Translator: CinderTL
Roland recognized the object before him instantly.
It was the skeletal remains that Bronson had meticulously carved spell patterns into each night, using it to absorb Magic Elements.
But...
Noticing that Darco's attention wasn't on the skeletal remains, Roland quietly stepped forward. As he carefully rewrapped it in linen cloth, he casually asked, "Darco, you said earlier... Mr. Bronson has left the manor?"
"Yes."
Darco, who had been about to ask about the skeletal remains, lost interest in the matter due to the interruption. After all, he wasn't concerned about what Bronson had given Roland; his only concern was his father's safety.
"Mr. Bronson did leave the manor, but he didn't say where he was going."
Roland wasn't surprised by this news. After Bronson's previous solo excursion to collect Magic Elements, any unexpected action from the research-obsessed scholar seemed perfectly reasonable.
However, Roland couldn't understand why Bronson would have Darco hand over the skeletal remains to him.
"Was he in a hurry for me to test its effects?"
Lost in thought, Roland was interrupted by Darco's voice.
"And you, Roland? When are you planning to return to the manor?"
"In a few days."
He still had enough money left in his pocket to buy a dozen Devilfish.
According to his original plan, Roland intended to finish brewing the remaining Spirit Summoning Potion in Far Ocean Port before heading back.
"Then why don't you return with me?"
Seeing Roland seemed to have improved Darco's mood considerably. The young noble had reverted to his usual easygoing manner.
He put his arm around Roland's shoulder and said with a smile, "If all goes as planned, King Monen will summon us nobles in a few days. Once the audience is over, I'll be able to leave here."
"That works," Roland replied with a slight nod.
"So where are you staying now? Would you like to stay with me?"
Before Darco could finish, Roland gently waved his hand to decline.
First, he needed a quiet environment to brew the Spirit Summoning Potion.
Second...
His hand unconsciously brushed against the hard skeletal remains in his pack, his eyebrows arching slightly.
Now that he had skeletal remains capable of absorbing Magic Element, he didn't need to wait until he returned to the manor to learn tricks.
The memory of Mr. Bronson's Flame Arrow that day filled Roland's heart with an unbearable anticipation.
Though tricks were limited in power, the opportunity to learn supernatural skills was something anyone would crave.
Roland was no exception.
"Alright."
Seeing Roland's refusal, Darco shrugged indifferently.
"How can I contact you then?"
"Go to..."
After giving the name of his inn, they exchanged a few more pleasantries before Roland turned and left.
Back in his room, he eagerly unwrapped the package.
Gazing at the pale skeletal remains, Roland took a deep breath to calm his slightly rapid heartbeat.
Then, closing his eyes, he carefully recalled the method Mr. Bronson had taught him for using spell patterns in his mind. Slowly, he pressed his palm against the cold, gleaming bone.
The moment his palm touched the skeletal remains, a chilling sensation spread from his fingertips.
At first, nothing unusual happened.
But just as Roland was about to give up, the seemingly chaotic carvings suddenly became clear in his mind.
Each line seemed to come alive, sketching a complete pattern deep within his consciousness.
"This is..."
Roland's heart skipped a beat.
He felt the intricate carvings on the bone's surface growing slightly warm, and an invisible force seemed to be slowly drawing something from the air.
Like a traveler in the desert suddenly catching the scent of moisture, he perceived the existence of Magic Elements with unprecedented clarity for the first time.
The drifting energy, like tiny fireflies, swirled around the skeletal remains.
Sometimes they coalesced into streams, other times they scattered, but ultimately, they were all captured by the intricate spell patterns etched across the bones.
As more Magic Elements converged, Roland suddenly felt a faint prickling sensation in his palm.
The energy absorbed by the skeletal remains had begun to seep into his fingertips.
At first, it felt like icy silk threads piercing his skin, accompanied by a slight numbness.
But as more Magic Elements flooded in, Roland's palm grew hot, as if submerged in a spring whose temperature was steadily rising.
He could distinctly feel the unfamiliar energy slowly flowing along the veins in his arm, causing his muscles to twitch involuntarily in its wake.
It was an extraordinary sensation—neither pain nor comfort, but an unprecedented sense of presence.
It was as if an empty vessel within him had suddenly been filled with a tangible substance.
Roland even seemed to hear a faint humming as the magic flowed, like the distant, ethereal chime of wind chimes.
His breathing quickened involuntarily, and fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.
The first time Roland absorbed a Magic Element, his body felt slightly uncomfortable. Each time the Magic Element flowed through his joints, it triggered an instinctive tightening.
Strangely, when the magic reached his brain, Roland experienced a peculiar sensation of fullness. It felt as though he had downed a large bottle of sparkling water, and even his heartbeat became unusually clear and forceful.
Huuu...
After exhaling deeply, Roland slowly removed his palm from the skeletal remains. Though his fingertips still trembled slightly, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"Mr. Bronson is truly a genius," he murmured in admiration, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
Without hesitation, Roland turned and sat on the edge of the bed. After adjusting his breathing, he closed his eyes.
When his eyelids fluttered open again, the familiar haze of the Consciousness Shoal enveloped his vision. The humid sea breeze had vanished, replaced by the unique stillness of this mental realm.
Unlike the chaotic, surging scene he had witnessed when first drinking the Spirit Summoning Potion, the Consciousness Shoal now presented a breathtakingly serene vista. The gray mist had long dissipated, replaced by a crystal-clear sea mirroring the boundless azure sky.
A gentle breeze swept across the water, carrying the refreshing scent of the ocean, as if even his thoughts had been cleansed and purified.
Recalling the rune structure Mr. Bronson had demonstrated for Flame Arrow, Roland took a deep breath and slowly traced lines in the air with his fingertip.
As the first stroke fell, mental power, which had solidified from the shallows of his consciousness, seeped from his fingertip like a thread, leaving a crimson trail in the air.
"The core arc of the rune must be precise," Roland muttered, watching the red light bend and take shape according to his will. "Too loose, and magic will dissipate; too tight, and it will ignite prematurely."
The moment the triple arcs converged, the rune suddenly trembled slightly.
Roland immediately steadied his wrist and began sketching the auxiliary patterns around the perimeter.
This time, he accelerated his pace. The mental power thread danced like a flickering flame, rapidly weaving the jagged burning mark and the sharp projection arrow.
As the final stroke completed, the entire rune suddenly imploded inward, condensing into a suspended dark-red speck of light.
Roland could feel the compressed heat within.
It was like holding a spark on the verge of bursting into flame.
He carefully enveloped it with his consciousness, placed it in a specific location deep within his mind, and then withdrew from the Consciousness Shoal.
The instant he returned to reality, a clear line of text slowly materialized before his eyes:
[Skill Learned: Flame Arrow, Current Level: Lv.1]
(End of the Chapter)