Ethan walked up to the counter. “I want to buy a storage ring.”
The bald man raised an eyebrow, turned to a shelf behind him, and took down a palm-sized wooden box. He placed it on the counter and opened it.
Five rings lay quietly inside the box. They varied in style: some were inlaid with crystals, some were covered in runes, and some were as plain as ordinary iron bands.
“These are all Apprentice-level Storage Wizardry Tools, the lowest grade. They were made by various Wizards in the academy as practice pieces. The space isn't large, but they're stable and durable. They won't break easily, and there's no risk of spatial collapse. For you freshmen, they're more than enough.”
Ethan's gaze landed on a plain, light-grey ring tucked in the corner.
“That one.”
The shopkeeper followed his gaze, looking a bit surprised. “Good eye. This one is the most basic style. The internal space is only one cubic meter, and it has no extra features or enhancements. But because of that, its structure is the simplest and almost impossible to malfunction. It's also far sturdier than the others.”
“The price?”
“Twenty magic stones,” the shopkeeper quoted flatly. “The price is firm.”
Ethan didn't hesitate and produced the magic stones.
The bald man took the stones, did a quick count, and nodded with satisfaction.
“Done.” He pushed the ring toward Ethan. “A drop of blood is all it takes to bind it to you. Once bound, only you can use it. Even if you lose it, it's useless to anyone else unless they use brute force to crack it. But if they do that, the thing will explode, and everything inside will be destroyed.”
Ethan picked up the ring and tucked it into his robes.
“Thanks.”
He turned and left the shop, heading back toward the living quarters.
Ethan stopped when he reached the entrance to the living quarters.
To the left of the gate, leaning against a thick stone pillar, was a skeleton.
It sat at the base of the pillar, its leg bones stretched out on the ground, its spine curved at a comfortable angle, and its head slightly bowed, as if it were napping.
“Huh, even Spirit Bone Guards slack off? How rare.”
Hearing footsteps, the skeleton raised its head, and its soul fire flickered twice.
“Freshman?” the Spirit Bone Guard's voice sounded lazy. “What are you wandering around for?”
Ethan fished a magic stone out of his robes. “Lord Guard, I want to ask something.”
The skeleton's soul fire jumped.
“Heh, you know the rules.” It took the magic stone and tucked it into its robes. “Ask away.”
Ethan took out the storage ring he had just bought and handed it over.
“Is there anything wrong with this?”
The Spirit Bone Guard took the ring and turned it over a few times. It raised its other bony hand and touched the surface of the ring with a fingertip that glowed with a faint, ghostly green light.
After about three breaths, it pulled its hand back and tossed the ring back to Ethan.
“It's fine.” It leaned back against the stone pillar, its tone still lazy. “The structure of this storage tool is incredibly simple, no fancy gimmicks. Just bind it with blood, and only you can use it. Why would anyone bother to tamper with it? It's not worth the effort.”
Ethan nodded and put the ring back into his robes.
“Thank you, my lord.”
“Mhm.” The Spirit Bone Guard waved a bony hand, its head dropping again as it returned to its nap.
Ethan didn't say anything else and walked into the living quarters.
Inside his villa, Ethan set down the stationery and the four-leaf clover.
He took out the storage ring, pricked his fingertip, and pressed a drop of blood onto it.
The moment the blood touched the light-grey material, it seeped in silently, like water absorbed by a dry sponge.
The material pulsed with a very faint, bloody glow before dimming back to its original appearance.
A strange connection emerged in his consciousness.
It was as if he had suddenly gained an invisible hand, or rather, a spatial entrance that he could open and close at will.
The entrance floated in the depths of his consciousness, invisible and intangible, yet very real.
Ethan closed his eyes and sent his mental energy into the entrance.
The interior was a hazy, grey space, roughly one cubic meter in size. The walls were blurred, as if shrouded in thick mist. The space was empty, with nothing inside.
He opened his eyes, picked up a quill from the table, and with a mere thought, it vanished from his palm.
In the hazy space in his mind, a quill now floated quietly.
A slight curve formed at the corners of Ethan's mouth, and with another thought, the quill reappeared in his hand.
“Interesting.”
This kind of spatial magic was the stuff of myths and legends in the Thorn Empire. But here at the Blood Bone Tower, a basic storage ring costing twenty magic stones could achieve it.
He slid the ring onto his right index finger; it was a perfect fit.
After putting everything away, Ethan's gaze fell on the four-leaf clover.
He reached out and touched a leaf with his fingertip.
A weak, almost blurred mental fluctuation was transmitted through his finger.
Water... nutrients... survive.
At the same time, he could vaguely sense the clover's condition.
The roots were still alive, but they were severely dehydrated. The dry, caked soil was wrapped tightly around the roots, preventing them from breathing or absorbing any nutrients.
If this continued, it would completely wither and die within three days at most.
“It really is on the verge of death.”
He picked up the clump of soil and walked into the washroom.
Turning on the faucet, a gentle stream of warm water flowed out.
Ethan used his fingers to gently peel away the dry soil crust on the surface, letting the water slowly soak in.
A few minutes later, Ethan placed the four-leaf clover on the balcony. “I forgot today, but I'll get you a flowerpot tomorrow.”
With everything settled, he stood in the third-floor cultivation room, looking out at the night through the window.
In the distance, the lights in the Mediocre District were sparse.
Nearby, every villa in the Talent District was lit up, and he could vaguely see figures moving behind the windows.
A faint smile touched Ethan's lips.
Out of over seven thousand freshmen, he was the only one who had walked out of the Chaotic Labyrinth.
Out of one hundred and forty-three people, he was the only survivor.
Grade Five Aptitude, a private villa, seventy magic stones, a storage ring, and an unknown four-leaf clover.
Tomorrow, there was the freshman assembly.
His life at the Blood Bone Tower Academy was just beginning.
He turned, sat cross-legged in the center of the cultivation room, closed his eyes, and began to circulate his breathing technique.
Outside the window, the night was at its peak.
Early the next morning, Ethan stepped out of his villa. The morning air carried a hint of chill.
The living quarters were quiet, with only the occasional figure of a freshman his age hurrying past.
Ethan followed the path back out, passing the Talent District's stone tablet and heading down the main stone path toward the Central Plaza.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, the view ahead suddenly opened up.
He had reached the Central Plaza.
A dense, dark sea of people had already gathered in the plaza.
Ethan stood at the edge, his gaze sweeping over the countless figures.
There were at least five or six thousand people.
“Seems like they all arrived quite early.”
Time passed slowly as they waited.
Rate on N.U.
