Ancient Wizards: A Little Progress Every Day

[Rune recognition progress: 200. Spiritual power progress: 64%. Preparing to condense the third Soul Seal.]

Two days ago, Steele delivered the resources needed to advance to the late stage of the second-circle wizarding realm: a bottle of high-purity "Nightmare Spring" extract that reeked of rotten sulfur.

I asked him how much time was left until the "Southern Wizarding Geniuses Gathering," but his deathly face remained expressionless; he simply remained silent.

Silence represents the rule, and it also means that my current authority is insufficient to glimpse that level of information. In that case, I will use absolute power to pry open the mouth of the rules.

[Rune recognition progress: 520. Mental strength progress: still stuck at 64%. Bottleneck.]

The third soul seal has yet to be formed, and the spiritual space seems like a stagnant pool. The reason for writing this diary entry is that the number 520, in some secular civilizations, represents the base pleasures of procreation and courtship.

[Unfortunately, I have no partner to share this with, but wizards don't need partners. The hormones called "love" only interfere with my cerebral cortex's precise calculations of energy particles, and women only affect the speed of my spellcasting and the stability of my spellcasting models.]

The good news is that after studying over five hundred basic first and second-tier runes like an ascetic, the quantitative change finally led to a qualitative leap.

[I activated my "overclocked thinking" state and was finally able to barely understand the complex, star-map-like rune logic within the mirror dagger and bell. This wasn't just about accumulating power; it was about deciphering rules.]

[We can now decipher more of the runes within the Dream Sphere, and the Multi-Prism technology could potentially be further optimized by introducing the variable of 'light refractive index' for calculation.]

[I've named the core rune within the Miracle-rank silver staff "Stagnation," and I'm currently performing a preliminary analysis. It's a fascinating power that involves the underlying rules of time.]

[Rune recognition progress: 703. Mental strength progress: 66%. Successfully advanced to late-stage second-ring wizard! It was a pain like tearing one's soul apart, but it was accompanied by an increase in the dimension of one's understanding of the world.]

The third soul seal is now shining brightly in the spiritual space, providing a continuous source of computing power like a star.

[Good news! The progress value of "Dimensional Detection Technique" has broken through the limit of the technique amidst the continuous data updates, giving rise to an evolutionary trait—Eye of Truth.]

The world has changed in my eyes; its appearances have been stripped away. I can clearly see the trajectory of energy particles flowing and arranging when spells are cast, like watching intricate gears mesh. Further exploration is needed to uncover more of its functions. These eyes will be my scalpel for dissecting the world.

[Rune recognition progress: 754. Mental strength progress: 68%. The "Fine Snow Sword Domain" technique has reached its peak, giving rise to a Dharma Domain. It is a deathly still domain of absolute zero, where any molecular movement that enters will be forcibly stopped.]

[Rune recognition progress: 867; Mental strength progress: 75%. Good news! Elemental Resonance has entered the second level of magical resonance! So fast! That throbbing from the depths of my bloodline cheers; the bloodline of the Despairing Winter Dragon Behelit is still taking effect.]

Under the microscope, my cells are engulfing and assimilating those ice element particles. I am now an absolute ice magic genius—a superiority at the species level!

[Rune recognition progress: 901, Spirit power progress: 78%. Good news, "Ice Core Cruise Missile" has also entered the first level of spell resonance. My spell model is constructing a sophisticated ice and snow ecosystem.]

[Rune recognition progress: 970; Mental strength progress: 80%. Good news! The "Flame Core Air Bomb" has entered the first level of Magic Domain Resonance. At this point, the three Magic Domains are more thoroughly integrated, forming a stable triangular force field.]

[But that's not enough; greed is the driving force behind a wizard's progress. I'm attempting to integrate a fourth ice-based magic domain... This requires immense mental computation and precise manipulation of the rules; the slightest misstep could result in the collapse of the mental space.]

But I foresee that, if successful, Beheilly's Death Gaze will send a small shockwave through the entire southern wizarding world.

That would be a crushing force of rules that transcends rank. If I had the chance to receive an invitation to compete for a seat...

[…Good news! I've finally honed my Ice Flame power to the first level of Law Domain Resonance. This is pure, painstaking effort, a truth built upon countless failures.]

[On the 573rd shelf of the attic, in that dusty notebook titled "Conservation and Disintegration of Energy," I found the energy-based "Disintegration Ray" spell, which greatly inspired me. Truth often lies hidden in forgotten corners.]

[Good news! The River of Despair has entered the second level of Dharma Domain Resonance. The cleansing of despair particles has made my spiritual power even more condensed.]

[Good news! The [Ice Flame Blue Demon Body] has broken through the transformation stage in terms of progress value. Each body tempering is a tearing and reorganization of the body's cells.]

I can hear my bones groaning and my muscles screaming, but in return, the [Cold Element] rune has advanced to intermediate level. Now, even without magic, I can tear a berserk bear apart with my bare body.

[Good news. I've almost completely worn down Behelit's remaining will within the consciousness space. The roar of that desperate winter dragon has turned into a mournful wail under my mental grinder.]

[Bad news: I've read all the runebooks on the shelves in the meditation room. Those parchments, once filled with knowledge, now hold no secrets for me. I'm thirsty, I'm empty, I need new knowledge to fill my soul.]

[Bad news: The spatial energy seed within the mental space has disappeared. Was it analyzed, absorbed, or did it dissipate on its own? Regardless, this means I've lost a shortcut to analyzing spatial rules.]

[Bad news: The key to advancing from a second-ring to a third-ring wizard lies in a "qualitative change of the soul," requiring external means—extreme, dangerous, and even unethical methods—to forcibly enhance soul power.]

The lower one's soul aptitude, the more resources are needed to enhance their soul power; this is the world's punishment for the weak.

After consuming both potions that Steele sent to enhance my soul power, I still haven't sensed any opportunity to advance to the third ring.

My soul is like a bottomless pit; Undine continues to collect it for me. I hope she brings good news, otherwise I'll have to consider plundering.

[Bad news. I remain obsessed with my research into the spatial and mirror-based rune magic of the Ancient Mirror Forest—a dangerous yet captivating power system. However, without the support of the spatial energy seed, my research has reached a complete bottleneck. Without the key, I cannot open that door.]

I long to revisit the Mirror Forest, a perilous land of death, yet also a treasure trove where truth lies hidden.

Many of my ideas can be tested, and perhaps even provide more inspiration. Risk and reward are always proportional.

[Good news! I've finally become friends with a female dust fairy; she's the only life in this desolate attic.]

She was very beautiful, only the size of my thumb, and her body had a semi-transparent, energy-like quality. I named her Ottilia.

I observed her, analyzed her, and occasionally gave her small gifts, not out of pity, but to observe the social behavior of this alien species.

[Bad news. Today, my age displayed on the system panel has changed to twenty-one. Time flies, but truth remains elusive.]

Twenty-one years old is the peak of youth for mortals, but for wizards, it's merely childhood. I have no time to waste.

Good news, I can go out now.

In the quiet attic of the ascetic's chamber, the soft light from the crystals spilled down like a white veil, illuminating the dust floating in the air and the wizard's pale, indifferent face, yet burning with ambition.

The door is about to open.