Wizard Bloodline

"So, this is what a wizard's artifact looks like," Ronan murmured, unable to tear his gaze away from a short sword that emitted flames. The flowing firelight along the blade was mesmerizing.

This was a spell artifact, a specialized piece of equipment for wizards. Different artifacts provided various enhancements, with some doubling a wizard's combat power effortlessly. A wizard with an artifact was fundamentally different from one without.

However, any artifact was extremely valuable, far beyond Ronan's current means.

"If everything goes according to plan," Ronan resolved, "I'll definitely buy one in the future."

Reluctantly leaving the artifact stall, Ronan continued to explore the market.

He had a strategy for his browsing.

Whenever he saw someone bargaining at a stall, he would quietly approach and eavesdrop. Once he understood the item and its value, he would discreetly move on.

After a half-day of this, Ronan's knowledge had notably expanded.

He was gradually transforming from a complete novice to someone with a basic understanding of the wizarding world.

"Hmm?"

As he wandered, Ronan's attention was caught by a particular stall.

Few people stopped at this stall, and most wizards glanced at it before moving on.

The stall owner, a middle-aged man with black hair, showed little interest in attracting customers, lounging lazily in his chair.

The stall featured pigeon-egg-sized stones, each engraved with different patterns that occasionally glowed, exuding a mysterious aura.

Ronan's eyes flickered with interest as he nonchalantly approached, picking up a patterned stone and asking the vendor, "What's the price for this?"

The vendor glanced at Ronan and lazily stated a price.

Ronan put the stone down and picked up another, asking for its price again.

After repeating this a few times, the vendor grew impatient.

"Are you going to buy or not?"

"I will," Ronan replied, setting the stone down and changing the subject, "but first, give me some universal powder."

"Two magic stone fragments per bag. Take what you need," the vendor grumbled, pointing to a pile of fist-sized cloth bags nearby.

Ronan grabbed a bag, checked its contents, and, satisfied, placed four magic stone fragments down, taking two bags.

After securing them, he inquired, "Do you have blank rune stones?"

The vendor sat up slightly, looking amused. "I do. Five magic stone fragments each. If you want more, I might give you a discount."

Ronan mentally calculated his remaining funds and suggested, "How about three fragments each? I'll take twenty-two."

"Gods above!" The vendor rolled his eyes, exasperated. "You want to haggle over a deal worth less than a single magic stone? It's five fragments each, take it or leave it."

Ronan tried bargaining twice more, but the vendor remained firm, even turning away, indicating he was done negotiating.

Ronan considered looking elsewhere but realized this was the only place he'd found selling rune stones, so he relented.

"Alright, I'll take thirteen."

With a sigh, Ronan nearly emptied his wallet.

The vendor's attitude softened after receiving Ronan's magic stone fragments. He went behind the stall to fetch a bag, handing it to Ronan with a sly grin. "So, you're aiming to become a runesmith?"

Ronan nodded; it was evident enough since only rune carving required universal powder and blank rune stones. The vendor was clearly a genuine runesmith himself.

"Self-taught?"

"Self-taught."

"Just starting?"

"Just starting."

The vendor eyed Ronan's purchases with an oddly mixed expression. "You don't think you can become a runesmith with just these materials, do you?"

"Is it impossible?" Ronan blinked.

The vendor chuckled, pulling in another wizard at the stall. "Marvelli, listen to this! This kid thinks he can become a runesmith with just thirteen blank rune stones!"

The vendor's exaggerated tone earned Ronan a disdainful look from the wizard.

Feeling his pride wounded, Ronan was about to retort when the vendor suddenly laughed and tossed two more blank rune stones into Ronan's arms.

"Here, kid, I'll give you two more. Make it an even number.

If you succeed, come back, and I'll give you... no, ten bags of blank rune stones!"

"Really?!"

Ronan was momentarily stunned, instinctively seeking confirmation.

The vendor just laughed louder, without answering.

"What a laugh. Ever heard of 'Don't underestimate the young for being poor'?"

At the town gate, Ronan walked out with bags in hand, grumbling.

Still, he couldn't be too upset; after all, he gained two extra rune stones, essentially earning ten magic stone fragments for being mocked.

"Boom—"

Ronan tossed his last magic stone fragment into the air like a coin, caught it, inspected it, then dropped it back into his empty purse.

"A seed of wealth. Let's hope it grows abundantly from now on."

Ronan tucked the pouch away with a sigh.

He had intended to find a mundane knight training manual at the market, but after a round of browsing, he realized they were also expensive, and had to abandon the idea.

The return journey was much slower due to the heavy load.

As the sun set, Ronan finally reached his treehouse.

After checking his "markers" to ensure no one had entered his home, Ronan carried his purchases inside.

After a quick dinner, he captured dozens of fireflies to make a new light pouch.

In the serene little treehouse, the firefly glow bathed Ronan as he sat at the oak table, carefully studying the wizarding book on runology.

Runes were a critical component of the wizardry power system.

Their creation dated back to ancient times, first invented by a legendary wizard of immense knowledge and unparalleled talent.

Runes significantly reduced the drawbacks of lengthy spellcasting and complex preparations, lowering the threshold for casting many spells and ushering in a glorious era of wizarding artifacts.

"Each rune is a culmination of the creating wizard's immense wisdom and effort."

"With every sunrise and sunset, somewhere in the world, at least one rune is created, and at least one is silently forgotten and buried."

"The grade of a rune determines the grade of the enchanted artifact. A high-grade rare rune can form the foundation of a school of thought, an unparalleled opportunity for which countless wizards would go mad."

Ronan skimmed through the introductory sections on the origins of runology, finally reaching the key points he sought about a third of the way through the book.