The young man smiled, as if conjuring up an exceedingly amusing image, his eyes and brows curving with delight.
He laughed for a while, then turned to Ronan and said, "Alright, I’ve almost finished telling you the story about me and ’Schiper.’ Now... it’s your turn."
Ronan was startled, a hint of confusion appearing on his face.
To be honest, he wasn’t even clear on why he had suddenly come here, to this dream belonging to the "Alchemist" Schiper.
He only remembered that inside the Mechanical Heart Ruins, he and the Ash Witch Molli’er fought over the Golden Magic Box, both struck by some powerful Metal Attribute Curse and turned into two golden statues.
Later, Molli’er freed herself from the Curse’s influence before him, it seemed she wanted to kill him, but she did not succeed, so she thought to use the power of the Golden Curse to kill him...
"Over all these years, you are the first to persist and come here, to witness the gate of the Golden Country together with me..."
"Thank you, destiny, for bringing you to me, any later and this consciousness of mine would have completely dissipated..."
The young man looked at Ronan with a soft gaze, "Would you please do a small favor for an old fogey with a beard that nearly touches the ground?"
Ronan was slightly taken aback.
The young man surveyed the golden sand sea around him, his gaze finally resting on the magnificent and grand Golden City in the distance, his eyes deep, filled with intense yearning.
"Help me complete the Golden Country.
Though I can no longer see it..."
A faint sadness and regret wafted and lingered in the air.
Ronan was infected by this emotion, looking towards the endlessly splendid and dazzling Golden City in the distance, he couldn’t help but speak after a long wait, "Can I go in and have a look?"
The young man turned his head to look at him, shaking his head helplessly, "I’m afraid not... The real Golden Country is not here; this is merely a simple projection.
Due to the fading of consciousness, I can’t even restore one-tenth of its original appearance..."
Ronan felt regretful, realizing that this dream about "king, youth, and gold" might be drawing to a close.
He finally stopped outside the gate of the Golden Kingdom, unable to step inside for a look.
"Your luck is not bad, or perhaps it is my luck that is not bad...
What’s left here happens to be the inheritance of the Golden Fire Spirit Mo Ye, which fits perfectly with the spell you are currently focused on..."
The young man looked towards the radiant Golden City in the distance, pointing in a direction to Ronan, "Do you see it? That is the Spiritual Moya.
I created it during the Mist Rank, although it’s a bit rough, but looking at it now, it’s still quite beautiful..."
Ronan followed the young man’s direction and saw seven colossal, luminous figures inside the majestic Golden City, one of which was the one mentioned by the young man.
Because of the golden light’s obstruction, he couldn’t make out the full majestic figure, only faintly sensing a kind of ancient, grand, and authoritative essence that was beyond words...
Much like when he faced Hekarter for the first time.
Ronan stared at the image of "Spiritual Moya" mentioned by the young man, and suddenly realized, hesitantly speaking, "The spell I’m currently focused on... is actually Ice Magic..."
He was a bit doubtful if the man had gotten something wrong.
But the young man answered with a smile, "I know.
That’s why I say Spiritual Moya is your best choice...
Sooner or later you will embark on the path of mastering both ice and fire; there’s more than Ice Frost surrounding the Golden Throne.
Dear Ronan, the connection between different elemental energies in the world is much tighter and more wonderful than you imagine.
A long time ago, they even shared the same name—Ether."
As he spoke, the young man glanced at the Titanium black hound circling Ronan’s feet, as if hinting at something.
"Understanding this early on will be beneficial for your future path.
First, try to make ice and fire coexist... Spiritual Moya will replace me to teach you; Titanium is the best bridge for you to communicate with them..."
"Ice and fire together..."
Ronan murmured the words of the "Alchemist," feeling as if a completely new door was slowly opening before him, yet many mists arose in front of it.
This ideology and knowledge were still too profound for him now; he found it hard to comprehend.
"Take it slow, one step at a time, don’t rush.."
The "Alchemist" patted Ronan’s shoulder, comforting him: "The road you have to travel is still long, even touching the gate to the Golden Country is still some distance away...
Go to the Golden Village first, there you’ll find the key to fully open the gate to the Golden Country..."
"Where is the road to the Golden Village?"
Confusion mounted on Ronan’s face, he couldn’t help but look toward the "Alchemist."
However, the latter only pointed at his palm and smiled, "The signpost to the Golden Village, haven’t you been holding it in your hand all this time?"
Ronan was startled, subconsciously looking down at his own hand.
His tightly clenched fingers opened to reveal a shiny golden apple core lying quietly in his palm.
It was the core of the Golden Apple that the "Alchemist" had earlier offered him to eat.
At this moment, the core was radiating an incomparably dazzling golden light, so piercing that Ronan could hardly open his eyes.
Suddenly, he found that all the scenery around him was becoming blurred, distorted... a force seemed to be pulling him away from this place.
Ronan hastily reached out to grasp the "Alchemist’s" arm, which was within reach, but the latter had already turned away and no longer looked at him.
He faced the direction of the Golden City, and with a lamenting tone, sang aloud a child’s nursery rhyme.