Ancient Wizards: A Little Progress Every Day

At the entrance to a dimly lit studio in the castle, Lady Darren whispered something to Dargo.

"Lord Avery Huntington is waiting for you inside. Don't try to deceive him; he is far wiser and more powerful than you think."

Dago didn't speak. He reached out and pushed open the studio door. Light from the outside corridor passed over Dago and cast a long shadow on the room floor, but the shadow quickly disappeared, merging into the room's original darkness like ink.

His eyes flickered, he exhaled softly, and stepped inside.

"Click—"

The studio door closed behind them, plunging the room into deep darkness.

Dago tried hard to see the scene in the room, but his superhuman eyesight could not capture anything, and the spiritual power he emitted was completely swallowed up by the surrounding darkness, receiving no feedback whatsoever.

Just as he was considering what to do next, a faint light suddenly appeared in the room.

The light came from directly in front of him, gradually illuminating everything in the room.

Dago squinted and saw a gaunt old man sitting with his back to him in a high chair in the light source.

In front of the old man was an oil painting depicting an extremely young girl with milky white and delicate skin and violet eyes.

The girl's feet were surrounded by blooming violets, the light blue or light purple flowers swaying gently on the canvas as if blown by the wind.

Not only the flowers, but the girl in the oil painting is also moving.

She stared intently at Dago with her pure, clear eyes, filled with curiosity, as if she were carefully examining him from head to toe.

Gradually, the girl seemed dissatisfied with simply observing Dargo from afar. She lifted the hem of her long skirt and stepped directly out of the painting, running towards Dargo with a crisp sound like icicles colliding.

"Who are you? What do you want with Huntington? Which Huntington are you looking for?"

The girl bombarded Dagger with a barrage of questions.

Dago opened his mouth, but hadn't yet figured out how to answer.

Suddenly, the beautiful girl who was about to run up to him stopped abruptly. Then, as if pulled by some invisible force, she flailed her arms and legs and retreated rapidly, finally being sucked back into the original oil painting.

Only then did Dargo realize that the young girl in the painting looked remarkably like Undine; she had been so arrogant in her youth.

Young Undine is trapped inside the painting, struggling to escape, when the aged figure who has been sitting in front of the painting quietly turns around.

In an instant, Dago seemed to see an indescribable, dazzling brilliance appear before him, followed by a vast, boundless spiritual force sweeping over him.

Third Ring Wizard

A thought flashed through Dago's mind.

Undine was also a third-ring wizard or higher, but she had never displayed the power of a third-ring wizard in front of him.

Only now did he truly understand the power and terror of a level three wizard.

Dago felt as if he had suddenly found himself in the deepest part of the ocean, his soul and body about to be crushed by waves of terrifying pressure emanating from all around him.

"It was Undine who summoned me to you, Your Excellency Avery."

Within the spiritual space, the [Winter Star] seal flashed repeatedly, and an absolute icy domain emanated from his body. It was at the moment this domain appeared that Dago felt his body lighten and spoke gently.

A handwritten letter from Undine appeared in his hand and flew straight toward the old man.

The overwhelming pressure around them instantly receded like a tide, and the dazzling force field in front of them quickly subsided.

He finally saw the old third-ring wizard clearly. He wasn't as old as he had imagined; he was just very thin, with long gray-brown hair, many wrinkles on his face, and deep purple eyes. His appearance bore a slight resemblance to the girl in the oil painting.

"Undine, that little brat, didn't come to me herself, but instead sent you, you brat, over."

The old man stared at the spiritual imprint on the letter in his hand, muttering to himself. Finally, his gaze fell on Dargo. "Who is Undine to you? Don't you even know one of her surnames, Huntington? Is she still blaming me?"

Dago took a deep breath, calming his turbulent mind.

He wasn't wrong; the old man in front of him was Avery, whom he was looking for, and possibly Undine's great-great-grandfather, though their relationship seemed to be very bad, and Undine hadn't even told him about it.

When he was making a big fuss in searching for the family called "Huntington" in Whitestone Castle, he had imagined that a similar scene might happen, but he never expected it to come so suddenly.

"I am her student," Dago shook his head and calmly said to the old man, "I am just a messenger, asking for your help."

The old man opened the letter and sat on a high stool to read it carefully. Next to him, the girl Undine in the oil painting was leaning close to the frame, quietly observing.

Dago could sense the fluctuations in the spiritual energy and free energy particles permeating the room, which were the old man's turbulent emotions as he read the letter.

He stood quietly and waited, when gradually the sound of sobbing rose from inside the room, coming from the innocent and romantic Undine in the oil painting.

The sobs gradually grew louder, eventually turning into loud wailing. In the oil painting, she sits on a grassy field full of violets, crying without restraint like a child.

Tiny ice shards drifted slowly into the light, but these were seen from the corner of the old man's eye as he read the letter outside the oil painting.

Even Dago felt a touch of sadness, a result of being influenced by the old man's far stronger spiritual power.

Finally, everything returned to calm.

The old man snapped out of his reverie, looking as if he had instantly become ten years younger, as if he had received some good news.

He sighed softly and said in a low voice, "Fate and bloodline are two things that no one in this world can resist. What's your name?"

"Dago Heca".

The old man looked at him with gentle eyes, his gaze filled with the warmth and love of an elder towards a direct descendant.

"I never imagined that the Wizarding World would still have the soul imprint [Winter Star] left behind by Mapel, and that our Huntington family can be considered a remnant of Mapel's bloodline."

"You have condensed the Soul Seal [Winter Star], and Mapel's will continues in you, so you are now considered a member of the Huntington family."

"Well!"

Dargo didn't know how to answer. No wonder Undine was so nice to him; it turned out she was from the Frost Sisters' branch, the same one as Mapel.

Avery simply remarked, "Truly powerful wizarding families pass down their bloodlines through runic inscriptions. Their will achieves immortality in the spirit world. The significance of soul inscriptions is not as shallow as you understand it. You'll understand later."

"This is just a corner of the far south of the Wizarding World. When you have the opportunity to travel to the center of the world, or even to the outer continents beyond the Wizarding World, you will truly understand the vastness and immensity of this world."

"Bloodline inheritance in the form of runes and seals."

Dargo stared blankly. The information revealed in Avery Huntington's few words was like a storm to him, causing him great shock and disbelief, as if a corner of a vast world was slowly being unveiled to him.

"How should I address you?"

Dago took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and respectfully asked Avery.

"Just call me Grandpa."

Avery looked at him kindly, without any trace of the terrifying aura of a third-ring wizard he had displayed earlier. "There's no need to worry about seniority anymore. After all, the Huntington family may only have a few members left now."

"Grandpa Avery".

Dargo called out softly, his heart filled with complex emotions. If he had known that everything would develop so simply and smoothly after sending the message, he would have spent all his time searching for Huntington. He also did not expect that Undine would value him so much and reveal all her secrets to him.

Avery Huntington was probably a strong backer for Undine, who rose to the position of Master of the Silver Tower at a young age. With two triple rings, who would dare to disrespect her?

"I sense the aura of a former pillar within you. Which great being from the spirit world is that?"

Avery, like a true elder, beckoned to Dago, "Come here, come closer, let me take a good look at you."

"Yes, but I don't know exactly who it is."

Dago responded softly, approaching Avery. He could feel the genuine and intense concern and care Avery was giving him.

It wasn't just talk; all of this was simply because Dago had condensed the soul seal [Winter Star], which he found somewhat unbelievable.

The answer may lie in Avery's earlier explanation of the word "bloodline".

"It turns out that four of your former pillars have left their mark on you."

Avery gently took Dago's hand in his withered palm, carefully examining him from head to toe, his brow furrowing slightly.