"Come in."
A deep voice sounded from inside the study.
Ivan pushed the heavy wooden door open and stepped inside.
The study was quiet.
Only the faint scratching of a quill against parchment echoed softly in the room. Behind a large oak desk, Baron Thornheart sat beneath the warm glow of a candle lamp, carefully reviewing a stack of documents.
Neatly arranged reports formed small piles on the desk. The Baron's expression was calm and focused as he wrote.
Ivan had only taken two steps forward when the Baron suddenly stopped writing.
The quill froze in midair.
It was as if he had sensed something unusual.
Slowly, the Baron raised his head.
The moment his eyes fell on Ivan, a trace of shock flashed across his usually composed face.
"Ivan…?"
His sharp gaze swept across Ivan from head to toe.
A faint scent of dried blood still lingered on Ivan's armor.
"Were you injured?" the Baron asked, his voice slightly heavier than before. "How serious is it?"
"It's nothing serious, Father," Ivan replied calmly. "The injuries are almost healed."
The Baron stared at him for a moment longer.
His brows slowly furrowed.
Then his expression gradually turned serious.
"You broke through."
It was not a question.
It was a conclusion.
Ivan had already expected this reaction. His father had reached the peak of the Lower Knight realm years ago. Even the slightest fluctuation of knightly aura could hardly escape his perception.
Ivan met his father's gaze calmly and nodded.
"Yes, Father."
"I have broken through to the Lower Knight realm."
For a brief moment—
The entire study fell silent.
Even the candle flame seemed to pause.
Then suddenly—
"Hahaha!"
The Baron burst into loud laughter.
The deep, powerful laughter echoed through the room like thunder.
"A Lower Knight at fifteen!"
The Baron stood up abruptly from his chair.
His eyes shone with undisguised pride as he looked at Ivan.
"Your talent… is among the best our Thornheart family has seen in the last two hundred years!"
He walked around the desk and stopped in front of Ivan, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.
"You are truly a man of the Thornheart family."
Ivan did not show much excitement.
He simply nodded slightly.
His expression remained calm, almost indifferent to the praise.
Seeing this, the Baron's eyes flickered slightly.
Most youths would be overwhelmed with pride after receiving such recognition.
But Ivan remained composed.
This calmness made the Baron secretly more satisfied.
Then Ivan spoke again.
"Father, I came to deliver the mission report."
Hearing this, the Baron's expression gradually returned to seriousness.
"Go on."
Ivan began recounting everything that had happened during the mission.
The discovery of the bandits.
The ambush within the forest.
The fierce battle with the bandit leader known as Black Wolf.
And finally—the rescue of the captives.
When recounting the events, Ivan naturally left out the part about the ring and the potion.
Throughout the report, the Baron remained silent, listening attentively.
His expression barely changed.
However—
When Ivan mentioned the iron mine, the Baron suddenly raised his head.
"There is a mine?"
His voice carried a hint of disbelief.
Ivan nodded calmly.
"I personally confirmed it."
"It appears to be an open-pit iron mine located in the deeper region of Woodstone Forest."
"We temporarily sealed the cave entrance and concealed the surroundings. However, the territory should send specialists to conduct proper prospecting."
The Baron fell silent.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
But inside his mind, calculations had already begun.
Iron mines were not ordinary resources.
Even a small iron deposit could significantly increase the military and economic strength of a territory.
Finally, a rare smile appeared on the Baron's face.
"Well done."
He nodded slowly.
"Very well done."
Ivan's discovery had brought far greater benefits than he had expected.
Without saying anything further, the Baron suddenly turned around and walked toward the wall behind his desk.
A large painting depicting an ancient battlefield hung there.
The Baron reached out and lifted the painting aside.
Behind it—
A hidden safe was embedded into the stone wall.
Taking out a small iron key, the Baron unlocked it.
The safe opened with a soft click.
Inside were neatly stacked gold coins and several small glass bottles filled with different colored liquids.
The Baron reached in and took out a single bottle.
Inside the bottle flowed a golden liquid that shimmered like sunlight.
He handed it to Ivan.
"This is Golden Dew."
Ivan accepted the bottle carefully.
The Baron explained in a calm voice,
"When a knight apprentice breaks through to the Lower Knight realm, both the body and mind undergo drastic transformation."
"The sudden increase in strength often causes instability."
"Most knights require months—sometimes years—to fully stabilize their foundation."
He paused briefly.
"This medicine shortens that process."
"With Golden Dew, the stabilization period can be reduced to just a few days."
Ivan's eyes flickered slightly.
Even after everything he had experienced recently, such a medicine still sounded remarkable.
He lowered his head respectfully.
"Thank you, Father."
The Baron waved his hand.
"There is no need for formalities."
"You earned it."
Then he returned to his desk and resumed dealing with the unfinished documents.
Ivan turned and walked toward the door.
But just as he reached it—
The Baron spoke again.
"Oh, one more thing."
Ivan paused.
"In a few days, Eleanor and your elder brother Allen will return to the castle."
Ivan's body froze slightly.
For a brief moment, memories surfaced in his mind.
Eleanor Thornheart ,The Baroness.
His father's legal wife.
Ivan, on the other hand, was an illegitimate child.
Fortunately, because the Baron favored him, the Baroness had never openly suppressed him.
Their relationship remained distant but peaceful.
However—
His elder brother was different.
As the legitimate heir to the territory, his brother had always treated Ivan fairly.
In fact, compared to the cold formality of the castle, his elder brother had been one of the few people who treated him like family.
Ivan remained silent for a moment.
Then he nodded slowly.
"I understand."
Then he left the study.
After visiting the castle doctor, Ivan's wounds were carefully cleaned and treated.
The elderly physician worked slowly, his wrinkled hands surprisingly steady as he applied a thick medicinal paste over the wounds.
A faint herbal scent filled the room.
After wrapping the bandages, the old doctor finally stepped back and looked at Ivan with a serious expression.
"Young master," he said slowly, "even though your body is recovering quickly, you should still rest for at least a week."
Ivan simply nodded.
"I understand."
Without saying much more, he left the medical room.
The castle corridors were quiet.
Rows of iron torches burned along the stone walls, their flames swaying gently in the night breeze drifting through the narrow windows.
Long shadows stretched across the floor as Ivan walked toward his room.
But his thoughts were far from calm.
They drifted back to the items he had discovered earlier… hidden inside the spatial ring.
Five books.
A black ring.
A necklace.
A cloak.
And an old diary.
Even now, the memory of them made his heart beat slightly faster.
Those objects were clearly not ordinary relics .
The moment Ivan stepped into his room, he immediately closed the door.
Click.
The wooden latch slid firmly into place.
Only then did he speak.
"Nova."
A calm mechanical voice appeared in his mind.
"Yes, Master."
"Scan the surrounding area. Notify me if anyone approaches."
"Understood."
An invisible wave of detection spread silently outward.
Within seconds, the nearby corridor and surrounding rooms were completely mapped.
"No lifeforms approaching. Area secure."
Only then did Ivan finally relax slightly.
His gaze slowly fell to his right hand.
A simple silver ring rested quietly on his finger.
Plain.
Unremarkable.
Anyone who saw it would assume it was nothing more than an ordinary accessory.
Yet within that small ring existed ten cubic meters of storage space.
Ivan took a slow breath.
"Nova… activate the ring."
At once, a faint ripple of mysterious energy flowed outward.
His consciousness was instantly drawn into the familiar dark storage space.
Ten cubic meters.
A small but perfectly stable dimensional pocket.
With a simple thought—
The items stored inside appeared on the bed before him.
Five thick books.
A black ring.
A dark necklace.
A silver-white cloak.
And a worn leather diary.
Even though he had already experienced it once before, seeing objects appear from thin air still felt slightly unreal.
However, Ivan quickly regained his composure.
He reached out and picked up the five books first.
The covers were old but surprisingly well preserved.
Strange characters were written across them.
Ivan frowned slightly.
This was not the common language of the Valen Continent.
Nova scanned them quickly.
"The language matches the inscriptions previously detected on the potion bottle."
Ivan's eyes narrowed slightly.
The same ancient language again.
"Record everything," Ivan said calmly.
"And begin decoding."
"Understood."
Nova immediately began processing the data.
Ivan then picked up the black ring.
The ring was heavier than it looked.
Its surface was smooth and cold.
Yet no matter how carefully Ivan examined it, he could not detect any obvious function.
Still—
Anything placed inside a spatial ring could not possibly be ordinary.
He placed it aside for now.
Next was the necklace.
The pendant was made from a dark crystal-like material.
It emitted a faint chill.
But after several attempts, Ivan still could not activate it.
Then came the cloak.
The silver-white fabric shimmered faintly under the candlelight.
It also looked like an ordinary white cloak.
Finally…
His gaze landed on the last object.
The worn diary.
The leather cover had faded with age, and the edges of the pages were slightly yellowed.
But the moment Ivan opened it, his eyes widened slightly.
It was written in the common language of the Valen Continent.
He flipped to the first page.
At the top was a name written in neat handwriting.
Willem Lionheart
Ivan paused.
The surname felt… strangely familiar.
He continued reading.
Below the name was a date.
Glory Calendar 6632
Ivan's pupils contracted slightly.
The current year was Glory Calendar 6825.
That meant this diary was nearly two hundred years old.
He began reading.
Diary Entry 01— Glory Calendar 6632
My name is Willem Lionheart.
I am the son of Baron Lionheart from the northern region of the Blackwater Kingdom.
Today, my father and I begin our journey to the northern port city known as Blackwater Harbor.
There, I will undergo a test.
A test that determines whether I possess the qualification to become a wizard.
Ivan's pupils shrank slightly.
Wizard.
The term appeared again.
He continued reading.
Diary Entry 02
After seven days of travel by carriage, we finally arrived at Blackwater Harbor.
I had never seen such a city before.
Ships larger than castles filled the harbor.
Merchants and nobles from many regions gathered there.
Father brought me to the western edge of the port.
There, many nobles stood with their children, forming a long queue.
Everyone was waiting for the same thing.
The wizard qualification test.
Diary Entry 03
After nearly an hour, it was finally my turn.
Inside the tent, there was only an old man and a round crystal ball placed on a wooden table.
The old man's voice was cold.
"Place your hand on the crystal."
I did as instructed.
A faint white light appeared.
The old man looked at the light and said calmly:
"Second-class wizard aptitude."
I could barely contain my excitement.
Many others left the tent disappointed.
But I had passed.
Ivan slowly exhaled.
Second-class wizard aptitude.
Another unfamiliar concept.
He continued.
Diary Entry 04
The next day, I bid farewell to my father.
Those who passed the test boarded a massive ship.
The ship was unlike anything I had seen before.
Its structure and materials were unfamiliar.
I later learned that the man who tested us was a high-level wizard apprentice.
And somewhere on the ship was a formal wizard.
Ivan frowned slightly.
In his mind, he instinctively tried to compare these ranks with the knight system.
Wizard apprentice.
Formal wizard.
He continued reading.
Diary Entry 05
we underwent a second test on the ship.
They tested our elemental affinities.
My primary affinity was fire, with minor wind affinity.
After a day of travel, we reached an island.
Many booths were set up along the harbor.
Each booth represented a wizard academy.
We were told to choose one according to our affinity and enroll.
The enrollment fee was ten magic stones.
Father had given me twenty before we parted.
After thinking carefully, I joined the Truth Hand Academy.
We were then transported to the academy through a teleportation circle.
Ivan's breathing slowed slightly.
Teleportation.
Academies.
Magic stones.
The wizard world seemed far more complex than he had imagined.
He continued reading.
Diary Entry 06
Truth Hand Academy is magnificent.
Tall towers pierce the sky.
Dormitories, laboratories, and teaching halls fill the valley.
Our first lesson introduced the ancient Byron language.
All wizardry is recorded and cast using this language.
Without mastering it, a wizard cannot progress.
Ivan's gaze instantly moved to the five books beside him.
The script matched perfectly.
"So the language is called Ancient Byron…"
"Confirmed," Nova said.
"Language database updated."
Ivan nodded and kept reading.
The diary continued.
The early entries were neat and orderly.
Willem described his classes, missions, and cultivation.
He mentioned learning basic meditation techniques to strengthen the mind.
Years passed within the diary entries.
With effort and resources, Willem eventually broke through to Intermediate Wizard Apprentice.
Decades later, after immense struggle, he became a Senior Wizard Apprentice.
But then—
The tone of the diary changed.
The writing became chaotic.
Diary Entry 59
I cannot do it.
No matter how much I meditate…
No matter how many potions I consume…
My spiritual energy refuses to increase.
Diary Entry 65
The mentor told me the truth.
My potential limit has been reached.
Without a great opportunity, I cannot become a formal wizard.
Diary Entry 88
Ten years have passed since I reached Senior Apprentice.
Nothing has changed.
I searched everywhere.
Ancient ruins.
Secret missions.
Forbidden experiments.
Nothing worked.
Final Entry
I have decided to leave.
Eighty years have passed since I first came to this academy.
I will sell everything.
Convert it into resources.
And return to the Valen Continent.
Perhaps my descendants will have better talent than I.
Before leaving, I spent nearly all my savings to purchase a rare potion:
Blue Moon Potion
A potion capable of directly increasing spiritual energy.
If my descendants possess wizard aptitude, this potion may help them greatly.
Ivan's eyes froze on that line.
Blue Moon Potion.
The very potion he had already consumed.
He continued reading.
Final Notes
Items I leave behind:
Shadow Ring — a zero-level wizard tool containing the spell Shadow Claw.
Necklace of Protection — contains a zero-level defensive spell.
Wizard Cloak — academy issued. Self-cleaning and repairing.
Several basic academy textbooks.
May whoever finds these items walk further on the wizard path than I could.
Ivan slowly closed the diary.
The room was silent.
Wizard aptitude.
Wizard academies.
Magic stones.
Eighty years of struggle.
And finally… resignation.
After a long moment, Nova spoke.
"Master."
"The mysterious energy you use to control the spatial ring corresponds to the energy described in the diary."
"Designation:MentalEnergy."
Mental energy!, Ivan slowly muttered to himself.
Ivan's gaze slowly fell upon the five books.The answers he was looking for might very well lie within them.