Chapter 256: The Limits of Space

The contents of the ring were not particularly abundant—some elemental crystals and alchemical materials—but none of these were Merlin's primary focus. His true objective was to uncover the Pandora spells that Bluebird had mastered.

However, after thoroughly searching the ring, Merlin's expression darkened. He muttered in a low voice, "Nothing? How can there be no method for cultivating those spells?"

When Merlin defeated Viss, he had obtained the training method for *Gale of Destruction* from Viss's ring. Although Merlin couldn't practice it due to his spell limitations, it still provided a valuable Pandora spell method, which could even be exchanged in the Dark Spirit Realm for an equally valuable Pandora spell.

Now, despite Bluebird possessing two Pandora spells, Merlin found nothing related to their cultivation methods in her ring.

Merlin realized that Bluebird must have committed the training methods to memory rather than keeping them in her ring. This left him somewhat disappointed.

Both Pandora spells were valuable. While Merlin couldn't use wind-type spells, the *Ice Silk* spell clearly surpassed his *Frozen Finger* in effectiveness. If he could have obtained the *Ice Silk* method, there was a good chance he could cultivate it himself.

Merlin quickly calmed his disappointment. After all, not every spellcaster would carry precious spells or methods in their possession. Merlin himself didn't keep the methods for *Frozen Finger*, *Flame of Destruction*, or *Heart of Darkness* in his ring—they were all stored within his Matrix.

Even if Merlin's ring were to fall into the hands of another spellcaster, they would not be able to find any of his Pandora spells.

After meticulously searching the ring several times and confirming the absence of any training methods, Merlin was about to withdraw his mental energy when he sensed an unusual *coldness*.

This sensation was strange. Mental energy, being intangible, should not feel hot or cold. Yet, within Bluebird's ring, Merlin distinctly perceived an intense chill.

"Interesting," Merlin murmured, following the source of the coldness. Eventually, he discovered a large black wooden box within the ring—a mysterious object radiating the icy aura.

"This box is unusual," Merlin thought, bringing it out and placing it on the table. The moment it touched the air, layers of frost formed around the box, rapidly solidifying.

"What incredible coldness… What could be inside this box?"

Even Merlin was astonished. Seeing the thickening ice, he summoned a small flame with a simple *Fireball* spell, enveloping the box in heat. To his surprise, the ice showed no signs of melting.

Narrowing his eyes, Merlin pointed again, releasing a wisp of *Flame of Destruction*. The pale white flame wrapped around the ice surrounding the black box.

"Sizzle."

The frost surrounding the box began to melt under the intense heat of the *Flame of Destruction*. Soon, the flames reached the surface of the wooden box itself. Merlin withdrew the flames and struck the box firmly with his hand.

"Crack."

The box was sturdy but stood no chance against Merlin's immense physical strength. It shattered, revealing a golden cloth wrapped tightly around a piece of pristine, white ice.

The ice was no larger than an egg, yet the cold it emitted was astonishing. Icy mist quickly spread through the air, freezing everything it touched into thick, rock-hard frost.

This frost was impervious even to Merlin's *Fireball* spell, indicating just how extraordinary this piece of ice was.

"Could this be *Thousand-Year Cold Marrow*? Or perhaps something even older?"

Merlin's mind raced as he recalled using *Hundred-Year Cold Marrow* to cultivate *Frozen Finger*. While that substance was also incredibly cold, it paled in comparison to this egg-sized piece of ice.

"Only thousand-year cold marrow—or something older—could possess such extreme coldness."

A smile spread across Merlin's face. The second stage of *Frozen Finger* required thousand-year cold marrow, or something equally potent. However, Merlin had struggled to find even *Hundred-Year Cold Marrow*, let alone something of this magnitude.

Such rare materials weren't available even in the Dark Spirit Realm or the White Silver Tower of the Floating City. They could only be obtained through sheer luck. Without these treasures, a spellcaster could face the same fate as Rhysenne, who, despite having the method for *Flame of Destruction*, never managed to cultivate it.

This piece of thousand-year cold marrow was undoubtedly something Bluebird had painstakingly acquired, likely in preparation for advancing her *Ice Silk* spell to its next stage as a fourth-level spellcaster.

"Now it's mine," Merlin thought with satisfaction, carefully storing the cold marrow in his ring. While he hadn't obtained Bluebird's Pandora spell methods, this find was an unexpected boon, lifting his spirits considerably.

Merlin closed his eyes and reflected on his battle with Bluebird. Though brief, the fight had been exceedingly dangerous, where a single misstep could have led to disaster.

Bluebird's downfall had primarily stemmed from Merlin's overwhelming physical strength. His sheer force had shattered Bluebird's defensive spells, which were among the best of third-level spells. Even fifth- or sixth-level elemental swordsmen would have struggled to break through her defenses.

Only the legendary high-level swordsmen—those above seventh level—might have been able to challenge such spells. However, such individuals were incredibly rare, even rarer than seventh-level spellcasters.

Merlin retrieved the four mysterious sculptures from his ring. Each depicted a unique posture. Training with the first three sculptures had gradually enhanced his physical strength, albeit slowly.

However, mastering the fourth sculpture had brought dramatic improvements, granting Merlin extraordinary power. While the postures required long-term training to show results, once his body adapted, he possessed strength comparable to an elite spellcaster.

The more Merlin studied the sculptures, the more he realized their profound mystery. They were likely part of a larger set. If he could gather more sculptures and master their techniques, his physical transformation could reach unimaginable heights.

Initially, Merlin believed these sculptures to be relics from the Morta Empire, developed by ancient spellcasters as a means of enhancing physical strength. But after experiencing the explosive power within his body, he began to suspect that the sculptures represented an entirely distinct system—one separate from both spellcasters and elemental swordsmen.

This system might allow its practitioners to rival even the strongest spellcasters, though this was purely speculative. Merlin didn't believe his body alone could withstand the full brunt of a third-level spell. However, if combined with specialized armor designed to resist magic, the potential of this system could become truly terrifying.

"I'll have to keep an eye out for more of these sculptures. If I can find the fifth, sixth, or even seventh piece…"

Merlin smiled faintly. With his extended lifespan as a spellcaster, he had plenty of time to dedicate to such pursuits. Even if it took decades to master the techniques, he could afford the investment.

His musings were interrupted by a sudden vibration from Bell's Spatial Zone, housed within his chest.

Startled, Merlin focused his mental energy into the spatial zone.

Inside, Merlin's mental energy avatar had grown significantly stronger—nearly twice as powerful as when he had first created it.

"So soon… The rate of mental energy growth in Bell's Spatial Zone is astonishing," Merlin marveled, surprised but delighted. His avatar's strength had reached the zone's limit, causing the vibrations.

This confirmed that the spatial zone had a ceiling for mental energy, spells, and Pandora techniques. To continue training within the zone, Merlin would first need to absorb the avatar's accumulated mental energy.

Without hesitation, Merlin began channeling all his mental energy to fuse with the avatar, ready to harness its accumulated strength.