Ten days later.
In the Meditation Room, Magus sat cross-legged on the ground.
In the invisible void, countless energy particles—drawn by an unseen force—rushed continuously into his body. Deep within his sea of consciousness, the Star Ring had almost completely materialized; only a small translucent portion remained. As more and more energy filled him, that final fragment gradually solidified.
When the last trace of the phantom vanished, the Star Ring suddenly blazed with dazzling light and pulsed gently.
A clear chime echoed in Magus's mind, and his spirit became instantly clear and calm.
"It's a success."
He opened his eyes, a genuine smile spreading across his face. From the day he began cultivating the Star Ring Meditation until now, it had taken nearly half a year to complete the construction of his first Star Ring.
After recovering from his excitement, Magus immediately checked his panel.
[Spirit: 3.60 / Physique: 3.25]
"My Spirit increased by 0.78, and my Physique by 0.31."
He nodded in satisfaction.
Even with the assistance of a Sub-Active Potion, it would normally take nearly a month of meditation to achieve such spiritual growth. The improvement brought by completing the Star Ring was indeed remarkable.
In terms of physique, Magus had now surpassed the level of an Apprentice Knight, though he was still far from reaching the Formal Knight standard of eight points in Physique.
After all, he had yet to cultivate a Breathing Method.
"If I started practicing a Breathing Method now, my progress should be quite fast," he mused.
The Breathing Method and Physique were complementary. The stronger one's Physique, the quicker the Breathing Method advanced—and vice versa.
With his current body, Magus estimated he could reach minor success in a Breathing Method in less than a month.
However, despite recognizing the potential benefits, he had no intention of doing so.
Wizards possessed many methods to strengthen their Physique. Wasting time on a Knight's Breathing Method would be inefficient. That effort was better spent improving spell proficiency and acquiring new skills.
With a thought, Magus opened his spell list:
[Wizard's Hand]
[Sleep Spell]
[Acid Splash]
[Flash]
Thanks to the amplifying effects of the Sub-Active Potion, his learning efficiency had multiplied several times over.
In just two months, he had not only mastered the Sleep Spell but had also successfully learned Acid Splash and Flash. At present, he was working on improving his Lockpicking skill.
"Most of the knowledge required for Wizardry is incredibly deep," Magus reflected quietly. "That's the main reason so many talented Wizard Apprentices take centuries to advance to true Wizards."
"Yet, with enough resources, this time can be drastically shortened."
He sighed softly.
The Starlight Continent had been abandoned precisely because its elements had decayed and its resources were scarce. Without sufficient energy sources, Wizards had no hope of growth.
If not for the Synthesis Cube, his mysterious golden finger, advancing to a full Wizard on such a barren land would have been nothing more than a fantasy.
"The Level 2 Star Ring Meditation requires 3,000 proficiency points to upgrade," he calculated, "which will take around four months. If I can keep a steady supply of Sub-Active Potions, I could reach Second-Grade Wizard Apprentice within two years."
He estimated that producing one Sub-Active Potion cost about twelve gold coins. Once he gained more experience, he might reduce the cost to ten per bottle.
That meant spending nearly twenty gold coins each month—an enormous sum.
"Blackstone City's monthly tax revenue is only forty to fifty gold coins," he muttered. "That's quite a burden."
He had once considered using the Synthesis Cube to create a synthesized version of the Sub-Active Potion, hoping to greatly enhance its effects.
Unfortunately, given the city's limited income, it was impossible to buy large quantities of materials in advance.
"I'll have to discuss this with my brother."
Rising to his feet, Magus left the Meditation Room.
On his way out, he encountered Old Geller, who told him that Rune was currently in the study. Magus immediately changed direction and headed there.
When he entered the study, he found Rune looking troubled, staring blankly at a pile of papers.
Upon seeing Magus, Rune quickly masked his expression and forced a smile.
"Ah, Magus. You've been holed up in that courtyard for days. What brings you out today?"
"Brother, I have something to discuss with you."
Magus went straight to the point, explaining his need to purchase potion materials.
Rune listened silently before sighing, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.
"There are still a little over fifty gold coins in the treasury. I was planning to use them to purchase armor, but if you need them for your work, you can have them first."
Magus studied Rune's face and remembered his troubled look earlier. It didn't take long for him to guess the situation.
"Is the territory running short on money again?" he asked.
Rune didn't hide it. He sighed deeply.
"Recently, the number of Knights under our command has increased, which means our food expenses have risen sharply. Next month marks the start of the farming season—we'll need to buy tools and seeds as well. So yes, our expenses are quite heavy."
"Is there any way to increase income or reduce costs?" Magus asked.
"Reducing expenses won't work," Rune replied firmly. "If the territory is to grow, we can't cut spending. Whether it's strengthening the army or developing the economy, none of it can be done without gold."
Rune's long-held ambition to reclaim the Shanguang Territory burned brightly in his eyes. He was never one to simply accept decline.
"As for increasing income," he continued after a pause, "I do have an idea. I plan to reopen the Black Stone Mining Area."
"Black Stone Mining Area?"
Magus's expression changed slightly.
He remembered that Blackstone City was once famous for its black stone iron, a rare metal of exceptional quality. After simple refining, it could achieve a hardness comparable to fine iron—an ideal material for forging weapons and armor.
It was this resource that had given Blackstone City its name and once made it one of the most prosperous cities in the Golden Rock Province.
But something had happened, leading to the mine's abandonment and the city's gradual decline.
"Why was the Black Stone Mine abandoned in the first place?" Magus asked, puzzled. "No lord would willingly give up a source of steady income like that."
Rune nodded, prepared for the question.
"According to the old soldiers, it was because a certain type of monster appeared in the mines."
"Monsters?"
Rune unrolled a piece of parchment on the table.
The drawing depicted a pitch-black leopard-like creature. Its body was covered with stone-like patterns and shone with a metallic luster, as though it were made entirely of rock and iron.
"The previous lord called them Iron-Eating Beasts," Rune explained. "They feed on black stone iron ore. Their bodies are as hard as the metal itself, and each one possesses strength comparable to a Junior Knight. They are extremely difficult to deal with."
"Are there many of these beasts?" Magus asked.
A few Knight-level monsters wouldn't normally be enough to shut down such a profitable mine. If necessary, a lord could simply spend a few hundred gold coins to hire a Great Knight to eliminate them.
Unless… there was something else.
Rune continued, "There aren't too many—maybe twenty or thirty. The real problem is that these creatures are very cunning. Once they sense danger, they burrow deep into the rock walls and vanish. They move so quickly that even a Great Knight can't catch them."
"Without clearing them out completely, reopening the mine is impossible."
Magus frowned slightly. Monsters that could burrow into solid rock were indeed troublesome.
But only for ordinary people.
"If that's all, it might not be unsolvable," Magus said calmly.
Rune was stunned for a moment, then stood up abruptly, eyes wide with excitement.
"You mean—you have a way to deal with the Iron-Eating Beasts?"
Magus hesitated briefly, then nodded. "I can try."
Although he didn't make a full guarantee, Rune's face lit up instantly.
This single sentence seemed to lift the heavy burden weighing on his shoulders.
The lack of gold had been his greatest headache lately. If the Black Stone Mine could be reopened, that problem would vanish overnight.
For Rune, it was a chance to revive Blackstone City's former glory.
And for Magus—it was an opportunity to test his growing power.