Wizard: Starting from the Skill Tree

Ten or so sealing boxes made of a mixture of mithril and crystal were placed side by side on the display table, each box was the size of a palm, with a subtle elemental luster flowing on the surface.

She picked up the one on the far left, opened the lid of the box, and inside lay a cyan-white semi-transparent crystal. Inside the crystal, there seemed to be a miniature never-ending storm sealed within, with cyan-white light constantly flowing, colliding, and splitting on the surface of the crystal, each flicker arousing a subtle whirl of air in the atmosphere.

She then opened the one on the far right, inside was a blue teardrop-shaped crystal. Inside the crystal appeared to hold an entire miniature deep sea, with deep blue light slowly rotating within the crystal, each rotation condensing a few fine water droplets in the surrounding air, suspended on the surface of the crystal.

"A Key of Rules of the wind attribute, taken from the core of an ancient storm’s eye." Serafina handed the sealing box in her left hand to Duke, "The one of the water attribute naturally condensed at the deepest part of the Abyss of the Deep Sea, the quality is very pure."

She held the two sealing boxes side by side in front of Duke, a hint of undisguised pride on her face.

"Is it enough? If not, you can take all of these, and if still not enough, you can have someone get more from elsewhere."

Duke took the two sealing boxes, feeling the pure and stable rule fluctuations seeping from them, confirming that the quality of these two Keys of Rules was sufficient to serve as the key to open the gateway to the rules of both wind and water elements.

He closed the boxes, carefully storing them, then looked up, gazing around at the treasures glowing brightly in the room, his eyes lingering for a moment on those rare resources that flowed with all sorts of light.

Honestly, he couldn’t say he wasn’t tempted.

Any of these items, casually taken, would be enough to allow an ordinary Level 1 Mage to advance to Level 3.

But he simply withdrew his gaze, looking at Serafina, and spoke earnestly: "These are enough."

Serafina tilted her head, glanced at the treasures on the surrounding display tables, then looked at Duke, a trace of surprise flashing in those sapphire-colored pupils: "Just these? There’s a lot more in my treasury, you can choose as you please, don’t stand on ceremony with me."

"Really, it’s not needed." Duke shook his head, placing the two sealing boxes into his space ring.

"The Key of Rules is my most urgent need at the moment, you’ve already solved my greatest problem. While the other items are also great, taking too much today would be impossible to repay later."

A debt of gratitude is the hardest to repay; what is taken now, must be repaid in the future.

Serafina opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end, just smiled gently, without pressing further.

Her gaze stayed on Duke’s face for a moment, a hint of a complex emotion difficult to catch flashed through those deep-sea-like pupils, but soon replaced with a bright smile again.

She said nothing more, only re-entwined her arm with his, leading him out of the treasury.

Serafina didn’t rush to let Duke leave. She used the excuse of having him accompany her since he rarely came, to keep him in the undersea palace for three days.

During these three days, she took Duke to every wondrous sight around the palace.

The living light screen formed by a group of fluorescent jellyfish that changed colors with the passing water currents, Serafina pulled Duke through the screen, countless tiny fluorescent tendrils brushing lightly against their clothes, leaving starlit traces of light.

The ancient sea beast skeleton slumbering in the depths of an underwater canyon, just the skull was as large as the whole palace, with hollow eye sockets already covered in glowing corals, looking from afar as if spectral blue flames still burned within the bones.

There was also a hot spring hidden in a forest of seaweed, where sulfur mixed with seawater at the spring, forming a miniature lake with temperatures far above the surrounding sea water, the bottom of the lake was covered with obsidian smoothed to a mirror-like finish by water currents.

Other than sightseeing, the two talked a lot. Duke told her about the customs and people of the Wizard Plane, the libraries on the Central Islands eternally lit by magic lamps, the Level 5 Mages occasionally encountered in the silver-blue crystal corridors of the Six-Ring Tower, how the Elizabeth of the Black Sail sailed the seas like a moving city.

Serafina, in turn, shared ancient legends of the deep sea, tales of the Sea Race’s and deep-sea giant beasts’ wars lasting thousands of years in ancient times, ruins of lost civilizations sunk in the depths of ocean abysses, how the royal bloodlines nurtured in Beauty Shells emerged as mainstays of the Sea Race upon awakening.

On the evening of the third day, the two sat by the Water Element fountain in the palace garden.

Serafina asked how wizards usually kept in touch, wondering if every time involved chasing someone across the sea like she had before.

Duke smiled, extending his right hand, forming a minute spiritual mark in his palm, then gently pressed it onto the back of Serafina’s hand.

It was the most basic form of Level 0 Magic, the Wizard’s Mark.

On the Wizard Plane, even apprentices who had just started learning magic could master it within a few weeks, serving as a fundamental means of communication.

The entire Wizard Plane is covered with signal areas laid by the Six-Ring Tower and various Wizard Organizations.

Even in the Other Plane, as long as signal relay nodes were set up in advance, communication could be maintained.

Serafina looked down at the faintly transparent mark on the back of her hand, her fingertips gently touching it, perceiving the subtle spiritual power fluctuations within, her face showing unabashed curiosity, she asked many questions.

Duke answered her questions one by one, observing her sapphire-like eyes growing brighter with excitement, thinking she might be the first in Sea Race history to be so eager for wizardry knowledge among the Royal Family members.

Serafina quickly learned this little magic, which would make it much easier to contact Duke in the future.

The Sea Race had always been dismissive of wizardry knowledge and repulsed by wizard creations, even though various alchemy creations were already widely used within the Sea Race.

The reason for the Sea Race’s long-standing distance from wizards, besides differences in power, lay in this cultural and technological rift.

If the Sea Race were willing to start engaging with the wizarding technical system from such fundamental and practical elements, that invisible barrier between the two might dissolve more effectively than any diplomatic agreement.

On the morning of the fourth day, Duke took his leave from Serafina.

He had stayed too many days under the sea, Serafina did not insist on keeping him, only saying "I’ll see you off," then naturally extended her hand, holding Duke’s hand.

Her hand was soft, yet the strength of her fingers interlocking his was firmer than three days ago on the deck.

With Serafina holding Duke’s hand, they walked out of the palace’s main gate, without summoning the Coral Imperial Chariot or bringing any guards, she simply led him alone, gently leaping towards the sea’s surface.

The seawater parted naturally on either side of her before them, silently closing behind them.

She was faster than any imperial chariot, her azure curls trailing a streak of light in the water, the Deep Sea Myriad Beasts design on her skirt seemed to come alive at her rapid pace, with sea dragons, giant whales, corals, and seaweed all swimming slowly along with the water’s rhythm on her skirt.

While swimming, she turned her head to talk to Duke, pointing to a sea area ahead where there were singing rocks, then to a trench below, saying how children from her tribe often got lost there, her tone as relaxed as if showing an old friend around her own backyard.

Duke, pulled along by her through the water, watched as the deep-sea scenery on either side swiftly retreated, fluorescent coral reefs, shipwreck remnants, and schools of giant whales, all transformed into stream-like shadows.

His speed was many times faster than flying in the sky with Dark Gold Wings.

For members of a sea race’s royal family, navigating through water was evidently an innate ability, requiring no magic support or magic power consumption, as the sea itself was their steed and pathway.