Ancient Wizards: A Little Progress Every Day

Claire was right in front of Dago in the blink of an eye.

Now Dago's entire body is covered in armor made of titanium.

It undulated slightly with the fluctuations of Dago's mental energy, as if it possessed an independent life rhythm.

Even his cheeks were completely covered by a silver mask with tightly closed shark tooth patterns that seemed to be constantly flowing.

The gaze beneath the mask was cold and scrutinizing, shutting out all outside prying eyes.

Only his eyes were visible, making it difficult for outsiders to see his face clearly.

Dargo was considering whether or not to reveal his true appearance to Claire.

But then he thought again that the wavelength of his spiritual energy could not be completely disguised.

For high-ranking wizards, concealing their identity is nothing more than a self-deceptive trick.

Hiding it out will only make you seem petty; it's better to be open and see how Claire reacts.

This is also a psychological game, testing the other party's bottom line and intentions.

The titanium metal slid down like receding tide, revealing a pale and cold face.

So Dargo removed the metal mask from his face and calmly looked at Claire, who was rapidly approaching him.

"It's you?!"

Claire's pupils contracted slightly; clearly, this result exceeded his predicted model.

Sure enough, when the young wizard Claire saw Dargo's face, she stopped in her tracks and frowned.

It was a complex expression, a mixture of surprise, apprehension, and a reassessment of value.

But he quickly activated his "rationality" switch, suppressing his useless emotions.

For a seeker of knowledge struggling on the path of wizardry, losing composure is a fatal weakness.

He quickly calmed down and continued walking towards Dago with a blank expression.

"You should really be glad that Buckle brought you into the Progressive Society so early on."

Claire's voice was deep, carrying a hint of superior arrogance and condescension.

"Otherwise, if you had encountered me now, you might already be out of the game."

This is no exaggeration; in a resource-scarce training ground, hunting one's own kind is a shortcut to obtaining resources.

Claire glanced at Dago briefly, her gaze lingering on his titanium armor.

A glint of greed flashed in his eyes, as if he were analyzing the elemental arrangement of the metal.

Then he took out a communication stone to examine it and called out to Dago:

"Let's go."

There were no extra pleasantries; the communication between wizards was reduced to purely self-interest.

Dago's eyes flickered slightly. "Where to?"

"There are a few members of the Gongjin Society in this area. We've discussed it and decided to meet up at the base of the third stone pillar first."

Claire casually pointed to a rather conspicuous gray stone pillar in her field of vision and looked at Dago.

"If you don't trust me, or don't want to be with us, that's fine too."

He spoke indifferently, as if Dago's life or death was of no concern to him.

"Boom!"

The earth trembled violently, and rubble fell from the broken walls overhead.

Before Dago could answer, a loud burst of magical energy interrupted Claire's words.

The sound came from one direction to the east, accompanied by intense elemental turbulence.

That wasn't an ordinary physical explosion, but a chain reaction caused by the instantaneous detonation of a high concentration of magical power.

Their eyes were immediately drawn to the ancient buildings shrouded in a thin mist.

The space there seemed to be torn apart, and the air was distorted by unnatural heat waves.

A faint red glow emanated from the scene, accompanied by continuous booming sounds, as if a great battle was taking place.

Dago and Claire exchanged a brief glance and unexpectedly reached a tacit understanding.

In this uncertain environment, intelligence is life.

They flew towards the direction from which the explosion came almost simultaneously.

The two glided silently through the shadows of the ruins, like two black bats.

The battle was actually very close; in less than half a minute, the two arrived at the location where the battle had broken out.

Dargo and Claire stood on the roof of a round, ancient fairy building, observing the battle unfolding nearby.

Between several ancient buildings of varying heights, two figures dressed in monastic robes were locked in a fierce battle.

Both sides had reached the mid-stage of the third ring, one of them wielding flames, which were no ordinary flames, but rather a stream of elemental particles compressed to the extreme.

With each wave of the hand, the oxygen in the air is instantly sucked out, triggering a violent explosion.

Another force controlling vast swathes of shadow is the corrosive power emanating from the negative energy plane.

The shadows writhed like living things, devouring all the light and matter around them.

The spells cast by both sides generated powerful magical domains.

The rules were rewritten at this moment, and reality was distorted.

The terrifying energies collided repeatedly, and the rolling energy aftershocks almost completely cleared away the fog in a large area near the battle.

The once solid rock became as fragile as tofu in the magical storm.

Some ancient fairy buildings were affected by the magic, causing large chunks of earth and rocks to collapse.

Before the dust could even settle, it was melted into glass-like crystals by the high temperature.

Clearly, there were more than just the two wizards drawn by the battle.

For wizards who seek truth, the battles of the strong are themselves an open textbook.

Moreover, there is the ancient temptation of "when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits."

With his Eye of Truth and keen senses, Dago sensed seven figures lurking nearby.

They use optical camouflage, scent concealment, or shadows to lurk like venomous snakes waiting to strike.

In every dark corner, a pair of greedy eyes may be lurking.

"In this area, including now, there are at least six third-ring wizards, including two mid-third-ring wizards."

Claire suddenly spoke to Dargo, her expression serious.

"A chaotic battle is very likely to break out here, and getting involved at this stage will not do us any good."

"Let's go, according to the original plan, let's meet up with the others first."

This is the most logical choice, and the decision most wizards would make.

As she spoke, Claire slowly backed away.

A faint wind element surrounded his body, ready to accelerate his escape at any moment.

However, after retreating a distance, he realized that Dago hadn't followed at all.

"Didn't you understand what I just said? I said leave."

Claire frowned, stepped forward, and spoke coldly.

He didn't understand Dago's folly; his behavior went against the biological instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm.

Dago turned to look at him calmly. "Actually, you don't have to worry about me."

His voice was flat and calm, but deep within it lay a yearning for power.

Every increase in soul power is a stepping stone to a higher dimension.

Claire stared at him expressionlessly, and the two locked eyes in silence.

Sparks seemed to fly in the air, a clash between two different philosophies of life.

A moment later, Claire shook her head with a cold smile.

"What a nonsensical guy."

In his mind, this was courting death, an irredeemable folly.

He ignored Dago, turned around and left, disappearing in an instant.

There is no need to invest more attention in someone who is about to become a corpse.

Dago withdrew his gaze and continued to focus intently on the battle.

His eyes gleamed, and his mind raced.

[So far, in this area, besides the two currently fighting, there are two mid-third-ring wizards and five early-third-ring wizards.]

These people are not subordinate to each other and are suspicious of one another; this is the biggest variable.

Claire's assessment was correct; a chaotic battle at the third-ring level could indeed erupt here.

Chaos can be a ladder, or it can be an abyss; it depends on how you use it.

What seemed dangerous to most people was a great opportunity for Dago.

His spiritual body was silently roaring with hunger.

If operated properly, taking advantage of environmental and psychological blind spots, he can be the reaper.

If he can defeat a few more people in the melee, the soul power he needs to advance from the second ring to the third ring may be completely made up for.

This is a qualitative leap, a sublimation of life, and it's worth risking your life for.

While I was thinking, two more people arrived.

The situation became more delicate, and the air felt thick and suffocating.

At this point, even the two third-ring wizards who had been fighting had sensed something was amiss.

There were so many prying eyes around them that it sent chills down their spines.

The feeling of being treated like prey is enough to cool down even the most violent rage.

Dargo frowned, noticing that the two third-ring wizards fighting seemed to be showing signs of stopping.

The brilliance of the spell began to subside, and the raging elemental particles gradually calmed down.

Reason prevailed again; no one wanted to do the work for someone else.

A moment later, the two of them actually stopped completely.

They stood back to back, forming a temporary and fragile alliance.

They coldly scanned their surroundings from left and right; one might mistake them for a group.

Wizards who make it into the battle are not fools; they wouldn't do something so stupid as to let others "reap the benefits."