"I simply made the most sensible choice. You, on the other hand, clearly weren’t smart enough."
Kevin paused, his gaze sweeping over the three n’s furious faces before adding,
"You animal!"
Brian’s eyes turned crimson with rage, his blood boiling.
But Kevin couldn’t be bothered to spare them another glance. He turned to Raylo and bowed slightly, his humble posture a stark contrast to his earlier cruelty. He was like a completely different person.
"Ed, I’m putting you in charge of clearing and fortifying the castle. Catalog all the confiscated supplies, and pay special attention to the Magic Materials and Alchemy Items. Sort them carefully."
"As you command, my lord!"
Ed bowed and accepted his orders.
Outside the main hall, the commotion grew louder.
Crate after crate of heavy Gold Coins, bundle after bundle of Scrolls shimring with Magic Power, and all manner of finely crafted Weapons and Armor were carried out of Silver Mist Castle’s various storehouses by the Knights, flowing like a river to be piled up in the open ground before the castle.
Under the sun, the gleam of gold and silver intertwined with the radiance of the Magic Tools, creating a glare so bright it was hard to keep one’s eyes open.
Raylo paid no mind to these worldly goods. To him, wealth was rely a tool for expanding his power.
His true goal for this expedition was the magic inheritance of Silver Mist Castle.
He stood up and walked toward the Magic Tower.
Moonlight leaped onto his shoulder and looked around.
Coal Ball scampered happily after him.
Silver Mist Castle’s Magic Tower stood alone in a corner of the fortress. Its body was covered in massive cracks from Mammoth impacts and craters from catapult stones. The once-smooth stone walls were now scarred and battered.
The flagpole at the top of the tower was bare; the Donne Family’s white swan banner was long gone.
A strange, mixed scent of blood and char hung in the air inside the tower. Traces of battle were everywhere in the stairwell.
Broken Magic Staffs, scorched fragnts of Magic Robes, and dried bloodstains.
Raylo paid it no mind, heading straight up.
Moonlight leaped lightly up the rubble-strewn steps, remaining utterly spotless.
Coal Ball, anwhile, curiously sniffed here and there with his little nose, letting out a few low whimpers from ti to ti.
Soon, they reached the top floor of the Mage Tower.
Bookshelves were toppled over, and countless precious books and Sheepskin Scrolls were scattered on the floor, so trampled beyond recognition.
Raylo’s gaze swept over the chaos, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Coal Ball."
he said flatly.
"AWOO!"
Coal Ball instantly perked up, his small body darting nimbly through the study.
His little nose twitched nonstop. He would nudge a bookshelf with his head one mont, then paw at a pile of Sheepskin Scrolls the next, just like a treasure-seeking Hunting Dog.
Raylo found it a little amusing. ’When did this little guy get so dog-like?’
A mont later, Coal Ball suddenly stopped in front of a seemingly unremarkable wall, on which hung a huge portrait of a Donne Family ancestor.
The man in the painting had an arrogant expression and held a Magic Staff inlaid with Gemstones.
Coal Ball circled the portrait twice, then excitedly lifted a front paw and pointed to the third floor tile to the left below the painting, letting out two "Awoo! Awoo!" barks at Raylo.
Raylo walked over, crouched down, and carefully examined the floor tile.
Compared to the other tiles, the edges of this one seed to have extrely faint signs of wear.
He reached out a finger and knocked lightly.
"THUD, THUD, THUD..."
The dull sound was no different from the surrounding area.
He tried pressing on it, but the tile didn’t budge.
Seeing this, Coal Ball grew a little impatient. He pawed at the ground, then nudged Raylo’s hand with his head, urging him to try sothing else.
Raylo grew thoughtful, his gaze returning to the portrait.
He noticed the Gemstone set at the tip of the ancestor’s Magic Staff. The staff was pointing directly at an inconspicuous decorative stone carving on the wall.
A white swan, its wings spread as if about to take flight.
He reached out, took hold of the stone swan, and twisted its slender neck with a bit of force.
"CLICK..."
A soft sound ca from within the wall.
Imdiately after, the wall with the portrait slowly sank inward, revealing a deep, dark entrance.
An icy, pure aura of Magic Power wafted out from it, carrying a faint mist.
Coal Ball let out an excited growl and was about to charge in, but Raylo scooped him up into his arms.
"Be careful."
Raylo stepped inside.
The secret chamber was small, containing only a single stone platform.
On the platform lay a solitary Magic Scripture.
The book’s cover was made of so kind of silver tal, with the faint outline of a white swan visible on it.
The *Silver Mist Secret Scripture*.
This was the ultimate prize he had co for: the centuries-old magical legacy of the Donne Family.
Raylo reached out and picked up the Secret Scripture.
The book was lighter than he expected, as if he were holding a cloud.
The mont his fingertips touched the silver tal cover, a cold, slick sensation spread through them, as if he were touching not tal, but a patch of solidified fog.
Raylo opened the cover. The pages were not parchnt or paper, but so kind of extrely thin, shimring Magic Material. They felt warm and smooth to the touch, and the words, as if written in liquid moonlight, cast a soft glow in the dim secret chamber.
Coal Ball, still in his arms, craned his neck, trying to get a curious sniff, only for Moonlight to lean down from Raylo’s shoulder and push him back with a gentle but firm paw.
Coal Ball let out an aggrieved "whimper," pulling his head back and staring at the book with his big, dark eyes.
Raylo had no ti for the two little creatures’ antics. His mind was completely captivated by the content of the pages.
The beginning wasn’t filled with abstruse magical theory, but rather a ditation Atlas for a thod called the *Silver Mist ditation thod*.
It was completely different from the breathing techniques common to Knights, which focused on tempering the body and cultivating Fighting Spirit. The core of this ditation thod was "assimilation."
It guided the ditator to extend their Spiritual Power infinitely, rging with the wind to feel the pulse of every current, from the soft whisper of a breeze rustling through blades of grass to the roar of a storm tearing through the sky.
By becoming one with the wind, one could absorb the free-roaming Wind Elent from the air with much greater efficiency—several tis more than with ordinary ditation thods.
What was even more ingenious was that once one’s understanding of the wind reached a certain depth, they could guide the Wind Elent and Water Elent to resonate with each other on a microscopic level, condensing a unique "Fog Magic Power" within the body.
When Raylo read this, his heart trembled slightly.
This ditation thod was not about exclusion, but assimilation and resonance. Not only could it greatly enhance a Cultivator’s affinity for Wind Magic, but it could also use other elental Magic Powers within the Cultivator’s body as a catalyst to give rise to the mutated attribute of fog.
He continued to read on.
The following Chapters elaborated on the combat applications of Wind Magic.
The ancestor of the Donne Family was clearly a pragmatist. The book contained few flashy, impractical spells; nearly every technique was refined to its absolute peak.
From the basic "Wind Blade Technique," to the advanced "Wind Entanglent" and "Wind Manipulation Step," and finally to the High Tier "Vacuum Slash" and "Wind Tornado."
The book not only recorded Spells and Hand Seals, but also used vivid illustrations and concise text to analyze the fundantal principles of each spell, as well as how to integrate them with Weapons and footwork.
For example, the book recorded three different applications for "Wind Entanglent."
First, by rapidly wrapping the Wind Elent around a blade, one could form an invisible, aerodynamic edge. This would not only drastically increase the Weapon’s cutting power but also disrupt an enemy’s block.
Second, by wrapping it around oneself, one could form a close-fitting Shield of wind pressure, capable of effectively deflecting arrows and Low Tier Magic.
Third, and most insidious, was to attach an imperceptible current of air to an enemy, like a beacon, allowing one to precisely track their location no matter where they hid.
The applications of Wind Magic alone were worth the price of admission.
However, it was only when he turned to the second half of the Secret Scripture that he understood the book’s true value.
The entire second half was dedicated to Fog Magic.
"Fog, the form of wind, the substance of water, possesses the dual powers of concealnt and corrosion. A master can take a life in silence and control the battlefield from the unseen."
The very first sentence sent a chill through Raylo.
Unlike Wind Magic, Fog Magic seed treacherous and deadly.
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