Ron was planning secretly.
According to the system’s prompt, to become an Official Wizard through the Path of Truth, at least three magics must reach the Master Level.
Currently, he had completed Sound Wave Vibration.
The Ring of Brilliance, as his second core skill about to break through, would become the focus of the next stage.
He crouched down, gently touching the puddle of black liquid that the wooden puppet had turned into, and felt the weak energy fluctuation within it.
"Sound Wave Oscillation - Erosion State..."
Ron whispered the name softly, a barely detectable smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
This idea of combining different magic elements might be the key to pioneering his personal magic system in the future.
"What effect would combining the Light Element with sound waves produce?"
"Can Spiritual Interference be combined with the Flowing Shield Wall to form an absolute defense on a spiritual level?"
"Can the core frequency of the Erosion Chapter be applied to other Elemental Magic?"
Countless possibilities surged in his mind, each containing immense potential.
But Ron knew that real power does not lie in how many fancy skills one can master.
Real power lies in honing a few core abilities to the extreme, forming a truly unique and irreplaceable combat method.
He stood up and surveyed the training field, damaged by spell experiments, shaking his head slightly.
"Looks like I’ll need to make a few more wooden puppets..."
The success rate number on the panel appeared again—79.3%, nearly an 80% success rate, enough to support his ambition to try the Path of Truth.
But Ron was not someone who liked taking risks, especially when the risk involved the complete disappearance of his existence.
"At least break through 85%, ideally reaching over 90%..."
This was the bottom line he set for himself, a critical point he deemed worth betting everything on.
Ron looked up at the night sky outside the window, his gaze piercing through the darkness, seemingly able to reach the depths of those distant stars.
There, a great and terrifying presence was overlooking this small world, waiting for a brave...or foolish conqueror to establish a connection with it.
.........
The atmosphere in the workshop turned unusually dull over the next few days.
Ron was immersed in the cultivation of mastering magic, spending most of his time locked in the training field, only appearing before others when necessary.
Lilia continued to prepare three meals as usual, though her culinary skills were steadily improving, the conversation around the dinner table was becoming increasingly rare.
She was always the first to finish, hurriedly cleaning the dishes, then returning to her room to continue studying the books and notes Ron left her, seemingly filling the impending separation with knowledge.
Ailan mostly took care of Dale, teaching the young Sea Siren some botanical knowledge.
When there was no training, they would sit quietly in the courtyard, engaging in silent communication, as if enjoying the last period of peaceful time.
This subtle atmosphere was like the calm before the storm.
Everyone knew change was about to come, yet nobody was willing to bring it up.
The silence at the dining table was particularly noticeable.
"The soup is delicious." Dale said softly, breaking the slightly awkward silence.
"Thank you." Lilia responded gently, her gaze still lowered, seemingly intensely interested in the food on her plate.
Ron ate quietly, occasionally raising his head to glance around, quickly refocusing his attention back on the plate in front of him.
His thoughts had already flown to the next experiment project; today’s table conversation was merely a brief stop in his daily routine.
Ailan’s gaze lingered among the three, finally sighing softly.
"Summer is almost here."
The tree spirit spoke gently, trying to ease the atmosphere: "The black-topped flowers in the courtyard are about to bloom; their blooming period is very short but breathtakingly beautiful."
"Yes, soon it will be the rainy season."
With reasonably high emotional intelligence, Lilia quickly followed up on the topic:
"When I was young, my favorite thing was waiting for the first rain of the rainy season, the fresh smell of the earth always lifting one’s spirits."
Ron nodded but did not join the conversation.
He quickly finished the last bite of food, wiped his mouth: "Today’s soup is indeed very delicious, but I have some matters to attend to, excuse me."
After speaking, he stood up and left, leaving behind a subtle silence at the dinner table.
Lilia watched Ron’s departing back, a trace of helplessness flashing in her eyes, yet quickly returning to calm.
"Dale, would you like some more soup?" She turned to the Little Sea Siren, squeezing out a gentle smile.
Ailan’s branches swayed gently, a hint of worry on her face.
.........
Ron returned to the laboratory, gently closed the door, as if shutting out all external emotional interference.
At this moment, his attention was fully focused on the upcoming critical experiment:
Utilizing the Monarch Bloodline in combination with Abyssal Material to further advance the charging progress of the Stand-In Puppet.
He walked towards a locked cabinet in the corner of the laboratory and took out a small black suitcase from it.
This was a specially prepared toolset for Abyssal Research, each tool within had undergone special treatment to safely contact and handle Abyssal Material.
From the suitcase, he took out a series of specially designed tools—Energy Isolation Clamp, Spiritual Shield Gloves, a special Cutting Knife, and most importantly, a Purification System.
This Purification System was designed by Ron recently, consisting of three core components: Energy Extractor, Impurity Separator, and Stabilization Device.
He spent a large amount of Magic Stone and time perfecting this system just for moments like these.