Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Limit-Breaking Again and an Inkling

The countless insights accumulated over the past seven months, Ian’s understanding of star and Moonlight Energy, his Insight into the very essence of Meditation—all of it coalesced in this single moment.

HUMMM...

In the center of his Sea of Spirit, it felt as if something had shattered.

The dense fog of his Spiritual Power collapsed inward and condensed...

The light from the Will Rune Array joined together, forming a miniature, constantly revolving illusion of a star and moon that floated in the center of his Sea of Spirit.

It began to automatically absorb the faint Energy from the outside world, nourishing the growth of his Spiritual Power in return.

[Star Moon Middle Level Meditation Method: Limit-Broken Once (0/3200) (Limit-Breaking Effect: 1. Star Moon Resonance)]

Limit-Breaking Effect [Star Moon Resonance]: Greatly increases the Meditation Method’s Cultivation efficiency at night, especially when the stars and moon are bright and clear.

The star-and-moon illusion in his Sea of Spirit could create a faint resonance with the real power of the stars and moon, continuously and passively purifying and nourishing his Spiritual Power. It also slightly increased his Perception of and affinity for starlight- and moonlight-type Witchcraft.

The existence of this star-and-moon illusion was like having a faint, yet inexhaustible, spring in his Sea of Spirit.

He slowly opened his eyes, a glimmer of starlight and moonglow flashing within them for an instant before vanishing. His entire aura had become more reserved and profound.

’The Meditation Method has limit-broken, my Spiritual Power has achieved complete Vaporization, and my core Witchcraft has undergone a Secondary Limit-Breaking... Seven months of hard work have finally yielded some results.’

Ian clenched his fist, feeling the surging Power within his body, yet his eyes held no trace of joy.

He stood up and walked to the window.

Under the night sky, the Glowing Forest remained shrouded in a hazy halo. To his heightened Perception, the details of the world seemed far clearer now.

The gurgle of the distant stream, the soft rustling of leaves and grass in the wind, even the faint ripples of Energy from farther away—all were now vaguely discernible.

This leap in strength brought him a more powerful Perception, but it also sharpened his intuition for potential dangers.

The moment his Spiritual Power achieved complete Vaporization, he had keenly sensed that the Magic Power around him had, at some unknown point, undergone a discordant change.

It was not a change in concentration, but a trace of profound malice hidden deep within the Magic Power itself.

At first, he thought the change was confined to the area around Misty Creek. But after moving to several different locations, he found that faint presence was still entwined with the Magic Power.

In the sky, on the ground, in the streams... It was everywhere!

It wasn’t targeting him alone, but the entire world!

’Something I don’t know about is definitely happening!’

Ian’s brow furrowed. He decided to take a trip to Misty Creek tomorrow to ask Mira, or wait for Amos to arrive and ask him instead.

After numerous trades, the two had become quite familiar. As a member of the Silver Ring, Amos ought to know something.

Suppressing his faint unease, his gaze fell to a scroll in the corner of his workbench: the Spirit Contract Manual (Fragment).

His Spiritual Power having achieved complete Vaporization, he had long since met the requirements for the "Cunning Method" recorded in the scroll.

The allure of a Summoned Demon was immense. A reliable partner could greatly compensate for his current deficiencies in reconnaissance and early-warning capabilities, and could even serve as a trump card in certain situations.

His Eye of Vigilance could no longer keep up with his current strength. His only option was to practice it in his spare time, slowly building up his Skill Level to achieve a Limit-Break.

’Spirit Contract Dust, and a willing, highly Spiritual Demonic Creature...’

Ian repeated the two most demanding conditions in a low voice.

He had already purchased the former from Amos. The latter, however, depended entirely on a stroke of luck.

He reviewed the contents of the scroll one more time in his mind before carefully putting it away.

His top priority now was to solidify his newly advanced Meditation Method and continue to raise his Realm.

At 90.6% progress as a High Level Apprentice, he was already close to Perfection.

Once the Rune Array was fully formed and his Realm reached 100%, it would be time to break through to become a Level One Wizard!

At that point, he would seize the opportunity of this life-level transition to coalesce a Lifebound Witchcraft!

He already had a few options in mind for the Witchcraft he wanted to create.

He sat back down at his workbench. Instead of continuing his Alchemy, he closed his eyes, focused his mind, and began to practice the newly limit-broken Star Moon Middle Level Meditation Method.

He wanted to experience for himself just how much of a benefit the Star Moon Resonance effect would bring.

Outside the window, the ethereal glow flowed silently. The tent returned to a state of quiet, with only the sound of Ian’s even, deep breaths remaining.

...

「Shadow Moon Tower.」

Inside Alevia’s room, silvery-white Moonlight Stones gave off a soft glow. The room was simply furnished, yet everywhere one looked revealed traces of exquisite Witchcraft.

The air was filled with the fragrance of Calming Herbs, mingled with the faint lingering traces of Magic Power.

Malena sat on a carved wooden chair, her face rosy and her eyes shimmering with starlight—a natural side effect of the spiritual transformation that came with her recent promotion to Official Wizard.

The red Apprentice Robe she had worn was gone, replaced by a deep blue, silver-trimmed official Wizard Robe.

A newly-made Shadow Moon Badge was pinned to her chest. In its center, an additional, fine star pattern marked her as a Level One Wizard.

"Congratulations, Malena," Alevia said with a look of relief, handing her a steaming cup of Moonlight Flower Tea.

"A Level One Wizard under the age of thirty is an extremely rare genius, even in Shadow Moon Tower."

Malena accepted the teacup, her face full of gratitude.

"It’s all thanks to your protection and guidance, which allowed me to avoid the war. And... also thanks to Ian’s help."

She paused, her voice growing softer. "I don’t know where he is now."

Alevia shook her head gently. "Everyone has their own path to walk. However..."

Her gaze drifted to the window, as if she could see through the tower walls to the distant Glowing Forest in the east. "In a month, you two might have a chance to meet."

Malena was taken aback. "A month from now? Do you mean..."

"Half a year ago, the Tower Master decisively injured the Master of Deep Red, reversing the tide of the battle. Shadow Moon Tower could have pressed its advantage, but in the end, they gave up, simply accepting compensation from Deep Red and hastily concluding the matter.

"Because the Demon Hunting War is about to begin."

Alevia took a sip of her tea, her tone calm but tinged with gravity.

"Every fifty years, the four great Wizard Organizations, led by the Silver Ring, issue a call to arms to all the Wizard Alliance groups across the continent, launching a massive Demon Hunting campaign against the Underworld."

Malena only knew the basics of the Demon Hunting War; she was unaware of the specific details of the draft.

Alevia set down her teacup and walked to the window.

Moonlight filtered through the crystal window, casting a faint shadow on her fair profile.

"Malena, this is a summons issued personally by the exalted ’Endless Holy Light’."

Her voice was soft, filled with reverence.

"A Morning Star Wizard... That is a great being who surpasses even a Level Three Great Wizard. The entire Anoroya Continent is bathed in the radiance of this exalted figure."

Malena’s eyes were wide with shock. "A Morning Star Wizard... The ruler of the entire continent?"

"A Guardian, to be more precise," Alevia said, turning around, her gaze profound.

"Anoroya, in the Tua Language, means ’The Land Illuminated by Holy Light!’"

"The name’s origin is precisely due to the existence of the exalted ’Endless Holy Light’."

"Morning Star Wizards have shed the identity of fledgling seekers and have truly become the cornerstones and torches of civilization."

"They are like the stars in the sky, piercing the darkness and guiding the way forward for the future generations of Wizard Civilization."

"Level Four Wizards and above are the true foundation of the entire Wizard Civilization."

Alevia silently gazed in the direction of the Silver Ring.

"The Anoroya Continent might seem vast, but it’s actually just one island in a large archipelago off the Wizard World’s East Coast—part of civilization’s outer territories."

"The Magic Concentration and abundance of resources here are far from comparable to those of the ancient kingdoms in the center of the continent."

"The Silver Ring is stationed here with the core mission of guarding against the pollution from the Underworld’s Abyss and preventing its spread."