Ancient Wizards: A Little Progress Every Day

"Da...Dago".

After hesitating for a long time, Undine finally "mustered up her courage" and came up to him, calling his name softly.

"Have the people from the Starry Sky School left?"

Dargo tried to speak to Undine in the most natural tone possible to make her less "nervous".

"I'm gone."

Undine nodded, but quickly shook her head.

Just as Dago frowned in confusion, he heard Undine quickly say, "There's someone who wants to see you."

"Who?"

"."

Undine was about to answer, but then she tightly shut her mouth, a hint of helplessness in her eyes.

Dago narrowed his eyes slightly, and roughly guessed the other party's identity.

"I see."

He had anticipated this situation and wasn't surprised; he simply nodded calmly. "Now? Where is he?"

Undine stepped aside to reveal the small door behind her, saying, "You'll see it once you go out from here."

Dago nodded and slowly walked toward the shimmering door that had led to Undine.

The two brushed past each other, and just as Dargo was about to step through the small door, Undine suddenly spoke: "Dargo."

Dargo turned his head and saw Undine looking at him with an unusually firm gaze. She said, "The Ring of Law and I are both behind you."

Dago didn't answer, but just smiled faintly, and then disappeared into the small door.

Stepping through the small door, Dago keenly sensed the fluctuations in space and the runic array in an instant.

When he came to his senses, his eyes widened in surprise as he was struck by what he saw before him: a beautiful and mysterious night sky.

Starlight poured down from all directions, and occasionally a shooting star streaked across the sky, leaving behind a trail of brilliance.

Beneath this starry sky, there exists a small, gray floating island. The island is empty, except for a figure sitting cross-legged, seemingly waiting for him.

A magical illusionary space.

This wasn't the first time Dago had seen it; countless similar illusions existed within the Illusionary Dream Sphere, some even appearing more realistic than this one.

However, even as Dago's mental energy spread out in all directions, he couldn't reach the edge of this illusion. It was as if he were truly in a boundless space, which surprised him somewhat.

However, Dago did not delve into this for long. He calmed his mind and walked step by step through the void toward the floating island ahead.

After a short time, Dago landed on the floating island and gradually approached the figure in the center.

He saw an old man wearing a large gray robe, with snow-white hair and beard, wearing a pointed wizard's hat, and a long wooden staff resting on his knees.

When he looked up at Dago, Dago felt as if he were instantly pierced through by those deep gray eyes.

He sensed the wisdom emanating from the other person, accumulated over time. The other person seemed like a true "sage," exuding an incomparably composed and wise demeanor.

Dago walked up slowly and bowed calmly before the old man in the gray robe.

Even though he inherited Isidore's pride, he still maintained his own sense of awe.

"The Wizard of Rona".

Dago read out the other person's name.

In the South, the only person Dago could think of who would be impossible for the Thorn Ring to refuse on his behalf was this one.

Rona Oran, leader of the Astral School and the only fifth-circle wizard in the South.

He is usually respectfully referred to as the Wizard of Rona.

Rona, dressed in grey robes, squinted, his aged face etched with wrinkles, and looked at Dago with an almost benevolent gaze.

He didn't speak, he just extended his hand.

Dago, palms up, followed ancient wizarding etiquette, lightly touching his ring and middle fingers together, then lifted the hem of his robe with both hands and slowly sat cross-legged in front of the other.

"Play a game of chess with me."

After Dago sat down, the gray-robed Rona spoke. His voice, though aged, was magnetic and seemed to contain a special power that was both gentle and irresistible.

Dago nodded slightly, and Rona in his grey robe swept his sleeve across the empty space between the two.

Fine, starlight, like dust, spilled from beneath the sleeves of his robe. As it landed, the starlight solidified and gradually transformed into "pebbles" of various shapes.

Dagger looked at the scattered stones, unsure whether it was some ancient or new game, and Rona didn't seem inclined to explain.

Dago thought for a moment, and then tried to use his mental power to move a pebble on the ground.

The pebble-like chess piece rolled several times, and suddenly a radiant light spun above its head.

He looked up and realized that as he manipulated the "chess pieces" in front of him, the stars in the sky above him would also change their positions accordingly.

"Each pebble corresponds to a star, the stars are the pieces, and the entire starry sky is the chessboard."

Dago realized this, and his eyes flickered. The grey-robed Rona noticed his realization and smiled, narrowing his eyes at him.

"So what are the rules?"

Dago seemed to be deep in thought, his mind completely calmed down, and he slowly became absorbed in the "chess game" in front of him.

Under the eternal starry night, a handsome young man intently fiddled with the scattered pebbles in front of him, his eyes constantly revealing a thoughtful light, occasionally looking up at the starry sky above.

An old man in a gray robe and white beard sat opposite him, occasionally reaching out to poke at a pebble on the ground, but most of the time he was focused on the young man playing chess with him.

The starry sky alternates between brilliance and dimness, the stars shift and the light and shadow change, and time slips away quietly like fine sand flowing through one's fingers.

I don't know how much time passed, but when all the changes of light and darkness stopped, the starry sky returned to peace and tranquility, and the sound of soft breathing echoed under the night sky.

"I lost."

Dago spoke calmly.

Turning his gaze away from the "chess game" before him, a deep weariness appeared between his brows—

But more than anything, it was a novel joy that I had never experienced before, along with a faint sense of fascination, reluctance to part, and a feeling of wanting more.

Dago thought for a moment, then reached out and took off the armband he was wearing on his right arm, gently placing it in front of the grey-robed Rona.

The latter didn't say anything, but simply picked up the armband and examined it closely.

"Isidore likes young people who are as energetic and unstoppable as he is. I am old, and no matter how charming they are, they are not suitable for me."

Rona, dressed in grey robes, sighed softly, gently raising his hand, and the armlet fell back into Dago's hand.

Dago frowned slightly. "So you really just want to see me?"

"Not entirely, I also have my own selfish thoughts."

Ronald shook his head, then quickly laughed again, "But it's gone now."

Let's get back to the game we were just talking about.

He casually changed the subject, reaching into the sleeve of his robe as he said to Dargo, "You're even smarter than I expected. For a wizard who's just started using astrology, your performance is already quite impressive."

"It's not actually a game of chess in the true sense, so there's no such thing as winning or losing."

As he spoke, Rona took his hand out of the sleeve of his robe, and there was something else in his hand.

It was a thick book with a black cover. He handed the black book to Dago and said softly, "Let's record it in this book and see."

Dago took the book with both hands and looked at the plain black cover, when suddenly some purple, constantly moving specks of light appeared on it.

These points of light trace beautiful and wondrous paths on the paper, constantly forming various patterns, some complex and some simple.

Dago's mind was unknowingly drawn to those trajectory patterns, and he became deeply engrossed in them.

When he couldn't resist reaching out to touch the book cover, in an instant, some ancient and mysterious messages rushed into his mind.

Dago's body trembled slightly. He suddenly looked up, stared intently at Rona in front of him, and blurted out.

"The Ancient Book of Stars?!"