She put away the parchment and walked to the laboratory door, then suddenly stopped.
She turned and looked Ian straight in the eye.
"Ian... thank you."
Her voice was soft, yet it carried a strange undertone.
Ian shook his head. "I’m getting something out of this too, so there’s no need."
A smile touched Aidele’s lips. As the morning light broke through the clouds, it illuminated a vitality that had long been absent from her face.
She pushed open the door and left quickly, the sound of her footsteps echoing down the corridor before fading away.
Gaga, on his shoulder, tilted its head, its silver-gray pupils reflecting Ian’s calm profile.
"Ian," it said suddenly, its voice as clear and bright as a child’s.
"Even if they take the potions, those people will still be weak. What’s the use?"
Ian reached out and rubbed its small head.
The feathers were cool to the touch, imbued with the characteristic depth of shadow.
"Gaga, they’re not actually weak. These people... will become Aidele’s eyes."
He said softly.
"And at critical moments, they’ll be her most loyal allies."
The distant cries of street vendors and the rumble of wheels on stone slabs drifted in from outside.
Fifty seeds were being silently sown.
「Three days later.」
Late one night.
In a remote ore warehouse in the West District of East City.
Naseng stood in the shadows, his figure melting into the darkness.
Before him stood five young men in gray work clothes. They were all High Level Apprentices, none older than twenty-five.
Their fingers were rough, their palms covered in thick calluses from years of hauling ore.
At this moment, all five had their heads bowed. Their breathing was shallow and quick, their eyes filled with a mix of nervousness and unease.
But more than that... was an anticipation so fierce it was almost scorching.
From his coat, Naseng produced five Crystal Tubes filled with a dark amber liquid.
The liquid within swirled under the moonlight, possessing a heavy, viscous sheen.
"This is what Miss Aidele has bestowed upon you."
His voice was low, yet it reached each of their ears with perfect clarity.
"After you drink this... you will possess the power of a Level One Wizard."
The five apprentices snapped their heads up in unison, their eyes flaring with disbelief.
One of them swallowed hard, his voice trembling.
"Lord Naseng... we..."
"Say no more," Naseng cut in.
"From now on, you have only one task."
His gaze swept across the five of them, sharp as a blade scraping bone.
"Everything you see in this warehouse—the logs for all ore shipments, the guard shift schedules, any suspicious comings and goings..."
"Memorize it all. Report once a week through the usual channels."
He paused. "And remember, as far as any of you are concerned... you don’t know each other."
The five apprentices nodded forcefully, their movements as synchronized as well-trained soldiers.
Naseng handed out the two potions to each of them.
The Bloodline Potion felt heavy, like holding a miniature ball of magma. The Neutralizing Potion, in contrast, felt like a deep lake—serene and still.
The five apprentices carefully stowed the potions, then turned and departed with haste.
Their figures melted into the darkness and vanished.
Naseng remained where he was, quietly watching the direction they had gone.
「At the same time.」
「No. 12 Golden Oak Street.」
In the underground laboratory, Ian sat cross-legged in the center of the Star Guidance Array.
The remains of five spent Star Crystals lay scattered around him as silvery-white starlight slowly seeped into the space between his eyebrows.
In his Sea of Spirit, the pale gold Crystal Core trembled slightly.
The Star Orbit patterns on its surface had extended a fraction further.
Spiritual Power Elementalization: 21.7%.
’The effects seem to be diminishing a bit, but thankfully, it’s not too noticeable yet.’
’Absorbing all twenty Star Crystals should increase it by about 5%.’
’The channels for High Tier resources are still too few. Once this storm blows over, I should get out and have a look around.’
Gaga was curled up on his shoulder, the shadowy patterns beneath its feathers flowing slowly.
It would occasionally, unconsciously, ’slide’ into the shadows in the corner, only to pop out again half a second later, looking dazed.
As if it were practicing its nascent instincts in its sleep.
Ian opened his eyes, a glint of starlight flashing in their depths before vanishing. He raised a hand, and the air above his palm began to distort.
A silvery-gray orb of light the size of a walnut condensed silently.
’This Gravity Collapse Ball... its power has grown again.’
’At this stage of Spiritual Power Elementalization, a huge gulf in power appears between the Initial and Late Stages of Level Two.’
’A normal Level Two Basic Level Wizard can almost never be killed by another wizard of the same tier. Even being defeated and injured is rare.’
’But I’m different. With the combination of my panel and the Seed of the Stars, I’ve deduced a form of Witchcraft completely unlike anyone else’s.’
’Killing others of the same tier is as easy as breathing.’
Ian lowered his hand, and the orb of light silently dissipated.
He glanced at Gaga on his shoulder, the corners of his lips curving slightly.
’This feeling of growing stronger with every passing moment... it’s not bad at all.’