Wizard starting from shoeing donkeys Chapter 1565 - 539: The Final Say
Previously on Wizard starting from shoeing donkeys...
Once Hamadi departed, Rein lingered in the mansion for merely a single evening before heading back to the Bixiu Mechanization School's site, where he located a secluded chamber and dove into examining the Fifth Layer of the Meditation Method.
It came as a surprise that he'd dive into the Fifth Layer so soon after acquiring it.
Based on his initial calculations, the soonest he'd hit the bare minimum to learn it—90% spiritual power qualitative change—would be after a few years.
Rein had figured that etching the 256 Will Runes in the Fourth Layer of the Steel Heart was challenging enough, yet upon viewing the Fifth Layer, he found himself somewhat at a loss for words.
"512 Runes? This..."
"The difficulty here is truly..."
That said, Rein had never assumed he'd master the Fifth Layer of the Advanced Meditation Method without effort, so his mindset soon calmed.
Having pondered it briefly, he rose and wandered around the chamber, deep in thought.
"Ah, so a Fifth-level wizard starts altering their bloodline's origin, gaining the power to inherit their transcendent heritage at first. Their form transcends mere mortality, hovering between human and god—the famed Demigod stage."
"Naturally, greater challenges bring stronger rewards."
"Once the Fifth Layer model of the Steel Heart Advanced Meditation Method is completely etched, it creates a 'Steel Heart' within the mental sea, boosting Metal Series Witchcraft effects by fivefold, vastly outstripping the twofold gain from the prior four layers."
Rein brimmed with anticipation!
"Five times! Even ignoring other gains, this alone would dominate everything."
After mulling it over some more, Rein resolved to attempt the etching.
The initial Will Rune.
...
One hundredth...
...
Two hundredth...
...
Three hundred fifty-fourth!
"Whew~" Rein exhaled deeply.
His opening try wrapped up at three hundred fifty-four!
"Hiss~ Such hardship! It's beyond exaggeration!"
"Aiming for 512, yet missing by more than a hundred... and I've scarcely touched Dawn Peak level myself..."
Truth be told, Rein wasn't one to quit readily, but facing this shortfall, he could only offer a bitter grin.
"It's no surprise that even the Empire Emperor, flush with resources, lore, and hidden arts, mostly stalls at Dawn Peak level."
"From what I recall, in the Empire's last two millennia, just three Emperor Emperors have ascended to the Fifth-level Full Moon Wizard realm."
"The challenge is overwhelmingly steep!" Rein shook his head in resignation.
Still, every start proves tough, and this hurdle failed to dent Rein's resolve.
Indeed, without incremental strides, vast journeys remain impossible.
Thus, Rein pushed through over a dozen more attempts... until his spiritual power dwindled and his temples ached fiercely, at which point he finally paused.
While advancement climbed to three hundred sixty-six runes, the chasm to 512 runes persisted as a vast one.
"Should I boost recovery somehow or..."
Had the goal been four hundred runes, Rein would've poured in attribute points without hesitation, but for this...
"Never mind, at this pace, I'll hold off—I've only got ten attribute points left. I'll think about allocating them later if things truly bog down."
...
At the same time.
Within the Dragon Empire Palace.
In an opulent conference hall, Menia, Second Prince Everton, Grand Princess Renala, and a handful of aged royal kin were convening.
By custom, when the Empire Emperor can't rule due to exceptional circumstances, this body acts as the Dragon Empire's supreme power.
"...The events in the Patagonia Highlands matter greatly, yet we're strained on Imperial Guardian manpower, facing real difficulties."
"Following yesterday's Elder Council assessment, a group of promising young Empire powerhouses at Epic Level were proposed as Guardian hopefuls. This is the finalized roster—please review it. Absent any issues, we ought to ratify it promptly."
Menia, positioned at the head, gestured as he spoke.
A few female clerks from the records office advanced, distributing a document before each attending royal member.
And right then, Second Prince Everton's heart skipped a beat.
Was it possible...
As the clerk politely presented the document, Everton's eyes locked onto the sheet:
"Tide Sword Saint’s first disciple Lambert.... Involved in numerous classified Empire missions... Achieved Sword Saint status a month prior..."
"Vice Chief of the Imperial Swordsmen Rein.... Bears an enigmatic Giant Dragon bloodline... Boasts impressive combat feats..."
"..."
Exactly!
Second Prince Everton's eyelids fluttered wildly.
Should Rein join the Imperial Guardians, he'd then qualify for direct Dragon bonding, skipping the Dragon Knight training and leaping straight to Dragon Knight.
Even more crucially, the Empire's full resources would unlock for him.
This could spark yet another surge in his strength!
Should his father recover and resume rule, amid the ongoing unrest, curbing that growing sway would demand careful deliberation.
No, it has to be halted!
"I concur. The Empire faces chaos right now, desperately needing new Imperial Guardians—otherwise, us veterans alone won't sustain it much longer." An older royal relative set aside the list, nodding with a grin.
"Absolutely! Take Rein in particular—his prowess is solid, he crushed Pantoscoke with ease; he should've joined the Imperial Guardian ranks ages ago."