Ronan could sense the golden beetle slowly absorbing his soul energy.
However, the amount absorbed was minimal, and due to the existence of the master-servant contract, he could interrupt this process at any time.
This seemed like a way for the other party to recover energy.
Ronan did not "disturb" the absorption; instead, he felt somewhat relieved.
Even simple conscious communication could deplete energy to the point where it needed to rely on him to "survive." Clearly, Alazan's soul had weakened to an extremely low level, which explained why he was even willing to sign a master-servant contract.
As for having an ancient elder's soul residing within his body, Ronan wasn't particularly opposed to it.
Alazan, as the former leader of the ancient Spirit Wizards, possessed not only knowledge of spells and soul-related legacies but also a wealth of experience and wisdom that was an immense treasure.
Now that the contract was signed, the initiative was entirely in Ronan's hands. With some effort, he might be able to "squeeze" far more benefits from Alazan than he had initially imagined.
"Respect can be shown on the surface, but caution must be exercised in the shadows."
"An ancient being who has lived for who knows how long possesses hidden wisdom and methods far beyond my comprehension."
The situation between Ronan and Alazan might not be accurately described as "making a deal with the devil."
But Ronan never believed in the idea of free gifts from the heavens. The more advantageous the situation seemed for him, the more cautious he needed to be.
After calmly considering the situation, Ronan took a paper-folded blue bird from his space ring and gently rubbed it in his hands. Soon, the paper bird "came to life," transforming into a real blue bird that swiftly flew out of the cave.
This was a communication tool given to him by Ke Si Di when he left the southern region, used to contact the wizards of the "Elemental Ring."
Now that matters with Evaque were settled, Ronan needed to prepare to head to the Elemental Ring.
He had checked the map and realized that his current location was actually quite close to the Life Court Empire. However, he wasn't sure exactly where the Elemental Ring was located within the Life Court, and he had no idea how long it would take to get there.
The blue bird flew out and would return once it received a response.
The duration of this process varied depending on the distance, making it far less convenient and quick than using a Message Stone. However, the advantage was that communication no longer relied on message towers. No matter the location or distance, the information could be delivered reliably.
After sending the message, Ronan once again assessed his current condition.
The physical injuries had mostly healed, though the consumed life energy had not fully recovered.
The battle in the Spirit Space had proven that the idea of using the [Spiral Palace] to enhance his physical body was indeed feasible, and the results had far exceeded Ronan's initial expectations.
And this was only the [First Spiral Palace]. In theory, the [Spiral Palace] system derived from the "Comb Bone Demon Snail" could be infinitely stacked.
[First Spiral Palace], [Second Spiral Palace]... [Tenth Spiral Palace], [Hundredth Spiral Palace]... even [Ten Thousandth Spiral Palace]! The Demon Snail's labyrinth was endless! As his strength grew, the number of legacies Ronan needed to study—both those displayed on his character panel and those not—continued to increase.
Time was always precious, and as Ronan settled down to prepare for his journey into cultivation, his mind was involuntarily drawn to the black dandelion that had arrived with Alazan in his consciousness space.
After some hesitation, Ronan couldn't resist the strong curiosity within him and gently touched it with his consciousness.
A black petal fell from the dandelion.
In an instant, Ronan's consciousness was swiftly "sucked" into the petal.
"Ronan!"
"Ronan!"
A series of clear, childish voices called out to him. Ronan struggled to open his eyes.
The warm sunlight shone directly on his face, the light particularly glaring.
"He's awake! He's awake!!"
"You scared me! I thought he was dead!"
"What a fool, falling off the haystack and landing on his head..."
Amidst the cheers mixed with disdain and mockery, Ronan finally saw his surroundings clearly.
He was lying on a straw mat made of hay, surrounded by a group of dirty, malnourished young faces.
One face, covered in red freckles, was extremely close to his, with a thick yellow snot hanging from the nose almost dripping onto his own.
Ronan suddenly stood up, a move that immediately brought back a strong sense of discomfort and weakness.
Quickly, he was shocked to discover that he had "shrunk" back into the body of a child.
His limbs were thin, looking no older than six or seven.
"Damn it!"
Ronan's expression turned extremely grim.
"Alazan!"
He gritted his teeth as he uttered the name.
He had suddenly "reborn" into a six or seven-year-old child, and without guessing, he knew it must be Alazan's doing.
Before he lost consciousness, he had only tried to touch the black dandelion flower representing the soul inheritance left by Alazan in his consciousness space.
Facing Alazan, he thought he had been cautious enough, but he still fell into the other's trap!
"What's he saying? Did he hit his head too hard?"
"Oh! Little Ronan from the pig farmer's family has gone mad! Little Ronan from the pig farmer's family has gone mad!"
"Looks like we'll have to call him Fool Ronan from now on!"
"Fool Ronan!"
The circle of children, seeing Ronan's strange behavior, all showed gleeful expressions, laughing and teasing him before running off joyfully into the distance.
As if they couldn't wait to spread the news to everyone.
Only one person stayed behind.
It was the freckled child who had almost dripped snot on Ronan's face. When she spoke, Ronan realized that this sallow, skinny kid with a messy golden mop of hair was actually a girl.
"Ronan, did you really hit your head and go crazy?"
The freckled girl looked worried and reached out to touch Ronan's head, but when he quickly avoided her hand, she immediately burst into tears.
"Waaah—Gina has to marry a fool now!
Gina doesn't want to be a fool pig farmer's bride!.."
Ronan tried to calm the girl down, but she only cried harder, avoiding him as if he were the plague.
Ronan simply gave up on her, holding his aching head, and walked away with a grim expression.
Night fell.
The stars filled the night sky.
"What happened to the poor child? Why has he gone mad? Let's take him to the vet tomorrow. He helped us cure Old Pick's loss of appetite last time, maybe he can do something about Ronan's problem."
"Yes, and for that, he took half of the pig's offal! I don't have any extra food to pay for his consultation fee this time, especially since it's for a human."
"But we can't just watch Ronan turn into an idiot, can we? My poor child, woe is me."
"As long as he can learn to be a competent pig herder, what does it matter if his mind is sound or not? Go to sleep, damn it. Life is already bad enough, don't make me feel worse over such trivial matters."
In the pitch-black mud hut, the man's complaints and the woman's sobs echoed. Ronan lay in the filthy, stinking pigsty, his head resting on damp straw, gazing up at the starry sky above.
His face was as calm as water, but his mood was at its worst.
Everything around him felt incredibly real. After half a day of "exploration," he had come to understand his current identity.
His name was Ronan, the son of the pig herder Ronan. He had no surname, just like everyone else in this poor, backward village.
When the man in the hut, who was unwilling to trade half a pig's offal for his own son's healthy mind, died, he would inherit the title of "pig herder" and become the new Ronan the pig herder.
By then, he might already have a son of his own, who might also be named Ronan, or perhaps given a different name. None of that mattered! What mattered was that in the past half day, he had tried meditating, attempted all the basic methods of a wizard, and all had failed.
Not only the profound and complex [Ancient Star Meditation Technique], but even the [Basic Meditation Technique], which he had mastered to the point of instinct, was now impossible.
He couldn't sense even a trace of free energy particles in the air.
Not a single one!
Even the character panel that had been firmly bound to him since his transmigration had disappeared!
"What ancient and bizarre method could allow an old, nearly decayed soul to so easily seize the strong will of a peak third-level wizard?!"
Ronan murmured, reaching out to the night sky as if he could grasp the stars in his hand.
Suddenly, an even greater fear arose in his heart.
"Or perhaps..."
"Everything I experienced about being a wizard was just a dream before the real transmigration?!"
"Or... was even the transmigration fake? Have I always just been the son of a pig herder? Is this the true reality?!"
These two speculations made Ronan tremble uncontrollably. Nothing in the world could terrify him more than this.
Everything he had once known had abandoned him, and he was plunged into an indescribable despair.
He was filled with immense sorrow and confusion. Everything around him felt like sharp swords piercing his heart.
He curled up tightly, trying to escape the omnipresent cold and darkness. His fingers dug deep into his dirty, matted hair, scratching his scalp until it bled, over and over again. Until dawn broke, and the first rays of sunlight fell upon the small figure in the pigsty.
Ronan raised his head, his bloodshot eyes facing the direction of the rising sun, and suddenly, a spark was ignited by the sunlight! Confusion and despair were swept away at this moment, and Ronan stood up.
He walked out of the pigsty, ran out of the village, and in the morning mist, barefoot, he stepped towards the golden horizon. On this day, something neither big nor small happened in the village—the pigkeeper's son, who had fallen and injured his brain, suddenly disappeared and never returned. Because of this, Gina, the blacksmith's daughter, cried for an entire afternoon, for at the tender age of six, she had become a "widow."
From then on, a wanderer named "Ronan Damien" appeared on this land.
In the second year, people called him a "thief," "pickpocket," and "shameless robber."
In the third year, he became a clumsy and inexperienced bard.
Later, the bard joined an adventuring group, becoming a novice mercenary whose height didn't even reach the hilt of others' swords.
Many years later, with temples graying, revered by admirers as a "legend," cursed by enemies as a "mad dog," and mocked by gossipers as a "charlatan," Ronan, who had never given up his pursuit of all things related to wizards throughout the long years, after his countless and final attempt at meditation, clutching a worn-out longsword, finally collapsed beside a burning bonfire.
"This body... perhaps truly lacks the potential to become a wizard."
In his dying moments, Ronan softly repeated the words he had told himself countless times.
In a daze, he saw a beautiful golden ladybug, like a meteor or a firework, swiftly passing before his eyes. "Rustle—"
In the quiet and secluded cave, Ronan slowly opened his eyes.
In his sapphire-clear eyes, a brief confusion flashed, followed by a trace of profound weariness that starkly contrasted with his youthful appearance.
Ronan's lips moved slightly; he felt only thirst and hunger... as if he hadn't eaten or drunk for a long time.
But these physical discomforts could not affect the satisfaction and joy in his heart at this moment.
"I..."
"Finally, I have returned."
The voice that came out was hoarse and dry, yet it carried an unprecedented determination and resolve.
An aged voice slowly echoed in his mind.
"You shouldn't have attempted it rashly in my absence."
Ronan remained silent, and the voice paused for a moment before continuing with some complexity, "But your performance indeed far exceeded my expectations.
Most wizards, during their first attempt at spiritual cultivation, would succumb to the blows within the first to third years of the 'Cycle of Dreams,' their will collapsing, choosing to commit suicide and exit. The best performer only managed to hold on until the fifth year."
"How long was I inside?"
Ronan spoke, as if asking a question unrelated to him.
Alazan was silent for a while, then replied, "Seventy-two years."
"Has it been that long?"
Ronan murmured, the weariness and sense of time in his eyes gradually washed away, replaced by the vigor and vitality of youth.
He looked around and saw a paper-folded blue bird tilted on the muddy ground beside him.
Ronan reached out to pick up the blue bird, read the message inside, and squinted his eyes, asking, "How long has it been in reality?"
"Seventy-two days. Two months."
"Two months."
Ronan's eyes flickered slightly as he calmly said, "So, this is the core inheritance you, as the leader of the Spirit Wizards, have passed down? 'Amber of the Spirit Heart,' which makes me experience a dream as long as seventy-two years in just two months? The only benefit is that it makes my will as a wizard much stronger?"
"Hehe."
A beautiful golden ladybug flew out of Ronan's body, fluttering boldly before his eyes, while Alazan's laughter echoed in his ears.
"Benefit? Your gains are just beginning."
As soon as Alazan finished speaking, a strange and immense surge of soul energy suddenly erupted from deep within Ronan's body.
Carrying with it the entirety of his seventy-two years of experience as "Ronan, the swineherd's son," every frame, every scene, forcefully merged into his soul.
"Crack—"
In an instant, the eleventh Mental Power Crystal within his consciousness space quietly formed!!
(End of chapter)