Ancient Wizards: A Little Progress Every Day

Looking at the oil painting in his hand, Dago gently stroked the surface of the painting with his fingers, and some tiny glimmers of light seeped into the canvas little by little along his fingers.

Soon, a miraculous scene unfolded.

"Splash, splash—"

As the sound of turning pages filled the air, the young man in the black robe in the oil painting seemed to come to life, slowly turning the pages of the book in his hands as if he were a real person.

Dargo gently released his grip, and the entire canvas was lifted by an invisible force, firmly embedded in the wall facing the entrance to the secret room. A thin layer of ice crystals rose, giving the entire oil painting a crystal-like "frame."

This method is sufficient to preserve the entire oil painting for hundreds of years or even longer.

Dago quietly admired his portrait, which had been "activated" using special methods, and then flipped his right hand, revealing four chilling ice balls in his palm.

The frost melted quickly, revealing pieces of metal of various shapes sealed within—a broken badge engraved with a rhinoceros pattern, an old bronze kettle missing its spout.

Dago made a grasping motion with his five fingers, and the four metal objects exploded with a "bang," turning into large, thick, reddish-brown clouds.

From within the smoke came the deep roar of a monster, and a massive, heavy body gleaming with metallic luster could be vaguely seen emerging.

Dago remained calm, chanting a short incantation. Threads of white light shot from the tips of his five outstretched fingers and quickly disappeared into the rolling, thick clouds.

Before long, all the thick reddish-brown clouds receded and returned to their original metallic shapes, flying to the four corners of the secret room and set up quietly.

Back in the Mechanical Heart Ruins, Dago obtained a number of metallic elemental lifeforms, which he had kept without doing anything about them, but now they were finally coming in handy.

Dargo squatted down about five steps away from his own portrait and began to trace the outline on a stone slab with his index finger.

His fingertips traced a path of faint light across the stone slab, and as the last stroke was completed, the entire rune quickly disappeared, leaving no trace on the stone slab.

Dago gently tapped the stone slab with his hand, and the hidden runes reappeared with a crisp "click," revealing a small pit half a foot deep beneath the slab.

Dago took out a small storage pouch he had prepared beforehand and put it in. After thinking for a moment, he also put in the mysterious bone spur he had obtained from Kolcrow, which could strike the opponent's soul directly.

After doing all this, he slowly stood up.

Looking around the still empty secret chamber, Dago muttered to himself, "I've set up a second-tier rune array in this secret chamber, as well as four second-tier metal elemental puppets."

"There shouldn't be any wizards on the East Coast who can rival this power, enough to ensure that the Heca family's bloodline will not be cut off for hundreds of years."

"I examined all the members of the Heca family, but unfortunately none of them had the potential to become wizards. However, there was a gardener's son who had quite good aptitude."

"I have already instructed my father that every new member of the Heca family will enter this secret chamber once when they are eight years old."

"If one possesses the potential to become a wizard, then he will be able to discern the hidden clues within this portrait and receive the corresponding meditation techniques and secret arts."

"If he's lucky enough..."

Dago's gaze fell on the stone slab where he had just hidden his things. "And he showed me, his ancestor as a wizard of the Heca family, enough to kowtow a few times before my portrait."

"Then he will be able to obtain the complete set of inheritances and resources that I have stored down below, enough to support him from apprentice wizard all the way to second-circle wizard..."

"Perhaps, a hundred years from now."

"The Heca family might gradually develop into the wizarding family you desire."

Dago stopped his monologue, paused, then looked at the stone wall in front of him and said softly, "Is there anything else you're not satisfied with?"

As if hearing his words, the handsome young man in black robes in the oil painting embedded in the stone wall put down his book, stood up, and quietly looked at him through the canvas.

In an instant, Dago felt something inside him melting rapidly, and the familiar feeling of "fullness" and "clarity" rose again.

Within the consciousness space, the eighth soul crystal is also being rapidly completed.

Some strange, faint light, invisible to others, emanated from his skin.

Dago raised his hand, looking at his right hand, which was "glowing" and had a semi-transparent appearance, and a slightly satisfied look appeared on his face.

He turned and left the secret chamber. The heavy stone door slowly closed behind him, and mysterious runes flashed across its surface.

As he walked from underground into the castle garden, Dago continued his ascent, stepping on the air and ascending higher and higher until he reached the castle spire where a flag representing the Heca family was hung, before finally stopping.

A gentle breeze lifted the hem of Dago's robes as he stood atop the highest point of the castle, looking down below.

In the open space in front of the castle, nearly a hundred young men were lined up neatly, undergoing the selection of guards and knight apprentices.

Some children ran around and played inside the castle, while the servants busied themselves with their respective duties.

On a shady spot outside the castle, Sandrie, an apprentice witch with a large, ugly birthmark on her face, was busy training the dozen or so undead servants she had just trained.

The relevant spells were taught to her by Dago. For a wandering wizard who roamed the East Coast, making a living by a few tattered notebooks and plundering the property of mortals, the knowledge that Dago imparted to her was already an unparalleled inheritance.

Sandri is now, at least on the surface, absolutely devoted to Dargo, and probably wouldn't be willing to leave even if asked to.

It remains to be seen whether, as time goes by, her loyalty to Dago will gradually extend to the Heca family.

Upon seeing Sandri, Dago couldn't help but recall the red-haired boy who had chased him off the ship when they arrived at the East Coast.

Dago also left something for the red-haired boy. If the boy can find this place, it might become a force to maintain the Heca family bloodline.

Dargo stood under the sky, lost in thought, and finally found Tracy on a rooftop covered with blue glazed tiles on the side of the castle, basking in the sun and watching the stable boy trimming the donkey's hooves below.

It's really interesting to see hooves being trimmed!

Dargo stepped closer and gently landed beside Tracy.

"Have you resolved all your issues?"

Tracy turned to look at him.

Dago shook his head. "There's one last thing left. Come with me to a place. It shouldn't take long."

Tracy nodded and stood up from the rooftop with a cheerful air.

Dago used his mental power to envelop her, his robes unfurled, and like a large bird, he carried Tracy in one direction.

In his mind, the words that Baron Ferreira had said to him a few days ago echoed one by one.

"Lily fell in love with the son of the Baron of Fragrant Flower Territory, and before you could return, they held their wedding..."

"The following summer, Lil gave birth to a daughter, but sadly she died in childbirth."

"The child's name is Agatha."

"By now, he should be able to walk..."