CHAPTER 59: STAR WHEEL PART 2

"Old man, don’t forget that Lady Rebecca’s daughter also has Aether Tier 3. Wren isn’t the only one." The merchant beside the old man suddenly interjected.

"Miss Grace? Hmm, even so, she hasn’t reached the Aether Will Realm yet. There’s no way she can compete with Wren..." the old man replied.

Richard listened quietly, occasionally nodding as he finally understood the situation.

Not long after Grace’s name was mentioned, he suddenly saw her step down from her carriage with her maid, instantly drawing the attention of many.

As she walked into the governor’s castle courtyard, everyone unconsciously stepped back, opening a path for her to pass.

Richard, who had been standing at the roadside from the start, didn’t need to move.

Grace initially gazed straight ahead indifferently, her eyes rarely blinking.

But when she drew close to Richard, she still cast her eyes in his direction.

She didn’t stop, but it looked as though she wanted to approach him.

Richard felt as if she already knew more about him through Lilith.

"Little sister, little sister..."

Suddenly, a plump young man with black hair, wearing luxurious red robes, ran toward Grace, causing her to furrow her brows.

The fat youth was followed by more than ten guards, all clad in Sky Armor.

"Little sister, let’s go together," the fat youth said with a wide grin.

Grace looked far too lazy to respond, continuing forward while the fat youth insisted on trailing beside her.

"Who is he?" Richard asked.

"Jack, son of the Moonshadow Clan leader. He’s rather dim-witted, only capable of indulging himself and bullying others. That clan has been declining, and their younger generation has grown worse. Fortunately, they still have Lady Rebecca," the old man explained with a scornful tone, clearly disliking the fat youth.

’It doesn’t seem so bad living in an orphanage,’ Richard thought.

After that, he saw Gray and Laura together with the students from the Royal Academy of the Nine Star Province.

It turned out they had also come.

Of course, there was no prohibition against their presence, since they too were citizens of the Holy Star Kingdom.

However, people looked at them oddly because of Gray’s choice to surrender.

The man appeared calm. On the other hand, Laura, beside him, repeatedly pouted, as though harboring a deep grievance.

Though from another province, they were still welcomed by the governor’s servants and given a special place.

Richard, of course, would not miss this opportunity.

Grace was not worth mentioning, as she had not yet reached the Aether Will Realm. This meant his only true rival for the Aether Tier 3 was Wren.

He didn’t believe he would lose to him in this matter.

It was no secret that Wren’s Aether Tier 3 was not very stable. This was clearly due to his lack of capability—unlike Richard, who relied on two Codices and mastered both well.

He crossed one of the bridges, moving closer toward the governor’s residence.

There, he saw Wren chatting with several young nobles around his age.

His instincts were sharp. The moment Richard laid eyes on him, Wren looked back, slightly surprised to see it was him.

Instantly, Wren’s eyes sharpened.

Richard grinned at him before walking to a chair and sitting down casually, occasionally glancing at Wren, who didn’t bother approaching.

Surely, he already knew who Richard was, but perhaps he was too lazy to reveal his identity—it would only draw unwanted attention.

Richard quickly turned his gaze toward the governor’s castle entrance.

The governor had stepped out of the castle with his subordinates.

"Everyone..." He greeted the crowd gathered before his castle.

At that moment, something suddenly descended from the sky, like a blinding lump of light.

Richard squinted, realizing it was a wheel in shape, but made of something like crystal.

The more Richard observed it, the more he felt the Aether draw near.

That Star Wheel clearly stored an immense amount of Aether.

Its function was likely similar to an Aether Bottle, though each had its own strengths and weaknesses.

An Aether Bottle had a limit of up to 100 Aether, but it could be drunk directly, fusing with the body at once.

The Aether within the Star Wheel did not seem to be the kind that could be swallowed directly. It had to be absorbed like Aether from nature—yet it appeared far easier to absorb, making it highly coveted.

Even the tiers of each Aether are separated from one another, so competition is only with those of the same tier.

The kingdom’s founder seemed to have created the Star Wheel to aid his people in cultivation.

"As you all know, the Star Wheel is only passed down once every five years," the governor said.

"This is because, in five years, we must wait for the Star Wheel to fully gather Aether. The amount it holds consists of 300,000 Tier 1 Aether, 30,000 Tier 2 Aether, and 3,000 Tier 3 Aether."

Richard and those listening to the governor’s words could not help but be astonished.

Richard’s focus was solely on Tier 3 Aether. Though its quantity was the smallest, three thousand was still an enormous number.

After all, he only had two rivals, whereas for Tier 1 Aether, the competition was overwhelming. The number of Magi in the Aether Will Realm alone was countless, not to mention those who had yet to reach it—almost all of them relied on Tier 1 Aether.

"Perhaps many of you have already experienced Aether from the Star Wheel yourselves. According to the founder’s decree, anyone may partake in absorbing Aether from the Star Wheel, so long as they are in the Aether Will Realm or below," the governor continued amidst the crowd’s excitement.

They waited, anticipating the governor to release the Aether from the Star Wheel.

The governor looked over the people lined up before him, knowing they had no interest in hearing more empty words.

They only wanted the Aether from the Star Wheel.

"Very well, we shall begin now. Prepare yourselves and sit calmly. Anyone who dares cause trouble will be punished severely," he declared before tossing something into the air, a kind of star-shaped symbol.

That and the Star Wheel were like iron and magnet, pulling toward each other before locking together.

Click!

A soft clicking sound echoed from the Star Wheel.