Ancient Wizards: A Little Progress Every Day

The time after entering the vortex felt like an eternity, but in reality, it was only a fleeting moment.

When Dago's feet touched the hard ground, his first reaction was to feel a slight fatigue in his body, which was probably a side effect of coming into contact with the Time Poison.

He opened his eyes, wanting to see what the legendary core secret realm of the Mirror Forest was like. After seeing it clearly, he was stunned and surprised.

What appeared before Dago was a small room of only about 70 or 80 square meters.

A simple little room.

There was no one else in the room except him.

The gaze shifts to the lake outside the secret realm. As the last wizard disappeared into the whirlpool, the huge whirlpool on the lake surface slowly disappeared as well.

The vast lake returned to calm, but the green-robed witch continued casting spells, switching to another long and strange incantation. As she recited the incantation, the mental power of a powerful wizard in the late third ring surged forth, and dozens or even hundreds of semi-transparent ripples began to appear in the void on the surface of the lake.

Ripples spread, and a picture emerges in the middle.

In each scene, there is a figure; upon closer inspection, you will find that these are the young wizards from the four factions who have just entered the secret realm.

The official rings distributed to everyone before the exploration have more than just storage functions; they also allow you to explore the scenery within the secret realm and monitor the explorers' behavior.

These mirror-like images allow us to explore the wizards' environments: some are in bedrooms, some are standing on strange mirrored staircases, and some are in empty corridors.

Everyone in the scene is cautiously and curiously looking around.

Occasionally, when people meet and come together, their separate water mirror images will move closer to each other, merging into a larger whole.

"call--"

The green-robed witch let out a soft breath, and having finished everything, she seemed to relax completely.

"Of the three entrances discovered in the Mirror Forest, the first area leads directly to the core inheritance site, the third area leads to the potion garden and experimental fields of the ancient Mirror Forest wizards, and the second entrance on our side should correspond to the former living area of ​​the Mirror Forest wizards."

The green-robed witch muttered a few words to herself before turning her gaze to the other two.

The bald wizard from the Lava Brotherhood, wielding a Burning Stone Staff, narrowed his eyes, his lips moved slightly, and then he seemed to begin communicating with someone.

The third-ring wizard from the Black Swamp, wearing a feathered mask, stood still. On the other hand, the valiant middle-aged man from the Magic Ring side didn't even glance at the three of them and walked straight towards his own magic airship.

He sat down directly in the air above the airship, closed his eyes, and seemed to be thinking or meditating.

This action continued for a while before being interrupted.

"Carlos".

A gentle voice softly called the heroic man's name. The man opened his eyes, and the green-robed witch who had been in charge of opening the secret realm was now smiling and standing in front of him.

"It's been a long time since we last met! Would you like to chat for a bit?"

The imposing man, Carlos, showed no emotion on his face. He nodded and said, "This exploration will probably last for quite a while."

The green-robed witch quickly took out some oddly shaped and fragrant fruits and casually tossed them into the air in front of the two of them, where they floated. Then she took out two long-necked wine bottles and handed one to Carlos.

"They've started again..."

The green-robed witch picked up the wine bottle, took a graceful sip, glanced to the side, and whispered to the dashing man Carlos.

Carlos followed the green-robed witch's gaze and saw the bald wizard from the Lava Brotherhood and the black-robed man from the Black Swamp wearing a feather mask standing side by side, facing the numerous water screen images floating above the Mirror Lake, talking in hushed tones.

Soon, the two of them took out some things and then drew runes in the air, as if they were making some kind of contract.

Carlos knew exactly what they were doing; it was practically a regular entertainment activity whenever the two met—a small "betting game" that compared the performance of their wizards during the exploration mission.

For these powerful wizards who stand at the pinnacle of the Third Ring and are about to step into the realm of miracles, there must be something in their long lives that can pique their interest and help them pass the time.

"Aren't you planning to join?"

The green-robed witch, biting into a brightly colored fruit, said to Carlos, "They don't mind having two more people. If you'd like, I can join in too."

"Forget it."

Carlos shook his head, picked up the bottle in his hand, took a small sip, and said, "You know I've never been interested in this kind of game. I'm not as confident as they are. Our Law Circle hasn't been rooted in the south for very long, and our foundation is still a bit lacking."

"But just waiting like this is too boring!"

The green-robed witch sighed softly, seemingly wanting Carlos to participate in this gambling game.

Carlos knew the person in front of her very well: restless with a touch of adventurous spirit, interested in anything exciting and challenging, but lacking enough courage, so she hoped someone would accompany her.

"If you really want to."

Carlos thought for a moment and offered a suggestion, "We could play a game between the two of us, but the stakes can't be too high. You know I'm poor!"

"That's great, Carlos."

After Carlos finished speaking, the green-robed witch readily agreed.

"To be honest, I've been waiting for you to say that. The Lava Brotherhood and the Black Swamp are much stronger than both of us. The chances of winning against them are too small. We are the truly evenly matched opponents."

Carlos glanced speechlessly at the green-robed witch who was beaming with excitement, and then the two agreed on the stakes and signed a contract.

Once everything was settled, the green-robed witch couldn't wait to lift her skirt and approach the water screen images that appeared on the lake. She stared at the wizard figures with magic rings on the screens, muttering incantations as if she were quickly calculating her chances of winning in this gamble.

Watching the other person's back, Carlos's eyes flickered slightly. He calmly took out a communication stone and gently lit it.

"So, did she agree?"

"Yes. I specifically added the Protoss Hundred Orchid Seeds and Reproductive Flower Juice that you wanted to the bet... The wizards of the Water Palace have always regarded these two things as their lifeblood, and they would never have given them up without using this method."

"Well done, Caroni. I've already asked Barker to keep an eye out for what you wanted during the exploration. If it's not in the Mirror Forest either, I'll compensate you separately. The important thing is... are you sure your arrangements will ensure a successful win in this gamble?"

"Valin of the Black Root Tower and Violet of the Silver Tower are both top-tier seeds. They may not be very competitive against the geniuses of the Lava Brotherhood and the Black Swamp, but they should have no problem defeating the second-tier forces of the Water Palace."

Carlos put down the communication stone in his hand, focused his gaze on two of the water screen images in front of him, and then took out two brand new communication stones from his storage ring and began to inject information into each of them.

He began to make his own plans.

....................

Dargo looked around the room. In the center was a black, high-legged four-poster bed with a semi-transparent gray canopy. On the bedside table next to it sat a silver candlestick.

On one side of the wall was a heavy, draped velvet curtain, and on the other side hung an exquisite brocade tapestry. The colors of the tapestry had faded, and the patterns were incomprehensible to Dago.

Next to the four-poster bed was a white desk with a bare surface, a few quill pens scattered haphazardly, and what appeared to be a few open notebooks or books.

Besides that, there were a few gray wardrobes, two empty shelves, and a silver dressing mirror embedded in the partition wall pillar. Nothing else.

It's like a bedroom just for people to rest in.

The scene was completely different from what Dago had imagined—a bizarre and fantastical spectacle filled with ancient wonders and lurking dangers.

A slight energy fluctuation emanated from within the spatial ring.

Dago took out a communication stone, turned it on, and Violet's voice came from inside.

"Dago, are you alright?"

"Very good, the surroundings are safe and peaceful."

D'Ago responded.

"Where's Dehore? Can you hear me?"

"I'm doing well here... I'm fine too."

A calm yet slightly unfamiliar voice responded.

He was another wizard from the Silver Tower besides the two of them, and he was ranked very high, only behind Violet. The three of them exchanged communication marks before entering.

"Then go explore on your own. Remember to contact us if anything happens. If you can reunite, that would be even better."

Violet cut off the communication as soon as she finished speaking.

Dago didn't care. After entering the secret realm, none of the three knew where they had been teleported to. Meeting up would be extremely difficult and would depend on luck.

Just as Dargo was about to put away the communication stone, he noticed that Violet had sent another text message, this time in a much more serious tone.

"Dago, be careful of other factions you encounter in the secret realm. Generally speaking, plundering fellow wizards in the secret realm is a tacitly accepted act, and it is even considered a more sophisticated way to gain something. Of course, the premise is that you are strong enough. I just received news that the internal struggles in this exploration may be quite intense, so be careful."

Dago's eyes flickered slightly. He put away the communication stone, ignored everything else, and focused his attention on the room in front of him.