"Sir, I have reached out on your behalf. Currently, there are three White Stone Castle Wizards conducting ’talent transplant’ business with outsiders. Here is the information they have provided. Please review it..."
The Ice Bat Tavern, Ronan sat in his usual seat by the window. Barisha, by his side, respectfully handed over several pieces of leather paper and a Rune Stone.
Both the leather paper and the Rune Stone contained information about ’talent transplants.’
The handwriting varied, clearly from different individuals. Barisha hadn’t had the chance to organize it before notifying Ronan.
Ronan scanned each piece of information, gently setting his items down, and calmly looked at Barisha, stating softly, "Do you have any recommendations?"
Barisha glanced at the black Magic Stone on the table used to hold down the leather paper. He swallowed involuntarily, suppressing the heat in his eyes, and thoughtfully spoke with sincerity, "Among these three people, the wizard from the Frici family can offer the most types of Magic Beasts for transplant, but their failure rate is the highest. I’m not sure if it relates to the wizards themselves receiving the transplant, but in the Frici family, the success rate has always been just half of normal, if not less. Yet, they promise to refund half the fee if it fails...
Ice Crystal Valley used to be the gathering place of the Clavell family, but now it’s sadly declined to only old man Tamsanga left. This old man is eccentric and unpredictable; sometimes he raises prices suddenly, but he’s quite courteous with wizards of the same Second-level.
In contrast, Lady Livi from Cold Stone Manor has a great reputation, although there have been rumors of monster sightings nearby for a century, with people disappearing annually... If you decide to go there, sir, please be cautious.."
Ronan’s eyes flickered as he asked Barisha, "Has anyone seen what the monsters look like? How strong are they?"
"Most who have seen them are dead, while those who survived are either insane or dull, muttering various strange things about monsters, none quite alike... As for the strength of the monsters you ask, sir..."
Barisha gave a bitter smile and spoke softly, "For us ordinary people, since it’s a monster, it’s naturally an irresistible terror. I really can’t discern their true strength.."
"What is the highest level of people who have vanished there?"
"A Level 1 Wizard disappeared there and was never seen again, and it’s not just one."
"Don’t the other wizard families of White Stone Castle care?"
"Cold Stone Manor is Lady Livi’s family territory. People from other families have no authority to intervene, and few wizards from other families venture there. Those who do are mostly outsider wizards seeking ’talent transplant’ or ordinary people sneaking in to hunt..."
Ronan asked Barisha a few more questions, then nodded, having made his decision.
"We’ll go with Cold Stone Manor... Contact this so-called Lady Livi for me."
Barisha did not try to persuade further, merely agreed deferentially, gathered the Magic Stone from the table, and hurried away.
After Barisha left, Ronan sat alone at the table, tapping it gently with his fingers.
"Cold Stone Manor... Disappearance of people... Monsters..."
"Is there a wizard conducting some nefarious human spell experiments in there?"
Ronan pondered in silence for a while, then stood up, moving like a cold breeze through the tavern, quickly returning to his own quarters behind the tavern.
The room wasn’t very large, with the hearth’s blazing flames adding a touch of warm orange to the entire space.
Constructed of some type of cedar wood, a recent snowstorm in White Stone Castle had left snow piled nearly halfway up the windows outside, with beautifully intricate frost flowers covering the glass, adding a fairytale charm.
However, even the prettiest snow scenes get tiresome after a month or so.
Ronan’s patience was wearing thin.
Kosti had set him a deadline of two and a half months to return; missing the opening of the Mirror Garden Secret Realm would be a costly mistake.
"No matter what oddities lie within Cold Stone Manor, I’m just there for ’talent transplant’...
Regardless of success or failure this time, I’ll immediately return to the Silver Magic Ring afterward."
Ronan calculated his timetable; he could afford to stay in White Stone Castle for a maximum of twenty-five days.
He allotted himself fifteen days.
In fifteen days, achieving his objective would be ideal. If not, he would head back, trying to break through to the Second-level Wizard along the way.
Truthfully, Ronan didn’t hold the White Stone Castle ’talent transplant’ in vast regard.
For typical Ice Wizards, the effects of ’talent transplant’ could be quite a powerful enhancement.
The ability to instantly cast an Ice Magic spell could serve as a trump card, and ice attribute energy affinity could transform an Ice Wizard’s strength comprehensively.
However, he wasn’t purely an Ice Wizard.
’Talent transplant’ for him could only be considered an added bonus, nice to have but not necessary, especially as it wasn’t a permanent boost...
Thinking this, Ronan set up a Rune Formation and then retrieved a Holy Blood Tree Seedling from his Space Ring.