For example, he could say that he and Aidan had "spotted" an unfamiliar goat-horned magical beast from afar in the depths of the forest, and that they had immediately retreated before it noticed them.
Matthew had his own reasons for handling it this way.
First, Instructor Calm was highly experienced. Telling him about the appearance of a new type of magical beast showed trust, and Matthew could also leverage Calm's broader knowledge to learn more about "Darkhoof."
Second, Matthew had no intention of revealing key spoils like the goat demon's crystal core and the ring to Calm.
He knew all too well that wealth could easily stir up greed. Even when dealing with someone trustworthy, one should never easily test human nature with great wealth.
Keeping this information to himself was both a form of self-protection and a way to avoid potential future trouble.
This "spotted and retreated" story was the safest approach—it would allow him to gather information from Calm while keeping his own secrets and spoils thoroughly hidden.
With these thoughts in mind, Matthew nodded to himself. He couldn't help but rub the ring on his finger as he looked ahead, a trace of joy in his eyes.
In the air before him, a panel appeared that only he could see:
【Equipment: Oath Ring
Quality: White
Equipment Requirement: Spirit 5
Description: This magic item was crafted by the 【Circle of Secrecy】 organization. The inner side of the ring is engraved with a micro-rune array unique to the organization, which can generate a magical shield when the wearer meets the Spirit requirement.
Effect: The wearer can actively generate a 0-Circle magical shield. When fully charged, it can be deployed three times. Must be recharged by infusing mana after use.】
Matthew stared at the 【Oath Ring】 panel floating before him. When his gaze fell on the line "Quality: White," a subtle wave of mixed emotions washed over him.
White meant it sat at the most basic tier of the magic item system. Its efficacy, precision, and durability were bound to have their limits.
However, this complexity of feeling was gone in an instant. He quickly came to terms with it.
In these energy-sparse outskirts of the forest, being able to loot a genuine "magic item" was already an unexpected stroke of good fortune.
Moreover, in the thrilling battle just now, Matthew had personally witnessed the shield's efficacy. Rivera had relied on it to block or weaken at least two potentially fatal attacks.
This was already a highly practical life-saving ability.
"And that was just what it showed when worn by a magical beast like Rivera," he thought to himself. "If I'm the one wearing it, the power it can unleash will probably be even greater."
After all, the value of equipment ultimately depended on its user.
The equipment requirement for this ring was merely "Spirit 5."
Meanwhile, Matthew's own Spirit far exceeded this basic requirement.
This meant that under the drive of his stronger, more condensed Spirit, the ring's built-in rune array would receive far more abundant "fuel," making the generated magical shield naturally more stable and resilient.
If even Rivera could achieve such results, the protective effect would only be stronger in his hands.
"A shield capable of blocking a Silver Rank attack can buy me a split second in a critical moment, and that's more than enough."
He made a simple and practical judgment.
With that thought, the final trace of regret in Matthew's heart over its "White quality" vanished like morning mist.
It was replaced by a sense of satisfaction with the "Oath Ring" and anticipation for further unlocking its potential in the future.
Next, his gaze landed on the 【Description】 section—"This magic item was crafted by the 【Circle of Secrecy】 organization."
He paused on those words, his interest piqued.
"The Circle of Secrecy?"
"Clearly, this is another wizard organization," he thought.
This was already the second wizard organization he had encountered by name alone. Just like the "Fire Vortex Tower," his only clue was this name.
He couldn't help but complain in his mind: "They're so secretive. Who knows what they're up to."
Although the information was still limited, it was a good start. Matthew noted the name down; it was another piece of the puzzle regarding wizard organizations.
At the same time, a trace of mixed emotion quietly surfaced.
The original owner of this ring, Rivera the goat demon, had been a formidable enemy with high intelligence and bizarre abilities.
To eliminate any future trouble, Matthew had decisively chosen to pull him up by the roots.
Looking back now, that decision was undoubtedly correct.
Yet, facing this new clue of the "Circle of Secrecy," Matthew couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret.
As the direct bearer of the ring, Rivera likely knew much more about the inner workings of this wizard organization, such as its location, whether they were recruiting, what the requirements were...
But all that information had been permanently lost with his death.
"Still, obtaining this ring is already a major harvest in itself."
He quickly adjusted his mindset.
The path of adventure was always like this. Under the premise of prioritizing survival and safety, some gains would always come with losses.
He quickly accepted this reality.
Setting his regrets aside for now, Matthew refocused his attention on the panel before him, casting his gaze toward the most critical section—【Effect】.
This was the true "instruction manual" of this piece of equipment.
"0-Circle magical shield."
"When fully charged, it can be deployed three times. Must be recharged by infusing mana after use."
Seeing this, Matthew understood.
"A 0-Circle magical shield... The tier of this shield should correspond to the 0-Circle spell level, which is equivalent to a Mastered Rank Energy Missile."
"In that case," he thought, "the defensive effects I saw during the battle were likely far from reaching its upper limit."
"After all, the power of my arrows can't compare to a Mastered Rank Energy Missile."
He came to a preliminary conclusion: the 0-Circle shield generated by this 【Oath Ring】 had not had its full potential unlocked in the previous battle.
"As expected, there is still room for improvement."
A flash of understanding and anticipation crossed Matthew's eyes.
This meant that in his hands, this ring might display an even stronger protective capability.
At the same time, a thought quietly surfaced:
"This Circle of Secrecy organization is quite practical. The magic ring they produced can be recharged and used multiple times."
He immediately understood that this ring was not a "consumable" that would become useless after a single use.
As long as he planned its uses wisely and "replenished its mana" in a timely manner, it would remain useful for a very long time.
At least until Matthew no longer needed it.
"Still, this ring definitely isn't a perpetual motion machine. But looking at its condition... it seems to be in near-mint condition."
Out of the corner of his eye, Matthew glanced at the ring on his finger.
It gleamed with a dark metallic luster in the light. Its design was ancient, but its surface was smooth and clean, showing barely any wear from time or combat.
"Then again, you can't judge a magic item purely by its appearance... In any case, being sparing with its use is definitely the safest bet.
Rate on N.U.
