If Izroth wanted to increase the progress rate of his Boundless Emperor Void Perfection skill, he needed something known as the "Law of Void". Unfortunately, it appeared that items containing the Law of Void required a divine item as its vessel, otherwise, the power behind the Law of Void could not be properly restrained.
'But, is this truly the only path I can take?'
Izroth needed to increase his power as fast as possible in a short amount of time and this was the best method at his current disposal.
When Kryxelsia noticed that Izroth appeared to be in deep thought about the topic, she decided to leave him with a strand of hope. Even though she knew that it was unlikely to happen, she believed that it was not completely impossible. It was also better than leaving him with no path or goal. Besides, it might even ultimately motivate Izroth to push past his limits.
"There is another way that you can possibly experience the same effects provided by an item that contains the Law of Void. It would be impossible for most others, but since you hold a Golden Lustrum Imperial Token, it is at the very least, something within your reach. But, I must warn you that it is not a simple feat." Kryxelsia said in an unhurried manner.
This, of course, immediately caught Izroth's attention. If there really was another way for him to come into contact with the Law of Void, then this was good news. However, he was not so naive as to believe that it would be something easy to accomplish. Since the Law of Void required a divine item to contain it, this obviously meant that it held a great level of power.
Of course, with his current strength, Izroth had no intention of trying to control the Law of Void. Instead, he wanted to use it as a catalyst for his Boundless Emperor Void Perfection skill. As long as he was capable of realizing that goal, then it was of no consequence how arduous of a task it turned out to be.
Though what Izroth was most interested in was how the Golden Lustrum Imperial Token was related to his chances of interacting with the Law of Void. Since Kryxelsia stated that it would be impossible for most others, but not for him who was in possession of the token... Could it have something to do with the Lustrum Imperial Bout? Or to be more precise the Imperial Peninsula Realm?
"If the Wiseman has something in mind, I would be grateful for the opportunity presented to me. As for it not being simple... This is not necessarily a bad thing. After all, most good things in life that are hard to come by are, more often than not, worth the trouble." Izroth said in a carefree manner.
He then asked, "What is it that I need to do?"
"You have good fortune, Izroth. The first condition is to find a way to the Imperial Peninsula Realm. Without a Lustrum Imperial Token in your possession, this would not be possible with your current level of strength and influence. However, since you were able to place in the top ten of a selection, this saves you quite a bit of time." Kryxelsia explained.
'I see. That's why she made that comment earlier about it being within my reach. If I didn't take part in the selection and have the Golden Lustrum Imperial Token, then entering into the Imperial Peninsula Realm would have been close to an impossibility. As for time... The Imperial Peninsula Realm only opens once every five years. Even with the in-game time ratio of 3:1, that's still more than a year and a half I'd have to wait. It may only be a bit of time for someone like her, but I don't have the luxury of waiting that long.'
Who knew how far along he would be in almost five years in-game time? He may not even need the Law of Void for his Boundless Emperor Void Perfection skill by then!
"You said that the Lustrum Imperial Token is the first condition. If that's the case, what are the others?" Izroth asked. The moment he asked that question, Izroth received a message alert from the system. It was surprisingly sent by He Huian of Sleeping Gardenia. She was Sleeping Gardenia's financial advisor, as well as, the one in-charge of matters while Mariposa was away.
Izroth gave the message a quick glance as he narrowed his eyes slightly after reading it. When Kryxelsia saw this, she paused for a moment.
"Is something wrong?" Kryxelsia asked.
"No, just some small matter that I forgot to attend to. However, it doesn't require my immediate attention. You'll have to excuse my rudeness. About the other conditions..." Izroth said as he set the other matter to the back of his head for the time being.
Kryxelsia gave a slight nod as she said, "When you ascend the Imperial Steps, you must reach the top step. Atop of the Imperial Steps lies an ancient relic. It is that relic that will allow you to experience effects similar to that of a divine item that contains one of the Laws of the World. Of course, this includes the Law of Void. However, you must remember that what the Imperial Steps test is not one's strength, but one's understanding."
"Understanding?" Izroth questioned.
"Yes, one's understanding of natural laws. To put it in simple terms, it tests the heights of one's Domain mastery. While a Domain is separated from the Laws of the World, at the same time, the two are closely connected. They are not the same thing, however, one cannot exist without the other. But, for you who do not yet have a Domain..." Kryxelsia did not have to finish her sentence as Izroth already knew what it was that she wanted to say.
If he did not even have a Domain, how was he supposed to ascend the Imperial Steps, let alone reach the top step? But, according to Kayn, a Domain would come naturally as one grew stronger. The question was, just how strong did one need to become before acquiring a Domain? This was the biggest worry at the moment.
However, not only would he need to acquire a Domain, but increase his mastery of the Domain to its peak! To achieve this in the time before the Lustrum Imperial Bout, Kryxelsia was likely being polite when she said that it was somewhat within his reach. But, even without a solid frame of reference, Izroth was not discouraged.
He was someone who comprehended heavenly laws to a peak understanding. How could he allow himself to be stopped by something like a Domain?
"So, as long as I obtain a Domain, reach a peak level mastery of it, and ascend the Imperial Steps until I reach the top, then there shouldn't be any problems, correct?" Izroth asked in a nonchalant way.
"Speaking plainly, yes." Kryxelsia responded.
"Then, I'll have to do just that.." Izroth said as if it was just a matter of him choosing to do so.
However, Kryxelsia could not say that she was shocked by Izroth's response. This was someone with a deep level of comprehension as she discovered during their previous conversation about magic. Kryxelsia felt that if anyone could master a Domain in half a year's time, then it was the young man in front of her.
Izroth and Kryxelsia continued their conversation for a while longer before Izroth was ready to take his leave.
As Izroth was about to leave, Kryxelsia spoke and said, "If you damage your mana pool again, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to repair it. If you do not wish to lose every drop of mana inside of your body, I suggest you discontinue your reckless behavior. Unless it is an absolute emergency, you must not push your mana pool past its limits."
"I will take your words to heart, Wiseman. I will not forget the help you've given me today. I will surely find the chance to repay this favor." Izroth said. He was not someone who left favors unpaid. Kryxelsia did not require anything of him and yet, she not only helped to fix his mana pool but even took the time to inform him about the Imperial Steps.
"If you wish to do me a favor, then you can drag that disciple of mine out of the magic capital city some time. I understand the great curiosity that comes along with magic, however, one also needs firsthand experience if they truly wish to reach great heights. In the end, the training dungeon in that estate can only take one so far." Kryxelsia stated.
Izroth inwardly shook his head. He understood Kryxelsia's concerns. After all, every message he received from Valentine since his time in the selection had been about nothing but magic. Even when he told Valentine about the raid tomorrow, what was his response?
"Raid? Sounds fun. I'm too busy though. Oh! About the sixth sequence I sent you, what do you think about...", that was the response Izroth received from Valentine. He brushed off participating in the first raid of RML so that he could stay in and continue to read about magic! If any other player was in his place, they would jump for joy at a similar chance.
Originally, Izroth planned on finding someone as a substitute, but since Kryxelsia made the request then he could only use a... different approach.
Izroth gave a small nod as he said, "Rest assured, I will make sure to properly 'convince' him when the time comes."
"Then, I will leave this matter in your hands." Kryxelsia replied.
After exchanging farewells, Izroth took his leave from Everpeak and made his way back towards Amaharpe. This time, however, he came well prepared on the journey with a Returning Scroll that took him directly to the front gates of Amaharpe. It costs a few hundred gold coins for one scroll of that quality, however, this was not much of a dent on Izroth's funds. Besides, there was another reason he wanted to return to Amaharpe as quickly as possible. It had to do with the message he received from He Huian while he was in the middle of a conversation with Kryxelsia.
〈System Alert: Player He Huian has sent you a message, "I've just received some news that there's someone causing a commotion in front of your Mystical Realm Palace. I heard that you're not present, so I took the liberty of sending some people to handle it. However, that person is incredibly stubborn and refuses to cease his actions. It seems that he has no intention of leaving unless you meet him. Since it's a safe zone, there's nothing more that can be done."〉
'Could it be Sage Falls returning for revenge? But, would they really only send one person to make trouble after what happened last time?'
That was the first thought that crossed Izroth's mind. He could not think of anyone else who would be so bold as to openly cause trouble in front of his Mystical Realm Palace. Not to mention, he had not heard any news recently regarding Sage Falls. It was possible that they were simply rebuilding their strength before deciding to strike. If it really was Sage Falls causing trouble, then...
'Well, if it really is them, then this time... I'll be sure to pull them up by their roots.'
Izroth swiftly made his way towards the Mystical Realm Palace and the instant he arrived within the visual range of his shop, he noticed that there was a crowd gathered outside. Immediately, he could tell that, at the very least, the entrance to his Mystical Realm Palace was not being forcibly blocked.
As he moved closer to the shop, it was at that time that he heard a loud voice ring out in the surroundings that came from the direction of the Mystical Realm Palace.
"I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE OWNER OF THE MYSTICAL REALM PALACE! COME OUT AND GREET THIS AMAZING ONCE IN A LIFETIME HANDSOME GENIUS BORN ONCE EVERY... WELL, JUST ONCE! BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, YOU'LL BE B-" The voice grandly announced, however, as they were speaking they made a mistake and bit down on their tongue! This caused them to suddenly halt their words and cover their mouth in pain.
The crowd gathered outside the Mystical Realm Palace were players that had finished their shopping and wanted to see how the owner of the Mystical Realm Palace handled this matter. After all, they heard that last time someone caused trouble in front of his shop, there was a grand sell where even rare items cost only 1 bronze coin! None of them wanted to miss out on this opportunity. However, the person causing trouble was a bit... Wasn't he a bit messed up in the head?
"This person... Aren't they embarrassed to say such things out loud?" One of the spectating players commented.
"No, forget that. Is it even possible to bite your own tongue in RML? Is it some kind of skill?"
"Skill your head! Why would there be such a useless skill in-"
"This stupid skill, it actually went off again and caused me to bite my tongue..! Why does it actually hurt?!" The player who was causing the commotion said.
When those words left his mouth, it was met with an awkward silence by the players in the crowd. Wait... There really was such a useless skill in RML?
Izroth, on the other hand, did not know what to think as he arrived at the front of the crowd. One thing was for certain, this person did not seem to be a member of Sage Falls.
'What's with this guy? Is he right in the head?'