The Count stared at the chest, unable to speak for a moment.

Twenty thousand gold coins! This was almost equivalent to the total annual income of the Ralph Clan during its heyday.

And the shops in the Royal Capital East District were even more invaluable, with the rent alone each year enough to maintain the daily expenses of the entire estate.

"Moreover..." Orlando took out a letter from his pocket, "This is a letter personally written by Master Ron."

The Count took the letter with trembling hands, eagerly opening it.

Yet there was only one sentence on the paper:

"Old man, don't send Magic Stone Fragments over here, I know the family has its struggles. Just take care of yourselves, I'm doing well here."

Touching the familiar handwriting, the Count's eyes unknowingly grew moist: "That boy..."

The son who once only knew how to have fun has quietly grown into someone remarkable who could think for the family.

"His Majesty holds Master Ron's performance in high regard," Orlando continued:

"To show our apology, the Royal Family has decided to sponsor Master Ron directly with twenty Magic Stone Fragments each month as training support, starting next month."

Edmund looked at the messenger in disbelief: "The Royal Family is willing to provide such generous support for someone not of royal blood?"

"It's an investment, Master Edmund."

Orlando smiled slightly: "The potential Master Ron has shown is worth the Royal Family's attention. The Faruk Kingdom needs more powerful Wizards, and being able to advance from a Sixth-class Star to an Elementary Apprentice in less than a year is worthy of our investment."

The Count nodded, fully understanding the Royal Family's considerations.

In a world governed by Extraordinary Power, having a strong Wizard as an ally is far more valuable than owning dozens of cities, and the Royal Family is just betting in advance.

"Please tell my youngest son..." The Count stood up, his voice slightly trembling with excitement: "I am proud of him; the family will always welcome him back."

Orlando nodded solemnly: "I will personally convey your words to Master Ron, and moreover, due to the inconvenience caused by the previous Messenger matter, the Royal Family has specially appointed me as the new liaison."

After the messenger left, the Count and Edmund still stood in the hall, looking at that wealth and letter, for a long time unable to speak.

"Father." Edmund finally broke the silence, his voice filled with boundless relief: "It seems we all underestimated Ron."

The Count gently touched the letter, as if he could reach his distant youngest son through the paper: "Yes, that child has finally grown up."

.........

Black Mist Jungle, in the dormitory area.

The sky outside the window was completely dark, and the dim light of the Magic Crystal Lamp cast a hazy shadow indoors.

Ron sat at a small table, holding a letter with the Royal Seal on it.

"The Royal emissary has delivered your personal letter and gift to Earl Ralph's Mansion..." the letter said.

He smiled slightly, closing the letter.

When he initially discovered Hawkins withholding Magic Stone Fragments, he wasn't particularly surprised.

In this world, such degree of deceit and betrayal were common occurrences.

But he hadn't expected the Royal Family's reaction to be so swift and intense—they directly dealt with Hawkins and his family, and dispatched a special emissary to apologize, even promising to provide twenty Magic Stone Fragments of support each month.

"The Faruk Royal Family truly deserves to be a ruling family for hundreds of years..."

Ron muttered to himself, a trace of admiration in his eyes: "Not only have they mastered power, but they also understand the art of balance."

On the table was also a delicate small bundle, containing twenty brand-new Magic Stone Fragments, their surfaces gleaming with a pure sheen, each the size of a fingernail, with distinct edges.

This was the "meeting gift" sent by the Royal Family, with a letter saying it was a congratulatory gift for his promotion to Elementary Apprentice.

"Exchanging twenty Magic Stone Fragments a month for a potential ally is simply too good a deal for the Royal Family."

Ron chuckled and shook his head: "And for me, these resources are just what I need to accelerate my growth."

He reached out and touched a Magic Stone Fragment, feeling the slight pulsing energy within it.

After transitioning to a [Wizard Apprentice], his perception of Magic Power became more sensitive, enabling him to clearly distinguish the energy traits and purity contained in each Magic Stone Fragment.

.........

In the Library, Ron buried himself amidst piles of ancient tomes.

At this moment, he was studying theories related to sound and vibration, which were key to perfecting Sound Wave Magic.

Darrend's notes contained numerous records of attempts combining audio, vibration, and Spiritual Power, but many places seemed fragmented, lacking systematic theoretical support.

"The key is to find the precise vibration frequency..." Ron murmured softly, his fingers gliding over a page of yellowed paper detailing the effects of different sound waves on various materials.

Since starting his study of "Star Eater's Ravings," his Spiritual Power had been greatly enhanced, and now reviewing Darrend's notes, many parts that once seemed obscure became clear.

"So, Darrend had always been attempting to find the resonance point between Magic Power and Spiritual Power..."

Ron lifted his pen, recording his new findings in his notebook.

The concept of "Rhythm" began forming a complete system in his mind, where different energy forms each had their specific vibration frequencies, and finding the harmonious relationships between these frequencies could create more powerful and stable effects.

This was the core of Sound Wave Magic.

He closed the book, took out Darrend's notes from his pocket, and turned to the final few pages with the most complex diagrams.

Now, Ron could already understand the meaning behind these diagrams, where Darrend attempted to create a sound wave attack that could directly act on the spiritual level, affecting the target's consciousness without physical contact.

"This is why Oliver is so interested in this research..." Ron suddenly realized: "If sound waves can act as a carrier for Spiritual Power, then curses..."

His thoughts suddenly sparked a new understanding: traditional Curse Techniques require a physical medium for connection, such as the target's hair, blood, or personal items, which severely limits the application range of curses.

But if Curse Energy is integrated into sound waves of specific frequencies, theoretically, this limitation can be overcome, achieving remote, contactless curse transmission.

Seizing the moment of inspiration, Ron quickly moved to the nearby public experimental ground.

Handing in a Magic Stone Fragment, he applied for a private compartment and began attempting to integrate Spiritual Control Techniques into the construction process of Sound Wave Magic.

Closing his eyes, Spiritual Power was once again condensed into a familiar spiral structure.

But this time, he tried to make the energy vibrate according to a specific Rhythm, much like the pulsation of stars in the universe.

[Magic Construction (Beginner) Experience Points +2]

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