By the time the month of Frost arrived, fine snowflakes floated down from the sky, even the distant ocean had frozen over.
On this coastal winding road, a tall black lacquered carriage made its way slowly.
The coachman held the reins in one hand, occasionally urging the high-saddled horse forward, while his other hand held a brass heater, which he brought close to his face from time to time to absorb the thin warmth escaping from the vent.
On each side of the black lacquered carriage was a sliding glass window. One of the windows was pushed open, and a beautiful young girl blinked her eyes and looked around.
Just as the girl was looking intently, a chubby hand reached out from beside her and closed the open window.
"Achoo! Irene, it's so cold, don't open the window anymore. I'm about to freeze stiff from the wind," said a chubby, cute boy in a childish voice.
Irene: "Hmph, brother, you're useless! You can't even stand a little wind. Look, Brother Pat hasn't said anything, it's only you whining about the cold along the way."
In this carriage sat Moro and his party who had left Gru Town.
Angel somehow got involved, but he did not join the siblings' argument. Instead, he smiled and quietly sat at one side of the carriage. Beside him was Moro, who kept his eyes closed in meditation.
Allen pouted and muttered softly, "All you ever talk about is Brother Pat, as if he's your real brother instead."
Irene's ears were sharp. She heard Allen's words but didn't get angry. She just hummed, rolled her eyes at Allen in secret, and then crowded over to Angel's side to start chatting, though mostly about noble jokes from the capital that didn't mean much to Angel.
Angel, although not very interested, did not interrupt Irene's one-sided conversation. Occasionally nodding in response, he pretended to be engaged in the conversation, though his thoughts were more focused inward.
That day, Moro set a condition: if Angel agreed, he would give Angel the Magic Rune Scroll of the Healing Ice Coffin.
Angel eventually agreed to Moro's condition because it didn't seem too demanding:
—As soon as Angel advanced to a Second-Level Wizard Apprentice, he must accompany Moro to explore a ruin.
As for which ruin, Moro did not reveal much, only mentioning that he didn't know whether the ruins were dangerous. Although this journey could be unpredictable, the premise was becoming a Second-Level Wizard Apprentice. Moro took nearly ten years to advance to an Intermediate Apprentice; Angel himself wasn't even sure if he could advance.
Therefore, exchanging potential danger for the Healing Ice Coffin didn't seem like a loss to Angel.
After giving the Healing Ice Coffin for Mentor Jon's use, Angel stayed at the manor for one more day. Under Lyon's reluctant eyes, he packed up his luggage and set off with Moro on a journey to an unknown continent.
...
As night enveloped them, the cold of the winter night became unbearably harsh. Even the experienced coachman had to halt their progress, finding a temporary shelter from the wind, waiting for the night to pass.
This was a large, semi-concave rock. The group made a fire and set up camp in the hollow, while the coachman covered the horses with wool blankets and tied them at the side.
Allen pitifully hugged his legs, looking like a ball of flesh, muttering, "So cold, so cold."
"Really, can't even stand a little cold, such wasted meat!" Although Irene's words were grumbly, her eyes showed concern for her brother. She didn't forget to take out a thick cloak from the tent to wrap Allen in.
Moro watched the two grandchildren interact, a smile in his eyes. He gently waved his hand, and a green light entered Allen's body.
"This Constant Temperature Spell can last for ten hours. But using spells can't be a long-term solution. Since your body is weak, you should exercise more daily. As your physique improves, you won't fear this bit of cold," Moro said to Allen. "If your talent leans toward the Bloodline side, you will also significantly enhance your physique after you start cultivation."
Allen nodded ignorantly. After the green light entered his body, he clearly felt the change in temperature around him, increasing his curiosity about witchcraft.
"Grandfather, haven't we already tested our talents? Does the talent globe test not count? Do we have to test again when we get to White Coral Floating Island Academy?" Irene asked curiously.
Angel also pricked up his ears; he wanted to know the answer to this question too. When he tested his talent, what he encountered was simply too bizarre. He even privately asked the Allen siblings about their experiences during the test: Irene heard noise while Allen found an extra piece of black bread on his plate. Although there was a "transmutation," it was still within an understandable range.
When it was Angel's turn, he directly "traveled through"! It was simply unbelievable.
Angel, although attributing this experience to the "transmutation" of a talent test, wasn't genuinely convinced. So, when Irene brought up the topic of talent testing, his attention was immediately captured.
Moro stroked his beard with a smile and said to Irene, "The Eye of Eblas can only test whether a person has talent, but it cannot determine the inclination of that talent. Once you get to the White Coral Floating Island Academy, there will be a more detailed talent assessment, and then you will know."
"However, before that, let me remind you. The academy's talent assessment is not definitive. Even if it assesses you as inclined toward the Elemental Side, you don't necessarily have to focus solely on the Elemental Side, as it all depends on your wishes."
When Moro said this, he suddenly paused: "Oh, by the way, although you may choose not to consider talent inclination when studying any category, certain categories require more than just effort, such as some special branches of the 'Mysterious Side,' like Prophecy and Astrology, where talent is crucial."
"Speaking of Wizards' categories, I don't think I've discussed them with you. Today, I will explain," Moro thought aloud. "The paths of wizardry development are so numerous that after tens of thousands of years of refinement, the system is nearly complete. There are many branch systems, and I won't go into each of them. I will briefly explain the three main frameworks currently recognized in the Wizards' Realm."
"The Elemental Side encompasses the natural composition, the origin of all things."
"The Bloodline Side involves extracting potent life's bloodlines to augment oneself."
"The Mysterious Side leads to enigmatic secrets."
"These three large frameworks essentially outline all the systems Wizards currently have. Besides these frameworks, many related systems exist, like Alchemy and Summoning Systems. Nonetheless, most Wizards dabble in these supportive systems to varying degrees. Of course, there are Wizards who majorly focus on such auxiliary systems, but they are rare."
"Among the three frameworks, those on the Elemental Side are the most numerous. Nearly all Wizards know a few Elemental Side techniques. The Mysterious Side is the least populated and has a peculiar power distribution. The strong are incredibly strong while the weak are very weak, mainly because the mysterious framework's systems are too varied. The most renowned representatives in the Southern Domain are the Archeologist Mantora and Illusion Master Sanders, both Second-Level Mysterious Wizards, but their strengths are worlds apart." Moro sighed as he mentioned these two.
"As for the Bloodline Side..." Moro scoffed, as if recalling an unpleasant memory, and said with a hint of emotion, "Most are robust, with a fierce temperament, but they possess exceptional combat abilities."
Moro's words led the group into deep contemplation.
Irene curiously asked, "Then what system do you belong to, Grandfather?"
"Me... If speaking from the three main frameworks, I'm within the Fire System of the Elemental Side. But I've spent much of my energy on Magic Pattern Drafting, so I should be considered a Rune Witch of the auxiliary systems."
The question and answer session continued for half the day, as the night grew denser. Even the distant mountain forests had turned into indistinct shadows, like clawed and toothed monsters in the wind.
Everyone gradually became drowsy and fell asleep.
Angel lay in the simple tent, his eyes glistening with a faint light. That night's conversation had profoundly impacted him. The numerous branches within just the fire element of the elemental side, like flame, magma, and cold fire... all represented a blend of different elements.
He harbored a deep curiosity to explore the essence of all things, especially after Mentor Jon shared tales of the universe's incredible phenomena.
If he were to specialize in wizardry, would he be able to delve into these future wonders?
With these thoughts and expectations of the unknown future, Angel gradually fell asleep.