"Soulforge?" Ryan stared at the words appearing from the Grimoire in his mind, his pupils contracting sharply.

  Suddenly, he recalled an ancient legend: once, a Mystic Mage wielding a Soulforge had fought a Grand Magus for three days and nights without defeat.

  To know the meaning of that was to understand the gulf between a Mystic Mage and a Grand Magus one as vast as that between a common man and a true magician.

  A Grand Magus's domain magic could easily crush a Mystic Mage. The only thing capable of crossing that gulf and resisting such power was a Soulforge infused with primordial magic.

  Ryan lowered his gaze to the Soulweaver's Pendant resting in his palm, tracing the runes etched on its surface.

  He could clearly feel the chaotic power pulsing within it, resonating faintly with the Chaosforge Arcana he had studied. It was as if this artifact had been destined for him since the beginning.

  "No wonder Doris survived even after Evelyn's ultimate ice sword pierced her throat it was this Soulweaver's Pendant that protected her," he murmured inwardly.

  A flicker of relief crossed his eyes; had he not noticed it back then, he might have missed this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

  Carefully storing the Soulweaver's Pendant in his spatial inventory, Ryan focused his mind and began sorting through all the items he had scavenged earlier that day.

  "Grimoire, convert all these useless items into Magic Origin Value."

  【Total gained: 6480 Magic Origin Value.】

  Including the remaining 113 points from before, he now had 6593 Magic Origin Value in total enough to purchase several useful items from the Grimoire's shop.

  He immediately activated the shop interface in his mind, and rows of shimmering icons appeared before him.

  【Item One: Intermediate Mana Condensation Potion, Price 1000 points. Increases mana circulation speed by 20% after use.】

  【Item Two: Wind-type Swift Magic Scroll, Price 888 points. Grants a short-range teleportation effect when activated.】

  【Item Three: Magic Tiger's Blood, Price 2888 points. Integrating it strengthens physical defense and burst power.】

  【Item Four: Magic Rune Stone, Price 15000 points. Contains unknown arcane power...】

  Ryan's eyes swept quickly across the list; most items beyond that were priced in the tens of thousands far beyond his current Origin Value.

  Finally, his gaze settled on the Wind-type Swift Magic Scroll and the Magic Tiger's Blood."The swift scroll improves pursuit and evasion, while the tiger's blood enhances my body. These two perfectly make up for my weaknesses."

  Without hesitation, Ryan confirmed the exchange.

  This Wind-type Swift Magic Scroll was, without question, a key item for Ryan essential for both pursuit and escape.

  Unlike unstable random teleportation scrolls that might send one into dangerous regions, this scroll provided precise short-range teleportation with far greater reliability than most mobility-type magic tools.

  As for the Magic Tiger's Blood, it was an exceptional material for strengthening the body. Ryan could clearly sense the feral, violent magical energy coursing within it.

  Meanwhile, in her own room, Evelyn carefully stored the Clockwork Doll into her spatial inventory.

  Her next destination was the royal city's teleportation array, which linked to both the Eastern Wastes and the Central Province. Only by passing through there could she return quickly to the Glacial Arcana Academy.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Evelyn had already determined their current location it was the southern region of the Esoth Continent, three days' journey from the royal city.

  As for the Western Desert, she had never considered it. Though it was the most barren land on the Esoth Continent, it was also filled with countless ancient magical ruins.

  Buried beneath the sands might lie lost spell scrolls or even legendary weapons.

  But it was also home to many high-level magical creatures, and with her current condition, venturing there would only be courting death.

  The next morning, Evelyn opened her door and stepped out of the inn.

  As she passed through the entrance, a middle-aged merchant with a weathered face brushed by her.

  For some reason, she felt a strange sense of familiarity in his magical presence, yet when she tried to sense it more carefully, all she found was an ordinary human aura.

  "Probably just my imagination." Evelyn shook her head, clearing the thought away.

  Wearing her veil, she walked quickly out of the inn and headed toward the royal city. She had to reach it as soon as possible.

  Ryan watched Evelyn's figure fade into the distance, his heart still pounding uncontrollably.

  When they had brushed shoulders just now, he had felt the icy pressure of her magic clearly. If not for the disguise potion concealing his aura, she might have recognized him instantly.

  The thrill of such close contact left him both tense and exhilarated dealing with Evelyn was a test of both strength and wits.

  "Time to grab some bronze coins," Ryan murmured under his breath and walked toward the first-floor counter.

  He knocked lightly on the counter, calling to the innkeeper who was counting bronze coins.

  The innkeeper looked up at the middle-aged merchant, ready to ask what he needed only to freeze as Ryan wiped a hand across his face, the potion's effect fading and revealing his true, youthful appearance.

  The innkeeper's eyes widened in shock, and the coins nearly slipped from his trembling hands. He had never imagined that this seemingly ordinary merchant was actually the temporary owner holding authority over the inn.

  "I'll be leaving for a while," Ryan said calmly."You'll manage this place in the meantime consider it still yours for now. But I'll need some bronze coins before I go."

  He had already observed that this was the largest inn in town; taking a few hundred bronze coins would hardly be a problem for the innkeeper.

  The innkeeper didn't dare hesitate. He quickly pulled a wooden box from beneath the counter and offered it with both hands."There are six hundred and eighty bronze coins here, Please take them all!"

  Ryan placed the wooden box containing six hundred and eighty bronze coins into his storage space and turned to leave the inn.

  Just as he stepped through the doorway, a small figure suddenly darted out from behind a pillar and wrapped itself tightly around his legs.

  Ryan reacted instantly. A surge of magic gathered in his right hand and stopped just above the figure's head. Fortunately, he withdrew his power in time, narrowly avoiding disaster.

  "Are you out of your mind?" Ryan's voice carried a mix of shock and anger as he looked down at the boy clinging to his legs.

  The boy's hair was a tangled mess, his face smeared with dirt, yet his eyes shone brightly. He gripped Ryan's trousers with desperate strength, refusing to let go.

  "Master Mage! Please take me as your apprentice!" the boy cried, his voice trembling with sobs, tears and snot smearing across Ryan's pants.

  "I have no parents. I've been wandering the town since I was little. Yesterday, I saw you jump from the second floor without a scratch, and I knew you must be a legendary mage! Please, let me follow you!"

  Ryan frowned and was about to pry the boy's hands off when the familiar tone of the Grimoire echoed in his mind:

  【Quest Triggered: Accept Derrick, who possesses the Light Element affinity, as your apprentice. Reward: Magic Sword Domain Inheritance.】

  "Light Element magic?" Ryan's heart stirred. That was an extremely rare elemental talent naturally powerful against shadow magic. If nurtured properly, the boy could one day become a Mystic Mage.

  He studied the boy again, channeling a faint thread of detection magic through his fingertips. Sure enough, within the boy's mana core, a faint golden light shimmered the mark of a Light Element affinity.

  "Stand up. I'll take you as my apprentice," Ryan said, his tone softening as he reached out to help the boy.

  But the boy only clung tighter, crying even louder."You're lying! You just think I'm weak and want to get rid of me!"

  Ryan glanced down at the snot streaking his trousers and suppressed the urge to kick him away."If you don't stand up right now," he said coldly,"I won't take you as an apprentice at all."

  "I'll stand! I'll stand right now!" the boy blurted out, quickly releasing his grip and scrambling to his feet, though his hand still clutched the hem of Ryan's cloak tightly, afraid he might run off.

  Ryan said,"According to the rules of the Magic Academy, an apprentice must perform the initiation bow when accepting a Mentor. From now on, you'll be my first apprentice."

  This gesture symbolized both the recognition of the Mentor-apprentice bond and a reminder that the path of magic demanded reverence.

  Derrick froze for a moment, then immediately understood. He bowed deeply and respectfully to Ryan.

  Passersby stopped to watch. Some recognized Derrick as a local street orphan and began whispering among themselves, curious about Ryan's true identity.

  【Quest Complete: Successfully accepted Derrick as an apprentice. Reward Granted: Magic Sword Domain Inheritance.】