"

When Dago snapped out of his reverie, his mind still immersed in that subtle realization, he felt he had gained a deeper understanding of the soul sign [Winter Star] than ever before.

He glanced at the system panel instinctively and almost stood up from his desk.

Soul Sign [Winter Star] (Transformation 8/10000)

"In just this short time, without even casting a spell, just by imagining it, I gained a full 5 points of progress value?"

Dago was surprised. "Old Bei is a good man. What he said is true. It seems that the cultivation of the Soul Seal is all about comprehension and understanding."

The changes in the values ​​on the panel said it all; at that moment, Dago felt as if he had opened up a new world.

He reached up and rubbed his brow and temples, trying to shake off the gloomy, oppressive, world-weary, lonely, and desperate emotions that were swirling in his mind.

"That's enough for today. If I keep thinking about it, I'm afraid I'll be overwhelmed by the power of despair."

Dago felt as if he were carrying a heavy stone in his heart, a feeling of indescribable discomfort.

He dared not delve any deeper into this cold and lonely power; in this world, emotions are also a kind of power.

If you rely solely on spellcasting practice, it would take at least half a day to gain those five points of progress.

He picked up the long-cooled black tea beside him and drank it all in one gulp. He smacked his lips, feeling that the tea, influenced by his own despairing and icy aura, had become exceptionally bitter and unpalatable.

I got up and went to the outer room, picked the withered roses by the window, and basked in the sunlight, finally freeing myself from the oppressive and despairing atmosphere.

As Dargo returned to normalcy and calm, he looked at the completely withered and dead rose in his hand, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

"With my understanding and insights into the true meaning of the Soul Seal, combined with the fragmented insights provided by the system panel, I will soon enter a period of rapid growth."

"A resonance within a single domain—that's something to look forward to!"

Dago didn't know if this so-called "first-level domain resonance" corresponded to the realm after the "transformation period" of the soul seal.

But no matter what level it was, it all seemed somewhat distant to him in the past.