Chapter 341: The First 4-Ring Spell
Ace put aside his research on the spell models for the moment and ordered the gates of the West Tower to open. The five Formal Wizards and the Formal Knight Arno entered together.
Just like in the phantom of fate, Daina looked both surprised and overjoyed. Tears of excitement welled up in the corners of her eyes, and her right hand subconsciously clutched the pendant on her chest tightly through her magic robe.
Ace looked at them with a smile and affectionately patted Daina’s head. Daina felt a little dizzy with happiness, rendering her momentarily speechless.
After listening to their reports on the recent emergencies one by one, Ace spoke:
“You suspect that a powerful believer of Pain has infiltrated the territory, discovered the High Tower without our knowledge, spied on us, and woven a conspiracy.”
Betty had long since stepped down from her metal disk. Though short in stature, she stood respectfully, her entire body flowing with iridescent light.
She bowed slightly and said, “Yes. We discovered that the Intermediate Apprentice Carlo had been corrupted into a believer of Pain. This discovery was thanks to the vigilance of Advanced Apprentice Sulu. Without him, we wouldn’t have known.
“After that, we interrogated Carlo and compared intelligence from other regions. We have confirmed that the Punishers organization in the north is making moves. Worried that the demons in the south might also act, we dispatched Formal Knight Ancestar to lead a team to guard Mt. Baal.
“Additionally, as a precaution, Caruso, Polina, and I are upgrading and modifying the Magic Ship.”
Betty’s reasoning was clear. She believed that although the High Tower Territory was developing vigorously, it lacked high-end combat power. Without anyone capable of rivaling a Great Hero or a Great Demon, it would be difficult to resist an invasion from the Northern Punishers or the Southern Great Demons.
Ace nodded. “Your judgment and handling of the situation during your rotation as chairperson were sound. You will continue to be responsible for the modification of the Magic Ship. Daina will be in charge of setting up magic traps in the territory. The rest of you will remain to guard the city.”
Polina hesitated for a moment before speaking, “Lord Ace, I believe it would be best to evacuate the magical population of the territory in advance. Our current strength is likely insufficient to fight the enemy head-on. We should retreat first to preserve our forces.
“With our speed of magical development—having produced six Formal Wizards and two Formal Knights in just fifteen years—give us another hundred years, and the scales of victory will certainly tip in our favor!”
Ace smiled faintly and replied, “If that were the extent of our strength, your suggestion would be the most rational course of action.”
Everyone looked up at Ace. Daina’s eyes swirled with admiring light as she lost her composure slightly. “Lord Ace, could it be that you…?”
“Yes. Just a moment ago, I deduced a new spell—a 4-Ring Spell. I have advanced to a Level 2 Life form, equivalent to a Great Hero, and have developed a series of 3-Ring Spells and one 4-Ring Spell.
“Although, from a cautious perspective, we still need to evacuate the magical population and prepare for a retreat, in terms of comparative strength, we High Tower Wizards now have the power to arm-wrestle with other factions!”
Ace spread his arms, and the Six-Element Ring abruptly materialized behind him. This was one of Ace’s most important spells. In addition to creating magical materials and performing “Elemental Disjunction,” it could flexibly utilize the six elements for both attack and defense.
“Lord Ace, you’re amazing!” Daina said, stars practically filling her eyes.
Betty’s eyes shone with fervor. In a tone filled with a thirst for knowledge, she asked, “Lord Ace, could you explain the secrets of advancing to a Level 2 Life form? Also, what are 3-Ring Spells and 4-Ring Spells?”
Looking at their eager gazes, Ace spoke slowly, “The key to advancing to a Level 2 Life form lies in accumulation. When the resources are sufficient, success follows naturally. Although one’s lifespan extends greatly after advancing to Level 2 Life, the process isn’t a sudden leap like going from zero to one; it’s gradual.
“As for 3-Ring Spells, spells composed of Level 2 Runes are called 3-Ring Spells. So-called Level 2 Runes are a type of rune that can only be clearly observed after advancing to a Level 2 Life form.
“And 4-Ring Spells are composed of Level 2.5 Runes. These runes can only be observed when you have constructed a Mental Imagery World using Level 2 Runes and your mental strength has reached a certain height. I observed them when my mental strength exceeded 800 points.”
The group gained a general understanding of Level 2, 3-Ring, and 4-Ring concepts. They also noticed that the badge on Ace’s chest still only had three rings. Ollie couldn’t help but ask, “Lord Ace, since you’ve constructed a 4-Ring Spell model, shouldn’t you be called a 4-Ring Wizard? And the concept of a Mental Imagery World… doesn’t that belong to the Golden Heroes among the Divine Descendants?”
Ace shook his head and said:
“Not yet. Because the foundational spell model within my Mental Imagery World—the one that determines my path—has not yet been upgraded to a 4-Ring Spell model. Only when the foundational spell model advances to the 4th Ring can one truly be called a 4-Ring Wizard!
“As for the Mental Imagery World, our Soul Sanctuary is actually the prototype of a Mental Imagery World. When we define our path and advance to the 3rd Ring, the entire Soul Sanctuary is completely covered by the illusory world constructed by our foundational spell model.
“I believe that our foundational path is our mental image, so calling it a Mental Imagery World is appropriate.
“Of course, our Mental Imagery World differs from that of a Golden Hero. Golden Heroes only birth a Mental Imagery World when they reach the peak of the Great Hero level. They likely awaken their bloodline, and essentially, it is Level 2.5 Runes that construct their Mental Imagery World.
“In other words, because we 3-Ring Wizards possess a Mental Imagery World, we are stronger than Great Heroes but weaker than Golden Heroes.”
Arno scratched his head, feeling a bit dizzy from the explanation. He asked in his simple, honest voice, “So, aren’t 3-Ring Wizards pretty much the same as Golden Heroes? Have we become just like them?”
Ollie hurriedly covered his mouth and apologized to Ace, “Lord Ace, Arno is too stupid; he didn’t understand your meaning.”
In the High Tower Territory, whether Wizards or Knights, everyone believed they were vastly different from the Divine Descendants. This was practically political correctness.
Ace didn’t get angry. Instead, he spoke in a gentle tone, “Arno isn’t wrong. To some extent, a 3-Ring Wizard is like a weakened version of a Golden Hero. In fact, we are learning from the Divine Descendants. There’s nothing to be conflicted about.”
His eyes seemed to shine with a specific light as he spoke with absolute certainty:
“We Wizards do not call ourselves Wizards because our path is unique. We call ourselves Wizards because of our objective and neutral spirit of research, because of our powerful skepticism and our inclusive philosophy of learning.
“At our inception, we learned from monsters. The reason we flourish is that we learn from all researchable supernatural phenomena without sticking to one pattern.
“Whether it be monsters, demons, devils, or Divine Descendants—as long as they can be researched, as long as they can be dissected, they are subjects of our study. We study the supernatural, we imitate the supernatural, and eventually, we shall surpass the supernatural!”
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