Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

After the floating spirit incident, the journey generally returned to calm.

Time flew by during the intense training, and in the blink of an eye, it was already the seventy-seventh day.

Inside the silent cabin, Ian sat cross-legged with his eyes closed.

Deep within the sea of ​​consciousness, the silvery-white light of the [Seed of Stars] had become incredibly solid and pure after nearly three months of continuous tempering.

The star trail patterns, like cracks spreading across ice, completely covered the entire surface of the seed.

Suddenly, a soft "hum" sounded in my mind, like a string being plucked at its perfect resonance point.

The silver veins on the seed's surface suddenly lit up, then collapsed and condensed inwards...

Then it exploded!

Countless pale golden fragments of spiritual energy burst forth from the crystal core.

Like a miniature nebula storm, it spun rapidly above the sea of ​​the mind.

Each rotation draws in countless tiny, illusory stars in the sky, causing them to resonate together.

At the center of the storm, the crystal core stabilized completely.

It emits a constant, warm, pale golden glow, with clear silver patterns flowing across its surface.

"The elementalization of mental energy has finally reached 10%."

Ian slowly opened his eyes.

In the dim light of the cabin, a flash of silver light appeared in the depths of his pupils.

Brighter and more stable than ever before.

He felt that his mental sea was nearly 40% wider than before, and the speed of mental energy circulation had nearly doubled.

The level of refinement and control precision has seen a qualitative leap.

He raised his right hand, his five fingers loosely clenched.

Above the palm, a pure black sphere about two centimeters in diameter silently appeared.

There were no violent gravitational fluctuations, and no obvious distortion of space.

It hovered there, stable, still...

Like the core of a black hole that has been forcibly solidified, it exudes a restrained and terrifying pressure.

With a slight thought, Ian caused the black ball to vanish from his palm and reappear three meters away in front of the bulkhead, silently stretching the air and creating a visible fold.

The casting range and power have been increased by at least 1.5 times.

"It's the stellar rules within the crystal core that amplified this effect..."

Ian muttered to himself, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"Gah!"

An excited hum came from my shoulder.

A shadow rolled off Ian’s shoulder and flashed three times in mid-air.

Each time it disappeared and reappeared, it landed precisely in a different corner of the cabin.

Gaga finally landed back on Ian's lap, its heterochromatic eyes sparkling, and it rubbed its little head against his hand.

"Ian, you've broken through!"

The little guy's voice was full of excitement.

"Um."

Ian was in a great mood, a smile curving his lips as he reached out and rubbed its little head, the feathers feeling warm and soft to the touch.

He opened his left hand, and in his palm lay the fragment of the star core.

What was originally the size of a fist is now reduced to a tiny, sesame-seed-sized silver speck, dimly embedded in the velvet.

"What a pity." Ian sighed softly, picking up the last bit of crumbs.

As the journey progressed into its final stages, fewer and fewer events occurred.

Ian's interactions with Adele and Delia became more and more frequent.

Inside the cramped cabin, the three sat around a low table, the tabletop covered with thick parchment.

Above is a family tree, information on potential rivals, and the intricate power distribution of the seventeen cities in the East, all marked by Idyl in silver ink.

The candlelight flickered, casting the shadows of the three people onto the metal bulkhead.

Ian did not hide his identity as a potion master.

"I have mastered the high-purity formula for Starshine Medicine."

His voice was calm, as if he were stating a trivial fact.

The moment she finished speaking, Adele's previously tired and dull eyes suddenly lit up.

Her fingers, resting on her knees, unconsciously curled up and then quickly relaxed.

Delia, the gentle-looking witch beside him, paused for a fleeting moment, her breath almost imperceptible.

Then, in his gaze toward Ian, there was an undisguised surprise hidden beneath the gentle warmth of an elder.

"Ian..." Adele's voice was a little hoarse.

She cleared her throat before continuing, "You always bring unexpected...surprises."

She paused, then a relieved smile spread across her delicate face.

"It seems my 'Time Trace' bloodline senses are correct. From the first time I saw you and your familiar in the corridor, I knew... you are extraordinary."

She looked at Ian with a complicated expression.

"I'm not even a hundred years old, a mid-stage level two wizard, and I'm already considered a genius in the family, while you... are too young."

She didn't ask for the exact age, but Ian knew she had guessed.

A level two wizard under thirty years old would be a true genius anywhere in the Central Continent.

What's more... Ian comes from a remote island.

Delia nodded slightly, her gaze toward Ian shifting from initial scrutiny to a subtle expectation.

The ninety-third day.

In the early morning, the view outside the porthole was still a deep, inky blue.

Ian ended his meditation and went to the window.

For the first time, a color different from the endless black of the sea appeared on the horizon.

A blurry, heavy gray shadow stretched across the horizon.

At first it was just a faint line, but as the Leapfrog's altitude gradually decreased, its speed also seemed to slow down.

The gray shadow began to expand and become clearer rapidly, carrying a silent sense of oppression as it rushed towards us.

mountain.

These are not the typical mountain ranges found on the continent of Anoria, which are characterized by relatively soft lines and lush greenery.

Rather, it is a real, black, colossal peak, as if cleaved by an ancient giant with the most brutal force.

The mountain peaks were as if carved by a knife and axe, their sharp edges so piercing to the eye.

The mountain's surface is not rock, but rather flows with magical patterns that intertwine silver-blue and dark red.

Like the veins of the earth, it shimmers with a cold light.

At the foot of the mountain, the view suddenly opens up.

A port city stretching for hundreds of kilometers, like a crouching metal behemoth, unfolds before your eyes.

The arrangement of the buildings is not chaotic, but follows a mysterious and profound geometric order.

Within countless circular shapes, nested layers of shrinking rune rings.

What comes into view are towers of varying heights, factories, warehouses, and residential areas...

Together they form a massive, slowly rotating, three-dimensional rune array with a diameter exceeding thirty kilometers!

At the center of this magnificent array are seven colossal towers piercing the low-hanging clouds.

The tower is not made of stone, but is constructed entirely of some kind of pure, transparent crystal, with a bright, silvery radiance flowing inside, like liquid starlight.

The clouds above the port were illuminated with rings of light.

Silver Sail Port, the gateway to the eastern border of the Central Continent.

Ian stood by the porthole, gazing silently.

His spiritual perception spread out silently like an invisible tide, cautiously touching this unfamiliar world.

Then, he "heard" it.

It wasn't a real sound, but countless solid, vast breaths, like those of a dormant volcano.

They are situated among the seven giant towers and scattered throughout the port.

Level 4, Level 4, and still Level 4...

Even with just a rough perception, there were at least five distinct auras of a Level 4 Morning Star Wizard!

Deeper still, there were even more obscure and terrifying fluctuations hidden at the core of the rune array.

Ian slowly withdrew his senses, his fingertips gently stroking the cool windowsill.

Everything Anoria is proud of... the Morning Star Wizards of the Silver Ring, the so-called "continental order".

Here, it's just a scene in a remote port.

His shoulders slumped slightly.

Gaga squatted down at some point, its little paws gripping his collar tightly.

Its heterochromatic pupils reflected the silver light flowing from the seven towering pagodas outside the window.

His small body was a little stiff.

"Ian..."

It transmitted its voice softly, with a hint of tension that was barely perceptible.

"The people here... are all so scary."

The sea breeze seeped in through the gaps in the spaceship's shields, carrying a dry, cold scent.

The salty smell of seawater, the rust of metal, and the complex aromas of countless unfamiliar potions and energy ores.

This is the taste of the Central Continent.

Ian remained silent for a few seconds.

"Mmm," he responded softly.

The gaze shifted from the seven giant towers to the bustling, vast port city below, a city rife with unknowns and crises.

"So what will we do from now on, Ga?" Ga asked again, leaning her little head against his neck.

Ian raised his hand and gently stroked the feathers on its back.

"Let's find a place to stay first."

His voice was calm, yet it carried an overwhelming confidence.

"And then... I kept getting stronger."

He looked out the window at the land that was getting closer and closer, shimmering with countless magical lights.

Deep within his black eyes, that silver glint shone steadily.

At dusk.

The setting sun bathed the seven crystal towers in a molten gold color.

The massive hull of the Leapfrog emitted a deep hum as it slowly docked at the star-track berth numbered "seven" on the west side of the harbor.

With a click, the metal gangway precisely docked with the obsidian floor of the port.

Ian gave the empty cabin one last check to make sure nothing was missing before pushing open the door and stepping out.

There were already people waiting in the corridor.

Adele changed into a more formal dark blue long dress, over which she wore a cloak embroidered with the family crest in dark gold.

Her face was still pale, but her eyes were bright and her back was straight.

Delia, dressed in a neat blue butler's uniform, stood quietly half a step behind her, carrying an inconspicuous leather suitcase.

When Ian came out, Adele nodded slightly.

Ian took a step, his boots touching the ground of the central continent for the first time.

The obsidian ground beneath my feet was cold and hard, soaked with sea breeze and twilight.

Then came the sound...

On the left, a burly man with a weathered face was waving a huge tentacle that was still dripping with slime, shouting at several young men dressed as apprentices while spitting as he did so.

"Just hunted a Deepsea Nightmare! Top-grade enchanting materials! Ten standard magic stones, no bargaining!"

On the right, two mercenaries wearing different styles of leather armor are arguing.

They argued heatedly over whether the rune embedded in an arm guard should be "Sharpness III" or "Sturdiness II," their faces turning red with rage, their fingers almost poking each other's noses.

In the distance, a group of apprentices dressed in uniform gray robes jogged past, their faces hurried, carrying thick books or tightly sealed boxes of materials in their arms.

Ian took a deep breath; the smell of the sea, the metallic scent, the ozone, the dust...

Countless kinds of magical potions and energy scents that he could not identify flooded into his nasal cavity.

Ian took a deep breath; the smell of the sea, the metallic scent, the ozone, the dust...

Countless kinds of magical potions and energy scents that he could not identify flooded into his nasal cavity.

Vast, chaotic, vibrant, and permeated with invisible pressure.

Gaga huddled in the shadow of Ian's hood, only its small eyes peeking out as it warily scanned its surroundings.

Adele walked to his side and, following his gaze, glanced at the noisy harbor.

"The Just family's potion workshop is located at No. 17, Wutong Street, west of the city."

Her voice was steady, revealing no emotion.

"It's about a half-hour drive from here. Shall we set off now?"

Ian looked up, gazing beyond the towering buildings and bustling crowds of the harbor, towards the distance.

As dusk settled completely, the sky turned a deep, inky blue.

At the top of the seven crystal towers, runes shone with a light more dazzling than the stars.

At the end of that light lies an unfamiliar starry sky.

After a long while, he withdrew his gaze, his dark eyes returning to their calm and still state.

"Let's go."

The journey across the Central Continent officially begins at this moment.