Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

late at night.

In the living room of No. 7 Wisteria Lane, the crystal lamp was dimmed to its lowest setting.

The dim light fell on the worn armrests of the old sofa, revealing the rough fiber texture.

Ian sat on the sofa, gently stroking Gaga's little head with his palm.

The little guy curled up on his knees, a ball of black fluff.

The feathers gleamed with a dark silver luster in the dim light, and the wings were tightly folded together.

His silver heterochromatic eyes were half-closed, and a point of light flickered deep within them.

"Gah..." it gurgled, the sound muffled.

Ian lowered his head. "What's wrong?"

"Ian..." Gaga rubbed her little head against his palm.

"You've become stronger, so I can't help you anymore, huh?"

The little guy's voice was soft, tinged with a hint of grievance; the gap between it and Ian was widening.

Ian was silent for a moment, then gently rubbed Gaga's head with his fingers.

"Hehe, you don't need to worry." He paused, then softened his voice.

"Next, I will help you improve."

Gaga raised her head, her silver eyes reflecting the dim light.

"Really?"

"Really." Ian took two items out of his dimensional ring.

Four fist-sized shadow crystals, their surfaces shimmering with a shadowy sheen.

There is also a small bag of Tier 2 Blood Essence, about a dozen pieces.

Ian looked into Gaga's eyes, "Starting tomorrow, I will prepare special medicine for you."

"First break through to the mid-stage of the second tier, then... the third tier."

The little claws of the squeaky bird scratched at his knee.

"Third tier..." it repeated in a low voice, the light in its pupils suddenly brightening for a moment.

Just then, Ian's mental energy stirred slightly.

He raised his head and looked outside.

Soon, the door was pushed open.

Adele stood outside the door, her chest rising and falling slightly, her breathing a little rapid.

She stared at Ian, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

His eyes held tension, worry, and a hint of relief.

"I'm glad you're alright."

Adele walked into the living room and sat down on the old wooden chair opposite Ian, her back straight.

"I received the message you left," she said softly, her tone calm.

"But you didn't say where you were going, what you were going to do, or when you would be back."

She looked up into Ian's eyes, his deep blue pupils appearing exceptionally profound under the light.

"An accident happened on the day of the review, and you disappeared the next day."

"I've had Nassenger guard this place, coming several times a day, waiting for your return."

Her tone was hurried, but every word was clear.

Ian paused for two seconds, then said, "I'm sorry, I have things I have to do."

He carefully chose his words, "At the time... there wasn't time to go into details."

Adele took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling slightly, and then slowly exhaled.

She stood up, walked to the window, and turned her back to Ian.

Looking out the window at the dark alley.

The night was deep, and a few streetlights cast dim yellow halos in the distance.

The shadows of the sycamore trees swayed in the wind, like countless menacing hands.

"I went to Silver Sail City."

She began to speak, her voice soft, but every word reached Ian's ears clearly.

Collins has been confined by his family and is not allowed to leave Silversail City for a year.

"The Hawkwood family has agreed to halve the toll fees for the trade routes between the three cities in the East for twenty years."

"They will compensate for the losses caused by this incident separately."

She turned around, her expression solemn. "From today onwards... I am the first heir of the Just family."

Ian was taken aback. "That's good news, congratulations."

Adele stared at him. "That's it?"

She took two steps closer, tilted her head back, and looked at his face.

The candlelight reflected in her pupils, sparkling like two dancing flames.

"I'm telling you this..."

Her voice was very low, carrying something that had been suppressed for too long and was finally about to overflow.

"I'm telling you... as long as I'm here, no one can touch you."

The living room quieted down, with only the sound of the wind outside the window and the soft, rustling of breathing.

Adele's eyes reddened slightly, but she blinked hard twice to suppress the tears.

His chin was held high, as if defending some last vestige of dignity.

Ian stared at her, stunned.

"Could it be that he was so happy to win the election that he cried tears of joy? Hmm... I can understand."

Silence lingered in the living room for a long time before Gaga couldn't help but scratch the sofa cushion.

Ian also felt awkward and changed the subject.

"I have something to tell you."

He raised his right hand, palm open, fingers outstretched, and his skin began to turn translucent.

Blood vessels, bones, muscles... all flesh and blood tissue gradually melted away in the halo, turning into countless tiny silver specks of light.

The points of light flowed like stardust, connecting with each other to form liquid starlight.

It slowly rotates in the palm of your hand, like a miniature nebula.

The entire hand was as transparent as crystal, with silver light flowing inside, mysterious and enigmatic.

Adele's gaze fell on that hand, her pupils dilating slightly.

"This is……"

She had seen her father's elemental form, as well as the elders of the family.

But this hand in front of me... is different.

The silver light spots were too dense, and their movement was too mysterious.

This is not a simple energy state, but rather the manifestation of some... more fundamental rule.

She doesn't understand.

With a slight thought, Ian's palm returned to its original state, and his skin became warm again.

"I am now... a level three wizard."

Adele stood still, motionless.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he choked on his words.

"Level three..." she said softly, as if she were talking in her sleep.

A quack flew over and said, "Yeah, Ian will help you out from now on, quack."

Adele closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and her chest heaved violently.

When he opened his eyes again, they blazed with intense light.

The light contained a mixture of shock, ecstasy, disbelief... and a trace of something she herself dared not even think about.

Ian was a level three, and her status was no different from hers; between the two...

In the living room, crystal lamps illuminated her delicate face.

Her nose was slightly red, and her eyelashes cast fine shadows under her eyelids.

She stared at Ian for a long time, her eyebrows curving upwards and her face breaking into a smile.

"Level 3 Wizard..."

She repeated the word, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

"I really want to see...their expressions tomorrow. Tomorrow morning, you will come with me to the family council hall."

Ian nodded. "Okay."

He had been eyeing the Just family's library for a long time.

Adele did not linger and turned to leave.

She stopped at the door and looked back at Ian and Gaga in the candlelight.

"Next time you go on a long trip... at least let me know."

The door closed gently, and the footsteps faded into the alley until they disappeared.

Gaga raised its head, its silver eyes fixed on Ian.

"Ian, you understand what she means, right?"

Ian rubbed his temples. "Of course I know."

He said confidently, "I broke through to level three, and she won the election, so I'm happy."

Gaga rolled her eyes and tilted her little head to one side.

"You're so stupid."

It jumped onto the back of the sofa, curled up into a ball, closed its eyes, and left only a purring sound echoing in the living room.

Poor Adel...

"Hehe, I've become a Level 3 Guest Elder. Tomorrow I'll see what useful items you can find in their family's storeroom..."

The next morning.

The sunlight was dazzling, and the sky was a clear blue.

Seven or eight carriages were parked in the square in front of the Just family’s main hall.

The carriages are engraved with different family crests: thunder eagles, vines, stars, flames...

The wizards stood in twos and threes under the pillars, talking in hushed tones, as if afraid of disturbing something.

Ian followed behind Adele across the square, with Gaga perched on his shoulder, her silver eyes scanning the crowd.

"Is that Ian? The one whose guest advisor investigation went wrong..."

"I heard the Hawkwood family's assassins want to blow him up..."

"Elder Soren suppressed it on the spot..."

"Fate is so great..."

Ian looked straight ahead, his gaze landing on the black metal door of the administration office.

The door was ajar, letting in dim light from inside.

Adele stopped in front of the door, turned around and glanced at him, her eyes questioning.

Ian nodded slightly.

She took a deep breath, reached out and pushed open the massive door. The hinges turned slightly, making a low, rumbling sound.

The hall was now packed with people, at least three times more than during the last audit.

All nine stone chairs on the high platform were occupied.

Elder Darcy sat in the center, his grey robe trailing behind the chair, while Elder Sauron sat to his left, his withered fingers resting on the armrest.

The other seven elders sat in order, their eyes calm, but their auras solid and profound.

Several young people were sitting in the audience.

Edwin held his teacup, looking relaxed.

His silver-white robe was spotless, and a faint smile played at the corners of his lips.

Adrian sat beside him, his face somewhat gloomy and his eyes darting around.

Beside her stood the fifth heir, Aisha, her long golden hair tied up with a silver hairpin, revealing her smooth forehead.

His eyes were calm, like a deep pool of water.

She looked at Adele and nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Edel walked to the center of the hall and stood still. Her deep purple robe shimmered with iridescent colors under the crystal lights.

Elder Soren spoke first, "Edel, you said you had something urgent to announce."

Adele nodded, turned to face the platform, and straightened her back.

"My guest, Ian, was officially promoted to a third-level wizard the day before yesterday."

Her soft words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the hearts of everyone present.

After he finished speaking, the hall fell into a deathly silence.

The parchment slipped from the middle-aged official's fingers, like a withered leaf floating in the air, and slowly landed.

The clerks on both sides of the counter seemed to be frozen in place.

His body stiffened, his pupils dilated, and even his breathing stopped.

Elder Darcy sat up abruptly, his grey robes rippling across the chair.

He stared at Adele, a piercing glint in his eyes.

Like two bolts of lightning, piercing through the air.

Elder Soren narrowed his eyes slightly and tapped the armrest lightly with his withered fingers.

The footsteps were very light, but everyone in the hall heard them.

Ian walked slowly into the room.

He stepped out from behind Adele and stood beside her.

The gray robe looked plain under the lamplight, but at this moment it resembled some kind of flag.

In the audience, Edwin's teacup tilted slightly.

The tea spilled out, landing on the silver-white cuffs and spreading into dark water stains.

But he was completely oblivious, staring intently at Ian, his pupils contracting to pinpoints.

"Level 3 Wizard..."

Adrian's face was equally grim, his nails digging deeply into the wood grain.

Ashia's eyes lit up as she looked at Ian and Edel, her smile deepening.

Elder Darcy stood up and walked down from the platform.

His grey-white robe trailed behind him, and with each step he took, the ground trembled slightly.

An invisible pressure spread with his steps, and the air in the hall suddenly froze.

His grey-white robe trailed behind him, and with each step he took, the ground trembled slightly.

An invisible pressure spread with his steps, and the air in the hall suddenly froze.

The first-level wizards turned pale and had difficulty breathing, as if an invisible hand was choking them.

Darcy stopped three steps away from Ian, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

It's like trying to pierce through the pupils and see into the depths of the soul.

Ian calmly looked back, and deep in his pupils, the phantom of three star trails slowly rotated.

Darcy raised his right hand, palm up, fingers spread.

Ian raised his left hand and opened it out as well.

Hold your hands an inch apart in the air and stop.

hum!

Silver specks of light appeared in Ian's palm, dense as stardust, swirling into a small silver nebula.

At the center of the nebula, a pale golden light emanated, a trace of the purification rules.

Grayish-white mist appeared in Darcy's palm, swirling like a living thing, with fine runes flashing within.

This is the manifestation of the rules of time.

The moment the two energies collided, the air in the hall froze completely.

The first-level wizards groaned, almost collapsing to their knees.

The second-level wizard also turned pale, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

Only at level three or above can calm be maintained.

A silver nebula confronts a gray-white mist.

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

Darcy withdrew his hand first, and the pressure suddenly disappeared.

A wave of relief swept through the hall.

Darcy looked at Ian, a slight smile appearing on his face.

"Lord Ian, I apologize for my earlier offense."

In the Eastern Territory, a Level 3 wizard is already the absolute center of any faction.

They are completely equal beings, and he must not be disrespectful.

He turned and walked back to the platform to sit down, his gaze sweeping across the entire room before finally settling on Edel.

"Edel, you have done a great job and made a great contribution to the family."

Darcy's tone was filled with undisguised admiration.

The atmosphere in the hall instantly exploded!

"It really is a Category III film..."

"Where did Edel find such a young level three wizard...?"

"Our Just family has gained another elder..."

"It's over... Edwin and his group are completely finished..."

The sound of whispers boiled and churned incessantly in the hall.

Edwin slowly put down his teacup, remained silent for a long time, and then sighed softly.

Adrian, who was standing next to him, heard it all clearly.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't.

He simply lowered his head, staring blankly at the tea stains on his cuffs.

Aisha stood up, walked down from the audience seats, came to Adele, and took her hand.

"Seventh Sister, congratulations."

Her voice was choked with emotion, and her eyes were slightly red.

Adele grasped her hand in return and squeezed it tightly.

The two exchanged a glance, said nothing, but there was no need to say anything more.

Aisha turned to look at Ian, bowed slightly, and adopted a respectful posture.

"Greetings, Your Excellency Ian."

Ian nodded. "Miss Ashia."

Aisha smiled, turned around and went back to her seat.

His gaze fell on the gray figure, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

Envy,感慨, 幸幸, and a hint of...relief.

Elder Darcy spoke again, his voice not loud, but enough to drown out all the noise in the hall.

"The status of a Level 3 Guest Elder requires an upgrade in approval authority."

He looked at the middle-aged official in charge of affairs, "Treat it according to the highest family standards."

The middle-aged official bowed quickly and said, "Yes."

Darcy's gaze swept over the crowd below the platform.

The specific permissions are as follows.

"First, you can receive three sets of level three materials each month, and the list will be drawn up by Lord Ian himself."

"Secondly, one can freely enter and exit the third level of the secret vault to borrow level three books, witchcraft, and recipes."

"Third, they can attend meetings of the council of elders and have the right to make suggestions."

"Fourth, their magical pets can apply for a Tier 3 resource quota, which will be provided by the family."

As soon as he finished speaking, a collective gasp filled the hall.

Three sets of level-three materials per month—this is the wealth that a level-two wizard dreams of.

On the third level of the secret vault, some of the books require even the elders to apply for permission to access them.

Attending the council of elders, though without voting rights, allows one to observe the family's most crucial decisions.

And then there are the magical pet resources… Everyone’s gaze instinctively fell on Ian’s shoulder.

That little silver-gray bird.

Gaga puffed out her chest, raised her little head, and scanned the crowd with her silver eyes.

"Gah!"

It let out a soft cry, its eyes conveying a "What are you looking at?" expression.

Elder Soren stood up.

The greyish-white robe gleamed softly under the lamplight.

"Mr. Ian, what do you think? Please point out anything you've overlooked."

Ian nodded slightly. "Thank you, Elder. That's all for now."

Darcy glanced at the head of the table and exchanged glances with the others.

"Alright, since that's the case... By the decision of all the elders, the status of a Level 3 Guest Elder shall take effect immediately."

His voice was calm, but carried an undeniable authority.

"From today onwards, Lord Ian's identity will be officially recorded in the family archives."

After the meeting concluded, the crowd gradually dispersed.

Edwin was the first to leave, his back view looking somewhat desolate.

Adrian followed behind him, his expression somber.

Aisha walked up to Adele, said a few more words, the two hugged, and then she turned and left.

The middle-aged administrative officer quickly stepped forward and caught up with Ian.

He handed Ian a brand new badge and a scroll of parchment listings.

Ian took it; the badge was dark silver with time-marked patterns engraved on its surface, and it was much heavier than the previous Level Two Guest Elder badge.

The parchment list was densely packed with detailed rules and regulations governing various permissions.

He glanced at it without looking closely and put the ring away.

Stepping out of the hall, the sunlight outside was dazzling, and the sky was a clear, deep blue.

In the square, most of the carriages had already left, with only a few still parked in place, the drivers dozing off against the carriage shafts.

Adele and Ian walked side by side on the cobblestone path, their footsteps echoing in the empty square.

Gaga perched on Ian's shoulder, its little head looking left and right.

The sunlight reflected in her silver eyes, making them sparkle.

"Ian," Adele suddenly spoke.

"Everything has changed since I met you."

Ian didn't answer, but looked up at the sky.

Several gray-feathered, white-winged birds flew by and quickly disappeared from sight.

Three days ago, he was just a second-level guest advisor, and he was plotted against but could not directly fight back.

He is now a Level 3 Wizard, the youngest Level 3 Guest Elder in the Juster family.

It is Adele's most crucial asset.

"Yes, everything has changed, but thankfully... the outcome was not bad."

He raised his hand and rubbed Gaga's head.

The little guy made a gurgling sound and rubbed against his palm.

"Let's go, I'll make you an extra meal when we get back."

A man and a bird, their figures gradually disappearing.

The sunlight fell on their shoulders, casting long shadows.

Like two straight lines, pointing to the unknown distance.