Offering the Fidels’ Ring as a reward was exactly Anvis’s request.
It was not because the ring possessed any powerful strength; in fact, it wasn’t even a magic item, but merely a decorative ring made of a unique material.
What really made it famous was its former owner, the last Emperor of the Ancient Magic Empire, Fidels Du Augustine.
He used to wear it on the little finger of his left hand, attending numerous public occasions.
Just like everything else that could be linked to the Royal Family of the Magic Empire, there were also rumors that this ring was connected to the lost treasures of the Veselam Empire.
After initially obtaining it, the family’s Ninth Rank strongmen carefully examined it but eventually found out that it seemed to be just an ordinary ring, with no hidden effects.
Moreover, the material of the ring itself was very special and could interfere with prophecy magic. The family prophets also found no response when trying to prophesize with it.
Although somewhat underwhelming, since it was once a personal item of the Great Emperor Fidels, the ring was eventually added to the family’s secret vault as a precious collection.
Anvis was uncertain by what means the first Family Head had acquired it.
But that did not prevent him from coveting the ring, since it was indeed related to the secret treasure.
When held alone, the ring could only serve a decorative purpose.
But in reality, it was a key—a key used to open the ancient Magic Empire’s treasure lost in time.
Perhaps sensing an early destruction of the Veselam Empire, or just as a precaution,
Great Emperor Fidels set up extremely hidden treasure vaults in many dangerous places across the continent, storing vast amounts of various resources.
Even if the Royal Family truly fell due to some irresistible decline, his descendants could use these resources to rise again.
However, perhaps even Great Emperor Fidels himself had not anticipated that the entire bloodline of the Veselam Royal Family would eventually extinguish.
The reason why the family members couldn’t use it was simple: it required sensing the bloodline of the Empire Family of the Ancient Magic Empire to operate normally.
It was not that no one had thought of this, but after the Destruction Day, only Emperor Gloria of the Magic Empire was left.
After the Emperor vanished without a trace, that bloodline was considered completely extinct. Hence, even with this conjecture, no real testing could be conducted.
Anvis also could not find that kind of bloodline, but he had other solutions.
With the development of magic, later generations found another method, using the way of deceiving the ring’s judgment to activate its effects.
It’s known, there is no perfectly flawless array; everything has its vulnerabilities. Fidels’ Ring, ultimately just an inanimate item, had a very rigid way of evaluation.
In Anvis’s memory, there just happened to be a method used by people of later generations to activate the ring.
The specific process was quite complex, first stimulating some of the ring’s effects by using a bloodline concoction with a similarity rate over ninety percent.
Then, using special magic to solidify its operational state, while injecting an Array to slowly modify the inscriptions that detect the bloodline, rendering them ineffective.
Later, as this method began to circulate on a small scale, it immediately sparked a fever of searching for ’keys’.
Items ring were not the only ones; Great Emperor Fidels had left behind seven secret vaults in total, seemingly corresponding to his seven descendants.
When Anvis made the request, Duke Carrot was initially puzzled, wondering how Anvis knew about this item in the family vault.
However, when Anvis explained it through a prophecy, the Duke was left without a retort.
Soon, since the ’Meteor’ had fallen, several days had passed once again.
After some time, as the images of the numerous injured Ninth Rank spread, some people became restless, starting some minor maneuvers in secret.
In the Imperial Capital, Pamir Academy.
In a dimly lit room, a reddish-brown haired boy was sitting in front of a glowing crystal ball.
A translucent mini magic projection floated above the crystal ball, appearing to persuade the boy about something.
"What are you thinking, Roche? This is a great opportunity for us!"
"Many Ninth Rank Guardians have been injured, and changes in the Net of Destiny cause the results of Prophecy Magic to become extremely chaotic in a short time. The Empire’s upper-class rule is now in an unprecedented period of weakness."
"Join us, become one of us. As a top student of Pamir Academy, if you agree to join, you can directly obtain the identity of an officer."
Located in his residence, Roche looked solemnly at the projection in front of him.
"Who exactly are you people?"
Due to some adventures of his own that were unsuitable for others to see, he gritted his teeth and rented a Second Level residence.
This communicating Crystal Ball mysteriously appeared at the window of his residence after a class had ended.
Out of curiosity, he contacted the person in the Crystal Ball, but the content spoken by the figure was nothing short of treason.
"We are just some people with the same aspirations, forming a strategic alliance in secret,"
the magic projection in the Crystal Ball gestured with its hand and said indifferently.
"Our objective is to overthrow the tyranny of the Nobles and redistribute the Empire’s classes. You can also call us by our codename ’Starfire.’"
Roche furrowed his brows.
"Even so, why should I join you?"
The transparent figure laughed.
"Of course, you can choose not to join, Mr. Roche, but are you content with that?
Coming from a humble background, even if you exert effort several times more painstaking than those Noble descendants and temper yourself between life and death, the achievements you ultimately obtain will still be far inferior to theirs."
"Even if you successfully graduate and leave Pamir Academy, you would just be a subordinate to those Nobles who might not even have grades as good as yours, sacrificing your life for them."
"Yet those Noble descendants have done nothing, merely having a good origin, and can be loftily superior forever, always pressing down on your head."
Opening his mouth, the memory of a girl with a pure, sunshine-like demeanor handing him a string of fruit flitted through Roche’s mind, casting a shadow of melancholy in his eyes.
It was precisely because of the vast difference in status that he did not even have the courage to express his feelings.
In the Crystal Ball, the figure continued to tempt him gently.
"...You clearly possess a talent that could be considered powerful even in Pamir Academy, and you may also possess some unknowable, adventurous experiences.
But the resources you obtain through hard work and life-threatening risks might still be less than what those Nobles spend on a single meal. Are you truly reconciled to this?"
"I have another question, why me?"
After a moment of silence, Roche suddenly asked.
"You are different, Mr. Roche."
Hearing the young man’s slightly wavering voice, the figure laughed.
"The power of Destiny envelops you like a cloak, which means that your life is destined not to be ordinary. Whether you wish it or not, various matters will find you like iron filings attracted to a magnet."
"Then, I have one more friend who would likely appreciate your proposal."
After hesitating for a moment, Roche eventually shook his head.
"His name is Matt, and he is also a freshman in the Shape Power department with me. You should go persuade him first."
"If you can persuade him as well,"
"You’re saying Matt, right?"
The figure paused, seemingly flipping through something.
"Matt Typhon, a freshman in the Shape Power department at Pamir Academy, he has already agreed—"