An extremely exhausted and weakened Veronica was finally brought back to the duke's castle by Ryan for recovery. After being trapped in the void for several months, the newly advanced Saint Realm witch was physically and spiritually drained. She barely had time to say a few words to Ryan before she fainted.
Ryan carried Veronica back to the duke's castle, placing her in his own room. He helped her clean up, changed her into clean clothes, and let her rest.
Veronica slept for three days straight.
Three days later, in the Old World, Brittany, Jean City, at Ryan's ducal castle:
Amid the warmth of the fireplace and the cold wind outside, Veronica lay on a soft bed. Her face was pale, her body weak, and the usual sweetness of her appearance was somewhat dimmed. Her beautiful almond-shaped eyes reflected both the joy of surviving a catastrophe and lingering fear. Propped up on pillows, she slowly recounted her experiences to Ryan and the others.
Veronica's tale captured everyone's attention. Sulia, Teresa, Olica, and Morgiana were all present, and even Aurora had come. The Saint Realm Ice Witch looked at Veronica with a mix of jealousy and amazement—conflicted feelings about how the younger generation was surpassing the old. Ryan could even sense the Lady of the Lake listening in through Sulia.
The room was bustling with chatter as Ryan sat at the bedside, with Sulia on the other side. The dark elf Olica clung to Ryan's back, peeking over his shoulder at the weakened Veronica, her amber eyes full of curiosity, as if plotting something.
"The initial stage of breaking through to the Saint Realm went relatively smoothly," Veronica spoke weakly, leaning against her pillow and holding Ryan's hand. "I spent two months touching the power of the Warp. I could feel the presence of the Winds of Chaos, and I worked hard to interpret them, to read the knowledge contained within the Warp, and to absorb its energy."
"Mhm, mhm, and then?" The dark elf was intrigued, and both Morgiana and Aurora listened intently.
The process of a wizard breaking through to the Saint Realm is different from that of warriors like Ryan and Sulia. For wizards, the core of breaking through to the Saint Realm lies in accumulating sufficient magical power, mastering enough magical knowledge, and having a deep understanding of the Warp. They must also possess the ability to quickly and fully weave and construct grand spells by themselves.
During the process of breaking through to the Saint Realm, a wizard's soul enters the Warp for further evolution. Because the essence of magic flows from the Warp and the realm of Chaos to the mortal world, only by absorbing enough energy and knowledge from the Warp can the wizard's soul and body undergo transformation, allowing them to break through the pinnacle of Legend.
So what distinguishes a Saint Realm spellcaster from a Legend spellcaster?
There are three main differences.
The first is the mastery of magical winds. Saint Realm spellcasters are highly proficient in using magic. They can easily control magical elements and even bind the Winds of Magic to the land they inhabit, significantly reducing the likelihood of magical errors and greatly improving the precision of spells.
The second is forced casting. Even Legend spellcasters are still constrained by their environment when casting spells. For example, a Light mage in complete darkness would be no different from an ordinary person, and a fire mage's combat power would be weakened in rainy or cold conditions. However, Saint Realm spellcasters are not troubled by such limitations. They can store a large amount of magical energy within themselves and, if needed, can summon an ice dragon even in a scorching desert.
The third is being an arcane conductor. This is more complex to explain, but in short, it means that when facing "dead magic" and unable to sense the Winds of Magic, Saint Realm spellcasters can use their own bodies as conduits to cast spells. For example, if the Dwarven Runemiths successfully deploy an anti-magic rune stone on the battlefield, it would render ordinary wizards powerless by cutting them off from the Winds of Magic. However, Saint Realm spellcasters, who deeply understand the essence of the Warp and the Winds of Magic, can directly create magical winds using their bodies and powerful minds, even in the presence of divine anti-magic fields.
Morgiana, Aurora, and Olica were all Saint Realm archmages and had extensive experience in this regard. Sulia, on the other hand, only understood part of it, so she gestured for Veronica to continue: "And then?"
"About three weeks in, things changed. I could feel that I had been discovered. I started hearing the whispers of the evil god—it was Tzeentch's mocking laughter. He constantly made noises to distract me, tempt me, trying to make me fail or fall. His voice kept spinning in my mind, and in the cold and colorful void, he threatened, intimidated, and tempted me, all to make me submit," Veronica said painfully. "Of course, I didn't submit, but I couldn't remain indifferent for long. My anger and fear were reflected in the Warp, and the evil god found my location."
Hearing this, both Olica and Morgiana's expressions changed slightly. These two Saint Realm witches had ascended with the protection of deities, but what about Veronica? She had no such divine protection!
Aurora also frowned deeply.
"And then? Veronica, are you really alright?" Ryan asked worriedly, holding Veronica's small, cold hands.
"Because of the Great Ward and the Great Vortex, Tzeentch couldn't interfere too much with the mortal world, so he sent a Greater Daemon to deal with me," Veronica said, a look of relief on her face. "I wasn't a match for the Greater Daemon, but it couldn't harm me!"
"Couldn't harm you?" Morgiana scrutinized Veronica, finding no divine blessings or protection on her. "Impossible, how did you manage that?"
"It was Ryan," Veronica blushed slightly. "When the Greater Daemon of Tzeentch tried to touch me, the… rune that Ryan engraved on my lower abdomen emitted a silver light. The Daemon was terrified of the light—it was too bright, too orderly. The Greater Daemon attempted to attack me, but it was severely burned before even making contact and didn't dare approach again."
Ryan let out a sigh of relief. His rune had indeed been effective. Veronica's body contained a large amount of his psionic energy, which protected her from harm.
"Rune…" Morgiana's face turned red as she thought of something. She subconsciously placed her hand over her lower abdomen beneath her silk dress.
Almost simultaneously, Sulia, Olica, and Teresa also placed their hands over their lower abdomens, blushing and lowering their heads in silence. Only Aurora looked confused, the Saint Realm witch asking, "Rune? What is… why is everyone suddenly quiet? Ryan? If you have something this useful, why not share it?"
"Uh… it's a long story. Veronica is… special," Ryan replied, a bit embarrassed.
Except for Aurora, all the women remained silent with flushed faces until Veronica took a deep breath to calm herself and broke the silence. "In any case, the Greater Daemon couldn't harm me, but it cast a spell that trapped my soul in a crystal labyrinth, a maze that changed every second, and I could never find an exit."
"For the next several months, I was trapped in the void. Just when I was about to give up, I heard Ryan's voice. His presence was a matrix of orderly light. I sensed his call, and using the rune and Ryan's power, I resonated and found my way out of the maze. And then… I ended up like this."
"I see. In any case, Veronica, it's a relief that you're safe," Sulia said, genuinely happy for Veronica's safe return, even though she only understood the general idea. "Take a good rest for now. I'll make sure Ryan spends more time with you. The court needs you, your tower needs you, and the entire kingdom needs you. Your safety is the most important thing. If you need anything, just let me or Sylvia know."
"Thank you." Veronica was clearly exhausted after speaking so much, but Morgiana wasn't ready to let it go. The Lake Witch immediately voiced her doubts. "But if that's the case, how did you successfully break through to the Saint Realm? You only comprehended the Warp for a couple of months before being trapped in the crystal labyrinth. How did you break through so suddenly?"
"No," Veronica shook her head. "I truly succeeded in breaking through to the Saint Realm within the crystal labyrinth."
"Inside the crystal labyrinth?" Morgiana was stunned by this answer.
"The crystal labyrinth wasn't just a place to imprison me; it was also Tzeentch's hidden library. While searching for the exit, I also gained an understanding of the essence of the Warp and the source of the Winds of Magic. Thanks to the rune's protection, the Winds of Chaos couldn't corrupt me. I took the opportunity to read countless books on magic, scrolls, and magical seals organized by Tzeentch's demons. I seized a few chances to browse a small portion of them, which contained knowledge and secrets that I could never learn in the Garland Council. Even though I only saw a fraction, it was enough to ascend to the Saint Realm," Veronica said with a hint of pride. "And there's more—I just need a few months of rest to stabilize my realm, and I'll be ready to advance directly to the mid-level of the Saint Realm."
Ryan: "!!!"
Teresa: "???"
Morgiana: "…"
So, Tzeentch had devised an elaborate scheme to deal with Veronica, intending to incapacitate one of Ryan's
most valued allies. But instead, thanks to the protective rune, Tzeentch ended up handing Veronica a massive experience boost, propelling her to the mid-level of the Saint Realm?
Ryan rubbed his chin, thinking that this whole operation was… so Tzeentch-like that he didn't even know where to start criticizing it.
Yes, that's very Tzeentch.
"Hmph, you're quite lucky," Aurora said, her voice filled with jealousy and resignation as she looked at Veronica. "With Ryan's help, and now that you've reached the Saint Realm, I fear there's no place for me in the council in the future."
"Hey, Ms. Aurora, you've been stagnant for years, contributing nothing to the council. All you do is hoard wealth and enjoy yourself, always thinking only of your reputation. With that attitude, it's no wonder you might get kicked out of the council!" Veronica retorted sarcastically, but her words were cut short by Ryan covering her mouth. The duke gave the Garland witch a stern look. "You're this weak, and you still want to argue?"
"…Yes, I'm very weak, extremely weak, and I need rest." Veronica wanted to retort, but seeing Ryan's stern expression and the dark elf's mischievous gaze from behind him, she relented. Even so, her eyes remained sharp as she locked gazes with Aurora, and Ryan could almost feel the tension in the air. "Does anyone else have any questions? If not, I'm tired."
"Veronica, don't be like that. My mother and I are also helping Ryan. We're willing to assist whenever he needs us," Teresa tried to smooth things over, pulling her blushing mother away.
"I'll be closely watching your every move, Ms. Veronica," Morgiana said, clearly still skeptical of Veronica's story but not pressing the matter for now. "I hope you're telling the truth."
"Of course, it's the truth. Don't you have any?" Veronica shot back at Morgiana before closing her eyes, clearly exhausted. "If there's nothing else, let me sleep a bit longer. Just leave Ryan with me."
"That's enough for today. Veronica is very weak," Sulia said, standing up. The duchess gestured for everyone to leave, allowing Veronica to rest.
"I'm not leaving; I want to stay with my master!" Olica declared, clinging to Ryan's back, her amber eyes filled with interest and a desire to delve deeper. The dark elf's gaze, as if looking at a research subject, sent a shiver down Veronica's spine. The Garland witch shrank back slightly, giving Ryan a pleading look.
Unfortunately, Ryan didn't notice. He simply nodded. "In that case, Olica and I will stay."
The others left the room one by one.
"Darling, wasn't I impressive? Your partner has finally caught up with you!" Veronica, though already very tired, forced herself to stay awake, her voice full of pride. "You've been making great progress, but I won't lag behind. I, Veronica Bernadotte, am your best collaborator, your greatest partner!"
"Yes, yes," Ryan replied, genuinely happy for Veronica. He gently stroked her black-brown hair, speaking softly, "I always knew you could do it, dear. To celebrate your successful breakthrough to the Saint Realm, I have a gift for you!"
"Darling, what are you going to give me?" Veronica's eyes lit up with anticipation.
"Olica, go get it!"
"Yes, master."
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