Ancient Wizards: A Little Progress Every Day

"Squeak—"

Push open the door of the inn.

The bright, dazzling summer sunlight and the clamor from the outside world, like a tidal wave, suddenly and violently crowded in, enveloping Dago.

Dago walked expressionlessly through the long, dark corridor, brushing past several strange wizards who were hurrying along and reeked of blood.

Finally, he arrived at the inn, where the crowds were bustling and various magical beast mounts were roaring.

This is a bustling, large wizard transit city in the central part of the Fate Empire.

He and Jason have been staying here discreetly for almost half a month.

During this period, Dago remained secluded, seizing every opportunity to diligently cultivate his magic and absorb his power.

Jason, whose social skills are off the charts, transforms into the most diligent hyena, going out early and returning late every day, sparing no effort to inquire about internal channels and secret methods for joining the empire's top forces in various black markets and taverns.

At this moment, Jason suddenly contacted him in such a mysterious way.

It's highly likely that this guy's underground intelligence network has finally made a breakthrough and has already found out the key recruitment information.

Jason suggested a meeting place in a secluded grove outside the city.

Without alerting anyone, Dago transformed into a faint gray shadow and smoothly made his way out of the city.

As he approached the agreed-upon location, he cautiously slowed his pace. His immense mental energy, like an invisible net, silently spread outwards, conducting a thorough scan.

After repeatedly confirming that there were no ambushes or unusual occurrences around him, he concealed his presence and continued to step into the woods like a ghost.

His lightweight boots, meticulously crafted from high-grade magical beast leather, creaked softly on the dewy, early summer grass.

Dago stopped steadily beneath an ancient, exceptionally thick, and leafy silver birch tree.

His gaze was calm as he looked around at the tiny, fragmented golden spots of light, cut into almost circular shapes by the leaves at his feet, and waited patiently.

"Dago..."

A moment later, a deep call came from the hidden bushes to the side.

Immediately afterwards, a chilling gust of air violently blew away the lush weeds.

With his signature bald head and black robes, Jason emerged like the Grim Reaper crawling out of his grave, stepping on wisps of nauseating black smoke of the dead.

"Don't be nervous, it's me."

Jason looked at Dago's cold eyes, which seemed ready to lash out at any moment, and gave a wry smile.

Then, he took a deep breath, his tone carrying a hint of relief and a barely perceptible sense of melancholy: "I called you here today specifically to say goodbye."

Upon hearing this, Dago's deep eyes flickered slightly: "What? You've already found a way to successfully join the Witchheart Palace?"

"Well, it took some effort, but we're finally making progress."

Jason nodded vigorously.

Then, he readily raised his hand and tossed a tiny runestone, gleaming with a crystalline light and specifically designed for intelligence recording, to Dago.

"This stone also contains confidential information and selection procedures related to 'Spirit Mirror Lake,' which is also a super-large force. I also spent a lot of money to find out all of this for you. Take it and look at it at your leisure."

Dago caught the runestone Jason tossed to him steadily and sent out a wisp of mental energy to scan the massive amount of information within it.

After confirming that everything was correct, a rare hint of strangeness and emotion finally surfaced in his perpetually indifferent expression.

"...Thank you, I owe you one."

Dago spoke solemnly.

Jason waved his hand dismissively, a self-deprecating smile playing on his lips:

"Don't thank me yet. I have to warn you, once you see that information, you'll understand. Joining Spirit Mirror Lake now is harder than climbing to heaven!"

"It's too early for you to thank me now. Let's wait until you actually survive the selection process."

Jason paused, looked up at the thick clouds in the sky, and sighed.

"Speaking of which, I wonder if we guys who came to try our luck at this crucial moment are incredibly lucky, or just incredibly unlucky..."

"The old prophet who was the pendulum of fate suddenly died. The upheaval of the generational transition has led almost all the top wizarding forces in the empire, including the Wizard Heart Palace and the Spirit Lake, to start relaxing their requirements on a large scale and recruiting full members to expand their ranks with fresh blood."

"If it weren't for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of a major reshuffle in the empire, as outsiders with no foundation, we might have waited in the city for decades and still not be able to even get close to those powerful forces."

"But... everything has two sides, and it is precisely because of this excellent opportunity that it has been made completely public."

Jason's expression turned incredibly grave, even bordering on ferocious. "So, the sheer number of talented wizards and outlaws from all over the world who have swarmed in like sharks smelling blood, hoping to seize this opportunity to infiltrate these two colossal powers, is simply outrageous!"

"You can imagine that once the real selection process begins, the competition and brutal battles we encounter will be a hundred times greater than usual!"

Dargo listened quietly to Jason's analysis and slowly nodded in agreement.

After a moment's thought, he fixed his sharp gaze on Jason and countered, "And you? Faced with this chaotic situation, are you confident you can successfully infiltrate the Temple of the Witch's Heart?"

"Half, I guess."

Jason's scarred face did not reveal much fear of death or fanaticism for fame and fortune.

He appeared extremely calm, even possessing a gambler's desperate air: "For me, the final result of this trip to the Temple of Witch Hearts to participate in the brutal selection is actually not important."

"In any case, in order to seek protection and a higher level of undead inheritance, I have no choice but to join a powerful force in the Empire of Destiny."

"If I'm unfortunately eliminated in the selection process of the Witchheart Temple, as long as I don't die, I can simply settle for a slightly less powerful large organization. I, Jason, have a worthless life; where can't I survive?"

"...Good luck. I hope you get what you want."

Dago carefully put away the precious runestone Jason had given him, and spoke in a calm but sincere tone.

Jason didn't say anything more, no matter how pretentious it sounded.

He simply waved his hand vigorously at Dago in a hearty manner.

Then, his immense spiritual power erupted instantly, and his wide black robe billowed violently like an inflated sail!

He was like a maddened owl, tearing through the air and suddenly soaring into the sky.

The ensuing cold, howling wind made the surrounding vegetation rustle as if it had been struck by frost.

His massive body instantly blocked out the sunlight, casting a huge shadow on the ground.

"Dago, you better stay alive, don't die easily in the selection."

"Once I've completely unlocked the ultimate secret of this linked ring, I'll definitely let you know immediately so we can divide the loot!"

Jason's wild voice rolled down from mid-air like thunder.

"I hope that when we meet again... we will both have reached the realm of miracles, looking down upon all living beings, hahahaha!"

Dago did not respond loudly.

He simply stood quietly under the tree, his head slightly tilted back, his icy blue eyes fixed on Jason's arrogant figure as he watched it gradually disappear into the distance.

Jason's figure remained until it became a tiny black dot in the sky, finally merging completely into the clouds and disappearing from sight.

"...Yes, it will, it definitely will."

Dago murmured softly and withdrew his complicated gaze.

He turned abruptly, his robes billowing, like a lone gladiator about to step onto a brutal battlefield, resolutely departing in another direction.