《Kalar′s Continent》


 1 Prolog *bonus Chapter*

    "Magic is a scourge!"


    Everyone looked at him in shock, still contemplating the plan they had just been presented.


    "If we don''t banish it from our world for good, salvation will never arrive!" the High Magus continued. A suffocating tension filled the room.


    "I know that we have brought this on ourselves, but I''m afraid the price is..." Meiron, one of the generals, voiced his concern.


    "Is this really necessary, Anathor? Our power¡ª" a woman in a black dress tried to interject but was interrupted instead.


    "Our power is built upon the very suffering of this world! Have you not noticed yet, the harm we exert on this planet? Everything you can do with your O'' so great powers will only make it worse!" the High Magus said, grasping the initiative of the meeting once more.


    "He''s right, Apokrypha. But what about it? It has been amusing so far, but I will neither play the sacrificial lamb nor the hero. I''m out," a hooded figure in a dark gown said and turned to leave.


    "There is no running from this! Once it has started, even you won''t be able to escape from the consequences, Vrazok." the High Magus known as Anathor declared firmly, his last words sounded like if he had spat something foul from his mouth.


    His words seemed to be effective though, as the shadow turned around once more, a cold and dangerous glint flickering where his eyes were supposed to be.


    "Don''t you dare use that name you old fool!" he grumbled thunderously, but quickly suppressed his emotions again.


    "What do you know? I have my ways." Vrazok, the Undead King, said and finally left the council for good.


    **********


    After several more hours of discussion, Murphey too stepped out of the improvised tower that functioned as their current headquarters. Everything had been said.


    They all needed time to contemplate the matter, but indeed, there was no running away from it.


    As soon as the young man stepped out of the gate, he zoomed off into the distant, dark sky like lightning; he was going for a walk.


    Dust and gray fog covered the land under his feet; only the occasional dead tree hinted at the past beauty of these once-fertile plains. The land had been ravaged, the rivers poisoned, even the air had become toxic for mortals. What had happened?


    When had it all started? As a mere Rank 8 Low Magus, he was not aware of all that happened behind the scenes, but most of civilization and almost all historical records had been lost in the Great Destruction about 100 years ago. The Old Ones were not a great source of information either, most of them reluctant to talk about the past.


    The war...


    Was it really about to end? Peace was something unusual for Murphey, something he could hardly imagine. Not that he would experience it himself, but maybe some of his descendants could.


    Murphey let his gaze wander over the endless horizon where the ruins of the once-great cities were still visible.


    "These must be the remnants of Al''Kathra, the old capital of the Great Magic Empire," he mumbled softly. Once, these streets must have been humming with life. Now, only cold, dead stone remained. It didn''t matter to him though; it had fallen a long time ago and he did not grow up in this area.


    The Demons had taken the city, just like everything else on this planet.


    Vicious beasts that infiltrated this world in hordes, directly from the Void. Every single one of them as powerful as a Magus, incapable of negotiation, and crueler than words could describe.


    It almost seemed to be their mission to exterminate every living being on the planet, and maybe it was. Magic had lured them here after all. The irresistible stench of a wounded, dying world.


    The scholars of the past must have felt exhilarated when they discovered a way to circumvent the conservation of energy, a way to reap more than what they sowed: Magic!


    The ultimate weapon, the perfect fuel, an unlimited resource.


    Yet they were fools, whoever they were! The energy, the power, which they took for themselves, had to come from somewhere. It did not belong to them. And eventually, they paid the price.


    Would they have acted differently, had they known that they were sapping the very lifeblood of this world? But haven''t we done the same as well?


    Maybe Anathor was right, and Mana was a disease after all. One we willingly spread across the land, that changes and mutates the planet as it pleases. One that eats away at this world and leaves it vulnerable to foreign attacks.


    "We can only blame our foolish ancestors who valued their own desires over the fate of humanity, as well as our pitiful selves who have failed to learn from their mistakes. If there is still hope for this world, no price is too steep, no sacrifice too large!" Murphey concluded and disappeared back into the dark clouds. He still had much to prepare; for himself, his descendants, and for the future.


    Everyone who attended the meeting today had similar thoughts to a varying degree. Many seeds would be planted today, and many would sprout eventually.


    Only time could tell if the grand plan would be successful. If the world could still be saved and if the Great Barrier of Dawn, they were about to construct, could shut out the Miasma of the Void. Even if they succeeded, none of them would remain to see the result.


    The High Magi of an era, the legends of the past, nothing more than manure to nurture a better future for their children.


    For that, they would give anything. Even their lives. Even their Magic.


    All for the vague hope that the world will survive this ordeal,Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.

 2 Kalars Continen

    Far northwest at the edge of Kalar''s Continent lay Ritark, a small trading village barely more extensive than an ordinary outpost. The local farmers, fishers, and artisans of the region could exchange their merchandise for more sought-after goods here, such as iron tools, clothes, or accessories from the south.


    Of course, they could also trade for more monetary currencies, but these were rarely taken home since copper coins hardly kept one warm throughout the harsh winter that was oh so common here in the north.


    It was as far from a bustling place as it could get, but it was the lifeline of the local community nonetheless. The economy of the region was mostly based on ores from the northern mine and processed metalworks, fresh and salted fish caught in the North Sea, as well as selling cabbages to the neighboring cities.


    It may not look like much, but it was home for young Teo.


    This rustic village was everything he ever knew, where he grew up and where he played around with the other kids from the neighborhood.


    Of course, this included the outskirts of the great Thorn Forest, which stretched from Ritark all the way north, even reaching past the mines on the slopes of Mount Kroll, the rocky cliffs and beaches around the North Sea and the tilled fields, just south of the village; but still, his knowledge about the rest of the world was somewhat limited.


    He spent most of his time playing, exploring the surrounding landscape or helping his parents with easy tasks in the household, and naturally getting scolded for messing around in places he wasn''t supposed to go, especially the forest.


    It wasn''t dangerous as far as he knew, at least not until past Mount Kroll, but obviously, it was still no place for a child, which did not seem to have much of an effect on the local community of troublemakers.


    The sporadic poisonous plants and wild animals could be quite dangerous if not left alone, he had to admit, but they were only ever playing near the very edges of the forest!


    Since adults frequented the woods around the village to collect wild berries and hunt for game, it was actually quite peaceful. Teo had only ever heard stories about large boars or even rogue bears being seen so close to the village, probably only told by old people to frighten na?ve children, so his parents must certainly be overreacting!Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    But with his family being common craftspeople, this fate was not for him.


    Parents who couldn''t afford to send their children into the neighboring town''s schools could only impart them their own limited knowledge and prepare them for what was to follow: Apprenticeship!


    With his father being a blacksmith and his mother sewing clothes for a living, he was in a better position than most boys in the village could even dream of; except maybe the local merchant''s son who had been sent to study in Sigella, the nearest harbor town to the south. He had been bragging about it a lot just before his departure, even though his family''s wealth was hardly his achievement. Teo was oddly glad not having to see him around anymore.


    Tomorrow his mother would take him to the regional Magician''s Office to test his Elemental Affinity, and depending on his results, he would either start training to become a qualified blacksmith under the firm guidance of his father, or...


    He was not so sure about the alternative roads his fate could lead him on, but he knew it was very likely for him to succeed in his father''s craft ¡ª as all his friends had so far.


    Magic, the power to manipulate the Elements, in itself was not considered very rare or unusual even since roughly one in ten children showed measurable talent in one of the four major Elements. Still, even minuscule amounts of talent sufficed to bring great joy to their parents.


    His friend Markus who was tested last year, showed a slight affinity for the fire element, just like his grandfather, but he is still going to step into his father''s footprints and become a hunter. Teo could recall this day very well because Markus'' father continued to brag about it for weeks on end until Teo''s father threatened to bash his head in with his forge hammer if he wouldn''t shut up about it, bringing back peace to the village.


    Of course, everybody could understand his reaction as the Fire Element was a handy Talent for a hunter, but it still didn''t stop anyone from being annoyed by his exaggerations.


    Admittedly, it would allow him to use the fire Element for small tricks someday, like making arrowheads searing hot or lighting campfires made from wet wood with his bare hands ¡ª it gave him an edge over the competition; something very precious with three hunter families in the village, continually quarreling over the safe hunting grounds in the forest.


    The extent of the effects one could summon would depend on their talent, training, and experience, but even the most basic ability to keep oneself warm for a few hours during the long hunting trips was something very useful this far in the north, with its unpredictable weather and long winters.


    Teo was very excited by the idea of having a talent for Magic himself, especially Fire Magic, like Markus. It would also be the most useful for a blacksmith, as far as he could imagine, the increased resistance to heat being a major contributing factor. But maybe it was just his personal preference, developed from watching his father working the blistering hot forge every day.


    Of course, if there was a Magician working in the Magician''s Office, it should theoretically be possible to become a Magician himself, which did not seem to be too bad of an occupational choice. At the very least, Teo never saw the local Magician working much on anything, even though the adults seemed to respect him a lot. He spent most of the day in his fancy house near the forest, rarely accepting requests from anyone, aside from the regular affinity checks for the local children.


    But whatever the criteria to become a Magician were, they must be tough to meet since he had never heard about anyone from the village succeeding, not even from the elders!


    Anyways, Teo had no absurd ambitions and knew better than to chase pipe dreams like that; he was quite content to learn blacksmithing from his father, a Magic Talent would only be the cherry on top.


    From the snippets of conversations he picked up so far, he knew that the chance to get a specific element and the degree of Affinity for it were mostly hereditary, with the occasional pinch of randomness mixed in. So obviously, Teo had been pestering his parents with questions about his ancestry for weeks, with mixed results.


    His mother told him that a distant cousin of hers had a considerable gift for the Air Element, so that was probably her family''s primary attribute. Still, his father always dodged any questions regarding this topic.

 3 A New Day

    Teo woke up late this day. The combination of the tickling ray of sunshine that somehow always found its way through the cracks of the window shutters and his mother''s energetic voice, calling him for breakfast, finally managed to rouse him from his way-too-short period of rest.


    Wafting from the small kitchen their house was equipped with, he could already smell his favorite food in the whole world: Blueberry Pancakes!


    "It''s morning already! Today is my birthday!" Teo called out suddenly after rubbing his tired eyes for a while.


    Teo had been so excited that he could not fall asleep for what felt like ages, and now he was so tired that he almost overslept on the most important day of his life, even though he had been determined to get up early and prepare himself properly.


    Like a tiny, groggy whirlwind, he put on his best clothes and rushed into the kitchen.


    "Good morning, Buttercup!"


    his mother, Elisa, gave him a brilliant smile and brushed a strand of chestnut-brown hair from his face.


    "Go wash up quickly, before the food gets all cold," she said.


    "Good morning, mom. Is it pancakes today?" he excitedly asked the obvious, just to make sure.


    "No, Sweetie, today is your birthday¡­ But yes, I made pancakes; your favorite," she threw him a teasing gaze as he hurriedly disappeared behind a corner to get ready for breakfast. After barely a moment, he returned, his fatigue mostly washed away and sat at the table with renewed vigor.


    "It''s finally your big day. I hope you''re not too nervous," his mother joked while heaping a steaming-hot pancake onto his plate. Teo really did not want to admit that he had failed to fall asleep last night for precisely that reason, but the dark circles under his eyes probably gave him away long ago.


    The breakfast continued as usual, with some light conversation and the occasional remark about how cool Fire Magic is until Teo was completely and utterly stuffed.


    His father usually started work at sunrise or at least the preparations for it. He would not actually begin forging anything until later in the morning so as not to disturb the neighbors with the constant hammering.


    Getting the forge up to just the right temperature, sorting out the errands for the day, and checking the quality of raw material deliveries were just as crucial as time-consuming, and he always took it very seriously.


    The workshop was situated on one of the main streets, just outside the village center, with the living area and a sizeable garden, where his mother tended to a small collection of herbs and vegetables, in the back.


    After a short visit to the workshop, he finally joined his mother on their way to the very edge of the village, just outside the Great Thorn Forest, where the local Magician''s Office was situated.


    The warm late-summer breeze was rather stiff this day, signaling the nearing transition to fall. Summer was a short-lived pleasure this far in the north, making every part of it only more precious.


    The village was unusually lively at this time of the year. People could be seen shuffling along the streets, carrying freshly plucked berries and early mushrooms, neatly packed in flaxen baskets. Hunters went to check on their primed traps in hopes of easy prey; everyone wanted to be optimally prepared for the upcoming harvest season and the long winter that was sure to follow.


    After a short walk, they could already see the grey single-story building in the twilight of the adjacent forest, right beside a small trail that led farther north.


    It was not exactly a magnificent building, but unlike most of Ritark, it was made from solid stone instead of wood, while simultaneously being more extensive than their own house, even including the workshop of his father. Thus, it made quite an impression on the young boy.


    The large, dark-oaken door, adorned with tiny runes, seemingly wiggling about like small worms, also gave him a slightly disturbing feeling.


    Before he could sort out his emotions and recover his courage, that had just slipped away from his grasp, his mother had already knocked on the towering door, "Mr. Atkins, we are here for Teo''s Affinity Test!"


    The unpleasant atmosphere did not seem to discourage her at all, as Elisa''s clear voice rang through the air; Teo, however, had already taken shelter behind his mother''s back.


    "Come in!" a crisp, low voice boomed from the other side of the door, which simultaneously started to open before anyone could even touch it. Teo clasped his mothers'' hand with as much strength as his little hands could muster and followed her into the hazily lit building.


    "Elisa! It''s been a while, how have you been?" a thin-lipped, middle-aged man covered in a dark blue robe said.


    "We are doing quite well for ourselves lately. Thank you again for your help two years ago, Mr. Atkins," his mother chirped in response with a slight bow.


    "You know each other?!" Teo observed, shocked by the revelation.


    "Mr. Atkins helped to treat your grandfather two years ago when he caught the flu..." his mother explained while turning her head to look at him.


    "Unfortunately, I am not a specialized healer and was not of much help¡­ I''m sorry, I wish I could have done more. As you know, low-rank healing potions can only treat the symptoms and not the underlying disease," the man interrupted with an apologetic look.


    Teo''s maternal grandfather died two years ago in the second half of winter. He could not remember much about him, except that he was a kindly man and a loving grandfather.


    "It''s fine. You did everything you could," Teo''s mother gave the man an understanding smile while trying to hide the sadness on her face.


    "Well, we should get down to business then," the robed man said, trying to clear the awkwardness in the air.


    "My name is Edgar Atkins, and I am the Senior Rank Apprentice Magician in charge of this area, as well as the supervisor for your Affinity check today."


    Teo gave him a slight nod while wearing a puzzled look. Did he just call himself an Apprentice Magician? The man before him looked well over thirty years old, forty probably; if he was still an Apprentice, how old must a real Magician be? Mr. Atkins smiled at him, but chose to ignore his questioning look, after a short pause he continued,


    "You don''t need to be so nervous, young man, the test will be over quickly and doesn''t hurt one bit; also, I don''t bite."


    Teo couldn''t suppress a small smile.


    "But first, let me explain what we will be doing here today,"


    his slender hand sunk into one of the abyssal pockets of his loose robe and pulled out a fist-sized, opaque crystal ball seemingly made from smoked glass.


    "This is a useful little Artifact, graciously provided by the Mage Association, that makes measuring the elemental Affinity a person carries into an easy and fast procedure. Not only can it detect the Element one is most attuned to and react to it by changing its color, it even gives us an indicator of how strong the Affinity is, depending on the brightness of the light it emits."


    Teo stared at the crystal ball in the Magician''s hand with round eyes, fascinated by what sophisticated machinery must be hidden in that small orb of glass.


    "Using it is also very simple: You just have to touch it for a few moments and try to guide the energy from the center of your body to your hand and finally into the Artifact. You don''t need any special technique or incantation, as it is very sensitive, and the ambient Mana in your body, unconsciously following your thoughts, will be enough," explained the middle-aged Magician with his raspy voice. At the same time, he carefully put the smoky orb into a unique wooden mount, already prepared on the spacious table at the right side of the room.


    As the name ''Magician''s Office'' implied, they were standing in a dimly lit chamber, containing little more than an old rug, a few bookshelf''s, and an aged table made from dark hardwood, with a few disorderly documents lying on top. The living quarters seemed to be hidden from sight behind another door to the left.


    After looking around for a second, Teo focused his attention on the Apprentice Magician in front of him again, who appeared to have waited for this.


    "If you are wondering, what a successful result looks like, it would be something similar to this," he said while leaving only his long index finger on the surface of the crystal ball.


    Suddenly the small sphere turned dark blue, like the deepest reaches of the ocean and erupted in a flash of soothing blue light that slowly faded a few seconds after the man had retracted his finger. Teo couldn''t take his eyes off the small contraption, eager to try it himself.


    "What you just saw was the Artifact''s reaction to a strong Water Element Affinity. Of course, it''s unheard of for an untrained child to come close to a proper practitioner of magic, so you should not expect any blinding flashes of light," he threw Teo a lecturing gaze.


    "Basic attunement to an Element is signaled by the Artifact simply changing color; a dim glow signifies the potential to influence the Elements in one''s surroundings. This would be the minimum level of Affinity required to summon perceivable effects, apart from having a slightly increased resistance to one''s Element, of course. The brightness of the glow just represents the extent to which one can control said Element."


    He paused and spread a paper diagram on the table, depicting what looked like a colorful hexagon, while beckoning for Teo to come closer. Teo looked towards his mother, and seeing her smile in response, strode towards the table.


    "This is the basic Constellation of Magic that depicts all six Elements and their relation to each other. Red, dark blue, light blue, and brown represent the four major Elements of Fire, Water, Air, and Earth that roughly one in ten has an Affinity for.


    The complementary colors of black and white represent the Elements of Light and Darkness, which are also referred to as the rare Elements since they are not very common in nature and not even one in a hundred people possesses an Affinity for them," the Apprentice Magician traced his finger along the lines of the diagram.


    "Luckily the Affinities for the rare Elements tend to be quite strong, when they do appear in someone, balancing out the number of Magicians majoring in any of the six Elements," he added, as he continued to run his finger in a full circle around the diagram.


    "Well, apart from a few oddities, this is about it. We''ll just have to see for ourselves what kind of Affinity you possess¡­ if your lucky enough to have one at all, that is," the old man finished his speech and retracted his bony arms, expertly folding them behind his robed back.


    Edgar was always expectant of someone from his district achieving extraordinary results against all the odds. Still, he knew better than to get attached from his long years of experience: The results were most often sobering.


    Teo struggled to take up all the new information when he met Mr. Atkins''s expectant gaze as if beckoning him to stride forth and grasp his destiny ¡ª something he gladly complied with.


    After a short step, he was already in reach of the crystal device and looked at the Senior Apprentice Magician while slowly extending his right arm. The slight nod from Mr. Atkins was all the confirmation he needed for his curiosity to fully take over.


    From up close, Teo could swear that the hazy clouds of smoke inside the crystal ball were continuously moving around while staying motionless near whatever point he tried to focus his attention on.


    This small Artifact in front of him exuded a similar feeling of endless depth he had only ever felt from staring into the vast North Sea or the darkness, lurking between distant shrubs in Thorn Forest.


    Taking a deep breath, Teo finally put his small hand on the Artifact¡­ with little to no effect. It was cold and very smooth, but nothing else happened.


    Then he remembered how Mr. Atkins had explained that he needed to channel his thoughts and energy through his hand and into the orb on the table.


    After trying precisely that, Teo quickly noticed how hard it was to focus his thoughts on a task so ephemeral, but before he could even ask if he was doing it right, the orb already showed a reaction.


    The clouds hovering behind the glassy surface began to swirl violently, visibly forming a vortex, before rapidly turning completely translucent.

 4 Revelations

    An ice-cold, bright-blue glow enveloped the Magician''s Office for a few seconds before it slowly faded away, and the room reverted to its usual, dim-lit state as if nothing had happened at all. Teo instinctively took a step back and looked at his right hand, which naturally had not changed much since he last checked.


    What just happened, most definitely differed from the explanation Mr. Atkins had given him only a moment ago. He had hoped for a warm, red glow, that would allow him to shoot Fireballs from his hands in a few weeks, but what was this reaction supposed to mean?


    Whatever the reason, any reaction was better than no reaction in Teo''s eyes; and he couldn''t be so unlucky that he had some super rare adverse condition, right?


    While he was still in deep thought, Mr. Atkins took a few steps towards him and said with an excited gleam in his eyes, "Not bad! You are quite lucky, young man. I never expected to find an Arcane in this remote village!"


    A short look to his mother showed that she was just as puzzled by these words, as he was. "Excuse me, Mr. Atkins, but what do you mean by ''Arcane''?" Teo''s mother, Elisa, asked in a worried voice.


    "Oh, of course, these technical terms don''t carry any meaning for you folk. Let me phrase it differently: An Arcane is someone naturally blessed by Magic. Someone who has an intimate connection to Mana itself, the very foundation of all magical phenomena! This is only possible if the body and soul are in perfect balance with all six Elements, which is very rare. Less than one in ten thousand people on the continent have a similar condition. Since it mostly runs through special bloodlines, I had yet to see one being tested for myself," Mr. Atkins swung around his arms like a wobbly windmill during his explanation, visibly shaken.


    ''Blessed by Magic itself? A connection to the foundation of all Magic? Doesn''t that sound really powerful?'' Teo wondered before he turned to the lean man beside him and asked, "Does that mean I can become a real Magician?" he blurted out, completely ignoring his mother''s shocked expression. The Apprentice Magician momentarily furrowed his brows with a slight frown at the word ''real'' but decided not to let a child''s banter upset him.


    After a brief intermission, his thin lips began to wriggle as he said, "Well, that is not exactly what I meant. But it is not impossible. If you had High Rank, or even Pinnacle Level Talent, I could help you apply for a stipend at a Magic School and a Magic Academy immediately! I would even get a bonus for that... But unfortunately, your ability should solidify somewhere around Intermediate Level as you grow up, meaning you would have to stem the tuition fees yourself, which I fear would be beyond your family''s capabilities."


    "Anyways, every association between a color and an Element is simply illusional and should be seen as a mere metaphor." Teo had a hard time following the conversation; even his mother did not seem to understand the topic thoroughly. "Arcane Magic, which is how every form of Magic that utilizes pure Mana is known, is not associated with any Element; or all of them at the same time, depending on the viewpoint." The topic continued to be impervious to Teo''s understanding.


    So, he did not have an Elemental Affinity after all? How could that even be called Magic? What good was the ability to control some foundation of Magic he could neither hear, see, or smell?


    "One of the greatest advantages of Arcane Magic is the ability to imbue any material with Mana, independent of its elemental properties. This is extremely important, as it is the only known way to create neutral Magic Circles, that can be used by all Mages equally, no matter what Element they use," Mr. Atkins continued to share his common knowledge. The last part even managed to blow some spirit into Teo again; it did sound somewhat impressive.


    "So, you do not need to be crestfallen. You are still extremely fortunate! You have everything you need to become a  successful Magic Assistant, helping out in Magic Laboratories, or maybe an Enchanter, capable of creating Artifacts, like this one; to name a few examples," the man smiled and caressed the smooth crystal ball, he picked up from the table once more.


    The descriptions of his future possibilities did not match well with the image of powerful Magicians, Teo had in his head. Had he ever heard stories about Assistants and Crafters? Of course not! Every figure in the legends was domineering and authoritative, shaking the continent to its very core with every step they took.


    "Is it perhaps a very powerful kind of Magic?" he asked hopefully, eager for an answer.


    "Arcane Magic is one of the weakest types of Magic in a direct confrontation since it lacks all of the advantageous properties the various Elements provide, but it is much sought after in many Magic Occupations," Teo sagged into himself again, hearing that it was the weakest Magic of all.


    "It may not be as pompous a talent as the heroes from the old legends possess, but it can provide for a comfortable life and is all-round in its nature," he continued and looked harshly at the unappreciative Teo, seeing right through his thoughts.


    The cunning man paused for a moment, to let the answer sink in, then he continued, "However, it does have its strong points. Arcane Magic may not be as suited to shield and nurture, like Earth Magic, burn and disintegrate, like Fire Magic or cut and flow, like Air Magic. Instead, it encompasses all of the properties and abilities of all the Elements in an unrefined form. It is by far the strongest variety of Magic when it comes to reconciling offense and defense in a single caster," he said, finally giving an answer that satisfied the cheeky boy.


    Edgar was quite displeased by the ignorance, the child before him displayed, even when he knew, it was only natural. ''At least his mother seems to be satisfied,'' he thought while reflecting on his own life. Edgar envied this country bumpkin quite a bit for his gift. He would rather have become a mediocre Magic Craftsmen than to pursue a failed career as a Combat Magician. The blue-eyed boy before him was too young to understand the vicissitudes of life and appreciate his fortune.


    Edgar himself had been the most promising talent in Water Magic his town had seen in decades, the rising star of his family. He grew up treasured and pampered, passing the graduation exams of the best regional Magic School with flying colors. Yet the growth of his Water Affinity stagnated when he was around thirteen years old. Not long afterward, he began falling farther and farther behind his colleagues in the Academy...Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    When even his younger brother, whom he had always mocked for being born with subpar talent, finally surpassed his accomplishments and became the new favorite of his parents, something in him broke. Now, after failing all attempts to take the last step to become a proper Water Magician, he was stuck in this rat hole at the edge of the civilized world for what meager wage the Association paid... Yes, talent and power were not everything.


    After answering a few more questions from Teo''s mother and explaining the ins and outs of Arcane Magic, he offered to introduce Teo to some Magic Craftsmen in the larger city''s to the south, if he so decided to enter Apprenticeship.


    Eventually, Mr. Atkins escorted both of them to the door. He had already done his job here, but still chose to flash Teo a forced smile and say,

 5 The Pas

    The burning late-summer sun already hung high over Ritark, proudly declaring its presence. A pair of mother and son was trudging along the dusty main road, appearing as if in deep thought.


    The alleys were significantly less populated than this morning, but a small group of kids was already expecting them. Naturally, they were a petite assemble of friends and the usual nosy neighbor''s children, whom the short boy expertly pacified and persuaded to talk later, before returning to his mother''s side.


    Much had happened today, for what few hours had already passed, and Teo was not exactly in the mood to talk right now; he needed to think.


    He did have a gift for Magic, but just a mediocre one, and only for the weakest type of it. He could strive to become a Magician but was likely to fail and could not afford the education anyways. He had an Affinity, just not for any Element but Mana itself, which he, weirdly enough, had never heard of before.


    Teo could not wrap his head around it.


    It seemed to be something good, just that he had no idea what he was supposed to do now.


    Magic was fascinating, but what about his father''s forge? He could not simply desert his family to seek his fortune, adventuring and hoping to find some great inheritance, like the heroes from the books his mother read to him.


    What was he thinking about anyway? He just turned six today; what was a child going to achieve alone on the streets, pretending to be a hero? Also, he would miss his parents.


    No, this plan was full of holes.


    He would need to trust in his parents; they would know what to do, as they always did. Teo pushed the complicated thoughts to the back of his mind, firmly grabbed his mother''s hand, and picked up his pace towards the workshop, greedy to indulge in this morning''s leftover pancakes. Meanwhile, Elisa thought about a similar topic, just from a very different perspective.


    Except for the warm summer wind brushing through their hair, nothing noteworthy happened on the short way back, and they soon approached the large, wooden structure they called home.


    Unexpectedly, the workshop with its massive forge was empty, and it turned out that his father was already waiting for them in the living area. After a warm welcome and a firm hug from his father, both of his parents withdrew to discuss the happenings of this eventful morning.


    Teo did not mind, as he was glad to get some breathing space after talking about complicated topics for so long. After quickly gobbling up another pancake, he went outside to look for his friends.


    After a short question-and-answer session, he was free to join them without much further ado.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    His friends did not boast the most excellent understanding of Magic, much less could they comprehend the gibberish, Teo managed to recite, so they soon lost interest in the details. Disregarding the occasional envious glance, his friends seemed to be happy for him.


    Afternoon came sooner than expected, and Teo made his way back home, exhausted.


    He could hear his mother''s voice, even before pushing against the front door.


    "Do you think it''s best for him, darling?" His parents were seated around the gnarly, old kitchen table, long past its best years, still absorbed in the discussion. They heard the door opening, hurriedly turned their heads around, and looked at the ruggedly breathing Teo.


    His father, Rainert, was a well-built man in his late twenties with a healthy complexion and decently developed chest muscles, easily visible through his thin linen shirt. Most rememberable about him were his square face as well as his short and spiky, chestnut-colored hair, that almost resembled a hedgehog lodging on his head.


    His hair color was one of the only things he managed to pass on to Teo, whose hair still ended up being smoother and wavier than his, quite like the stream of liquid golden strands, his mother called her own.


    "Son, sit down. We need to talk," he said in a noticeably conflicted intonation. Teo did as he was bid, already suspecting where this was going.


    "I had wanted to have this conversation when you are old enough to understand its implications, but it can''t be helped, given the circumstances," he said, heaving a sigh and continued, "I did not expect you to awaken the family''s talent of all things, but it is not necessarily a bad thing."


    His father fiddled around with his hands on the table and gave Elisa a quick look, seeing her nod in approval.


    "You have probably already wondered why you have never heard anything about your grandparents from my side of the family... and I have to admit that we have not been completely honest with you." Teo was shocked, hadn''t he had enough revelations for today? And here he was, expecting this to be about Magic. Teo expectantly looked at his father and waited for him to proceed.


    "I am not from Ritark originally, like your mother is. I grew up further to the south, in Sigella, to be exact," his father added, wearing a solemn look on his face.


    "Born into the side-family of the Grassdown lineage of Merchants and Low-Rank Enchanters, I received all the benefits of our wealthy standing from a young age..."


    "We have a family name?!" Teo shouted out what he was most concerned about, full of surprise. It was quite uncommon to have a family name in this area, for he knew that only important people could afford one, though he was not clear on the details.


    "Yes. Your full name is Teodor Grassdown, but let me continue first," he confirmed Teo''s observation, giving him a slight nod while folding his solid arms in front of his chest.


    "As I was saying, even though I was only part of the side-family, all the gates of the world stood open to me. Sure, I had no talent for Magic, but I could have stepped into your grandfather''s footsteps and become a merchant, overseeing the family''s naval business. Yet I have not always been the man, you know as your father today..." he stopped, thinking of how to best package what he was about to say.


    Teo was a tad disappointed that his father was not secretly a legendary Archmage or a hero from another world. He was finally getting a feeling for this whole Magic-Adventure kind of thing and quickly developed the necessary ambition for it. However, he did not let anything show on his face.


    Rainert wore a hard to read, squarish expression on his face as well, but seeing Teo still so attentive while listening to his backstory, he continued,


    "To tell you the truth... I was probably one of these ungrateful, profligate youths, everyone hates the most," the burly man admitted, blushing until beet-red, making him resemble a hedgehog resting on top of a giant tomato ¡ª which was quite funny in itself.


    Mistaking Teo''s suppressed laughter for a sign of shocked disbelief, he proceeded with his speech, "I know, it is hard to believe, but it is the truth. As you can imagine, I did not have the best relationship with my parents from a fair age, given the constant disappointment I was. After a major disagreement with my father, I ran away from home at 19 years old, to live my own life, free of their tyrannical reign, as what I saw his parental concerns."


    Teo had to admit; he did not expect such behavior from his father, whom he knew only as an honest and hardworking man, respected by many in the village. He was still wondering what it had to do with his Affinity Test though.


    "Long story short: I made my way to this village by chance, with nothing more than I could carry, was eventually taken in as an apprentice by your mother''s father and, young as I was, fell in love with his beautiful daughter," his father finally concluded, while his mother was still blushing from past memories. ''That was quite the story. Does everyone in the village know about that?'' Teo thought. He still wondered if his father, once again, had forgotten to mention the essential parts, as there was no point in telling him now of all times if it was just about the family-drama.


    "So what happened after that, and does it have anything to do with the result of my Affinity Test?" Teo voiced his doubts, making his father pale in the realization of his mistake.


    "Uhm, yes, I was just about to come to that part," his father cleared his throat and tried to improvise.


    "A few years later, my father finally realized that I was not coming back on my own after failing somewhere else. He had no hard time finding me, as he had superficially kept track of my travels, not that I had made it far anyway. He came to our door one day, offering to take me back home. I would get another chance, as long as I did my part in the family." He saved a short interval for a dramatic pause, before concluding,


    "He was probably expecting me to fall to my knees and beg him for another chance, but I simply invited him into the house and showed him what I had achieved for myself." He looked at Elisa and then Teo again, with a peaceful smile plastered of his face.


    "A wonderful wife, more stunning than I a had ever hoped for, an occupation that rewarded the hard efforts I put in, and a beautiful, newborn son, the most precious thing in my life."


    Teo could barely stand the corny exaggerations, but his mother was already wrestling to hold back her tears; she grew up close to the water after all.


    "Your grandfather was so shocked; he did not know what to say. Then he told me that he was proud of me, for the first time in my life, can you believe that? And he never spoke about me leaving Ritark again. We still exchange letters from time to time." He was happy, being finally able to share his life''s story with someone, but Teo''s still-confused look quickly brought him back on point.


    "The reason, this has anything to do with your Affinity Test is, that having a gift for Arcane Magic is the most surefire way to become a successful Enchanter. We cannot afford to give you the education and the support you deserve, but your grandparents can. They would be more than happy to accept you into the family too, since any talent for Magic is very rare, even in the main family. You could even study under your granduncle, the current head of the family, and learn the craft from a real Enchanter."


    This was more like what Teo had expected. It seemed like fate had not abandoned him after all and came knocking right when he needed it most. He was visibly vibrating from excitement, joyfully believing that the road ahead had already been paved for him.

 6 The Present: Preparation 1

    Teo sat silently on a boulder near the elevated cliff, that was overlooking the pebbled beach in the southwest of Ritark, staring at the vast, open North Sea. Yesterday had been quite something. Teo had never before experienced such an odyssey of emotions, throwing him up and down with a series of revelations that still baffled him.


    Who could have expected that he possessed the talent necessary to learn ''real'' Magic?


    That he had mysterious relatives, conveniently living in a prosperous, nearby city, just waiting to welcome him?


    No, this had to be fate, what else could explain these fortunate circumstances?


    He had initially planned to succeed his father''s craft as a blacksmith, living a sheltered life in this peaceful borderland-village...


    But now he had the chance to become something else entirely, and his insides slowly began burning with desire to grab this chance by its horsetail, jump onto it and ride into the sunset.


    Sure, he would miss his parents, but how bad could it be? Also, his father had already made himself clear that he could not say no to his parents'' decision anyway, so now he only had to wait patiently.


    The only problem was...


    The wait was killing him!


    His father had just finished the letter for Teo''s paternal grandparents and had handed it to Mr. Freebender, the only merchant in Ritark, who also happened to set out towards Sigella tomorrow anyway.


    Paper used to be something quite valuable that not anyone could effortlessly afford, especially books were a limited commodity, almost considered luxury goods. Writing a mere letter, or even knowing how to write, an impossible dream for most ordinary people.


    Teo only knew this from his father''s stories though, since he was too young to notice any ongoing historical changes himself.


    Much had changed after the Magic Association had been assembled more than 100 years ago, one of the most notable effects being the massive promotion of paper, books, and knowledge.


    Through the Association''s efforts in mass-production, paper and books had become something that even ordinary farmers could afford, depending on their topics, even if they were still far from being cheap.


    This was something, Teo deeply appreciated, since he loved to make his mother read the stories about Magic and Adventures for him, that the Association propagated widely.


    Sitting there at the shore thinking about various topics, Teo was deeply aware that he needed something to focus his mind on until it was time for his departure; and he had just the right idea.


    No, instead, it would be much more interesting to try and learn the basics about Magic from Mr. Atkins, who had kindly offered to answer his questions and seemed to be free anyway.


    The decision already made, Teo quickly waddled over to the overbearing building that was the Apprentice Magician''s home, as well as the Magic Association''s official branch in Ritark, the Magician''s Office. Half-sunken into the shadows of the neighboring forest, it was as gloomy as ever when Teo slowly approached the rune-adorned door.


    It was still impressive, but his recent experience took much of the fear from him so that it no longer outweighed his courage.


    This place had not been built for children, as he had to invest a considerable amount of effort to lift the heavy, black iron door-knocker, which he could barely reach, and let it crash against the massive door.


    "BAMM!"


    It produced a muffled, but audible, blunt sound.


    ''Whoever is in there, must have heard that!'' thought Teo, satisfied with his work.


    After a short moment, the door swung open by itself again and the unmistakable, rough voice of Mr. Atkins echoed,


    "Come in, boy!"


    Teo wondered what had given him away, but Mr. Atkins clearly knew who had come to visit.


    After stepping through the gate, he saw the skinny but rather tall, middle-aged man, seated behind an old, document-ridden desk, wearing a thick pair of reading glasses.


    Spare for the glasses, neither the room nor Mr. Atkins had changed much since yesterday and were as unwelcoming as ever.


    "To what do I owe the honor of welcoming you again today, Teo?" hissed the robed figure in a snake-like voice, visibly unpleased for being disrupted during his work, whatever that was exactly.


    "I want to learn Magic... real Magic!" stammered Teo intimidated and then quickly added,


    "You said I could ask you about Magic anytime... Sir."


    "Indeed," the man nodded, "I did."


    "But isn''t there a difference between answering questions and teaching? I am a busy man, you know?" the man said with a slight grin.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    "Please, Mr. Atkins! I don''t need much of your time, give me a few hints, in what direction I should work too!" Teo begged, providing for a heart-wrenching scene, with his little body curled into a deep bow.


    He had quickly reached the end of his rope, as he did not know what else he could do to convince the Magician in front of him.


    Meanwhile, the calculative Senior Apprentice, Mr. Edgar Atkins, was very satisfied with his little ploy, as the dialog with the raw gem in front of him was progressing quickly along the pre-chosen path.


    ''He may be a nameless nobody now, but when introduced to the right people, this could quickly change,'' he thought to himself.


    "Maybe I can spare some of my precious time to teach you the basics, but do remember that you owe me a favor for that. Everything has its price, in the realm of Magic," he offered in a glutinous voice.


    Teo was surprised. It seemed like he had a chance after all. He did need someone to teach him; the offer sounded strangely formulated to him though.


    "What price do you mean exactly? I am just a child, and I have no money; also, I will probably leave in a few days to live with my grandparents in the city," Teo replied cautiously.


    "Oh, don''t be silly. Why would I want your money? I have not fallen so low that I needed to mug a kid for a few copper coins. No, what I want is a favor¡­" Edgar licked his lips in an unsettling manner, following the typical evil villain trope, while Teo still did not get the implication.


    "Let me put it in simpler words: I will teach you as much as I can before you leave this village, and all I want in return, is a favor; redeemed when it''s ripe. Maybe a precious Potion from an Alchemist, a Magic Artifact from an Enchanter, a priceless Grimoire, even a few gold coins, if that is your limit."


    "See it as an investment, if you fail, like most other boys with ambitions, I will have lost nothing, but if you succeed in whatever path you take, a simple favor from you could equal a lot of benefits," the Magician explained, with surprising honesty.


    Indeed, even from Teo''s side, he had everything to gain and nothing to lose.


    "That''s it? No hook?" Teo asked, skeptically.


    "What hook? Do I look like a demon to you? Where would be the honor in that? I proposed a fair deal that would benefit us both," Edgar hissed, hurt by the untactful remark.

 7 The Present: Awakening 2

    Teo heaved a deep sigh after leaving Mr. Atkins'' cottage.


    He did need someone to teach him, and he was thankful for the haggard man''s offer, but somehow he found dealing with him quite tiring; a feeling the other party probably reciprocated.


    ''I know, I should not judge a book by its cover, but his mannerisms are just too creepy,'' Teo thought while blushing a little, embarrassed for his inappropriate paranoia.


    After accepting the deal with the middle-aged Apprentice Magician, and thus finding himself a new mentor, Teo had finally received his first-ever mission on his long road towards magical supremacy:


    "Just sit down somewhere and meditate. try to feel the Mana around you or something,"


    was the exact phrasing that was thrown at him by his supposed teacher.


    Even a stranger to Magic, like Teo, could tell that this was not some secret technique passed on from generation to generation. This sounded more like something Granny Goya, who was famous around Ritark for her impressive morning calisthenics, would say.


    Still, Teo could not precisely ask for second opinions about this. The only one coming to mind was his friend Markus, who possessed a Fire Element Affinity. He could already light small sparks in the air, a few months after his test, but he was training out in the woods with his father right now and was thus unavailable.


    Teo would have to pull through on his own; how hard could it be?


    First, he needed a quiet place to concentrate, and he already had one in mind. The green hillside, right next to the shallow cliffs at the shore, fit the bill perfectly.


    It was quiet, peaceful, and most important of all: free from pestering adults!


    He carefully selected a comfortable-looking, flat rock beside a gnarly pear tree, already carrying green fruits, and sat down.


    The vast, blue-black ocean in front of him and the smooth sea of wide-bladed grass surrounding him painted a rather majestic scenery as if taken right from a priceless canvas.


    Teo, however, had a hard time calming down with his outright energetic personality.


    He decided to close his eyes and concentrate only on his breathing; at least, that was what Granny Goya always preached about inner peace to anyone willing (or unwilling) to listen.


    Teo could feel the warm rays of sunshine penetrating the sparse clouds and caressing his skin. He could hear the thunderous waves of the moody North Sea periodically breaking against the jagged rocks of the precipice, exploding into fine droplets, before slowly converging and flowing back, starting the cycle anew.


    Flowers! Yes, Teo could smell them, not very strongly, but still perceptible. Their sweet odor mixed with the passing summer breeze, which carried to him the aroma of fresh, green grass and resin from the distant forest, he could almost taste it.


    How had he missed these details before sitting down, when they were so vibrant now?


    Teo entirely concentrated on his non-visual senses and the world around him, which he could perceive with them in surprising clarity.


    It was a very refreshing experience for Teo, who usually only knew to appreciate nature superficially and preferred to play "Magicians and evil Sorcerers" with his friends.


    But something... he could not put his finger on it, but something felt wrong.


    He had often visited the easily accessible places around Ritark, such as this, so he already knew all of their features, literally, like his backyard.


    Sure, now he did experience it more in-depth than usual, noticing many tiny details...


    But did it feel any more magical than any other time he had looked around?


    Was Magic really like a tiny detail that you could notice, if only you paid enough attention?


    He had already been sitting here for one or two hours and did not notice anything out of the ordinary. Maybe he was looking at it from the wrong perspective.


    The idea to focus on what he could not see, rather than what he could, was already pretty good, he felt.


    But were his other senses any more reliable than his sight? Teo felt deeply conflicted by this age-old topic of philosophical thought, way surpassing what his young mind could adequately comprehend.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    Still, epiphany eventually struck him. Mana, or raw Magic, or whatever it was called, could not be seen, touched, smelled, or heard (also, probably not tasted), or he would have noticed its existence long ago!


    So there was no point in focusing on his other senses! They were just as useless as his eyes when it came to perceiving the natural Magic in the outside world!


    With his newfound understanding of the nature of Magic, he closed his eyes and tried again.


    This time, Teo tried not to rely on his senses at all. He shut his eyes, held his ears, and took in deep mouthfuls of air. He tried to relax and focus only on his breathing, completely shutting out all sensory information about his surroundings.


    Of course, he did not stop trying to ''feel'' the area around him, just that he could not perceive anything noteworthy but the empty space that surrounded him.


    Teo sat there, mentally ''feeling'' through the empty blackness around him, like a blind man wandering through a desert of nothingness.


    He was already nearing his limit after half an hour of highly tuned perception, utilizing all of his concentration; a feat, still very commendable for a child his age.


    Slowly, with time, Teo began to ''see'' vague outlines, ethereally floating along with the wind, almost invisible. Believing his eyes to be deceiving him, from the piled up exhaustion, he observed them closely.


    As if his eyes were gradually adjusting to the dark after stepping out of a bright room, Teo slowly began to adapt to the emptiness which surrounded him, and the outlines became more evident with every passing second.


    There where streams and rivers; loosely bound strands of glowing beauty flowing through every inch of space around him, first very vague, then almost clearly visible. They wound around some places, rested or sped up at others, racing in every imaginable direction.


    By now, he could vaguely ''see'' the outlines of his surroundings: gently glowing blades of grass and solid boulders, resting atop the flat ground. All of them hungrily absorbing the bright strands, that dimmed or disappeared in their midst. He could even see specks of light, erratically moving around like fireflies.


    With his mind he followed along a strikingly more massive torrent of light, fusing with other streams over his head and hurriedly diving downwards, forming large tendrils that held onto small globules of light and finally converged into a massive column of brilliance, as bright as the moon, lurking right behind him.


    Shocked, Teo jumped to his feet, turned around, and burst open his eyes, expecting to find a horror worse than he could imagine, ready to grab him with its tentacles.


    Only to find himself alone, staring at the old, fruit-laden pear tree that silently stood behind him this entire time.


    "It... absorbs the light... no, the Mana, from the air around it?!" Teo stammered stupefied.


    Teo closed his eyes again, trying to focus on the feeling he had previously experienced. He managed to slip into the unique state of mind much more easily than before, barely taking a few moments of concentration, and began observing the column of light before him.


    It was very bright, compared to the surroundings, and closer inspection revealed it to be a bundle made from thousands of smaller strands of glowing Mana, barely as thick as a hair.


    Teo extended his hand, trying to touch it.


    "What the... I am... glowing too?" once again, the lone boy screamed at a tree for no apparent reason, probably appearing rather funny to outside spectators.


    He held his right hand in front of his face, periodically closing and opening it again. It was solely woven from compressed and tightly wound, spiraling strands of Mana, way brighter than anything he had seen today.


    Contrary to the old tree in front of him, he did not seem to simply absorb the strands either; he ''breathed'' them. They scrimmaged and accumulated inside him, penetrating from his lungs and every pore of his skin, but they also flowed back, resuming their natural course, and disappeared in the distance.


    ''No wonder there is the old proverb:


    "Everything breathes."


    I feel like I understand it now,'' thought Teo impressed by the complexity of nature and the beauty of Magic. He clenched his fists tightly and finally said full of awe and excitement,

 8 The Present: Refinement 3

    Teo was still shocked by his discovery earlier today. Owing to repeated experiments, he could now enter the unique state of mind where he could ''see'' the surrounding Mana (he was still working on a better name for it) smoothly within a few seconds of closing his eyes.


    It was a fantastic experience, every single time, and Teo ran excitedly around Ritark, randomly ''observing'' all the little things he could find with great interest.


    He discovered that Mana was always present in the form of fragile lines, reminding him of the threads his mother used for sewing. The amount, ''density'', and the traveling speed of the Mana Threads also would change depending on the area he went to and seemed to be influenced by the surrounding objects as well.


    Especially living things, like animals and plants, seemed to strongly attract the threads, weirdly enough, increasing the Mana Density in their surroundings even though he could watch them passively weaken and consume them.


    Teo noticed that the effect seemed to be dependent on size too, as big trees or humans attracted more attention from the strings than bugs or blades of grass. He did not find anything (or anyone) that seemed to interact with them as much as he did though.


    Also, his theory seemed to be flawed somehow, as even dead things like rocks, wooden planks, the earth itself, yes, even his shoes slowly absorbed the surrounding Mana, if only in negligible quantities.


    Overall, Teo was delighted with his newly gained ability, even if he still had no particular idea what it could be used for. He reckoned it would be quite helpful when he had to handle his ''business'' in the middle of the night, but apart from that...?


    Being able to see a few meters ahead in absolute darkness was a rather lovely gimmick, but there had to be something more to it, he guessed.


    Resuming his experimentation session in a quiet area, he decided to try something else: to move the threads, or at least otherwise influence them if the first option did not work out.


    The idea behind it was quite straightforward actually: Mana was raw Magic. And Magicians could use Magic. Leading to the conclusion:


    A Magician could use the natural Mana for his own purpose! And HE had the potential to become one (probably)!


    That sounded like a very reasonable theory. Thus Teo got straight to work and tried to do it himself.


    He sat down, concentrated, entered the Mana-Detection-state (name still in revision), and focused. He reached out with his hand, trying to grab one of the golden strands closest to him.


    Well, Teo had not expected his first try to succeed, but no effect at all was still disheartening. His hand seemed to pass right through most threads, while others straight out dodged him with a small, barely noticeable twist. He tried a few more times, striking very embarrassing poses even and dancing like a cockroach on a hot stove, but without any success whatsoever.


    ''It seems I am still too dependent on common sense to get the hang of this,'' he thought and let a soft sigh escape from his lungs.


    Just like the first step, where he had to stop seeing, to actually see and stop feeling, to properly feel, there had to be a trick to achieve this new goal of his as well; he was sure of it.


    Mana was nothing like the everyday objects lying around him, not even of the same category... he would have to stop treating them in the same way!Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    He thought back on the words of his teacher (it still felt wrong to call him that) to try and see if there were some hidden tips he could utilize somewhere. And actually, there were.


    Mr. Atkins did babble a lot about really complex Magical Theories, but one straightforward concept had helped Teo directly without even questioning it.


    ''Move your thoughts and the Mana will follow'' it was something like that, he remembered. Back then, he had to imagine the energy flowing around his body, through his palm, and into the small Artifact, resulting in it measuring his Elemental Affinity...


    Could that have been Mana, flowing from his body into the crystal ball? Wasn''t that the manipulation of Mana he was bitterly failing at right now? Had he already accomplished it without even noticing?


    Excited by his own genius, he hurriedly sat down again and tried to concentrate. First, he would try what he had already done once:


    Expelling Mana from his hands!


    He imagined it to be quite something, lightning-blue balls of pure, condensed energy rapidly discharging from his palms, disintegrating whatever stood in his way! So he was very eager to try it out and finally do some real magic himself.


    He extended his right hand, with his palm facing straight away from him, targeting a mid-sized rock lying a few meters away.


    Teo began furiously concentrating on his energy flow and tried to control the strings that made up his body, moving them according to his will. Using Mana-Detection-Sight simultaneously, he could already see some loops in his arms beginning to stir.


    Slowly part of the Mana in his body began flowing towards his right hand like thick goo, significantly increasing the Mana Density there. It was tough to move the threads as he could feel them working against him; it was like sucking honey through a straw!


    Using his full concentration for another ten minutes, he managed to pack a decent bundle of tightly bound mana into his hand, ready to burst forth. He corrected his aim on the rock once again, took a deep breath, and then willed the flood to break loose.


    "Fire!" he yelled out in his excited state, not caring if anybody could hear him, willing the Mana in his hand to shoot out and pulverize the poor rock in front of him.


    A loose bundle of golden threads was squeezed out of his pores and sailed through the air like a slop of spaghetti, not even making it towards the relieved stone and dissolving in the wind after barely one and a half meters.


    Teo simply stood there, unable to close his gaping mouth at the unbelievable scene in front of him, his face quickly changing to a bright crimson color.


    He had never been so embarrassed in his whole life! If there had been a hole close by, he would have loved to dive straight in and hide from the rest of the world forever. His only consolation was that no one had seen his remarkable performance, probably...


    But what did he do wrong?


    He did manage to control the Mana flowing inside him, a partial success, but why was it so slow and sloppy, instantly dissolving barely a second after it managed to leave his body?


    He would have to take it as food for future thought, as he was too embarrassed to continue what he was doing now. He would instead try point two on his agenda, drawing Mana from the air into his body! Surely it must also be able to go the other way when it already worked in one direction, right?


    He tried not to think much about his past failures and focused on the task ahead. He was getting back into his optimal mental state.


    With his eyes closed, he could see the Mana around him. He felt it float along beside him, prickling on his skin. He just had to reach out with his mind and grab ahold of one of these juicy threads.


    Having decided on a rather small specimen drifting close by, Teo willed it to come closer to him. He could not describe how, but he did feel some connection to it. He could tell it was struggling to escape his control.


    Extending his hand again, bringing it close to the thread, he imagined a strong pull, sucking the thread into the center of his palm like a black hole. And it seemed to work.


    The floating string was getting closer and closer to his hand, slowly forming an arc in the middle where he concentrated the pull on. Without much resistance, it was slowly being pulled into his body, dangling inside his palm like a loose rope.


    He kept pulling for a few minutes, but there was no end in sight. Both ends of the hair-thin string seemed to stretch into infinity.


    Elated by this easily accomplished success, Teo wanted to finish this up and call it a day as waves of fatigue washed over him. But as soon as he stopped exerting the pull, the thread began to stream out of his body once more. He had to concentrate on pulling it taut to make it stop, which he could not afford to do the whole day.


    It seemed, like this string of Mana was a literal ''loose thread'', coming undone as soon as one did not pay attention to it. Teo felt disheartened again as he could do nothing but watch all his work coming undone and drifting away with the clouds. He could slow it down, yes, even reel it back in, but he could not stop it entirely, making the whole process little more than pointless.


    Well, he still had some successes to celebrate today. He would have to visit his teacher to report about it and try again tomorrow.


    Tired, mentally exhausted, and slightly frustrated, Teo weakly tottered towards the secluded House of Horror''s, the Magician''s Office.


    Surprisingly the door was already open as if waiting for him and as he got close, a domineering voice reverberated around him,

 9 The Present: Crystallization 4

    The second chair that had mysteriously appeared in the cramped office was surprisingly comfortable as Teo let himself sink deep into the century-old cushions.


    Teo had felt quite proud of himself after achieving so many epiphanies in barely a day...


    At least, until the ever-benevolent Mr. Atkins had admonished him for his incompetence.


    Awakening Elemental Vision (what it seemed to be called) was nothing special as it was the most basic of all Magic Abilities, the bare minimum to qualify as any sort of caster. Mr. Atkins had even bragged about how he had managed to do it in a single hour, with barely any help, when he was younger.


    The stabbing stares did not grow softer until explaining that he only took around two or three hours and spent the rest of the time experimenting. Still, the only compliment he got was a sneaky, "So, you are not void of talent after all."


    Teo still felt a bit dejected, but he already knew to treasure the rare compliment from the short time since he had gotten to know his teacher. It was pointless to wait for anything better as he seemed fundamentally incapable of uttering any positive words without a deadly punchline.


    "Go home and rest now, I will personally teach you a few tricks tomorrow and need you in mint condition."


    Teo''s line of thought was suddenly interrupted by the Magician''s surprising offer, and he hurriedly disappeared through the door with a short farewell, before the old man could change his mind again.


    His parents did worry a lot about why he instantly fell asleep after wolfing down his dinner but didn''t bother Teo too much about it. After a good, long night of sleep, he was as fit as ever and stood once more before the towering, black door of the Magician''s Office as early as sunrise.


    Mr. Atkins looked the same as the day before too, since he did not seem to change his dark-blue robe whatsoever (or all his clothes just looked the same, which Teo did not want to exclude rashly), and subjected Teo to a strict training regime.


    He began with the basics that Teo already knew, like his Elemental Vision, and explained to him that it was only making perceivable the Elements one could control.


    In Teo''s case, he could observe the flow of pure Mana but no other Elements, resulting in Mr. Atkins appearing quite dim lit in Teo''s Mana Vision, even glowing less than Teo himself. Mr. Atkins had mastered Water Vision instead (he had to admit, the naming scheme was better than his own) and could perceive the Water Elements around him, meaning, in his eyes, he glowed like a blowtorch, whereas Teo was barely perceptible.


    In the case of the Mana threads, he was right on track, as they were really called like that and even behaved as he expected. Of course, he had not expected there to be other Elemental Threads, neither that they were not entirely ''consumed'' by everything around him, but converted into threads of the Element corresponding to the object instead.


    The idea was fascinating and quite logical, areas rich in stones and earth would also be rich in Earth Elemental threads because every stone and even the ground itself would absorb the ambient Mana and convert it into the Earth Element, which consequently accumulated in the surroundings. They would also use small amounts of Earth Elements to ''enrich'' themselves, but tended to produce more than they consumed.


    According to Mr. Atkins, this also applied to plants and animals, which would experience increased prosperity while living near areas rich in their corresponding Element and enjoyed a slightly increased lifespan and health as a result of the ''enrichment'' as he called it.


    Teo spent several days learning about basic magical concepts and absorbed all the new knowledge like a sponge. After the highly theoretical crash-course, his comprehension of Magic was incomparable to his previous na?ve self. He could even activate Mana Vision without closing his eyes now, only needing to spare part of his attention to keeping it active.


    He also learned from his previous mistake while trying to absorb external Mana and managed to do it successfully after a few tries. Teo''s original idea was quite good, and ''free'' Elements could indeed be used to replenish one''s own after expending them; he just didn''t have the right technique to do so yet.


    The trick lay in weaving the Mana into dense spirals or bundles after absorbing it, to store it in one''s body more comfortably, and to ''cut off'' the loose ends after consuming enough. If left untended, the unabsorbed part of the Mana string would work as a loose thread, slowly unraveling the previous efforts ¡ª precisely like what he had observed yesterday.


    Expelling Mana properly from one''s body or knitting it into Spells was still out of his reach though, at least when trying to learn it alone in his free time.


    But today, was when Mr. Atkins finally decided to teach Teo how to use Magic in a practical setting.


    "Alright, you have already built a decent foundation in the last days, and it is time for some practical training." Teo stood straight as a pole, not daring to move even a millimeter, the sweet words like music to his ears.


    "You know the basics about Magic in theory, as well as how to influence, guide, and shape Mana according to your will. I suspect you have already noticed that it is tough to expel Magic from one''s body to use it in any meaningful way, right?" Teo hurriedly nodded, instantly converting his trimmed, brown hair into a disheveled state. It was indeed quite hard to expel his own Mana, much more so, to shape it into literally anything no matter how simple the shape.


    Edgar authoritatively continued, "As it is impossible to quickly move Mana from your own body to the outside with your underdeveloped magical control abilities, you will need to resort to a different strategy."


    He stretched out his hand in front of him, palm facing towards the sky and less than a second later, Teo could already see blue veins gathering together, quickly forming a fist-sized icicle in the middle of his palm that shot out and mowed down a nearby birch tree from the Gore''st like lightning.


    "Wow!" Teo unintentionally exclaimed, flabbergasted by the display of destructive power. That was Magic! Wild and powerful! That was what he wanted to learn!


    "That was one of the most basic uses of the Water Element, compressing it in a single spot near your body and shooting it out all at once. Of course, it is a rather crude way to utilize one''s strength, like throwing a rock during a sword fight, but it can be very effective in real combat nonetheless." Teo was still extremely impressed by the technique demonstrated to him, unable to close his mouth for almost half a minute.


    He would probably have fainted had he known that Edgar held himself back a lot to demonstrate better the process of condensing the Elements. In a real fight, he could quickly summon ten icicles or more per second to shoot at his opponent in deadly precision, all while running at the same time.


    "The basis of most foundation-level spells is elementary, you shape the Elements according to your needs, and the corresponding effect will naturally follow. You can compress them into a single point, making a basic Magic Bolt to throw at your enemy, into a fine net, to materialize an Elemental Shield that protects you, or into a spear, which you can throw or wield as a weapon. Your imagination is the only limiting factor."


    During Edgar''s short introduction into practical Magic, or ''external Elemental Manipulation'', what he called it sometimes, Teo''s grin only grew wider and wider, thinking that it was way easier than he had previously thought. Seeing him sitting there, smiling to himself like an idiot, his teacher added, "I recommend you to take this seriously. Manipulating the Elements outside your body is not as easy as it sounds." But Teo hardly let that dim his motivation.


    "I guess you will have to learn yourself, what fickle lover the mistress of Magic can be. It is only a matter of practice anyway until you figure out the minor tricks and details on your own." Edgar concluded and left Teo to his own devices, while he would work through the thick pile of paperwork left on his desk.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    Finally, Teo had the time and a proper direction for practicing Magic, making his success only a matter of time in his eyes.


    He decided to stay at the green patch of grass near the forest ¡ªthat made an extraordinary peaceful impression, except for one badly mangled birch tree, its trunk but a collection of splinters¡ª and began to practice.


    The first thing he tried was the compression of Mana into a single point, forming a Mana Bolt, as this seemed the right spot to start from for a beginner.


    He expertly began to focus his Mana into his right hand, slowly excreting it from his skin and into the surrounding air, only to have it blown away after a single lapse in concentration. He tried again and again, but as he tried to keep the threads of Mana outside his hand from floating away, he could not properly concentrate on pulling more Mana out of his body and vice versa.


    "What the heck?! This is so hard!" he exclaimed after almost an hour with barely any progress, venting his frustration while stomping a small foot on the ground. It seemed like he had indeed underestimated the magnitude of the task at hand.


    After several hours of continued practice, he got a lot better in his general control of the Mana inside and in proximity to his body. Increasing the rate, at which Mana left his body as well as the time he could keep it close enough to his hand to control and further compress it. He even managed to incorporate some passing by, free Mana from the surroundings into the process.


    For the compression, he used the same method he had learned for absorbing Mana into his body, packing and weaving it into stable bundles, forming a ball of Mana that almost resembled a clew of yarn, silently hovering over his hand. It was as hard a task as lighting a match in a typhoon, but he never lost his spirit; training until mental exhaustion set in, absorbing Mana from the surroundings to relieve it and starting all over again.


    The first stable bundles of Mana he let loose were little more than small marbles of blue light gliding through the air with a silent whistle.


    But after training the technique over and over again for the rest of the week, he finally managed to cause a tiny explosion, blowing away some tree bark, after compressing the Mana as much as he could.


    He was sweaty and exhausted, his whole body sore from overexertion, the effects of his ''attack'' minuscule, but Teo did not care at all. He did it!

 10 The Future

    It was a stormy afternoon, dark clouds covering the sky as lightning flashed and furious, howling winds whipped a lone carriage, scuttling along a poorly constructed country road. The huge, rain-filled potholes ¡ªwhich were expertly avoided¡ª and the streams of water, running down the edge of the roof, did not make the coachman''s job any easier


    Inside the well-equipped vehicle sat Teo, immersed in his thoughts, as he traveled towards the harbor city of Sigella with his paternal grandfather. Teo''s relatives really did get in touch with him around a week after his father had sent the letter back then, they just had not expected to get a carriage as an answer instead of a letter.


    His ''grandfather'' was a rather bulky, but tall and well-built man in his fifties, a few streaks of grey already visible between his chestnut-brown hair. He did not make a particularly bad impression, but he appeared well versed in using his blue hawk-eyes to glare at people for extended amounts of time, making one wonder if his brows were stuck in this position, unable to be moved any longer.


    He did, however, show some real concern for Teo during their Journey, making him think that he was not as unapproachable as he appeared.


    Sigella was actually not that far from Ritark, only distanced around three days of travel to the south ¡ªat least in a carriage or on horseback, traveling by foot was a completely different story. However, Teo was still unaccustomed to spend so much time on the road, giving him a strange feeling, even when his distant family did not spare any expenses while preparing his escort.


    Teo had taken a lot of time to properly say goodbye to his friends and family back in Ritark. Half of the village had gathered to see him off that day; even Mr. Atkins lay aside his work to mingle with the villagers, which was a supremely rare sight to behold.


    He did not know who told everyone about his departure, but he was glad he had the chance to say goodbye as it would probably be a long time before he would see them all again.


    This was his second day in the carriage, and Teo was very bored. With the lousy weather ever since this morning, he could not even go outside for a short walk and just continued to stare holes into the air. At first, he had spent a lot of time talking to his grandfather, mostly about what awaited him, but the man was not very talkative, and Teo grew tired of asking.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    He was currently the only one in the family with the "Ancestors'' Gift" ¡ªwhat they called the Affinity for Arcane Magic¡ª besides the current family head, his granduncle Thoralv Grassdown, which made him a very valuable pawn in the game of family politics.


    From the anecdotes his grandfather had told, it seemed like the bloodline of the Grassdown lineage was rather thin, because only every 2nd or 3rd Generation would see the rise of a new Arcane, most of the time barely even possessing a Low-Rank Mana Affinity.


    It seemed, like Teo''s Intermediate Rank Mana Affinity was not so simple after all, and he would be accepted into the household with open arms for it.


    The Grassdown clan was neither very large nor powerful, only possessing enough land and capital to be called considerably wealthy, but far from the true behemoths of the county, not even considering the large families residing near the capital.


    Though the fortune, they had accumulated over the centuries, still allowed most of its members to lead relatively worry-free lives near the family domicile, a century-old villa, where the most crucial family members resided.


    Before Teo had even heard about its existence for the first time, he had already been accepted into Saint Joujack''s Magic School, the only one of its kind in Sigella, where he would learn everything about culture, history, calculus and hopefully Magic. He would also step into his granduncle''s footprints and learn the art of Enchantment from him...


    Everything had already been decided before he even got to talk to anyone about it.


    Teo was not exactly sure, what he should think about this, but what he felt was an unsettling strained feeling in his gut and a lot of pressure.


    He knew neither, if he could rise to all the expectations saddled onto him, nor if he wanted to, but he would find out soon enough.


    ___________________________


    Edgar sat motionless in his favorite armchair and looked outside the large, uncurtained window of his living quarters, observing the torrential rainfalls that accompanied today''s thunderstorm.


    In his hand he held an unusually exquisite porcelain cup, containing a black, steaming liquid, from which he periodically sipped.


    ''Coffee'', that was how this drink was called. It was quite rare around here since it could only be cultivated in the lushly overgrown jungles of Kalar''s south, and he especially had to import it from almost the other side of the Continent for an astronomical price. But he quite enjoyed its deep, aromatic taste and had started to prefer it over tea after first trying it, saving his stash for the most precious moments to savor it.


    ''A bitter drink, for a bitter man,'' he thought self-mockingly while staring at nothing in particular.


    He wanted to deny it, but he had gotten attached to the boy after all. His talent was mediocre, but his hard-working attitude and sharp mind were just the right tools for studying Magic, allowing him to progress faster and farther than Edgar had speculated.


    He never spoke it out loud, but Teo could almost keep up with the prodigious expectations he himself grew up with and came to demand from others as well. For the short time that he was able to teach him, the boy had achieved far more than a mere child his age possessing mediocre talent should be able to.


    Teo did not remind him of his younger self or something moronic like that; he simply discovered that he did not dislike, sharing his knowledge with the younger generations. At the very least, the boy did not judge him and was extremely grateful for every morsel of wisdom he threw at him.


    Maybe he should have accepted the offer from his old mentor, after all, to stay as a lab assistant or become a teacher for a Magic School after his graduation from the Academy. Yet he was far too ambitious and blinded by his greed to realize his limitations and to accept his fate while he still had the chance.


    Who would have expected, that he would accept a "student", and would honestly teach him up to the limitations of his competence after all these years of being ostracized and living in isolation, banished by his academic brethren? Even going as far as tipping off the village chief about the boy''s approaching departure, so that he could organize a proper farewell...


    He did grow softer with age, completely shedding his old moniker: "Edgar the Annihilator."


    "Well, who cares? At least the coffee is good," he said as he sunk deeper into the gentle embrace of his armchair and relaxed, taking another long sip from his cup while listening to the occasional crackling of the nearby fireplace.


    _________________________


    "Dang!"


    "Dang!"


    "Dang!"


    Hammering echoed through the catacombic cellars of the mansion, reverberating along the gray walls and pillars, where long shadows danced like demonic silhouettes.


    A dwarfish elder, whose polished scalp created a deep contrast to his impressively lush, grey beard, could be seen torturing a lone lump of red-hot iron upon a vast anvil.


    His exposed and muscular upper body glistened with fresh sweat in the red glow of his forge, while a pair of small, pointed goggles protected his eyes from the sparks, which flew around like fireflies.


    Contrary to his brutish appearance, this was Sigella''s most accomplished Enchanter, famous for his magnificently detailed and exquisite works: Thoralv Grassdown.


    What he was doing right now was not his work though, smithing was but a hobby of his. He liked to shape new things with his very own hands and sincerely appreciated the balance between physical and mental strain both his crafts provided aplenty.


    Thoralv especially loved to enchant tools which he had forged himself. Seeing a powerful Artifact, which he had formed from nothing more than a lump of metal and some gemstones, was always something extraordinary.


    He always took to his forge when he needed to think, when he needed to clear his head, to concentrate. The hard physical labor would always get his mind back on track as the rhythmic smashing of the hammer in his hand would slowly loosen all the tangled thoughts that haunted him.


    This family lay in his hands for over thirty years now, and he had done what he could to build it up and retake their bygone glory slowly, step by step. One of his biggest worries had been the question of his successor though, as none of the youngest generations seemed talented enough ¡ªor talented at all, in any aspect, to be more exact.


    This suddenly changed, with the arrival of an unexpected letter around five days ago. It was from Rainert, Troy''s eldest, who he had already labeled as hopeless, many years ago.


    Without any prior indication, he was delivered, what he needed most, precisely when he needed it most:


    A promising and talented youth possessing the Ancestors'' Gift to whom he could entrust the following generations.


    It felt almost like a practical joke or a cruel whim of fate, trying to give him hope, just to nip it in the bud, leaving him heartbroken and despaired. He would not be able to take the sudden shock with his advanced age; he would only believe it, the moment he laid eyes on the boy himself.

 11 Intermezzo *bonus Chapter*

    A sudden jolt shook the carriage and rose Teo from his peaceful slumber. Had they arrived? No, they couldn''t have, it was too soon. From the halfway-curtained window, Teo could see the sun high in the sky. It''s rays caused the fresh droplets of water which still clung to the wet leaves of the surrounding vegetation to sparkle like an agglomeration of small crystals. They were scheduled to arrive only later today, afternoon at the earliest his grandfather had said. Yet they were not moving.


    Teo turned his head around to look at his grandfather, Troy, while he got into an upright position. From the look on his face, he was just as surprised as Teo was. He even looked a bit scary, even more than usual; his brows arched like a drawn bowstring and his hawk eyes glaring out of the small window. Why had they stopped so suddenly? Had a fallen tree blocked the way? Maybe part of the road had been flushed away by the rain, and the thunderstorm had left a muddy ravine in its wake?


    From outside, they could hear muffled voices, one of them he recognized. It was the voice of Phillip, their coachman. He sounded troubled.


    "Oh damn it! Not again! What''s with these frickin punks lately? Shush, mind your own business, you scoundrels! ... Ok, Ok! I get it. I''ll be quiet, just get that darn thing out of my face! Troy, here are some gentlemen again that want to make your acquaintance!"


    Without a comment, Troy grabbed a decorative, dark green scabbard which had been leaning against the wall, hidden from sight by a wavy curtain, and slowly got up from his seat.


    "What''s happening? Who is out there?" asked Teo in a panicked tone. Just what was going on here? They weren''t being robbed, were they?


    "Stay put and don''t make any noise, I will take care of that," Troy said with a smile, pulled open the door, and jumped onto the muddy road. Worried, Teo jumped up to follow him, but the door was slammed shut right in front of his face. He held tightly onto the window frame with his tiny fingers and spied through it carefully, trying to hash any details of what was going on.


    A haggard man stood beside the carriage, and his grandfather was fast approaching him. Another one stood a few steps further away and seemed to keep a close eye on the coachman. The two men were probably around the same age as Teo''s father, but they looked nothing alike with their shabby clothes and dirt-encrusted hair. But the most distinguishing feature of the duo were the two slightly rusty knives which they held in front of their bodies with outstretched arms, trying to appear threatening. Shit! They were being robbed.


    Teo felt the hair on his neck rise in alarm as a sudden feeling of suffocation overcame him. His grandfather was going to be okay, right?


    "Stop! Don''t come closer! Get away from the carriage, and no one gets hurt!" the man yelled and motioned to the nearby line of trees at the roadside with his free hand.


    "Gentlemen, can I help you by any chance?" Troy said in a relaxed fashion and took another step in their direction.


    "I said, stop! Don''t try anything funny, geezer. I''ve warned you!" the man shouted and tried to threaten him by swinging his knife around, in vain, as Troy took another step forward.


    "Relax, I''m sure we can talk this out. What''s your name, lad?" said Troy diplomatically with a smile.


    "Stay back!" the hoodlum shouted and stabbed his blade towards Teo''s grandfather, who stood right in front of him by now, wearing the most relaxed expression on his face that Teo had seen so far.


    How had it come to this? Didn''t his grandfather have a sword? Why has he willingly putting himself into such a disadvantageous position?


    Before Teo could contemplate any of these questions, the action had already started.


    With but the slightest of movements, Troy''s left foot slid to the side, allowing his torso to dodge the incoming blade by a hair''s breadth with a simple twist. In the same motion, he used the build-up momentum to pull back his leg and forcefully dug his knee deep into the man''s crotch, sending him to the ground, vomiting, and curled up like a prawn.


    Before anyone could process the events, he had already followed up with a lightning-fast lunge and knocked the second offender unconscious with a perfectly aimed blow to the neck. Everything was over in a second, and he did not even unsheathe his blade.


    Teo could barely believe his eyes as he observed everything intently from his hiding place.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    "Took you long enough. What if something happened to me?" said Phillip sarcastically with a grin on his face.


    "Stop whining, Phillip, and help me move this one aside, they have delayed us long enough already," answered Troy, motioning towards the unconscious body right next to the carriage''s right front wheel.


    Soon the road was cleared, the obstacles removed, and everyone got back to their position, intending to continue their journey. However, before Troy took the last step into the passenger booth, he turned around once more and reached into one of his pockets to retrieve a single silver coin. He locked eyes with the first offender to go down, who was still in excruciating pain caused by his shattered manhood, flung the coin into his direction with a snap of his fingers and said:


    "I get that you''re desperate, but do try asking politely next time. Who knows what result you may obtain?" And just like that, he took the last step inside, closed the door behind himself, and the carriage drove off into the distance.


    Inside the passenger area, Troy found himself eye to eye with the curious Teo.


    "Who were those people? Why did they attack us like that? How are you so strong?" the boy asked, overeager and excited, barely able to contain the desire to pile up more questions.


    "Easy there, we still have a few hours until we arrive, no need to rush anything," Troy replied and waited for Teo to settle down again.


    "They are farmers," he finally said after a while, creating more questions for Teo than he had answered.


    "Farmers? That can''t be, aren''t they busy with preparations for the harvest?" Teo asked, perplexed.


    "Not if there is no harvest," Troy corrected meaningfully.


    "But..." the boy was not sure what to say. It was almost autumn, the busiest time of the year for any ordinary farmer. He knew just how busy from observing the people living around Ritark, many of whom raised crops in differing amounts, but he could not find any similarities between them and the two men from earlier.


    "Floods, Monster attacks, unscrupulous landowners; life has not been easy for the common people in this area lately. You are quite lucky to have grown up in a remote village without these troubles," Troy said, explaining the situation.


    "But why did they attack us?!" Teo wanted to know. He had not experienced much violence in his life and still failed to understand the motives governing society.


    "What would you do to feed your family? Winter is relentless up here, and with the meager harvest this year, many are bound to starve. Still, what they did is unacceptable," Troy explained and shook his head gently.


    Teo did not answer; he just sat in silence, seemingly consumed by his thoughts. He had no idea! People were starving, and he had never heard anything about it! Everyone seemed to be fine in Ritark, so he naturally assumed...


    "Don''t worry about it; you are still too young to trouble yourself with these grownup problems," his grandfather reassured him.

 12 Sigella

    "See you tomorrow, Jack!"


    Teo waved his hand as he began to climb into a black carriage that was waiting for him, just outside the school grounds.


    Jackson Jumpheart, one of the few boys he had befriended in school, was an energetic boy with flaming red hair and could be seen running along the main street of Sigella right now.


    Teo had kept insisting on walking home by foot for the first few weeks ¡ª leaving the despairing coachman slowly driving behind him because he could not return ''empty-carriaged'' ¡ª but eventually, he had caved in under his grandfather''s pestering. It was quite the distance towards the family mansion, and Teo could explore the bustling city anytime he wanted. He might as well take the carriage home; it just needed some getting used to.


    "It''s hard to believe that it''s already been a year," Teo said and sighed as he looked out of the small carriage-window.


    Indeed. A little bit more than one year had passed since Teo had left Ritark and came to live with his relatives in Sigella. The city was beautiful, and his relatives mostly kind, but it didn''t quite feel like home, and he still could not entirely get used to it.


    He spent most of his days in school, learning the very basics of common knowledge, that would soon come to be indispensable, but found little time to play with his friends or explore the woods near the mansion, much to his regret.


    His evenings were spent with Uncle Thoralv, who was very strict when it came to teaching him about Enchanting. But Teo still appreciated all the new things he could learn from him, so he also enjoyed it a bit.


    He had quickly picked up all the basics he needed and found Enchanting rather suiting to his taste as it was refreshing and not as complicated as he had feared, at least in the early stages. The fundamental concept was easy enough to understand, but with each step up the power-ladder, the procedures became exponentially more complicated.


    Teo was now slowly approaching the manor after passing through the large iron gates; it was an ancient, gray stone building that had passed its best days long ago but still looked impressive nonetheless.


    "Go see your uncle after lunch. He wants to speak with you."


    A middle-aged woman, appearing to be somewhere in her forties, approached him after he stepped through the main entrance, directly skipping all pleasantries.


    "Thank you, Aunt Greta."


    He was still not used to dining alone for the most part, but the food was excellent, and he would occasionally joke around with the staff that practically ran the household from the background. Supper, however, was always taken together by the whole family. Every evening they would gather at the same time, almost like a ritual ¡ª and absence was frowned upon severely.


    Contrary to the size of the building, the number of staff members was rather low, countable on one''s hands even. Apart from a butler, a cook, a gardener, and a few maids, there was hardly anyone to mention. Teo especially liked the kind, old butler James as well as Milly the maid, a young woman in her twenties with a great sense of humor, that was only employed a few years ago.


    After quickly eating some cream of corn soup and a smoked pork chop, Teo tossed his school bag into his room and went looking for Uncle Thoralv, who spent most of his time in the spacious workshops, deep in the cellars of the manor.


    He ran through the long corridor and down one of the winding, old staircases, casting long shadows against the uneven walls as he stepped down the torchlight brightened passages.


    Teo did not like the old cellars. He found them creepy and unsettling. Their narrow pathways, snaking through the bedrock, alternating with larger rooms and the occasional pillar-borne hall, all soaked in a disturbing twilight with a tinge of complete darkness. The only audible noise being the rustling and scuttling of tiny insect legs and the unknown horrors lurking just out of his sight. He did not like the cellars.


    Staying clear of the dark, less-explored reaches of the old labyrinth, Teo took the torch-draped central passage which was mostly straight and considered safe by him, until he could see the soft red glow of the forge, welcoming him, like the first rays of a beautiful sunrise.


    It was an enigma to him, why his granduncle did not move the workshop somewhere else. There was plenty of space right next to the mansion, or behind it, or literally anywhere else was also an excellent choice! How could he even concentrate on his work in these godforsaken catacombs?


    Well, he was young, and no one asked for his opinion nor paid it any mind, so he better get used to it one way or another.


    Teo stood right in front of the colossal forge now and could already feel the heat radiating from it, slowly draining the moisture from his skin. Uncle Thoralv stood up and approached him, he said in a rough voice, that made his thick mustache flutter,


    "Teo! Good, you''re here!"Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    ''Don''t act all surprised, when you''re the one that asked for me'' thought Teo, but still maintained a polite smile and gave a quick bow, before answering,


    "Uncle, what did you want to see me for?"


    "Right, right. Coming right to the point, like a true craftsman. I like that," he said while nodding to himself a few times. "You spent the last months learning the basics and made great progress. You are still quite a bit from completing your own Enchantments without my help, no need to talk about real Artifacts, but you know many techniques already and are especially skilled in Mana Infusion..."


    This was very unusual for Uncle Thoralv as he was not the type to work towards a climax like that. He had no sense of drama or suspension and would come straight to the point in most cases.


    He was a straightforward person, but Teo did not dislike that about him. It made him quite easy to deal with. Talking to him was almost always ''hammer this'' or ''hammer that'' and ''hammer, like you mean it and not like a little girl''. It needed some getting used to, but it was not that bad in retrospect. Teo had never expected to still learn his father''s craft in such a roundabout way, which was an added bonus in his eyes. Oh, right! His uncle seemed to be getting to the important part!


    "As I was saying, the Mana Infusion technique can be considered the very core of everything else in the craft of Enchanting and is of extreme importance. It is also directly correlated to what I want to show you today!"


    ''Probably it''s just to increase the Enchantment quality again. Couldn''t this wait till later?'' Teo thought, a bit annoyed at losing most of his free time for a speech about the greatness of Enchanting and the long tradition of the craft again...


    Only when his uncle pulled out a gray cube, adorned with barely visible runes and slightly indented lines that snaked over the whole surface of the object, was his attention captured again.


    "As you probably guessed already, this is an Artifact. And also our most precious family heirloom. It has been passed along for uncountable generations." Thoralv slowly spun it around in his hands while Teo was staring at it in silence, trying to guess its function.


    "There is an old family ritual every Enchanter from the clan has to undergo as soon as he masters Mana Infusion and is able to carve his own Mana Channels."


    Teo was a bit nervous now, afraid of some weird rite of initiation, but his curiosity far outweighed his natural fear of the unknown.


    "It is quite simple. Just use your Mana Infusion on this cube, and if it shows any reaction, you can keep it; until it is your time to pass it on to the next generation. It doesn''t work for everyone though, the most recent one to succeed was my teacher, a long time ago." He put the cube onto the massive stone table and waited for Teo to proceed.

 13 Goliath

    "So, what does it do?" Teo asked, while excitedly examining the magic cube before him, still holding back on touching it though.


    "To be honest, I don''t know."


    Teo took a step back and looked surprised at the patriarch beside him. Not even he knew how to use it? Who else was supposed to know then?


    "It is said that one can greatly boost his understanding of Enchantment through studying the long lost techniques used to craft it, but its function..." Thoralv paused for a moment, thinking about how to answer the question.


    "My teacher once told me that if one manages to activate it, both the speed and quality of one''s Enchantments will rise by a notch as long as it is kept close by. But I don''t know if that is only a myth or if it actually works." He shrugged and ran his thick fingers through his even thicker beard.


    "However, considering the channel structure and the rune density, its real function should be far more complex. Just that, according to the records, no one has managed to uncover it yet," he concluded, giving the limelight back to Teo, who could not stop fidgeting during his short monologue.


    Well, didn''t that sound mysterious and exciting? Teo had already been afraid that this was just another test of some sort. ''Come here, son, and try to make this rock glow'' something like that again, he imagined, but now it seemed much more enticing.


    Eagerly, Teo turned around to face the stone again and continued with his examination. The fist-sized cube did not look very impressive, not even old in fact ¡ª much less like an ancient and powerful heritage from his ancestors. Instead, it reminded him of the wooden toy blocks, he used to play with when he was younger, just with a weirder motif.


    He gave it a slight nudge and discovered that it did not even budge in the slightest, almost as if glued to the table. Only with a firm push could he force some manner of motion into it. Teo did not know what shocked him more, that this cube, barely larger than his childish fist, weighed at least twenty kilos, or that his uncle had handled it like a mere toy without showing any notion of effort when lifting it.


    He decided on the material composition of the Artifact ¡ª everyone knew that his uncle was more bear than man.


    Unable to hold himself back any longer, he started to get down to business. ''I can always examine it in more detail after I get to keep it,'' he thought, not even considering failure.


    Teo put one hand on top of the cube and began to channel his Mana into it. Mana Infusion already came as second nature for him, and he could control his internal and external Mana flow in great detail.


    As he continued to infuse his Mana, Teo quickly noticed that the cube was like a bottomless abyss, able to swallow up the Mana he guided into it like a mere appetizer. Hurriedly he began to grasp the Mana threads from the air around him ¡ªusing the bit of attention that he could spare¡ª and used them to supplement his own reserves.


    But it was not enough, Teo had already used up more than half of his internal Mana as well as everything the smithy could provide with its meager natural energies, yet there was no end in sight. The runes adorning the cube had also started glowing ever so softly, probably signifying success.


    He tried to lower the rate of his Mana consumption, unwilling to overexert himself, but a mysterious suction force only further increased the Mana outflow instead. Teo was already unable to let go of his own volition.


    He began to despair, not understanding what was happening to him and unable to endure the feeling of himself being sucked dry like a preserved fruit. He wanted to cry out for help, but his body was frozen, stuck inside a prehistoric glacier, unmoving.


    Soon a splitting headache assaulted him together with waves of pure exhaustion, making him feel like he aged ten years in a single second. He was critically low on Mana.


    Teo was left with barely a morsel of his internal Mana, broken confidence, and had lost all hope; he was just about to come to terms with the sudden end of the short adventure he called ''life'' when he saw a small light at the end of the tunnel.


    ...


    ''Wait, that''s not a tunnel!'' he exclaimed in his mind. The light he had seen in front of his mind''s eye was a small spark; tiny and weak as if about to flicker out of existence at any moment now ¡ª but it didn''t. It slowly grew more vigorous, absorbing the abundant Mana around it until it settled down, still tiny, but stable. It was a spark, born from Teo''s compressed Mana, residing deep inside the mysterious Artifact.


    Suddenly the intricate runes and lines on the surface of the cube increased their output by several magnitudes and bathed the room in a gentle blue, almost white light for several seconds before quieting down.


    Teo was panting heavily, leaning onto the massive stone table to support his shaking legs, while wrestling to get fresh air into his burning lungs. That was scary! Teo had never felt so exhausted in his life, his Mana depleted till the last drop and his muscles barely adhering to his commands, a stabbing pain dulling his thoughts. His uncle had already lent him a sturdy ¡ª and thankfully clothed ¡ª shoulder, which he gratefully accepted, sitting down on the nearby bench with his help.


    "What was that?!" Teo hissed, after catching his breath for a moment. He still felt like something had chewed and digested him after he was run over by a carriage.


    "I''m so sorry. I did not know it would be this taxing, but you managed to succeed nonetheless!" Thoralv''s deep voice was tinged with nuances of worry, regret, and pride, all at the same time.


    "I will bring you to your room; you need to rest more than anything now! You have seriously overexerted yourself today, but it is nothing that can''t be fixed with time."


    After a weak protest from Teo, who ¡ªeven in this situation¡ª refused to be carried princess-style, he got a free piggyback ride to his room and could finally rest. He touched the enigmatic rock-cube ¡ªthat his granduncle had put onto his nightstand¡ª one last time, noticing that it was much, much lighter than before, but could not care less as he fell asleep in a matter of seconds.


    ...


    Teo only awoke a dozen hours later, the warm rays of afternoon sunshine that had fallen through his large casement window already replaced by the gentle light of the moon. At the same time, he continued to lie fully dressed on his bedsheets. Teo still felt groggy, but much better already. The thing bothering him most was the ravenous appetite he felt rising from his empty stomach.


    Luckily, someone had already thought of that and had placed a large serving of cold but fragrant chowder on his nightstand, along with a piece of white bread, right next to the strangely glowing cubical rock.


    ''Wait a minute...''


    ''A strangely glowing cube?! Oh no! Not again!'' Teo was already panicking in his mind, still traumatized from his earlier experience. The cube, however, paid him no mind.


    It was already quite bright and was probably the very thing that woke him up in the first place, and... was it starting to vibrate now?! It continually became brighter and brighter until there was not a shadow left in Teo''s room, and he could only observe with squinted eyes while cowering behind his bed, unsure of what to do.


    Soon, a vortex of condensed Mana formed around the now hovering and spinning Artifact as it pulled dozens of threads from the surroundings towards its center in a spiraling pattern, and it was visibly getting larger! The cube was not only growing, but multiplying even; starting to separate into dozens of smaller cubes ¡ªwith an identical appearance¡ª which gathered in a large heap.


    Unable to close his mouth and half expecting this to be a very realistic nightmare, Teo looked on with wide-open eyes, while the cubes slowly organized to form a vaguely humanoid shape that stood around one meter tall.


    It was made up of at least fifty cubes of varying sizes that were loosely stacked on top of each other and held together by threads of blue energy, crackling between them. The smallest cubes were only as large as dice, while its head was a single, massive block of impressive proportions. It exuded an intimidating and otherworldly air, the only differentiating features on its body being the numerous, dimly glowing runes that covered it whole.


    Before Teo could even decide, if he should first call for help and then run away or the other way around, he already heard a mechanical, but weirdly euphonious voice:


    "Golem 1216 activated. Awaiting orders."


    ''A Golem?'' Teo had never seen one before, but he had heard and read about them in stories. A mechanical being, an alchemical lifeform, a construct, built as a servant or protector, but... this was only a legend!


    It was not that hard to create a puppet, only expensive. They were somewhat limited in their uses because they possessed no intelligence of their own, merely able to follow simple commands that were programmed into them beforehand. Not even the best Magician''s on the Continent could create a real Golem!


    "You can come out now, little one. I can sense your Mana Signature as clear as day."


    Busted! Teo had wasted his only chance at escaping and could only deliver himself to his fate now, falling into the hands of this killing-machine! Why was he always waiting for some fortunate encounter, when he really should be running as fast as his legs could carry him?!


    "I don''t mean any harm, I have already been imprinted by your Mana Signature when you activated me earlier," the construct added in what Teo interpreted to be an irritated voice.


    He slowly stood up from behind his cover and approached the small Golem, still distrustful, but already out of cards to play.


    "What are you?" Teo demanded, after collecting all of his courage while trying to appear authoritative.


    "I prefer ''who''. Also, it is impolite to ask names, before even introducing oneself, but considering the situation, I will answer your question." The Golem made a movement that probably was supposed to be a shrug, and ignored Teo''s collapsing fa?ade. The boy, on the other hand, started to turn red, embarrassed by his charade.


    "I''m Golem 1216. At least that is the serial number my creator gave me. I don''t have a name, but as my temporary master, you are free to call me however you like."


    Master? Teo was exhilarated. This encounter turned out to be a fortunate one, after all. But what should he call this impressive construct of primordial magic standing before him? Teo was not good with names.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    "Well, how about... Rocky?" he tried cautiously.


    "Well, how about I call you Fleshy McBonesack?" the Golem threw back fiercely, visibly unpleased by the suggestion.


    Teo was flabbergasted, not expecting such a sharp retort from an Artifact. Was that sarcasm? Could Golems do that?


    He continued to think for a while until a sudden flash of inspiration hit him.

 14 The forgotten Era

    Teo was hastily slurping up the thick chowder that had thankfully survived the stormy entrance of his new companion. Opposite him, on the other side of the large bed, sat the Golem, Goliath. Between eating the soup and eagerly biting into the small loaf of bread, Teo also managed to vocalize his thoughts somehow, most of which could even be understood.


    "So, let me get that straight, you are a Golem from the Royal Golem Series, crafted by the legendary High Magus Anathor Derilion?"


    "Yes, that is correct. I was originally tasked to oversee his third grandson and tend to his daily needs," Goliath hummed in his melodic voice.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    "And there are others like you?" asked Teo carefully, wanting to confirm his conjecture.


    "Of course! Hundreds!" Goliath stated that like common knowledge, but Teo almost spewed his soup onto the Golem''s brick-face, barely suppressing the urge and resolved it with a few coughs.


    After a few moments to catch his breath, Teo continued his round of questioning, "So, who is this Magus you were talking about? He must be very powerful if he could create somethi¨C... I mean, someone, like you."


    "High Magus Anathor Derilion! You don''t know him?" Goliath was audibly shocked by Teo''s ignorance, his voice taking on a tinny property; the boy could only shake his head in denial though.


    "He''s a High Magus! The God of Arcane! The Master of Mana! He went head to head with the gods themselves! Every peasant child knows about his great accomplishments and has heard the stories about him..." The intelligent construct slowly caught on to the sheer stupor on the boy''s face and began to settle down. His new master had not the slightest idea of what he was talking about. What was going on here?


    "Ehh, also... what is a peasant?" Teo sheepishly asked. He had to be excused for his lack of understanding; the Council had removed the very concept of nobility from the Continent after the meteoric rise of the Magic Association around 150 years ago, and history lessons rarely covered the dark side of the system.


    "Oh! Great God of Magic above; this is worse than I thought! What have I gotten myself into?!" If a Golem had any tears to cry, the room would have been flooded by now. Instead, Goliath collapsed into a pile of glowing rubble, emitting vague sobbing and grinding noises.


    Not only had he been activated by a child, apparently he was even transported into another world! No one had heard of his creator, and apparently, the child in front of him lacked any shred of common knowledge...


    Giving the small Golem a bit of room for his self-pity, Teo decided to leave him alone for a few minutes. ''Wow, this Golem is really unstable, and not just in the architectural sense,'' he thought and shook his head. This ancient and powerful Artifact, apparently created by a genius Magician (or god or whatever), had proven surprisingly useless so far.


    Meanwhile, the small hill of rocks on his bed had quieted down a lot, and Teo asked in a low voice, "Are you alright, Goliath?"


    *Wooosh!*


    Causing a sudden whirl of air, the Golem restructured himself, after a second already standing at his full height ¡ª which was still not very impressive.


    "I''m fine. Sorry, I got carried away. Do you mind if I talk to your parents for a second?" Goliath''s voice was melodic and charming again, not a sign left of the mess he had been only a few seconds ago.


    ''His parents? Was he playing the child-card now?! This son of a brick!'' Even though Teo was very well tempered usually, he was still pissed, every time someone did not take him seriously because of his age ¡ª especially if that someone was a gray-blue rock supposed to be his servant! Everything else aside, he was even smaller than him!


    "I''m sorry, but you will have to deal with me for the time. My parents are not here anyway, and you are supposed to be my Golem, not theirs." There was an unusually sharp undertone in Teo''s voice as he took back control of the situation.


    "I don''t know where you came from, but we have to deal with this situation now, so please pull yourself together!"


    Goliath sat down again in acceding silence. Maybe he really did cross a boundary there. His unstable and emotional personality ¡ªcoupled with a few rebellious remarks¡ª was, what had gotten him fired, deactivated, and marked as a defective product in the first place; he would better learn from his past mistakes, asap.


    "Because I have never heard about anything you told me so far, I suspect that wherever you come from is either very far away... or a long time ago." Teo waited for a moment to let his brilliant conjecture sink in and then continued. Goliath could hardly object. Naturally, he had thought about that already, but he did not like the possibility very much.


    "I would tip on the latter because my uncle told me that you are our most important family heirloom, passed along for centuries... The world has probably changed somewhat since you last saw it." The last part was almost whispered in a soft and understanding tone.


    Naturally, he could understand part of the dilemma that the small construct was facing. He had ''lived'' at least a hundred years ago, and everything and everyone he knew was probably long gone, Teo did not even want to imagine being in Goliath''s shoes ¡ª not that he wore any. A Golem probably had no family, but because he had emotions, he was bound to have some friends to mourn for at the very least.


    "A hundred years may be much for a mortal, but don''t underestimate a sentient Artifact! I was active for over a hundred years already, and another hundred years of slumber won''t make much of a difference for me. I should even be able to calculate the current year through the position of the stars! We will know more after that," Goliath responded with more vigor than Teo had expected.


    The unequal pair slowly got up from the comfortable feather bed after discussing what to do and walked over to the nearby casement window. They sat on the window sill in silence for a few minutes, just staring into the star-lit night sky, as Goliath''s calculations would take some time.


    While he was waiting, Teo enjoyed the cooling midnight breeze caressing his skin and observed the flashing runes, squares, circles, and other geometric shapes constructed from blue light threads, that were hovering and changing in front of Goliath''s ''face''. From his Enchanting practices he knew, that this was what highly compressed Mana looked like; for the function of the Magic Circles, however, he could only guess.


    After around fifteen minutes, the small Magic Circles dimmed, and the floating Mana returned to the Golem''s body. Shortly afterward, even the glow of the body itself seemed to grow considerably weaker.


    "And? Are you done now, Goliath?"


    ...


    "Goliath? Are you okay?"


    ...


    Teo gave him a slight nudge, resulting in Goliaths head slowly gliding down from his body and falling into the soft earth of the flower bed in the backyard with a dampened: *Thud!*


    Teo''s left eye experienced a slight twitching as he thought, ''Damn it! Did I kill him?!'' He quickly trashed the notion though, as a Golem could not possibly be so fragile ¡ª especially one that had managed to resist the ravages of time and was still in pristine condition after hundreds of years.


    "Goliath, what''s the result of your calculations?" Teo asked in a low, unsteady and very cautious voice, but got no answer.


    "Goliath!" he asked much louder this time, only holding back slightly so as not to wake the rest of the house.


    "7523..." a feeble and disheartened voice finally answered his inquiry, it was barely audible.


    "What do you mean?" Teo looked at the large rock that stuck between the purple irises growing in the flower bed half a meter beneath his feet.


    "7523 years. I have been deactivated for 7523 years..." The voice was very different from a human''s, but Teo could clearly hear the mixture of regret, sadness, and helplessness it carried.


    Teo was also taken aback. That was a pretty large number. He had not even known that anything could be this old. The history lessons in school only covered some basics at the moment, and they never talked about anything before 500 years ago; how could the Golem possibly be so old?!


    "Maybe you got the calculations wrong?" Teo knew that this was not very consoling, but he tried anyway, for he had no better idea.


    "I checked it seventeen times. I did not miscalculate. Exactly 7523 years, three moons and 20 days have passed. At least if the laws of nature did not change too much." Now, Goliath''s voice was steady again, but it sounded empty, unfeeling and inhumane ¡ªwhat a weird thing to say about a construct, but it was what Teo felt.


    It seemed like his new ''friend'' came from a distant and long-forgotten era and would need to come to terms with his fate now.

 15 The Secre

    Goliath had needed several minutes to digest the initial shock, but he began to improve again after some consolations. It did not matter if a thousand or ten thousand years had passed; after reaching a certain limit, it all felt the same. There were even positive sides to it.


    The relationship between Magus Derilion and Goliath had not been perfect either, even though the small Golem respected his creator dearly; in fact, almost like a father. He had lost everything he knew, but for the first time, his life truly lay in his own hands.


    Sure, he was ''bound'' to Teo, but as there was no real contract, this bond was rather liberal. It was more like an unspoken rule of golemhood to serve whoever activated them ¡ª at least if they could not find their creator. But why would he care now, when he was the only Golem left on the Continent?


    Since Goliath was a rather small ¡ªand thus, energy-efficient ¡ª Golem, he was almost self-sustaining and what little Mana he needed, he could receive from many other humans if he so desired to change masters. He had only needed Teo to provide the initial energy for his activation.


    However, both of them had continued to talk for a few hours and agreed on partnering up for the time being.


    Teo had shown a lot of kindness so far when talking to the Golem ¡ª a rare treat, for a ''mere construct'' ¡ª and Goliath needed someone to show him around in the new world, possibly even hide him.


    They had no proof yet, but it was pretty apparent that an ancient Golem was widely desired and would quickly end up as research material for someone unless he maintained a low profile. Especially so, if he liked to boast about being made up of 90% Mithril and 10% Adamantium. His bare material worth was enough to drive men crazy!


    Teo, on the other hand, was quite interested in the ancient knowledge and techniques, which Goliath was sure to harness. He did not understand much about the runes on him yet, but studying them was guaranteed to be beneficial.


    "We still have a problem though, how am I supposed to hide you from my family? You can''t stay in my room all the time." Teo voiced his doubts about their plan that still bothered him.


    "Easy," answered Goliath and transformed back into the small cube he had started as, gently floating towards Teo''s hand; it was as light as a feather.


    "Well, that solves one problem. But you should only talk when I call you; you''re not exactly quiet." Teo was happy that he could carry his new companion around with little effort. He could not openly talk to his pockets, but two pairs of ears were better than one.


    ''Don''t worry; I can''t read your mind. You need to send me a message actively; it''s just a simple trick for silent communication.'' Goliath explained with unusual patience, accurately guessing his thoughts and visibly relieving Teo of his worries.


    ''You need to grab a thick thread of Mana, imbue it with your thoughts, and send it over to me. The Mana will take on the natural frequency of your thoughts when you concentrate on it, and the recipient''s brain will inverse the process automatically.''


    Teo looked a bit confused for a second. From class, he already knew what a brain was ¡ª and he was pretty sure that Goliath had no such thing. However, because he did not know how the rest of the Golem functioned either, he quickly put the thought to rest.


    With all the practice Teo had gotten using Mana Manipulation in the last year, he quickly got used to the new trick and succeeded without much trouble after a few tries. He would be able to communicate with Goliath now whenever he wanted!


    The only lingering question was: Why didn''t everybody do the same? The technique was effortless, and both the energy and concentration required ¡ªeven for extended dialogues¡ª was negligible. Why had he never heard of this before then?


    Unwilling to be retaken by surprise, Teo decided to ask in advance, "Do you have any other abilities you would like to share with me, Goliath?"


    "I do come with all the advantages of the Royal Golem 1000 series, so naturally, I have some more, but nothing special. I guess, the dimensional storage compartment ¡ªwhere I keep my spare parts while in my miniature form¡ª could be quite useful, as I can''t sense any spatial Artifacts on your body. It''s tiny though, only around ten cubic meters."


    ''Ten cubic meters? Tiny?'' thought Teo speechlessly. He knew that spatial Artifacts were scarce, hard to create, and very precious. Even an Artifact with only one cubic meter of storage space could buy a small villa! Ten cubic meters was enormous!


    Their chitchat finished, they decided to call it a day ¡ªor night, to be more exact¡ª and went to bed. At least Teo did, Goliath was silently lying on the nightstand in his miniature form, not giving off a sign of life anymore, not even his usual glow.


    ...


    Teo awoke quite early today, just in time to witness the rising sun, flooding his room with light through the large window. Lying there, comfortably in his soft bed, Teo wondered. Had it all been just a dream? He had been very exhausted yesterday; maybe he had just been hallucinating as a side-effect from the sudden lack of Mana?!


    He looked over to the nightstand, where a particular rocky-metallic cube was lying silently, just like his uncle had left it there yesterday. Hesitatingly, he began to grab a Mana Thread from the air and imprinted it with his mind. If it wasn''t a dream, then he should receive an answer, right?


    Less then a second after sending over a quiet "Hello" he could already hear the familiar voice of the Golem, humming in his head,


    ''Good morning to you too. Why are you looking at me like that? Had a bad dream?''


    ''No, I''m good. We should hurry up and get ready for breakfast now.''


    Teo was shocked and relieved at the same time. He had not been dreaming!


    Teo hurriedly put on a long bathrobe, went to wash himself, and brushed his teeth, before finally changing into fresh and clean clothes. He did not have many chances to change yesterday; first, he slept on top of the bedsheets, fully dressed, and soaked in his sweat. Afterwards, he had quickly stripped and slept in his underwear


    Coming out of the bathroom, he felt refreshed and invigorated, almost reborn. His body had recovered, and his internal Mana regenerated sufficiently.


    Back in his room, Teo looked through one of his drawers until he found his old, soft-leather coin purse with an elaborate stitching of the family emblem on it. He carefully put Goliath inside before hanging it around his neck. It may not be the most extravagant mode of transport one could get, but in exchange, it was quite inconspicuous.


    Teo put on his grey felt-slippers, rushed through the long corridor next to his room and into the dining hall. Breakfast was not obligatory nor bound to a specific time of day, but most family members still chose to visit at the same time shortly after sunrise.


    So, when Teo entered the large hall ¡ª spanning at least ten times fifteen meters, with numerous brass candleholders and old oil paintings covering its walls, only leaving some space around the tall, colored windows ¡ª a few familiar figures were already seated around the long oak table.


    The only unusual sight here was his grandfather, Troy, who was sitting close to the twins, wrestling with a loaf of rye bread and a sausage. His grandfather was a busy man, often out at sea, overlooking the operation of the more important business trips. When he got home, he would spend all day loitering around the harbor or talking to merchants and politicians.


    "Grandfather!" Teo cried out and ran up to the man, giving him a close hug. He had not seen him for almost a month now, as he had been on a business trip to Kaskada in the south in order to negotiate a new trade route.


    Initially, he had evaluated his grandfather as a cold and distanced man, but the more time he spent with him, the more he noticed how wrong he had been about him. He did not show his emotions openly and was even quite annoying sometimes, especially when he put his sharp nose into anything and everything. Still, Teo could feel that he only acted in his best interest and tried to protect him. With time, both of them had significantly opened up to each other.


    "Teo! Have you gotten taller again? Wait till you see what I have brought you this time," Troy said with a wide smile and pulled something large from the sea sack that he still carried with him.


    "This is an Abacus. You can use it for calculations; I thought you might like it."


    With Goliath by his side, Teo had no motive to ever calculate anything by himself again, but the tool was wholly decorative, and he appreciated the thought a lot.


    Teo continued to talk to his grandfather for a few more minutes, ordered an omelet from the cook, and then sat down beside his cousins Karl and Karolina. The twins had dark brown hair and green eyes, unlike most members of the family, heavily taking after their mother.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.

 16 Saint Joujacks Magic School

    The first subject of the day was math. Teo, however, was not very good at Mathenomics, even though it was considered one of the more crucial classes by his teachers.


    The subject mainly dealt with geometry, calculations and the unique ratios, that often came up in Magic Circles, such as the ratio of a circles circumference to its diameter, or the characteristic ratio of Rune density to Mana attraction.


    It had no real uses in foundation level Magic ¡ª making it pretty much useless for the students at the moment¡ª but it was a necessary prerequisite to understanding higher subjects such as Magic Circle construction, Spell Simulation, and Magic Superposition, making it an invaluable asset for ones future studies in a Magic Academy.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    "Hey, Teo! You''re early today!" Teo''s friend Jack approached him as soon as he entered the classroom.


    "Not as early as you, Jack," he replied and sat down at his desk between Jack and Angelika, the third member of their small group. Teo could get along with most of his classmates too if he wanted, but he liked to stick close to these two who he knew since the first day of school.


    Angelika Finch; Teo could still vividly remember how he had met the shy girl right behind the school gates ¡ªobviously lost and close to tears¡ª her long black hair fluttering in the wind. Somehow she had managed to forget where the reception of new students took place and did not dare ask anyone for help.


    In the case of Jack, it was more accurate to say that he found Teo first. He came out of nowhere and directly asked with an extended hand, "Hey! I''m also new here. Do you want to be friends?"


    He later revealed that he had seen how Teo had helped Angelika when he was just about to do the same and thus wanted to approach this like-minded person. He was an energetic and straightforward boy with a flamboyant personality and a burning sense of justice, so he was delighted to find someone sensible between all the arrogant pricks.


    The unlikely trio spent the next months getting closer to each other, making fun of their teachers, and exploring the limits of the school rules. They also spent a lot of time learning together ¡ª or rather, being tutored by Angelika, who liked to read and was very quick on the uptake. Still, it was a win-win situation since the quiet girl enjoyed the unaccustomed company and liked to study in her free time anyway


    Before Jack could finish the story of how his father, the commander of the Sigella town guards, had gloriously captured three whisp-smugglers yesterday, their teacher had already entered the classroom.


    "Stop babbling already! Close your books and take out a pen; we will have a pop quiz now!"


    And there it was again. Pretty much every math test came as a surprise, the intervals between them and the topics tested were completely random; Teo even suspected, that he intentionally did what they expected the least, just to see them fail.


    When the sheets were handed out, many shocked gasps and depressed sighs echoed through the room. Basic algebra, partial volumetry of geometric bodies, fractional arithnomics, rule of proportions, the topics were definitely not easy. Had their test accidentally been switched with the one for the fourth year''s?!


    Teo had hardly any time to spare for learning, and if he did, he would gladly study for other subjects instead. Only Angelika seemed unimpressed by the piece of paper on her desk while Jackson had a facial expression that seemed to say, "Call the healers, I''m having a heart attack!"


    Just like Jack, Teo had no natural talent for numbers and would rather spend his time on something else. He might have been more tranquil on a physical level, but in his mind, he was just as panicked. He had a knack for practical Magic, but what did the intricate figures and equations on this white sheet of pure terror have to do with Mana or the Elements? Would it bring one closer to the secrets of the world if one managed to understand them?


    After wasting almost half of the time on two problems, he had a great idea. Quickly, but as inconspicuous as possible, he used his new secret technique and passed over a strand of Mana to Goliath, who was still resting in the leather purse around his neck.


    ''Hey, Goliath! You''re good at calculations, right?''


    ''Obviously. I have been designed to be capable of complex tasks like assisting in experiments and calculating remote coordinates. Why do you ask?'' a proud voice echoed in Teo''s head with barely any delay.


    ''Please help me with my math test! I have barely started and am almost out of time...'' He was desperate, but having found a ray of hope, Teo could only cling onto it. He quickly imprinted his field of vision on a Mana Thread and sent it over.


    ''Tell me when you find harder exercises, these can barely be considered an appetizer. Here you go,'' Goliaths melodic voice transmitted into his head after a barely a few seconds; together with a filled out sheet of math problems.


    ''Thank you so much!'' Teo replied, as he hurriedly tried to copy all the answers onto his sheet, holding the new Mana thread in his mind for referencing, a smug grin decorating his face the whole time.


    Today Mr. Rander would be in for a surprise.


    ...


    After sitting through the very boring history class of Mrs. Leadford, it was finally time for Teo''s favorite subject: Elements. Usually, Mr. Kasahara would talk about the basic properties of foundation Magic, Mana, or the basic Elements, sometimes even with small practical presentations. Not only Teo took a liking to this subject, but even Jack and many other boys in the class were also eager to learn about the applications and fundamental theories behind Magic, as long as it did not get too complicated. Angelika, on the other hand, enjoyed it especially, when it got complicated.


    "Hello, everyone! The class will start now, so please be quiet and sit down," a young-looking man with blond hair and green eyes, approximately in his late twenties, proclaimed after entering the cramped classroom. "For anyone wondering, today''s topic will be the Air Element. So please pay attention while I explain the more advanced principles of how it functions and what properties it is associated with in detail."


    In their first year of school, they had only learned about what Elements there are, how they usually manifest in nature, and what to be careful of. The basics of the basics, so to speak. They had also learned a few small tricks to improve their control over the Element they possessed. Now, however, the lecture seemed to go more into the depth of how and why each Element had its specific properties. It was just too bad that none of the three could use the Air Element.


    "As you all know, Air is one of the three immaterial Elements and is most often represented by the movement of air in the form of wind, storms, breezes, and so forth. However, what many fail to see is that the Air Element is in fact neither bound to the air we breathe, nor to any material object we can observe."


    This point had always puzzled Teo when he had thought about it previously. Fire, Air, and Darkness were classified as ''immaterial'' Elements, meaning, that they were not bound or transmitted by a specific type of material, but embodied a particular concept itself. Yet he wondered, how was air not a specific material? It did not have a defined shape, but if he held his hand against the wind, he sure felt something pushing against it, almost like a stream of water. So, if the Water Element was material, how was Air, which was so similar in many aspects, not?


    "The fundamental concept behind the Air Element is nothing else but macroscopic movement itself. As we have previously learned, Elements imbue objects and areas where they linger with their attributes, just as areas and objects that align with the attributes of an Element attract it. This directly leads to the fallacy that is most often associated with the Air Element." Mr. Kasahara swept his eyes through the classroom full of students to see if everybody could follow the explanation before he continued.


    "Air, wind, storms, breezes, they are the definition of freedom, motion, flexibility, and change, perfectly aligning them to the Air Element, which gets naturally attracted to them as a result. Meaning, that air is rich in the Air Element, not because it is air, but because it is always in motion."


    This explanation may not seem like much, but for half of the class, it finally opened their eyes to the real nature of this hard to grasp Element. Even though Teo could not use this specific type of Magic, his new understanding of the laws of nature was sure to benefit both his Arcane Magic and his Enchanting practices.


    "There are three famous experiments that can be used as evidence for this hypothesis. First, we have Bordian''s Paradoxon. By confining air in a closed container, we can restrict its motion enough to observe the leaking of the Air Element from it directly. Secondly, rapid flows of water, like in whirlpools and waterfalls, are also naturally rich in the Air Element, even though they are not made up of air. And finally, Adisan''s Hypothesis derived from continuous observation after he discovered the effect known as Electricity, which is believed to be a different and more concentrated representation of the Air Element. It acts completely independent of the surrounding air and properly functions even at the bottom of the ocean. Thus it is commonly believed that the Air Element is tied to the motion of materials or energies instead of the air itself. Now let me show you an experiment!"

 17 The Festival

    School had been fun today. Probably it would be like this most of the time now, especially with his new little helper. Goliath had been of great assistance already, if not for him, that math test would have ended in a complete disaster again.


    It was too bad that he was only a service Golem, meant to be a housekeeper, babysitter, or assistant, and had almost no built-in ancient knowledge. No extensive libraries, no blueprints or recipes, no powerful secret techniques, all he had was the bare minimum of common knowledge that any lowly Magician would have had when he was created.


    When Goliath told him about that point, he had been very embarrassed, almost appearing remorseful that he was not one of the mighty War Golems. Still, Teo instead was happy with the silver lining ¡ª any Golem was better than none, right?


    Goliath may not have a vast arsenal of highly specific knowledge, but wasn''t the common sense of a long-forgotten era of Magic just as valuable? Even the ''casual remarks'' he had gotten so far proofed to be incredibly valuable! Teo was already eager to see if he also held some tricks to improve his Enchanting skills.


    "Hey, Teo. Do you have any plans after school? Today is ''Kalar''s Unity Day'', and they organize a huge festival in town," Jack blurted out of nowhere while they were all walking out of the school grounds.


    ''Kalar''s Unity Day'' was heavily promoted by the Association and the official holiday to commemorate the unification of the Continent around 150 years ago.


    According to Mrs. Leadford''s history classes, there used to be dozens of small Kingdoms on the Continent, all perpetually at war with each other. The Continent was drowned in an endless civil war. Famines and plagues were a daily occurrence, and the citizens were being suppressed by so-called ''nobles''. One day, however, the strongest Archmages of the Continent signed a secret pact, took over all the kingdoms one after the other, abolished the feudal system, and brought peace back to the land.


    Thus, the High Council of Archmages as well as the Magic Association, which they established, were born, and a new era of knowledge and prosperity began for the Continent. And the day, on which they officially declared the unification under the new system of administration, was exactly today, some 150ish years ago. At least that was how the history books put it.


    Last year, Teo had regrettably missed it, as he was new in town and incredibly busy. He had wanted to see it with his own eyes since he first heard about the festival though.


    "Of course, I have time! I can''t miss the festival again this year!" Teo replied very enthusiastically, deciding to postpone his usual Enchantment practice with his uncle to... sometime else.


    "I... I don''t know. I will have to ask my mom. I don''t want her to worry," said Angelika softly, while blushing a little. She was still not used to Jack''s assertive personality and unsure if she ever would be.


    "Well, it''s decided then. We meet in front of the city hall in around one hour," decided Jack, neither accepting a no, nor a maybe for an answer, and flashed her a dazzling grin.


    After parting ways, for the time being, Teo and Jack went towards the black carriage that already waited for him at the usual place. They never intended to board it, however. Teo would only need to get a message delivered to his family, or they would probably start a search party and forage through the whole town in search of him again.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    "Please tell my uncle that I''m going to the festival! I''ll buy you a pretzel next time!" Teo shouted, still a good dozen meters from the carriage.


    "No, wait! Please come back, young master!" Phillip, the driver in question, shouted back after realizing what was being played here and hurriedly tried to get out of the driver''s seat, but the two boys were already nowhere to be seen. "Damn it! It better be a damn good pretzel if I get a pay cut for this again!"


    Both rascals had taken to their heels as soon as old Phillip showed a reaction, seemingly with much-practiced routine, and were already on their way to squander their pocket money like some proper profligate youths. One only lived once, and Teo still had the rest of his life to rot in the mansions catacombic cellars.


    ...


    They ran through the business district, with its neatly placed, white stone plates ¡ª that got insanely slippery when it rained¡ª and hurried towards the harbor. The streets were already decorated and hung with garlands and lanterns ¡ª still patiently waiting to be lit, since it was barely afternoon yet and it would only get dark enough to see them shine in a few hours.


    Everything was packed with people, shuffling and bustling about, even though the official festivities had yet to begin. To continue ahead, they had to crawl their way through the masses, unable to see anything, besides fancily dressed butts and backs, as they were still not very tall yet.


    "Where do we go now?" asked Teo a bit worried. He had no idea where they were now, as he could not orientate himself correctly in this sea of people.


    "Just a bit further ahead. They opened some stalls down near the harbor already!" Jack replied, seemingly knowing the city like the back of his hand; he was probably able to run through the streets blindfolded, without bumping into anyone.


    After they made it through the nearby shopping district, the number of people continuously decreased. Jack still seemed to be as fit as a fiddle, Teo, however, needed to catch his breath for a second and leaned onto a close-by wall. It appeared, he did not work out enough.


    From here, it was not far to the harbor anymore, and Teo could already smell the salty breeze wafting from the ocean. People were working and carrying supplies all over the place; the preparations for the festival were already in full swing, and a series of small stands had been erected on both sides of the spacious road.


    Some had even opened business already, not wasting a second when there was a chance to add even a single additional copper to their profits. Jack and Teo kept their eyes peeled for a decent food stall as they sauntered along the promenade since they were already starving from the long day of school.


    The aroma of freshly cooked food, exotic spices, and dishes only available for special occasions, made Teo''s mouth water like crazy. He could not assign any specific smell to a single stall or dish, as it was his first real festival, and he had probably never tasted any of them, but damn did it smell good.


    He stopped at a stall that exuded an especially alluring aroma and turned to his red-haired friend.


    "Hey, wait. What do they sell there?" Teo called out, causing Jack to stop in his tracks immediately, almost causing a mass collision with the people walking behind him.


    "Oh, so you like that kind of food, hmm?" Jack came over and flung his arm around Teo''s shoulder, a broad, teasing smirk propped upon his face.


    "Ehhh..." Teo was speechless. He really did not know what this stall sold; the smell it gave off was simply sweet, spicy, and smelled absolutely delicious. He had not the slightest idea what Jack wanted to imply.


    "Don''t be so nervous, I am just messing with you," Jack said while laughing. "Those are Cinnamon Worms, a sweet pastry from the south. I heard they are really popular with the ladies. Well, they''re tasty, so that''s no big surprise."


    As they got closer to the stall, Teo could espy long strands of fried dough, wrapped around a thin wooden stick like a helix; brown, sugary sap leaking from between its coils. The smell was amazing from up close!


    "Hello! Three Cinnamon Worms, please. Two to go and one packed for later," said Teo in a firm voice after waiting for his turn. He handed over six coppers and was on his way.


    It was love at first bite. This new spice from the south, ''Cinnamon'', tasted just as delicious as it smelled, making the edges of Teo''s mouth rise unintentionally.


    While they continued to walk along Sigella''s well-maintained promenade and indulged in their sugary, sweet invertebrates, Jack said mockingly with his trademark smile,


    "The stall was not going to run off anytime soon. We could have just gotten a fresh one for Angelika later; you know the saying: ''the way to a cold pastry is plastered with good intentions''."


    Then he laughed out loud to his own joke, not waiting for anyone to get it.


    Teo could not always appreciate Jack''s weird sense of humor, even if there was some truth to his words today.


    After finishing their treats, the two boys hurried over into the direction of the city hall. They had wasted a lot of time already, and Angelika was sure to show up as punctual as usual.


    Apparently, her mother had approved her application, as they could see her from the other side of the plaza, wearing a beautiful, light-blue summer dress with white flower patterns on it. To be honest, her mother was more than happy to oblige to her request. She had always worried about her little flower not finding any friends in school and would practically push her out of the house every time she asked for permission to play with her new classmates.


    Her long, utterly black hair set the perfect contrast to the light color of her dress, and with the small, flower-shaped hair ornament, the short girl could instantly melt anyone''s heart with a single look. Even in the few minutes that she had been waiting for the boys, already more than five aunties had approached her and offered to help her find her parents again.


    "Oh, wow! Did you buy this for me?! Thank you!" she cried out and gave Teo a small hug after he gave her the last Cinnamon Worm. She quickly let go though and even blushed a little, embarrassed by her sudden reaction. Jackson, however, could only stare at Teo with envy burning in his eyes.


    The trio walked over to the market again, where a huge parade was waltzing down the main streets of the city. There were familiar and exotic instruments, playing a cacophony of different sounds, dancers and acrobats in colorful costumes performing in the streets and on special horse-drawn carriages, even some jugglers and fire-breathers mingling between them.


    Fire-breathing was a special technique that utilizes the Fire Element to spew a column of searing flames from one''s lungs, a feat only possible for those trained and talented in the art. Teo had once heard that it was a specialty of the desert tribes, who developed it after the image of a fire dragon''s breath.


    Soon they went to the harbor again, where even the slower stalls were now opening business. They ran around on the bustling promenade, sometimes trying out the games offered by some of the stalls, or stuffing themselves with seasonal specialties.


    Teo had never had so much fun in a single day, and presumably, neither had Angelika, the quiet bookworm she was. In Jack''s case, there was no need to worry, as he always seemed to enjoy everything he did. He was always full of vigor and had a seemingly infinite supply of energy.


    When the sun fell beyond the horizon, they sat down at the ledge of the harbor basin, and Angelika suddenly pulled something out of her pocket and turned to Teo.


    "H-here! I have something for you. Thank you again for the pastry!" she said nervously, her extended hand shaking ever so slightly.


    It was a small pouch, woven from a dark blue fabric with the image of a white deer stitched onto it. Teo had already heard that it was custom around here, to keep the hair of a white deer as a lucky charm; she must have bought this at one of the stalls when he was not paying attention. He doubted that it contained authentic hair from a real white deer, as they were extremely rare, but it was awfully nice nonetheless.


    "Thank you!" said Teo, taking it and conjuring a small smile on Angelika''s face at the same time. He tried to ignore the murderous gaze of his friend, who looked like he could explode at any second now.


    "Of course I have one for you too!" she hurriedly turned to Jack and handed him an identical pouch, after coming out of her short trance.


    "Owww, thank you! That really wasn''t necessary, hehehe." Jack''s facial expression did a 180-degree turn in less than a second; now, he only wore a dumbfounded smile.


    They continued to talk and fool around for some time, until they heard a thunderous noise, exploding over their heads. As Teo looked up, he saw the dark sky, illuminated brightly by streaks of glowing colors. Before he could even ask, Jack had already answered his question,


    "Fireworks! Don''t worry; it''s just an alchemical product. They are only used for special occasions though. They are crazy expensive!"

 18 Misconceptions

    After a fantastic day with his friends, Teo awoke in his comfortable goose-feather bed, fresh and rested. The sun had already brightly illuminated his room, as he had intentionally slept late today to completely digest the disturbing quantities of food which he had consumed yesterday.


    Even though it was well past breakfast time, Teo showed no signs of hurry; instead, he took his sweet time to stretch and roll around on the bed for a few times. It was the first day of the weekend, and the weather was gorgeous.


    His schedule for the day had already been set, and apart from the extra-long Enchantment session in the afternoon, he was mostly free. His plans, however, left little room for dilly-dallying. It was time to practice some Magic; maybe Goliath even had some tricks to teach him.


    Teo leisurely went to wash up and put on a loose-fitting, white shirt and baggy, brown pants. He would need to be able to move freely while practicing, so his usual tight and proper attire did not quite fit the bill.


    After locking the door, he made some space in the middle of the room, prepared his notebook, and took out Goliath from the pouch that was already hanging around his neck. It was time to start.


    "Morning, Goliath. I am about to practice Magic now; maybe you could give me a few tips. At the very least, you should know more about Magic than I do," he said in an unusually energetic tone.


    "Good morning! Sure, I can take a look, but as you know, my magical knowledge is severely limited," replied Goliath, his voice as sonorous as always, as he materialized in a small tornado of energy.


    Teo had learned to control his Mana with much finesse by now, and he could cast the Mana threads into all the basic geometric shapes as well as any combinations of them. He could even build simple three-dimensional structures.


    Not only did he showcase his control over Mana to form simple patterns, he even performed an array of foundational Magic skills that he had learned or invented himself. Within a few minutes, a sturdy Mana Shield, a whip, and even a Mana Bolt had appeared in the room. Of course, the Mana Bolt was expertly intercepted by another shield that he had cast so as not to blow up his own room.


    Teo had made a lot of progress when it came to weaving the Mana into a usable form.


    "That''s it?" a disappointed voice questioned after he had finished his last trick.


    "What do you mean? Wasn''t that plenty already?" Teo retorted while wiping the fresh sweat from his face, quite upset with the rude remark.


    "What spells? Also, Basic Runes is a 4th-year class; I only know the few I need for Enchantments." Teo looked at the small Golem, like if he had seen a ghost, not able to organize his thoughts accurately. After a short pause, he continued his protest,


    "What Elements am I supposed to learn? I only have an intermediate grade Mana Affinity, I never heard of anyone having two!"


    Now it was Goliath''s turn to look at Teo speechlessly. He stood still for a few seconds, then began operating again.


    "Oooh boy. It seems like they didn''t teach you anything so far. Maybe I can help you after all," the small Golem finally answered after rotating his brick-head for a few turns, sounding both incredibly skeptical and slightly pleased with himself.


    Teo was not suspecting good news, from the way his companion had put it, but he still sat down on the chair near his desk and listened attentively. If there was a problem with his Magic, it was better to clarify it as soon as possible; it could give him an edge over his classmates.


    "Okay, since we are not on the same page about this, how about we start with the basics?" said Goliath, only continuing after Teo gave a short nod.


    "Affinity has absolutely nothing to do, with what Elements one can learn! At least not on a fundamental level. It only makes comprehending an Element easier, or harder, depending on the synergy between your Affinity and the Element you are studying," Goliath said very slowly, as if talking to a caveman, not sure if he would understand.


    "What?!" Teo exclaimed, jumping up from his chair; apparently, he did not understand.


    "I''m saying, that one''s Affinity is only a shortcut to understanding the Element closest to oneself. It is much harder to grasp the other ones, but far from impossible and not even that rare. Since you are lucky enough to have an Affinity for Mana itself, you should be able to learn basic control over the other Elements quite easily. This is common knowledge; I can''t imagine any Magician not knowing about it."


    The implicitness, Goliath had said it with, was hard to accept for Teo. Did every Magician know about this, or had it been lost in the vortex of time? At the very least, he had never heard anything about this! But, if it was true, then it was unlikely for it to go unnoticed through the last hundreds of years, some people are bound to have tried, right?


    "So, a real Magician can use all of the Elements he likes?" Teo asked weakly.


    "Of course not! It''s hard work to understand an Element and it only gets harder with every additional one. Only real geniuses can master several Elements with equal proficiency. Normally, everyone has a main Element to focus on and a few sub-Elements that he has some basic control over," Goliath denied, in an agitated voice.


    This seemed a lot more reasonable to Teo. It explained thoroughly the existence of the system he knew of, where Magicians were classified as ''Water Mages'', ''Fire Mages'', and so forth, according to their Element, so he nodded a few times. It wasn''t bad news at all; it seemed like he still had another shot at Fire Magic!


    "Don''t worry too much; you''re still young and have plenty of time to learn. You should primarily focus on improving your Mana Affinity. It is still a bit low for spells, and your spiritual power probably won''t meet the mark either," the small Golem said softly, trying to comfort Teo while giving him a direction to work towards.


    Apparently, Teo had already used up all of the shocks he could express in one day, as not even the fact that one''s natural Affinity could be improved, surprised him anymore.


    "Alright. I have no idea, what you are talking about, but what would I need to do exactly to become a Magician?" Teo decided to save himself the effort of suffering a mental breakdown after every second sentence and directly asked what was most concerning to him. His mind was young and flexible after all, so he had an easy time accepting these revelations.


    "That is a hard question, but whatever. Since you have only awakened your Mana Sense and practiced your Mana Control so far, you will have to start all the way from the bottom," Goliath answered truthfully. He continued after a few seconds when he saw the hopeful look in Teo''s eyes. He did not want to crush the boy, telling him that he had barely scratched the surface of Magic yet, but Teo was eager to learn.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.

 19 Supercharged

    Teo looked at Goliath with large eyes. Just as expected, he could not make out the meaning of these words. Luckily, Goliath seemed to be prepared for precisely this scenario.


    "Imagine it like this. How powerful a Magician is, is determined by how much Mana he can store in his body, and how well he can use it," said Goliath, trying to approach the subject carefully, unwilling to load on more than the boy could chew.


    "Your Affinity and body decide the first aspect, a Mana core is another way to trick the system in this regard and store more Mana than otherwise possible," he elaborated further.


    So far, Teo could follow without trouble. The concept was simple enough. He had already known that one''s Affinity decided the rate of Mana (or Element) attraction and the speed at which one''s body would turn ambient Mana into Elemental threads, but this was a completely new viewpoint.


    "Spiritual power, however, refers to the mental capacity required to manipulate and control Mana or any other Element. It is the most important factor in actively using Magic, and it becomes stronger naturally as one''s Mana Capacity increases, as well as through continued practice and age. There are also special meditation techniques, that can improve your grasp over the natural laws slowly and increase your spiritual power this way."


    This part was entirely new for Teo. Was this what Goliath considered ''shallow and severely limited knowledge of Magic''? It sounded plenty deep and wise already! What kind of knowledge would get evaluated as non-trivial then?


    From reflex, Teo put his arm up at this point, just like when he wanted to ask a question in class. He quickly noticed his mistake though, retracted his hand, and blushed a little. After a short while, he finally spoke again,


    "If spiritual power is just a term to describe one''s mental capacity, wouldn''t this mean that Magicians become smarter, as they get stronger?" Teo asked with a puzzled expression on his face; his brows furrowed slightly. Wasn''t that way too good to be true?


    "It does. With every step forward a Magician takes, he will experience significant improvements. Not only will his logical thinking, memory, and ability to calculate increase exponentially, but even his reaction speed and spatial awareness will rise to a whole new level. This is also the reason why it becomes easier to grasp multiple Elements, the stronger one gets, and why magical beasts possess almost human intelligence. Every improvement in rank is a qualitative evolution," Goliath confirmed with a nod, pleased by the excellent question.


    "I get why I need to increase my Mana Capacity, but how am I supposed to do that?" Teo asked, eager to power up and replace Angelika as the undisputed number one in class.


    Teo pondered about it for a while, but could not come up with a convenient answer. He did know the concept from class, but only as a side note, and he had never thought about how he could profit from it.


    The idea was, to absorb small quantities of energy from the world itself; not only storing the Mana inside one''s body, but incorporating it into one''s very soul, taking it out of the cycle and making it a part of oneself permanently. After a bit of pondering, Teo finally had an idea.


    "How much energy one can absorb through Enrichment is probably tied to one''s Mana Capacity. It would make sense, I guess," he voiced his idea, not entirely sure yet.


    "Exactly, the higher the amount and density of energy in the body, the higher is the speed of absorption," Goliath acknowledged the idea and looked delighted, despite the lack of facial features.


    "So, I will grow stronger and stronger if I just continue to pull more Mana into my body?" Teo inquired, excited by the seemingly easy solution to the problem.


    "Imagine yourself as a vase. You already know how to fill it with water, which would equal the process of drawing Mana threads into your body. But, what would happen, if we continue to scoop more water into it after it is already full?" Apparently, Goliath wanted to make this more suspenseful, or he was just trying to make it more educational for Teo.


    "It would overflow!" Teo instantly called out the obvious answer.


    "Correct. But what, if we force the water into it while stopping it from overflowing?" the Golem continued his interrogation and folded his arm-cubes in front of his chest-cube.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    "It... Eventually, it would break!" Teo realized where this was going, after thinking about it for a while.


    "Yes! A tool put under more pressure than it can bear is bound to break. But what about a living being?" asked Goliath.


    ...


    This time, there was no answer. How was Teo supposed to know? He just continued to stare at the Golem blankly.


    "Life is special, as it can change and adapt to its surroundings. If put under just the right amount of pressure, it will not break, but grow instead. Just like muscles do from continuous straining," Goliath said, solving his own riddle.


    Finally, realization struck him. How did he not think of this himself? The idea behind it was surprisingly simple, and it sounded quite easy to do. He could start with it right now!


    "Normally, it is a rather tricky and lengthy process, but you''re still young, and your Affinity hasn''t settled yet. Your body should easily adapt to the slowly increasing pressure, and your Mana Capacity should grow by the day," Goliath concluded his explanation and nodded in approval of the excited look on Teo''s face.


    They continued to talk about the details of the procedure and what Teo should pay attention to for some time, then they finally got to work.


    Teo had sat down cross-legged on the large carpet in the middle of his room, while Goliath tried to pull more Mana in from outside, increasing the Mana Density in Teo''s surroundings. He could not directly help Teo, for risk of accidentally injuring him, but he could render his support and make the process a bit easier.


    With his eyes closed, Teo concentrated on the Mana around him and began to pull it toward him. He absorbed it through every aperture and all the pores on his body, ignoring the slight feeling of satiation that quickly established itself. He had never gone farther than this.


    As he drew more and more energy into his body, Teo could feel pure, primal power flowing through his veins, coupled with increasing discomfort. A wave of euphoria swept over him as he felt invigorated and full of energy, but he did not lose his focus and continued to absorb the Mana in the small room like a black hole.


    Soon, the euphoria had ebbed and was replaced by an unpleasant feeling of fullness. Teo felt bloated, the pressure inside him rising steadily, threatening to blow him apart. This was not a matter of speech. It really felt like his head, his lungs, and his whole body were on the verge of explosion. This was enough pressure.


    While trying to maintain his focus on keeping his body from exploding, Teo went through Goliath''s instructions again. He would need to use this pressure, to maximize the density of his internal Mana and weave it into a single concentrated core inside him, hitting two birds with one stone.


    Not only would this permanently increase the Density of his internal Mana, allowing him to store more Mana in the same amount of space. It would also passively increase the pressure on his body, allowing it to adapt and his Mana Capacity to grow, at the same time.


    Slowly, Teo grasped a thick strand of Mana near his stomach with his mind and began to knit it into a compact orb, carefully pulling taut every loop he finished.


    Teo had begun the pre-condensation of his internal Mana Core. Even though it was made from threads, it was so compressed, and the Mana threads used so rich, that it only looked like a glowing ball hovering inside him, the individual loops barely visible. It was an excellent foundation to build upon.


    Completely exhausted, he stopped weaving after his new Core was around the size of a pea. However, he tried to keep some of the pressure applied to his body, not dissipating all of the excess Mana.


    Now, Teo felt horrible. A stabbing pain plagued his head, and his whole body felt weak. But he had made some progress. Teo would need to do this as often as possible now. He would also need to maintain the pressure on his body at all times until he got used to it, and could further increase it.

 20 Enchanting

    Teo had needed to rest for several hours before he was back on his feet. His mind and body had been sucked dry by the exhausting practice session with Goliath this morning, and only a few hours of deep sleep could breathe some spirit into him again.


    However, the pressure on his mind and body had not lessened one bit. Since Goliath could prevent the leaking of excessive Mana from his body, even while he slept, he could continuously temper his body for 24 hours a day. But he would still need some time to get used to it.


    The feeling was hard to describe. It felt a bit like walking around after staying up very late and being incredibly numb and tired, while simultaneously having a light headache. In any case, it was very unpleasant.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    Teo had slept all the way till early afternoon, and after quickly eating something for lunch, he would need to go to the cellars and practice his Enchanting skills with Uncle Thoralv. He was quite lucky that he had told Goliath about it before, who managed to wake him up in time; otherwise, his uncle would probably be furious again.


    As Teo ran down the steep stairs leading to the cellars, he went over everything he had learned today again. Theoretically, he should be able to use the same concept that he used to craft a Mana Core, for Enchantments as well, and he was already eager to test his hypothesis.


    He slowly made his way through the poorly illuminated path towards the forge, located in the inner reaches of the underground area, until he could see the gentle red glow of burning coals. His granduncle was already waiting for him, standing right next to a slender, black sword.


    "Good, you''re finally here. Forget the practice materials. We will work on a real Enchantment today. And I want you to help me with it," Thoralv said in his usual, thick voice.


    From up close, the sword looked even more impressive. It was utterly black from tip to hilt and had a smooth, shiny surface. One look could tell that it was not made from normal iron, and its overall quality was likely to be on par with its appearance.


    "It looks expensive," said Teo slowly, trying to remind his uncle of the possible consequences of his assistance.


    "Hahaha! It''s made of Blacksteel. I only finished it yesterday, while you were out playing," answered Thoralv, laughing heartily and holding his large belly with both hands. Of course, he noticed the intention behind Teo''s words, but that would not suffice to change his mind. He had wanted to give the boy some real practice for weeks now.


    After his talk with Goliath this morning, Teo had already begun to suspect that normal elemental Magicians had developed the Enchanting-process after they had gained the necessary control over Mana. It was probably only picked up by ordinary people with a natural Mana Affinity much late.


    The two main parts of Enchanting were the Magic Circles, giving the item all the desired properties and effects, and the Energy channels, forming smooth grooves throughout the entire workpiece through which the Energy of the user, or from the surroundings, could flow and power the built-in Magic Circles. Together they functioned as the heart and circulatory system of every Enchanted Item.


    The Energy channels were usually laid out very complicated and were impossible to erase; one wrong groove could cause an energy shortcut, ruining the whole item permanently. Worst case scenario, a messed up Magic Circle could even explode, making it somewhat dangerous for unpracticed hands.


    However, thanks to Thoralv''s unrelenting nature, Teo could only do his best and try not to scrap his uncle''s masterpiece. He would just need to assist anyway; his uncle would still do the most difficult parts himself.


    The first step for every Enchantment was understanding the layout of Energy channels, Magic Circles, and their intended functions, which Thoralv explained meticulously in great detail. A basic overview would be enough for assisting his uncle, but if Teo wanted to learn something from this experience, he would need to understand every line and smudge on the blueprint.


    The Enchantment planned for the Blacksteel sword was rather simple, only utilizing the basic sharpness and lightweight Magic Circles. The ingenious move, however, was the filigree structure of Energy channels, running very close along both edges of the sword, granting it incredible durability and hardness while in use. This effect was primarily due to the natural diffusion of Mana into the surrounding material ¡ª it strengthened the weapon exactly where it would be strained the most.


    Combining the hair-splitting sharpness of a scalpel, with unusually high durability and low weight, it would make for a fearsome weapon, guaranteed to make short work of conventional iron tools. It was no wonder that his uncle was known for his exquisite and highly detailed works, even when half of his creations had the visible details of a brick; it were the inner values that mattered.


    His uncle instructed him on the parts that he should work on first, then it was time for action.


    Teo''s first task was carving a wide Energy channel in the center of the sword, functioning as the backbone of the Energy circulatory system, from which smaller branches would occasionally split off.


    These branches would be the second part of his job, carving the subtle capillary channels, which made this layout so brilliant, all the way up to the edge of the sword. Much to Teo''s dismay, his uncle would only tackle the more complex Magic Circles, located along the large artery that ran through the center of the sword, leaving him to shape the highly complicated network of channels by himself.


    Luckily, Teo already had an idea of how he could speed up the process of creating the main channel quite a bit.


    He slowly absorbed some of the Mana in the room, bringing the pressure inside him up to a level he could work with. Then he began to braid a few unusually thick Mana strands into a thin rope, further compressing the Mana as much as he could in a short amount of time.


    Teo was not too worried that his uncle would notice the changes he went through. He had always glowed like a torch under Mana Vision, and the details inside one''s body where only tangible for oneself. Also, it was considered normal for the Mana Density of a young boy to grow together with his body; Teo''s only grew a few paces faster than usual.


    After weaving a rope as thick as a worm and as long as the whole sword, he slowly began to insert it into the weapon starting from the hilt, while gently rotating it around its axis. Slowly but steadily, it sunk into the tool and worked its way forward like a drill.


    Carving Energy channels could not be taken literally in this context, as the material was not damaged, and both its surface and innards would stay intact without any visible grooves, but it was hard work nonetheless.


    Teo would need to change the inherent structure of the material to make it a better conductor for Energy, which can be accomplished by repeatedly flushing Mana, or any other Element, through a small and highly specific path over and over again.


    With time and sufficient exposure to compressed and rapidly flowing Mana, the chosen path would become an increasingly stronger conductor for Magic and would thus become able to deliver the user''s Energy all over the tool, powering all of its Magic Circles. It was just like flowing water, slowly carving a canyon through a mountain.


    The process required exquisite control over Mana, high sensitivity to the material properties, and lots of patience. It required strict concentration during the whole process and large quantities of willpower.


    In the nature of Energy channels also lay the reason why it was very beneficial to be an Arcane when it came to becoming an Enchanter. Every Element could be used to carve a channel, but all of them would only conduct Elemental threads of the same kind, or its closest neighbors, making the Artifact useless for anyone practicing the wrong Element. Only pure Mana could create Channels capable of conducting all Elements equally.


    Teo''s hard work and ingenuity paid off, though, as he managed to finish the main channel in barely half the time he would have taken using standard techniques, making quite the impression on his uncle.


    The first step accomplished, Teo downgraded to a smaller thread and began to work on the narrower branches, winding through the whole item. Quickly he noticed, that his control over the Mana he guided had improved significantly from a few days ago. His sensitivity to the flow of it had heightened, and he could not only move it faster but also with much higher precision. Teo wondered, if this was a side effect of his newly formed Mana Core, but had no real information to work with.


    He finished the intermediate channels quickly and without much trouble. Barely an hour had passed since he started his work on the sword, and he was making rapid progress. His uncle was now almost finished with the Magic Circles, only polishing some rough edges, and would pay increasingly more attention to how Teo was doing, as he was approaching the most challenging part now.


    Slowly he began to work on the much shorter and narrower channels, stretching throughout the sword like a filigree network of hairs. This task required absolute concentration because even pulling a thread through a wrong path once, would lower the quality of that specific channel and possibly the whole item.


    From time to time, Teo would mess up on one of the narrower channels but managed to keep the situation in check, minimizing the damage. Fortunately, he had not hit one of the larger channels and caused an unwanted shortcut or the collision of opposite flows, so no real harm was done. He was using his full concentration to carve hair-thin channels through perfectly pre-calculated paths with no room for errors; it was taxing on his mind and body alike.


    He was at it now for over 2, maybe 3 hours, and his focus was beginning to decline. Fresh sweat covered his forehead, and he would not be able to continue for long. To his great relief, however, he was almost done.


    A few minutes later, he finally finished his work on the first real tool he had ever worked with. Not a metal rod, but a real sword! Of exceptional quality even.

 21 Improvements

    *Clang*


    Dinner had finally been served. In front of Teo stood a full plate of mashed potatoes, wild deer cutlets, and an assortment of local vegetables. All seasoned with various regional herbs from the nearby forest. Even though the whole clan had gathered for the occasion and proper etiquette was expected, he dug in ravenously without a care for anything else. Apparently, he was very hungry.


    Most family members present, even his grandfather Troy, could not help but wonder why the boy was shoveling food into his mouth like a starved beast, but Thoralv only smiled gently. He knew precisely how taxing the task he had demanded earlier had been.


    Luckily, the Enchantment went without a hitch, and they managed to complete the magically enhanced sword free of major defects. It was no ordinary Enchantment though; it was the first marketable product which Teo had worked on so far. It may not seem like much, but it was quite the achievement and marked Teo''s admittance as a certified Enchanting Assistant ¡ªan impressive feat for his age.


    Following the traditions of the craft, Teo even had the honor of naming the sword. Naturally, he had only done so after a lengthy break, as he had been completely drained of energy. He had not been in an excellent condition even before he started, and obviously, the further exertion did do no good to alleviate his exhaustion.


    After a long thought process, Teo finally had decided to christen the sword ''Eclipse'', named after its smooth, black surface, seemingly able to swallow up all light.


    His plate freed of all organic matter, Teo decided to retire to his room and plan out his routine for the next weeks. He was swamped already and had to squeeze his new training sessions into his daily schedule somehow, but according to Goliath, the results would indubitably be worth it.


    ***


    The next few weeks were rather peaceful, and apart from the increasingly harsher training sessions which he continued to force on himself, nothing noteworthy happened.


    During the first week, Teo''s Mana Core had already grown from a small pea to a slightly larger pea. Yet even a whole moon later, its size was still somewhat inferior to a chickpea. Progress seemed to slow down a lot for every millimeter he managed to expand it.


    Only after putting in several moons of daily effort, spending dozens of hours on knitting thread after thread after thread into the ever-growing ball of energy ¡ªwhile tolerating the excruciating pressure he would have to endure during the task¡ª did Teo manage to increase its size to grape-like proportions.


    His body was getting used to the vast quantities of arcane power he sought to contain in it, allowing him to increase the pressure more and more. Not only had his Mana Capacity risen by what would have taken him over two years of traditional exercise, but the effect that regular practice had on it (its growth rate, so to speak) had even risen a bit, hinting at a slight advancement of his Mana Affinity.


    Overall, Teo was pleased with the tangible changes he was going through, and the only thing bugging him was that he lacked suitable opportunities to show off his newfound prowess. Goliath''s striking indifference to all of his ongoing advancements was just as stinging to him as a hundred paper cuts on a single finger, and by now Teo was already longing for some external validation ¡ªeven though he was unwilling to share his secrets with anyone.


    His control over Mana and foundational Magic had continuously grown more profound over the last moons, and he was already able to fell a small tree with a well placed Mana Bolt, a sharp contrast to his initial results. In fact, he could probably best many of the more talented fourth years with his skills.


    His Enchanting skills also received a substantial boost thanks to his finer control and enhanced perception of Mana, making his uncle incredibly proud of the young genius he had managed to cultivate. Much of his success stemmed from the fact that Goliath''s techniques gave him a massive advantage over other youths his age, but he was not without remarkable talent himself.


    Teo had even found the time to practice another Element; he just had not made much progress with it yet. It went without saying, that his first choice had fallen on the Fire Element, as it had always held a certain charm for him.


    In alignment with Goliath''s suggestions, Teo had started by working on his ability to sense the Fire Element in his surroundings, just like when he first started to awaken his Mana Sense. He had spent weeks without noticeable changes though. At first, he could not even tell if a candle was lit or not with his eyes closed; only when close enough to feel its warmth ¡ªor burn his fingers.


    After around two moons, he managed to advance to the next level and became able to instinctively sense the presence of burning or hot objects in his surroundings. Now, after almost half a year of trying, Teo felt that he was very close to awakening his Fire Vision.


    For the second half of the year, even the curriculum of his school would experience slight changes. Starting from next week, optional courses about practical uses of foundational Magic would be offered, at least for the students talented enough in Magic.


    Usually, practical courses would only start from the third year of Magic School, and even those would be quite fundamental. However, the Council had recently decided to accelerate the exposure of children to elemental Magic by a year, leading to this awkward transition year that played right into Teo''s cards.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    Naturally, every member of his small group had already awakened their Elemental Vision and had at least mastered the basics of foundational Magic. But so far, this was only encouraged for self-study and not systematically taught in class. Teo had actually tutored Angelika and Jack in these aspects sometimes during the last year; he did have quite the head-start thanks to Mr. Atkins'' individual lessons after all.


    Also, it wasn''t entirely without remuneration. Both of them had shared their insights regarding their Elements with Teo. The explanations about what their nature and properties were and what they felt like when handling them, complimented the theoretical knowledge from class perfectly. They were not sure why Teo was so interested in the topic, but they were happy to share their experiences with their friend.


    Jack took right after his father and possessed an intermediate grade Fire Affinity, rather fitting for his hot-headed personality. Angelika, however, had a shocking high-rank Darkness Affinity, earning her a stipend for the Saint Joujack''s Magic School in Sigella, and probably for wherever she decided to go after that as well.


    Apparently, she came from a lineage of simple cabbage farmers and was the first in her family to awaken a noteworthy Affinity for anything. Some fifty years back, she would not even have been able to enter a school at all, since her family was unable to pay for the hefty tuition fees. But the stipend of the Association paid not only for this; it even covered the relocation of


    Angelika was not very gifted in practical Magic, and its allure of power didn''t entice her that much either. Still, she poured in all the effort she could muster and studied in every free minute she had, fearing that the Association would cut her family''s support if she was found to be lacking. An unfounded fear, as the stipend was unconditional, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.

 22 Defense is the best Defense

    Teo and his friends were standing on the paved field behind school that was used for sports classes and the breaks between lessons, waiting for their new instructor to arrive while rubbing their hands together in a futile attempt to warm themselves up.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    From the 26 children in their class, only 14 had applied for the new practical Magic course; the others were either afraid of embarrassing themselves or utterly untalented in Magic altogether.


    Since the second semester had already begun, and it had only been a week since New Year''s, it was naturally freezing cold, and the city was covered by a dense layer of snow. Even now, a slight fizzle of white tufts could be seen raining down around them, yet the small plaza remained free of ice and snow.


    Actually, a few teachers had spent their morning splashing seawater at the field before drying it up with Fire Magic. They did not exactly know how it worked, but the method provided a long-lasting and better result compared to merely melting all the snow with Fire Magic directly.


    After waiting for almost 15 minutes, a familiar face came rushing over from the main building. It was their Elements teacher, Dexton Kasahara, easily recognizable by his wavy, blond hair and his green eyes, clearly identifying him as someone from central Kalar.


    "Sorry for being late," he said and hurriedly fixed his scarf that had slipped a bit while running and now revealed a speck of the snow-white skin beneath. He scanned through the crowd quickly and said,


    "It seems that everyone is already here, good. Any questions so far?"


    A corpulent boy wearing suspenders raised his hand. He was quite pale, and it seemed that not even his fleshy body could protect him from the biting cold. After a nod from Mr. Kasahara, he began to stammer his question,


    "I, I thought we were s-supposed to get a new te-teacher for this class?"


    "You were!", Mr. Kasahara said, "However, we could not find a decent teacher for the second year on such short notice... so I volunteered to pitch in as your instructor for the second semester."


    Mr. Kasahara was an intermediate rank Apprentice Magician who also taught them the basic principles governing the Elements, so it was comprehensible to install him as a temporary instructor ¡ª the ''magical'' teachers working at the school could be counted on one hand after all.


    "If there are no more questions, then we will start now," Mr. Kasahara said.


    A low whispering went through the crowd of students, but they soon fell silent with the gaze of their teacher weighing on them.


    "Most of you should have awakened their Elemental vision and somewhat practiced their foundational Magic by now, right? If anyone still has problems with these points, please stand aside for now and come to me after I finished explaining the main task for today," the tall teacher began his explanation. As soon as he finished these words, the left corner of his mouth began twitching uncontrollably, as he saw a full six students stand aside. Usually, the younger generation was very eager to explore their new abilities, so he did not expect this many to be still stuck on level zero; he quickly recovered though, and continued with his instructions.


    "The most important skill you can learn that will help you in every situation, regardless of context, is to defend yourself in the face of danger. So, we will start with that. Every idiot is capable of throwing his Element around, injuring not only others but even himself; we, however, will learn how to protect ourselves from these idiots."


    The whole class chuckled at these words but quickly turned silent again to follow the lesson further. Obviously, no one felt addressed personally, even though most of them were precisely on the implied level.


    "Defense is a rather complex topic, best learned through practice. Pair up in groups of two and try to defend yourself from your partner''s practice attacks in turns. Remember, I said practice attacks. Wait until your partner is ready, and don''t throw anything at them that they can''t handle. Try to help each other! I will be making my rounds trying to help anyone with difficulties. If I see anyone overdoing it, I will gladly spar with him myself," Mr. Kasahara said in a clear and loud voice, causing everyone to straighten their backs and listen. The last words were followed by a particularly creepy smile, sending shivers down the students'' backs.


    They quickly began to gather in groups of two and spread out across the field, while Mr. Kasahara gave detailed instructions about Elemental Vision to the group of slower students.


    Teo had left the honor of forming a group with Angelika to Jack this time, after getting sufficiently puppy-eyed by the latter, and searched for another partner by himself. He ended up in a group with Darrell, the plump boy who had raised the first question previously and had an Affinity for the Earth Element.


    It was an extremely unfair matchup, as the Earth Element enjoyed a huge natural advantage in terms of defensive capabilities, but Teo actually looked forward to the challenge.


    At first, everyone practiced his skills for a few minutes, warming up and getting ready for the task, then the first groups began to spar hesitatingly. Meanwhile, Darrell had slowly buried himself in a thick layer of rocks and earth. He concentrated the Earth Elemental Threads in the outer layer as much as possible to make it even harder and durable.


    When Teo slowly began to grow bored with watching other groups, he heard a muffled voice coming from beside him.


    "You ... can star... now."


    Teo could barely make out a complete word, but he still got the message. He was ready a long time ago.


    He had planned to start with something small, but seeing the human chestnut in front of him, he decided to get somewhat serious. The Earth Element really was unfair when it came to pure defensive ability. Even a weakling like Darrell could turn into a fortress if given enough time. After all, a wall of earth would not require any further energy or concentration, once it was built.


    Yet all Teo could see was a perfect venue for target practice.


    Having all the time in the world (obviously, Darrell wasn''t going anywhere), he began to collect the Mana from the air around him and formed a small ball of energy in front of his chest. He would first test the waters with a basic Mana Bolt using less than half his power.


    With a flick of his hand, he let go, and a bright blue glow flashed into the direction of the small hill that had formed on the practice field.


    *Bamm*


    The effect was a bit underwhelming, as the huge explosion of rubble Teo had pictured in his mind, did not occur. A blunt impact sound, a few cracks here and there, a few small pieces of debris flying a few meters away, and a sizable cloud of dust was all he had managed to conjure. It was a hard nut, indeed.


    Seeing the small cracks slowly mending themselves as time passed, he got fired up a little and readied his next attack.


    First, he would try two consecutive Bolts of similar strength to his first one; maybe he would already be able to blow apart the weakened shell after cracking it with the first impact. S


    *Bammm*


    *Ba-Crack*


    His idea was quite good, as he really did manage to crack the thick shell apart this time, breaking off a piece large enough to see a shocked boy hurriedly repairing his shelter.


    Three bolts would definitely be able to get the job done, but Teo had little interest in needlessly bullying his classmates. He just wanted to see what he could do with his skills.


    After waiting for the opulent tortoise to retreat back into its shell, he began to prepare his third and final attack. He would attack using almost his full strength now, but still without using any special techniques, of course. The pure impact of the raw energy bundle would be more than enough.


    This time Teo spent a few more seconds weaving his Mana Bolt compared to before, but was still done very quickly. The fist-sized Orb of energy hovering in front of him was exuding a natural aura of power, even though he did not even compress it that much. After carefully aiming at the intended spot, he fired, and the raw energy charged forth like water from a broken dam.


    *Swooosh*


    This time the flash moved a lot faster, glowed much brighter, and was accompanied by an audible whistling sound.


    *BANG*


    This was more to his taste. The right wall of the earthen shell was wholly blown apart, and small pieces of rock sprayed out, even hitting a few people who stood close by. Luckily no one was hurt, just shocked and a bit afraid.


    Inside his crumbling shelter sat a deathly pale and trembling Darrell with his mouth wide open. Had Teo hit the shell a bit more to the left... The poor boy still had a ringing in his ears from the substantial impact and was gasping for air.

 23 I think its my turn now

    Teo stood on the hard ground of the practice area, the other students gathered in a spacious circle around him. Opposite him, on the other side of the ring, stood Mr. Kasahara.


    Maybe he had gone too far.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    Indistinct chattering could be heard coming from the students, energetically discussing the recent events with their neighbors.


    "He just had to go and do it, didn''t he?" Jack said, letting out a long sigh while propping his hand onto Angelika''s shoulder.


    "Do you think he will be fine?" Angelika asked worriedly.


    "Sure. What can Mr. K possibly do to him? He isn''t going to kill him for messing around in class... I think," Jack answered, sounding a bit vague at the end, but flashed a wide smile after a second anyway.


    "You think?!" called out Angelika with audible shock, after a moment she added in a low voice, "What if he gets hurt?"


    "Relax, Mr. K is not the type of teacher who would hurt his students. However, I doubt he will get off too lightly either," Jack remarked easygoing, he had a lot more experience getting into trouble with teachers compared to her. He knew what he was talking about, but did not want to spoil anything.


    "Psssst!" a thin boy in the front hushed them. It was going to start now.


    "Ready when you are, partner! Why don''t you take the attacking side first, you seem to be quite confident," Mr. Kasahara called out to Teo mockingly, whose facial color reminded one of a ripening tomato already.


    He had not intended to go overboard at any time. He just wanted to practice, and maybe, maybe he had gotten a little excited and had forgotten to reign in his strength for a second.


    Darrell''s defense held up so well that Teo got carried away a little bit, showing off more than he intended, garnering more attention than he could appreciate.


    ''Now you''ve done it. Well played, genius!'' a sonorous voice echoed in Teo''s head.


    Goliath was as helpful as a rock most of the time, and would only make his presence known when he was asked something directly ¡ª or when he wanted to add insult to injury in the shape of a sarcastic comment, like now. He had a somewhat mean sense of humor.


    ''I would rather have your help right now, instead of your commentary,'' Teo replied silently, feeling quite helpless.


    ''Man up! You brought this on yourself, boy. Now you should live with the consequences.''


    Goliath, in turn, felt more like a parent at the moment, or more fittingly, a teacher, trying to hammer in a lesson that was worth remembering.


    Unable to delay the matter any longer, Teo prepared to attack. Of course, he could not use his full power, nor his most potent techniques for fear of further infringing on his secret, but he could not continue to hide the power he had shown against Darrell just now.


    He hurriedly prepared a decent Mana Bolt to test the waters again, which done quickly. Not even three seconds after he had started forming it, he had already finished the main structure and shot it towards his teacher with hesitation. Somehow it still felt wrong to shoot something at his teacher, but he did not really have a choice, given the situation; he had already tried apologizing twice, without much effect.


    The ball of Mana was not remarkably fast nor otherwise impressive as it sailed through the air, more like a rock than a Magic Attack, showcasing the hesitation its caster must have experienced. His teacher just seemed to stand there, spacing out. Yet, when the small orb had almost traveled for the full distance between the two duelists, just two meters short of crashing right into his face, he suddenly flicked a single finger into its direction, barely even moving the rest of his arm.


    From directly beneath the Bolt, a round blob of water began to rise up from the ground itself and shot straight into it. When the two spheres were just about to collide, the water ball suddenly split apart and engulfed the weak Mana Bolt instantly. It dropped to the ground again with a short-lived splashing sound and was gone.


    Teo already knew that Mr. Kasahara had quite a hand for Water Magic, but this move was new. He did not have the time to showcase little tricks for them during class, after all. He was a teacher and not a performer.


    Teo was shocked to see his attack curbed so effortlessly. Sure, as a material Element, Water Magic was quite useful for defensive purposes, only second to Earth in fact. But could it simply absorb his Mana Bolt like that? It looked just like a pebble falling into a pond, swallowed by the depths, barely making a ripple.


    Teo did not lose his fighting spirit; instead, the confrontation with a worthy opponent got him fired up even more. He would just have to pay attention to how much of his real strength he could show, and everything would be okay, probably.


    A new cluster of energy began to collect in front of Teo, this time much larger and denser. This was around as strong as he could get a Mana Bolt within a few seconds right now. He could further compress it while supercharging or increase its destructive might by giving it a more useful shape, but Teo did not want to go too far overboard again.


    He let go of his hold over the dense mass of Mana, and it zoomed across the field with an awe-inspiring whistle. This time the blond man moved his whole hand, condensing the moisture in the air around him. It soon gathered as a fist-sized ball of water floating above his palm. He casually tossed it towards the fast approaching Mana Bolt and hit it perfectly, causing both orbs to explode magnificently into a large cloud of mist. The show was not over though, since the veil of mist froze in midair and came down as a shower of microscopic crystals, glittering beautifully in the early rays of the still-rising sun.


    Several students in the crowd began to clap, impressed by the breathtaking performance they had just witnessed before they remembered where they were and quieted down again.


    Teo was impressed too. Obviously, he would not stand a chance against a teacher at his school, but the way in which he lost the two rounds still felt very frustrating. They were supposed to be sparring, and yet it seemed like his teacher was simply performing for a Magic Show.


    Teo decided to give it a more serious shot, finally showing part of his true skill. He began to gather Mana in a cone shape this time and made sure to spin it faster and faster around its axis while he was at it. Maybe he would be able to penetrate one of the annoying bubbles with this improvised drill.


    He took a lot longer to prepare his attack this time around, spending almost half a minute on perfecting his creation, only saving a bit of effort on the compression of it, since he still needed to hold back at least somewhat.


    Meanwhile, his teacher was eyeing his actions with interest.


    ''Damn! Is that still a second-year over there? He is scarier than most fourth years already, and he does pack quite the punch,'' Dexton thought while observing the boy in front of him, forming what looked to be some kind of drill. He had already looked at the notes in the class book and was shocked to find that he supposedly only held an intermediate grade Mana Affinity.


    ''This guy is a genius! How is he able to gather this much energy with his low talent level? I must be sure to properly recommend him to a good Academy when I get the chance,'' he thought, but then needed to concentrate on more pressing matters.


    Dexton collected the thin layer of molten snow that covered most of the area with a swipe of his hand and readied himself for action. It was quite interesting to see what he would try to throw at him next.


    *SHROOOOAAARRRM*


    The drill was unleashed and ripped through the air as it traveled straight towards him. It was swift, but his trained eyes could follow it without difficulty. He quickly found a weak spot he could exploit, a loose thread; he would just have to hit the right place at the right time, a feat heavily impeded by its fast rotational speed.


    The students stood in silence, observing the impressive, fist-sized drill bore through the surrounding air and come closer and closer to Mr. Kasahara. Some girls had already closed their eyes, unable to watch on. Many were already picturing how their teacher would be tunneled straight through the chest by this shocking skill of destruction.


    Contrary to the vivid pictures in their mind, Mr. Kasahara did not break a sweat and swiped his arm vertically in a fast motion, calm and confident.


    A sickle-shaped arc of ice shot out from his swing and shot straight towards the incoming projectile. It was very thin, yet extremely fast and glistened conspicuously as it reflected the rays of early sunlight. When both projectiles met in midair near the center of the plaza, something most puzzling occurred.


    The crescent arc of ice cut right through the spinning drill, like a hot knife through butter, severing it in an instant.


    Its core destroyed by the sudden intrusion of hostile Magic, both halves crumbled and dissipated very quickly, only leaving two small breezes of air as proof of their existence before vanishing altogether.

 24 A harsh Lesson

    Teo was already in deep waters, and the worst part had yet to begin. How was he supposed to defend himself from his teacher''s attacks? Would he go easy on him? But what was the point of all this then? He would just have to grit his teeth and pull through somehow; it''s not like this was a life and death battle, so he would be fine... probably.


    "Are you ready?" his teacher asked, which he answered with a firm nod. He did not feel ready, but that wasn''t going to change anytime soon. At least he had already prepared a dense mat of woven Mana, which he could use for an impromptu shield spontaneously.


    The students, on the other hand, were very excited. They did not have a grudge against Teo or anything of that sort, but the performance so far had made their hearts pump like crazy, and they were giddy from anticipation. They had already forgotten about the punishment that was supposed to befall the one who stepped out of line in class and were just enjoying the show now.


    Even Jackson watched in amazement, barely able to contain his excitement. ''Man, I really need to make him teach me that move!'' he thought with glistening eyes as he went through the last scene of battle in his head over and over again. That was probably the coolest thing he had ever seen!


    Sure, his father was probably doing all sorts of cool stuff at work, but he just wouldn''t take him along for a mission, however much he begged him. He could barely wait for the second half to begin; it was sure to be quite interesting as well.


    Contrary to the majority of spectators, Angelika was not excited at all ¡ª she was terrified. One of her only friends was suddenly strapped to a cutting board, and she could do naught but watch. She had been easily pacified by Jack''s words, that Mr. Kasahara would go easy on Teo, that he was in no danger and would be done no harm... But after seeing how quickly the sparring session had escalated, she was starting to doubt it.


    If Mr. Kasahara just decided to throwback what he had defended from and nothing more, then Teo would already be in a very unfavorable position. If only she could help him somehow.


    ''Please just be alright, Teo!'' she silently prayed while clenching her delicate fists.


    After dramatically stretching his arms and legs, presumably for the sole purpose of building up suspense, Mr. Kasahara stood up straight and warned again,


    "I''ll be so free to start then."


    He began to gather up liquid water from his surroundings, drawing small streams from the air and the ground towards himself. He used most of it to form a ring of water, silently hovering around him, and pulled out a small bubble which he hovered over his outstretched hand.


    After meeting Teo''s gaze for a short time, he shot it towards his student, carefully aiming slightly to the left, so as to miss his body by a small margin should the boy fail to block his move in time.


    Teo was already mentally prepared for the challenge but decided against using his shield to protect himself against the piercing prowess of such a sharp and fast icicle. Instead, he had turned the Mana which he had gathered over his hand


    He shot it out, just as he saw the icicle being fired and tried to emulate the tactic, his teacher had previously demonstrated. Despite his preaching about defensive Magic, he seemed to like using offensive maneuvers as a form of defense himself.


    Trying to hit a fast-moving projectile in midair was no easy feat, but Mr. Kasahara had shot it especially slow for his standards and did neither try to incorporate unexpected movements nor to dodge Teo''s counterspell; he tried to make it as predictable as possible, leading to a perfect hit.


    Seeing the mighty attack of his teacher disintegrated into dust, Teo''s self-confidence began to rise again. Of course, he did not expect that to be a part of his teacher''s plan and thought that he had simply outsmarted him.


    "Not bad! But what about this?" taunted Mr. Kasahara, trying to combine praise and threat in a single statement. He did not leave Teo much time to think before he began casting again.


    This time a larger bubble of water separated from the water-ring around him, containing at least a third of the whole volume that he had previously taken in. It quickly began dividing into multiple smaller bubbles.


    Two, four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four... soon, the number of droplets was too large to count, presumably in the thousands.


    They all simultaneously went through the same changes the icicle previously had experienced and began to solidify. Thousands of small, razor-sharp needles were now aimed at Teo, and he felt his scalp tingle with nervousness. Someone particularly afraid of needles would probably have fallen unconscious already, but even without such fears, it was still plenty uncomfortable.


    He hurriedly unfurled the prepared blanket of Mana in front of his body and began to fortify it with more Energy, compressing everything further as he went.


    Soon a barely visible wall with a crystalline appearance, reminiscent of glass, was erected in front of him, and just as he finished constructing it, the needle storm broke loose.


    They swooshed through the air like a swarm of angry wasps, eager to sink their stingers into any soft piece of flesh they could find, and were fast approaching Teo''s makeshift barrier.


    They fell onto the shield like hail, constantly pattering and crackling for several seconds, until the frequency of impacts lessened and finally ceased completely. It sure looked impressive, but the offensive might of this skill seemed to be quite lacking, as the small needles were simply too light to cause much of an impact.


    Unable to relish his short-term victory, Teo moved his concentration back to his teacher, who had already begun preparing his third assault. Judging by the pattern so far, this would be the last assault he would have to weather; after that, he would be done with it once and for all.


    Yet despite his rather impressive success so far, he had an awful feeling about it. Mr. Kasahara was a crafty devil, and the chances that he did not have a surprise up his sleeve were slim. The question was just, what could it be? Would he sneak attack from several sides?


    Waiting and waiting for something horrible to happen without prior notice was almost as terrible as the moment when it actually struck¡ª and even more tiring.


    Unable to relax, Teo readied himself and tried to reinforce his barrier some more, it was his best bet against whatever would be thrown at him. Meanwhile, Mr. Kasahara was already done with his preparation some time ago and was just waiting for Teo to finish his part before he would usher in the grand finale.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    He collected all of the leftover water from the floating ring around his waist with a sweep of his hands, forming a giant ball that slowly became elliptical and elongated. He did not pull out any new tricks for his last attack. Instead, he relied entirely on the very basics of Water Magic to strike home a lesson.


    A humongous icicle had formed in front of the tall man and hovered there menacingly. Observing this, Teo''s eyes almost popped out; it was huge! As long as a sword and at the very least a dozen kilos heavy, it was a real behemoth. However, before he could think much about it, the frozen spear was already charging towards him.


    Teo tried to do something about it, but it was fast approaching, and he was running out of time. He gathered his Mana Shield in front of him and concentrated as much as possible on the single point where it would impact soon. And that was all he managed to do in time.


    It crashed into the barrier with an incredible shock, pushing him several steps back, and just as Teo thought he had managed to block it somehow, his barrier shattered like glass in the face of a rock.


    A sharp-edged, spiky ice-lance was now barely a meter from his face and fast approaching. In this time of need, he noticed a sudden stream of Mana racing around his body, almost like an emergency protocol. Still, before Goliath could manifest the life-saving emergency shield, the icicle in front of them vanished, or more fittingly, it dissolved, melting with incredible speed ¡ª visible to the naked eye but over after a blink.


    It ultimately turned into a translucent fluid again and splashed all over Teo''s face, leaving him thoroughly drenched and knocking him down on his butt.


    Perplexed, the boy sat on the frozen ground, his eyes wide open and frequently blinking, as if to ascertain that he was not dreaming.


    "Thank you for helping me demonstrate the exercise, but you better go see Mr. Quackenstein now and get yourself dried, we can''t have you catching a cold," said Mr. Kasahara in a seemingly worried voice while smiling at Teo.


    Only now, that the adrenaline was receding from his system, did Teo notice the biting cold assaulting him to the bones ¡ª he was literally sitting on his bum, soaking wet in deep winter. It was time to get changed.

 25 Aftermath

    Hot steam gently rising from his body, Teo sat in an old, lab-supply ridden office in silence. He was seated on one of two artless, wooden chairs around a small tea table. A hot cup of herbal essences was diffusing its aroma in front of him, and an aged teacher with a sizable, white beard and fluffy eyebrows sat to his right.


    Naturally, the antique lecturer beside him was Mr. Quackenstein, the only Alchemy teacher of the school, and he was almost done drying off Teo with his skilled usage of Fire Magic.


    After he removed the last traces of moisture from Teo''s garments, he broke the silence with his high-pitched, hoarse-yet-gentle voice.


    "Now, would you mind telling me, what upset Mr. Kasahara today?" he said, sounding more interested in the drama and gossip part, instead of being surprised. Probably he was already used to similar occurrences.


    Teo looked at the ground while clenching his fists, but answered the question nonetheless.


    "I got carried away in defense practice and almost hurt a classmate," he confessed with an abashed expression.


    "Hoohohoo, that''s youth for you. Always rash and hot-headed." The teacher laughed heartily, somehow reminding Teo of a huge owl.


    "Then you should consider yourself lucky, just getting a bit wet. If this went through the official channels, you would get suspended for at least a month, if not worse," the old man added in a solemn voice.


    Teo already knew that, but could still not swallow down his anger just yet.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    For the last years, the school had always enacted a zero-tolerance policy to violence on school grounds and tended to hand out over-the-top punishments, sometimes even resorting to expulsion.


    He had only heard rumors about it, but apparently, there had been an accident in class more than a decade ago with dire consequences. A true genius who possessed the Darkness Element had lost control of his powers during practice and sapped the life force of a classmate dry, killing him instantly.


    The school was almost torn down by a hurricane of enraged parents, and even the student who triggered it all was eaten from the inside by his guilt until he finally killed himself. It took years of effort by the Association to restore the status quo that Teo enjoyed right now.


    He talked to Mr. Quackenstein for a while longer, unintentionally deepening his Alchemy knowledge, until he bid him farewell and left the cramped office that looked more like a warehouse for various minerals, herbs, and disfigured apparatuses.


    ''Hey, Goliath! Why didn''t you help me earlier?'' asked Teo while he walked through the corridors of the old school building,


    ''Don''t think I didn''t notice the last minute shield you canceled there,'' he added after a short pause, specifying what he was referring to.


    ''Why should I interfere? You''re fine, aren''t you?'' replied the Golem, also sounding a bit upset.


    ''I''m not fine! I got wet... and it was pretty embarrassing,'' retorted Teo, his emotions visible on his face.


    ''Well, if that isn''t egotistical. You know exactly how much Mana I consume just to stay conscious. That Force Barrier would have taken me out of business for days, and you seriously want to use it as a glorified umbrella?!'' Goliath snapped back, oozing with sarcasm; he was furious now.


    Teo had forgotten about that point as he had only considered his own problems. He could not think clearheaded right now. Apparently, the ambient Mana in Sigella was much thinner than Goliath remembered it, possibly explaining why so many generations of Grassdowns had failed to activate him.


    Even Teo could not provide sufficient nutrition for the Golem without sucking himself dry, putting Goliath into energy-saving mode for most of the time.


    The ability to cast their own spells was handy and one of the major differences that set Golems apart from puppets, but without a sufficient energy source, this was a highly unsustainable act.


    Every spell could take out Goliath for days or weeks until he managed to recharge his energy, a strong one could even deactivate him completely. Of course, that would not kill him, but in order not to damage his internal Magic Circles, it was necessary to wait for at least a month between reactivation attempts.


    ''I''m sorry, Goliath. I''m not thinking straight today,'' Teo admitted, sounding a bit remorseful even. Goliath''s argument was hard to deny, and he knew that his demands were unfounded. He should not let his bruised pride get the better of him. What could he possibly gain from lashing out at his friends?


    ***


    "Man, that was awesome!" called out Jack and repeatedly patted hard on Teo''s shoulder as they sneaked out of the school grounds, almost making the boy fall over.


    "Can you stop hitting me, please?!" Teo complained to his attacker.


    "Oh, right. Sorry," said Jack sheepishly but didn''t let it affect his mood.


    "So, can you teach me that move now? You know, the one with the drill! It was amazing!" he hollered on, not letting the matter rest.


    "I don''t know if I can teach you that. Maybe you should work on your normal Fire Bolt first..." replied Teo carefully, not sure of how to break the news to his hot-headed friend, that he was not exactly known for the precise control he held over his skills.


    "Come on, man! I would do anything. Please teach me, senior!" Jack said insistently while he resumed his violent back-patting.


    "Alright, fine. You get lessons from your father in swordsmanship, right? Maybe you can teach me some tricks in return," said Teo finally, slightly annoyed but not without profiting from the proposal. He would need a long bath later to get his shoulders uncramped though.


    "I knew I could count on you! Your humble student awaits your orders, master!" Jack called out excitedly, falling to his knees out on the open streets even, making a total idiot of himself for that joke. Sometimes Teo wondered if Jack even knew what a sense of shame was at all.


    After hurriedly scraping him off the floor among dozens of curious gazes and pulling him around the next corner, the youths continued their conversation.


    "You''re coming too; right, Angelika?" Jack turned around and asked the petite girl that followed after them from a safe distance. He had moved on to the second point of his plan.


    "I''m not sure if I want to learn that. It looked pretty dangerous..." she replied, her hesitation palpable.


    "We wouldn''t just practice that technique... Maybe we could all take turns, teaching what we''re best at," Teo butted in and voiced a suggestion.


    "Exactly!" yelled Jack, thankful for his wingman''s assistance.


    "I guess... I could help you in Magic Theory and Alchemy, if you want," said Angelika, slowly being convinced to participate.


    "Then it''s decided! We can meet near the forest or at Teo''s place from tomorrow on," said Jack, completely roping her in. A wide grin on his face openly displayed his satisfaction, as he mentally checked two points of his otherwise empty agenda.


    Teo chose to ignore the sudden infringement on the sanctity of his home and continued to loiter around town with his friends, smiling.


    ***


    "Damn it, where is that brat again?" complained Phillip as he spat a thick phlegm on the ground.


    The professional carriage driver had already been waiting in front of the Saint Joujack''s school building for two whole hours without even seeing his freight once.


    "He probably sneaked off again with his little friends, not sparing a thought for poor old Phillip," the coachman lamented to himself.


    He had been working for the Grassdowns for at last five years now, and it had started pretty well. They were mostly nice people, and the pay was pretty decent for the short shifts. After years of doing his own thing and his questionable ''wheels for hire'' business in town, he finally could put proper meals on his family''s table regularly.


    At least, until he was assigned to babysit the lost son that had miraculously returned to the family out of nowhere.


    He liked the bright boy, but so far he had brought him nothing but headaches...


    And pay cuts, headaches and pay cuts. Both ranked high on the list of things he wanted to avoid, especially in combination with each other.


    Why was it his fault that the child didn''t want to listen and would rather run off to play with his friends than to get forced into physical labor by his loving granduncle?


    Every time he would be left standing here like an idiot, waiting in complete boredom. Even getting empty excuses or promises was better than nothing, he thought.

 26 New Waters

    *Clang!*


    A wooden sword fell to the ground with a crisp sound; besides it, a young boy was rubbing his hurting wrist.


    "You can''t drop your defense like that! Your attacks are riddled with flaws, keep to the footwork I taught you!" Troy said sternly, admonishing his careless grandson.


    "One more time!" Teo begged his grandfather.


    "You look like you could use some rest. Go freshen up a bit, we can continue in half an hour, I still have some time left to teach you today," Troy responded with a gentle smile.


    Teo had started to get lessons in swordsmanship shortly after his 8th birthday because he had continued to pester his uncle with the topic for months until he finally agreed, and it had been a full year since. Time really did fly.


    Usually, his grandfather Troy would teach him, as he had taken up a few skills during his long journeys at sea. He also had a professional instructor for the times his grandfather was not available though.


    Teo practiced with Jack in his free time as well, but it was hardly the same as having a real instructor with actual fighting experience, capable of drilling in the basics.


    He did, however, learn a few neat tricks from Jack, who was personally tutored by his father in the matter of the sword. Even indirect lessons from Commander Jumpheart, the famous ''Burning Sword Saint'' of Sigella, were not to be underestimated, and he learned a lot from the experience.


    In return, Jack''s and Angelika''s Magic skills improved by leaps and bounds, while Angelika helped both of them to keep their grades in an acceptable range. Overall the three friends complemented each other perfectly.


    Of course, Teo did not let his Enchantment practice slide either; he had made tremendous progress and was capable of successfully carving some basic Magic Circles by now.


    It would not be long until he could finish some simple Enchantments completely by himself.


    Goliath had used the time efficiently as well. He had spent most of it collecting data, scanning books, and categorizing the differences between ancient Enchantment techniques and their modern equivalents. Apparently, he was just a tiny scrap of data away from a breakthrough.


    Teo''s rapidly growing Mana capacity could supply the little Golem with an increasing amount of energy each day, allowing Goliath to be more active and enabling him to use simple analyzing spells from time to time, increasing his helpfulness exponentially.


    According to Goliath, Teo''s Mana Affinity had already reached the lower mark of a high-grade Affinity, and with his Mana Core almost the size of a plum, what he could do had increased a lot.


    Spiritual power can be considered as the muscle that does all the heavy-lifting when using Magic, and Affinity acts as a kind of leverage to control the Elements with greater ease ¡ªone without the other was utterly useless.


    Just as Goliath had said, it was possible to manipulate more than one Element. But the advantages one''s natural Affinity provided were immense. Teo''s body was naturally attuned to Mana, so it was always attracted to him without the need to do anything, and when he wanted to manipulate it, the Mana threads would not offer much resistance.


    The Fire Element was completely different. Teo had no natural Fire Affinity at all and could only increase it step by step through repeated practice. Even a single strand seemed to weigh as much as a boulder when he tried to move it, any progress on this front was dead slow.


    However, after thoroughly discussing the matter with Goliath, they had discovered a way to quicken the process considerably.


    His body was like a sieve to the Fire Elemental threads, unable to contain them for long, but his Mana Core was a different story altogether. It was a dense mass of energy, tightly woven together, and it seemed to be possible to incorporate any type of Elemental Thread into it permanently.


    This was easier said than done since Teo''s almost negligible ability to manipulate the Fire Element made it practically impossible to weave it into anything. Still, the results were immediate once he succeeded. Barely a week after he pulled it off for the first time, his Fire Affinity had already risen by a significant margin, allowing him to retain more of the Elemental Energy in his body, and to manipulate it with greater ease. He could even warm himself up or start a fire using Elemental threads by now, but he would need more practice to incorporate the new Element into his regular skillset.


    Teo had even started to get in touch with the Darkness Element through Angelika''s help. Since he knew how incredibly long it had taken to get a feel for one of the easiest to comprehend Elements, he intended to prepare for future expansions in time. It never hurt to get a head start, regardless of what he might focus on in the future.


    Also, he did not have to invest large amounts of time into practicing new Elements. If it was just developing a sense for and getting accustomed to an Element, then regular exposure to the Elemental threads over a long period of time would already do the trick ¡ª which was Angelika''s role in the matter. Acquiring Elemental Vision was a slightly different process, but it was not exactly time-consuming either.


    Understanding and accepting the nature of an Element played a significant role in the awakening process. It was just as crucial as the compatibility with one''s character and primary Element. Accepting a new Element was more a matter of enlightenment and insight, than of time.


    Yet time was always a critical part of everything else. Magic-, Sword- and Enchantment-practice took up most of Teo''s day, not to mention going to and learning for school. He barely had the time to spend an hour supercharging before going to bed every night.


    Luckily, the training sessions with his uncle had been significantly reduced recently, honoring his lighting-fast progress in the craft and his excellent morale. Instead, he had unrestricted access to the workshop now, free to experiment however he liked. Apparently, his uncle trusted him to bite offFind authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    Since Goliath was also the fastest and most efficient rock on the continent when it came to cramming and tutoring, Teo still had some additional time to spend on his personal agenda.


    "Free time" was relative in this context, however, because Teo tended to utilize any remaining second for more Magic Practice, or to spend time with his friends. At least he could plan out his schedule more freely now.


    Teo was a real 4th-year student starting from next week, and the world lay to his feet. He did not know what awaited him after his last few years of school, but becoming a successful Enchanter and secretly training to become a Magician didn''t seem too bad. He wondered what path his friends would end up walking down.


    "What are you spacing out for? The break is over! You better show me some proper footwork now!" Troy called out to the boy who was leisurely sitting against a tree in the backyard.

 27 Enchanting Enchantmen

    ''So, do you still need more data, or can we finally get started?'' asked Teo while going through a bulky grimoire about conventional Magic Circles used in Enchantments.


    ''There is always more data to be had, but it should be time we gave it another try,'' said Goliath cheerfully.


    He had already scanned all the relevant books in the family library and saved them in his database.


    Carefully going through all the material and categorizing it while simultaneously compiling it into concentrated portions regarding a specific topic was hard work, but worth it.


    Through the runes and Magic Circles on his own body as well as the snippets of information he had picked up in ancient times, Goliath had considerable access to long-lost Enchanting techniques, which he was trying to combine with the modern approach to the subject for months now.


    Both ancient and modern practices followed the same fundamental concept, but many other points seemed irreconcilable. Especially the weird layout of Energy Channels, the internal structure of Magic Circles, and the frequent occurrence of Runes outside of Magic Circles were considered quite queer by modern standards.


    Through his tireless efforts in combining the best parts of both systems into a single, more advanced one, he had managed to see some success.


    Usually, Teo would only practice on simple metal rods or standard iron tools, because it would be too wasteful to use real weapons for practicing his skills. But Teo had recently bought a few steel daggers with his pocket money, as material for his more serious attempts at enchanting them.


    He had already scrapped 3 of them during experiments with Goliath, one of which even completely disintegrated into metal dust, but he did not give up and was about to try again.


    Teo paced through the long corridors and made his way down the coiling spiral staircase, hewn from solid basalt blocks, into the dark underworld of the mansion.


    With time he had become used to every part of the building, even the dark nooks and crannies he dared not enter before. The cellars were still far from his favorite place, but entering them no longer felt like being swallowed


    into the intestines of a humongous beast.


    It was dark and humid down here, as his uncle was not working right now, and the colossal forge near the workshop was left unfired. Teo had to help himself to one of the unused torches, stored beside the end of the staircase, and ignited it with a snap of his fingers. He smiled at the hungrily growing flame for a second, seemingly very proud of his small trick, then chased after the retreating darkness that filled the straight path to the workshop.


    Through his passion for smithing and enchanting his own works, his granduncle had discovered that the Mana Conductivity and the formability of Energy Channels in an item varied at different temperatures, and he had started to use this property to his advantage. It was a small effect, but with a huge enough difference in temperature, it was substantial nonetheless.


    Metals tended to experience a drastic decline in their conductivity when heated high enough to forge them into a new shape, making the Enchanting process much more difficult and tiring. Yet the material was also more plastic on a microscopic level, significantly increasing the quality of the formed Energy Channels and making the extra effort worth it.


    His uncle had perfected this into an art form, thoroughly combining the smithing and enchanting processes to form something new. He would gradually soak the metal in his Mana from the moment he started smithing it, carve the complex Energy Channel structure while tempering the item, and finally quench it, freezing the channels in their perfect state while simultaneously hardening the metal to its limits.


    However, Teo was nowhere near such a level of mastery yet and preferred to do it the traditional way. He could not utilize five decades of practical experience like his granduncle could, and his superior Mana Affinity could not make up for the difference in expertise either. These advanced techniques, brilliant as they were, would only make a task he was struggling to accomplish as it was, even harder.


    Teo fixed the dagger where he wanted it to be and fished out the blueprints he and Goliath had come up with for today''s attempt, going through them step by step.


    He did not necessarily need to do the Enchantment here, but the workshop was the perfect working environment for the task. It allowed him to proceed with the process undisturbed and warded off foreign energy fluctuations with its location deep underground ¡ª making it well worth the trip.


    The structure that the blueprint showed was not very complicated, only incorporating a single Magic Circle. Still, it already encompassed some of the changes to the Energy Channel network, which Goliath had proposed.


    One of the major differences to a traditional layout was a single Acceleration Rune near the tip of the blade that directed the Mana flow through the circular main channel back towards the hilt, theoretically increasing the circulation rate of Mana and thus the output of the connected Magic Circle.


    It was an experimental change as well as the reason for the most recent failure that had disintegrated the whole weapon, but Goliath was sure that his new corrections would remove that effect entirely.


    After making sure that he knew the layout like the back of his hand, Teo began to carve out the winding main channel with a thick string of concentrated Mana.


    Just like they had practiced, he concentrated his efforts on supplying the necessary quantities of Energy and directing the general flow of Mana. In contrast, Goliath would make small corrections on the general structure wherever necessary while keeping the formed channels stable.


    Because Goliath was a life form based on pure Mana and had been feeding on Teo''s excess energy for years now, he lacked a "spiritual fingerprint" of his own and could guide Teo''s Mana directly ¡ª as long as his master did not try to resist. This unique feature of their symbiotic relationship made them the perfect partners for any kind of magical collaboration and allowed Teo to advance his Enchanting skills rapidly. It was one of the benefits, possessing a Golem brought.


    Owing to their brilliant display of teamwork, they managed to finish up the main channels without a hitch and began to focus on the branched channels of the sub-network. Everything went well so far, and they were making rapid progress. The next steps would be the real challenge though.


    Before extending the final parts of the thin and delicate web of connections, they had to carve and stabilize the major Rune, located near the tip of the blade, as well as carefully shape the complex Magic Circle that formed the heart of the Enchantment.


    Teo spent a lot of time to imprint the mesmerizing Rune one stroke after the other, Goliath assisted him and corrected any deviations from the intended path throughout the process. Teo had practiced this step at least a dozen times in the last days and was very familiar with it ¡ªwhich still did not prevent him from sweating bullets for the entire duration.


    Just as expected, they managed to complete it without much trouble and started to work on the most complex part of the whole blueprint.


    They had chosen a fundamental ''sharpness'' Magic Circle for their first Enchantment, as it was relatively simple compared to ''lightweight'', ''self-repair'' and many other common effects, while still being extremely useful. The complexity of its design was not to be underestimated, though.


    It resembled a large triangle, with the edges fixed to the rim of a circle, but that was where the simple geometrical analogies ended. Additionally, it contained three major Runes near the corners of the triangle, which were further augmented by two dozen minor Runes and hundreds of smaller lines and geometric shapes throughout the whole structure.


    It was mind-boggling enough to just look at it, but every line had to be drawn with extreme caution and could not be misplaced by more than a tenth of a millimeter, making it extremely hard to carve successfully.


    Luckily, Goliath had no trouble completely memorizing it in full detail and could assist Teo on numerous occasions, taking ample weight off his shoulders.


    This step took up more than an hour, and Teo had to rest for a few minutes every time he completed a major part of the structure. Now, it finally was fully formed and seemed to be stable.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    It was not powered up yet, but it was a good sign nonetheless. They did not even make it this far last time; before they could finish the overloading protections, they had accidentally triggered it with their own Mana and fried the whole weapon in the process.


    The last step, connecting all of their previous work, was done quickly and did not pose much of a challenge anymore, they were almost done now.


    Soon a complete weapon with its own dendritic network of Energy Channels and a stable Magic Circle lay before them. If it did not explode on activation and displayed the intended effect, it would be a success.


    Teo hesitated; he was afraid of failure, understandably so, when it could potentially cost him an arm.


    ''Come on, try it out!'' Goliath encouraged him, assured of their success.


    Teo could barely hear him over his violent heartbeat, battering his ears, but tightly grabbed the dagger with his hand nonetheless.


    As he gently infused his Mana into the intended pathways, he felt something inside it stir. It began to power up, its presence growing with every second. Soon it settled down and emitted a barely audible, high-pitched hum.

 28 Angels Whisper 1

    It was a completely normal day as the late-summer sun cast its warming rays on the winding streets and branching alleys of Sigella, causing bright reflections on the slippery, white stone tiles that plastered the business district. A small group of children could be seen running around in their school uniforms, inspecting the goods of various stalls while goofing around.


    Teo did not have to fear punishment for being late today. Ever since he had finished his first real Enchantment on his own, his granduncle had been very kind and understanding of his wishes. If he did not slack off too much and kept the results coming, his uncle would not interfere, so he was free to play around with his friends whenever he wanted now.


    Most days after school, they would loiter around town, stroll at the beach, study for upcoming tests, or train at the woods near Teo''s house. Of course, this was in addition to Teo''s regular training regime, that he had only lightened a little bit.


    "Can we stop at this caf¨¦ for a while? I just love the waffles they make here!" said Angelika with a sweet smile. She had become much more extroverted since moving to Sigella and meeting the boys, no longer afraid of openly showing her emotions.


    As no one voiced any objections, they scuttled through the busy street and into the shop.


    *Dring!*


    A small, bronze bell was fastened to the door and rang out as the new customers stepped in. It was not particularly full, but far from empty. Angelika''s taste was quite exquisite for a former farmer''s girl, and the caf¨¦ she had taken a liking to was one of the more popular, expensive ones in the area. In fact, their hard-to-afford pricing was the sole reason why it was not always packed to the brim with hungry customers.


    "Welcome! A table for three?" an attentive waitress asked while doing a slight curtsy, perfectly showing off the white, long legs peeking from under her black skirt, a sight wasted on the three kids.


    They took their seats somewhat in the back because all the window places were taken and quickly ordered their food. Angelika preferred sweets and ordered waffles with hot cherry sauce, just as she had previously announced.


    Apparently, she was getting used to city-life and her new-found wealth brought by the Associations stipend at last. She finally allowed herself to spend some money on fun, instead of saving every cent for her parents and siblings. She was not becoming egoistical though, with their current finances, her whole family could indulge in luxuries they had only dreamed about previously. She had been the only exception for months and years, struggling to get used to it.


    They always wondered how Angelika managed to get sufficient nourishment from her sweets-based diet while simultaneously keeping her beanpole-like proportions, but had decided to focus on more pressing matters after a few pointless experiments.


    A short wait later, they were delivered a small pile of steaming-hot, golden rice-balls that exuded a spicy, exotic aroma. They quickly dug in and gulped down the small treasure boxes stuffed with various fillings, such as sparkling pieces of meat, fresh vegetables, pulped tomato, and cheese. They were so eager, that Teo even burned his tongue on a thick blob of delicious, molten cheese, despite his increased fire resistance.


    After the meal, they continued to stroll along the streets for a bit until Jack decided to head over to Teo''s place for afternoon practice, old Phillip couldn''t have gotten far yet anyway.


    ¡­


    "How is your family doing lately?" asked Jack, trying to initiate some small-talk with Angelika.


    "Good. My mother finally found some work in a small bakery," she said, looking out of the coach window while fiddling with her long hair.


    "She seems to enjoy the freedom of the city, working and shopping by herself when and where she likes. I have never seen her this happy," Angelika added thoughtfully after a short pause. She was probably the only family member that questioned their new lifestyle and what conditions it was built upon.


    "Well, that''s great! We should definitely go visit her sometime!" responded Jack, way too enthusiastically.


    Angelika smiled sweetly and pushed the complicated thoughts to the back of her mind, then she said,


    "Sure, but maybe we should give her some time to settle in!"


    After a short trip along the winding, rocky path, which had long been worn out and solidified by regular usage, they passed by a swathe of green-yellow fields on the outskirts of town. Here grew a plethora of different food crops steadily approaching ripeness, that doused the area in a myriad of colors. Soon they could see the tall iron gates of the Grassdown estate and the looming forest in the distance.


    "Thanks, you can take the rest of the day off, Phillip," Teo said and handed the man a silver coin. Apparently, his social conscience was bothering him enough for always taking advantage of his driver, to make him give up a sizeable portion of his pocket money in retribution.


    "Thank you so much, young master! I will pick you up tomorrow like usual then," the middle-aged man said, smiling from ear to ear as he turned around the carriage; it would be steak-night today.


    They headed over to the backyard and continued all the way to the edge of Thorn Forest.


    Yes, the ominous forest bordering the small village of Ritark reached all the way here and even farther. From Geography-class, Teo knew that it was one of the most extensive forests on the Continent and stretched throughout the whole north. From the stormy coasts inwards to the heart of the land and up to the towering Black Mountain Range, it was enormous.


    They settled down at the usual spot and soon began to practice Magic and sword techniques. At least the boys did, Angelika was not very proud of her physical prowess and preferred just to study Magic or cheer on the two ruffians from the sidelines.


    "I want a rematch! I have finally perfected my ultimate move; you better prepare to eat dust!" Jack exclaimed with fire in his eyes as he challenged Teo to another Magic duel. So far, he had never won one, but that only seemed to spur him on further.


    "Sigh¡­ We already sparred two times this week, Jack. Can''t you let it rest already?" Teo replied with a bored look while rolling his eyes. This was getting old.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    When it came to pure swordplay, Teo was no match at all for his muscular competitor, but if Magic were involved, the scales would turn quickly, leading to another one-sided encounter. Jack did not seem to know the meaning behind the term ''giving up'', though.


    "I shall not rest until all evil is vanquished!" Jack hollered in response without specifying what evil exactly needed vanquishing.


    "Alright then, but try to make it short, yes?" Teo slowly shook his head and gave in. He knew better than to try and avoid it.


    "Then, I better not make you wait!" shouted Jack and readied himself for a charge.


    "Try not to hurt him too much, Teo!" Angelika interjected in a caring voice, not considering other possible outcomes. The remark almost made Jack cry a silent tear, but he quickly pulled himself together and concentrated on the battle.


    "Here I come!" he bellowed and charged towards Teo, his wooden sword suddenly engulfed in a scalding blaze.


    Teo smirked and took on a defensive stance. He would not gain anything by wiping the floor with his friend directly; if he was so insistent on challenging him, he could just as well serve as a training dummy for Teo''s sword-practice.


    The moment both swords collided, a swarm of sparks diffused into the surroundings, and a shock wave swept over the nearby grass. Teo''s feet slightly sunk into the soft ground, but he continued to stand firm.


    He was facing an onslaught of blisteringly hot air and heat rays but did not seem bothered at all. His body and sword were wrapped by a thin, dimly-glowing layer of Mana that kept the rampaging Fire Elements out and protected his fragile wooden sword from charring or breaking.


    "Didn''t you say you had a new trick up your sleeve?" Teo taunted with a slightly contemptuous smile, agitating the red-haired boy even further.


    "Oh, you''ll see!" Jackson hollered as he hammered swing after swing onto Teo''s tight defense.


    They brawled like that for minutes, making full use of the footwork and Elemental control they had mastered so far. It looked like a balanced fight for any watching outsider, but Teo was already severely limiting his magical Skillset to preserve the status quo.


    "Alright, you have proven yourself worthy, vile spawn of darkness! If you can remain standing after facing my ultimate technique, I will admit defeat!" roared Jack, wholly absorbed in his heroic delusions. He was developing in a weird direction lately.


    Teo could not suppress a chuckle after hearing his best friend spout one stereotypical line after the other.


    "Ultimate Technique: Death Inferno Drill Firestorm!" recited the spiky-haired boy and struck an embarrassing pose while roaring like a madman. Let''s just hope he will grow out of that phase.


    Like a flood, the surrounding Fire Elemental Threads surged towards his outstretched hands and gathered in a giant vortex. From afar, it almost looked like a bright, red umbrella he was holding.


    Jack spent almost a minute charging his attack, time he would not have in any half-serious battle, but Teo just stood there waiting. A massive drill had formed in front of the boy and exuded waves of parching heat, threatening to incinerate everything in the surroundings, yet Teo showed no signs of worry. In fact, he almost looked expectant.


    "Fire!" with a final shout, the menace was released and zoomed straight towards Teo, igniting the air in its path.


    ''You know what to do?'' Teo asked the Golem resting on his chest with a silent transmission.


    ''Already working on it!'' Goliath replied cheerfully; he seemed to be in high spirits.


    Within a second, a funnel-shaped wall of Mana appeared in front of Teo, rotating in the opposite direction relative to the advancing drill. It intercepted the attack with calculated precision and began its work at unwinding it, channeling the constant stream of concentrated Fire Elements it ground down towards Teo''s chest, where he absorbed them into his body.


    ''How na?ve, using a modification of my own technique against me¡­'' Teo thought with a grin.


    After dissolving the burning drill in its entirety, he sat down cross-legged on the soft grass and closed his eyes. He needed to focus on assimilating the blazing energy before it could damage his body too much.


    ''Wow, that''s a large haul! You would need at least a week to gather that much juice!'' Goliath exclaimed happily using voice transmission.


    This was the closest Teo could get to Fire-Supercharging right now. His Fire Affinity was still too low to do the same, but using his friend as a proxy, he had access to highly concentrated Fire Elements, which he could incorporate into his growing Mana Core.


    Of course, this shortcut could only be utilized with sufficiently high fire-resistance and Goliath helping in the process, or he would be burned to a crisp within seconds. It was a very effective shortcut, nonetheless.


    Exhausted, but further upset by Teo ignoring him, Jackson stomped on the ground a few times, devastating the local flora. As soon as Teo opened his blue eyes again, Jack called out to him,


    "Alright, you win this time. But don''t get used to it!"


    They all started to laugh without a care in the world.


    "Well, I don''t know about you guys, but that got me hungry! How about some roast beef? I know a great shop near the harbor!" Jack suggested with a gentle smile, his previous fervor nowhere to be seen.


    "I''m sorry, I need to get home soon, or I will be late for dinner," said Angelika apologetically, avoiding Jack''s stabbing gaze.


    "I''ll join you! We can head over there after we bring Angelika home," Teo responded, saving Jack''s mood.


    It was not a terribly long way back to the city, even on foot, and they made it there in less than an hour thanks to their increased stamina, taking in the scenery along the way. They quickly walked Angelika home just in time for dinner and continued their way to the harbor district, a dim shadow following behind them.


    The two boys leisurely talked about school and how to improve each other''s battle techniques further; they were an odd but awkwardly fitting couple.


    As always, Jack could not keep in his excess energy and would sometimes outpace Teo by a few meters, dashing around the place and calling his friend a slowpoke. But when he ran into a dark alley, and neither came back nor responded to his calls anymore, Teo became suspicious.


    "Jack? If this is a joke, then it''s not funny! Come out now!" Teo was sure that his friend was just playing with him and would jump out, trying to scare him at any second now.

 29 Angels Whisper 2

    Zachery sauntered around his small and dirty apartment, used socks, and half-eaten portions of food lining his worm-eaten furniture. He was a meager, middle-aged man, looking malnourished and disheveled, his lifeless eyes sunken deep into his skull to resemble a dried-up corpse. On his head, only a few streaks of long, scrubby bristles remained of his once luscious and full black hair that his brother had always envied.


    "Almost two years! Two Years!" he repeated over and over again, sometimes screaming at the top of his lungs, sometimes barely whispering.


    Soon would be the anniversary. The day his older brother died almost two years ago. How could he ever forget that damn, god-forsaken day that changed everything?! How he had lost him. How everything had been taken from him.


    "I had it all! Women, power, money, booze! But that bastard¡­ that bastard!" he gibbered with a bone-chilling smile on his face, showing his pointed teeth more than seemed possible.


    Trying to calm himself down, he hurried over to his shaky, rotten desk and pulled out one of its drawers, rummaging through it impatiently. After using a filthy stack of stained papers to further decorate the few empty blotches on his floor, he finally held a clear crystal vial in his shaking hands.


    Zachery cracked the thin, glassy neck sealing the vial with a single, well-practiced motion, and dropped the translucent liquid into his ears, two drops each, completely emptying the small flask. Visibly pacified, he slouched over to the other side of the room and laid down on a mottled, old couch that remained relatively schlock-free, compared to the rest of the apartment.


    "Ahhhhh¡­" he moaned eerily, squeezing the remaining air out of his lungs.


    This was what he was left with. His only remaining pleasure.


    Zachery could not afford the expensive healing potions anymore, used to avoid the severe side effects, nor had he access to as many whisps as he wanted any longer, but he did not care. He did not care now. Not anymore.


    He closed his eyes and let himself sink into the cushions. He felt like falling, slowly he began to lose his sense of direction and floated away.


    His ears were ringing, distorted and hushed sounds continuously caressed his mind and took him farther and farther away from reality. Soft echoes, faint voices, they became louder until they completely flooded his consciousness.


    It was not the uncomfortable kind of loudness though; it was a melodic, soft, and omnipresent sound that filled him to the brim and brought him great joy. Yes, it sounded almost like whispering. An important message that someone tried to convene to him but was lost in translation, hushed by thick walls, suffocated in gauze.


    Angel''s Whisper, or whisp for short. That was both name and effect of this hallucinogenic and sedative drug, which had become increasingly popular in Sigella throughout the last decade.


    Whisps, yes. Boon and Bane of his existence.


    Zachery and his brother grew up in the slums of Sigella, at the edge of town near the harbor. Where gangs ruled supreme and shady businesses lined the dark streets. It was a Slork eat Slork world out there, and they had no time for playing around. From a young age, they had to resort to deception and thievery to help with the family finances.


    The brothers were lucky enough to get acquainted with the right people and made the right decisions, becoming bigger and bigger players in the local black-market economy.


    When they found a connection to a desperate, money-hungry Alchemist and coaxed him into providing them his goods, their business skyrocketed.


    The whisps that brought the heavenly song of angels to the desperate scum of the slums sold like hotcakes, and they quickly began to expand their distribution network. Bribing politicians, merchants, and guards. Setting up trade routes to the harbors of the south and into the deepest mines of the Black Mountain Range, they only saw success in their ventures for years.


    The highly addictive substance brought them loyal servants and beautiful maidens, willing to do anything they demanded for just another drop. More money than they could ever spend and influence they had never dreamed of. It was glorious.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    Yet pride goes before the fall, and they reaped what they sowed with their progressive carelessness. They left the most critical decisions to incompetent drug-addicts instead of carefully planning out their operations as they used to in their early days, bringing about an abrupt end to their life of luxury.


    None other than the highly motivated Commander of the Town Guard Brigade, the Burning Sword Saint, Allvar Jumpheart, had meticulously investigated their operation and raided their base before they could even suspect anything. He personally directed the charge and arrested everyone he laid eyes on. Even Zachery''s own brother was no exception, and he had been executed for major violations of the law shortly after.


    He had never forgotten that fateful day two years ago, not for a moment. When he returned dead-drunk from the brothel that evening again, he found the hideout surrounded and flooded by guards. He was forced to flee like a dog under a false name, lie low, to be a nobody once more. When he watched his brother hanging from the gallows a few days later¡­


    His guts were burning with anger for years. There was only one thing on his mind, one last goal left to accomplish: Revenge. It was stuck in his brain like a burning, red-hot nail.


    After hours of lying still like a skeleton, he stirred again and fell off the messy sofa with a groan. Shoveling aside the garbage on the floor, he heaved himself back onto his knees, followed by his feet. He stumbled towards his shabby desk and dug through the pile of papers on it.


    Zachery had spared no effort in planning out his revenge. His last savings, the rest of their broken network, his compatriots who had suffered on that day like him, everything for his revenge. It was not easy, but he had finally gotten his hands onto some useful information ¡ª the weakness of his dreaded nemesis.


    He held a detailed drawing in his cramped hand, depicting a boy dressed in a school uniform, with thick brows and flaming-red hair.


    "Ha-haha Hahaha! HAHA HAHE HUAUHAHAHAHUEHEHEHA!"

 30 Angels Whisper 3

    "Oww..." Teo groaned in pain as he slowly woke from his slumber. His head hurt as if someone had knocked him out.


    No, wait... someone did knock him out! He remembered now... The alley, the pain, Jack...


    "Jack!" he cried out panicked. Teo could not see anything, but he still felt the stinking sack pressing against his face.


    "Not so loud. I''m right here!" a familiar voice beside him responded in a hushed voice.


    "Where are we? What happened?!" Teo''s heart was racing, sweat pouring down his back, his throat was parched and dry like a desert. This was going too far for a practical joke.


    "Calm down! We can''t get more attention on us now than we already have! I think we have been kidnapped," Jack responded in a voice that did not seem to reflect the gravitas of his words.


    "Kidnapped! Are you freaking kidding me?!" Teo cried out aghast.


    "Shhhh!" his friend tried to hush him again.


    "Kidnapped?! Who would want to kidnap us? This is crazy!" Teo articulated in a forceful whisper.


    "Well, this is my first time as well, but my dad does have many enemies." Somehow Teo imagined his friend to be smiling right now from the way he said that. He did sound unfittingly proud.


    "Don''t worry! He will get us out of here in no time!" Jack said optimistically, definitely smiling right now.


    "Are you serious? You just want to wait here for somebody to come and save us?" Teo was apparently not a big fan of his companions ''plan''.


    "Well, do you have any better ideas?" Jack said, his words oozing with sarcasm.


    "Yes, I do. We need to get out of here!" Teo squeezed out through gritted teeth, forcing himself to keep the volume down as much as possible.


    "Wow, what a brilliant plan. Wish I had come up with that," ridiculed Jack, not taking the notion seriously.


    "There is no need to be sarcastic now... Just use your brain for once. We need to get rid of these sacks and shackles first!" said Teo, a bit annoyed, and rattled at the chain that bound his cuffed arms.


    He still could not see anything as the dark sacks seemed to inhibit even his Mana Vision, all he could feel was the cold, wet, stone floor, and the heavy shackles binding his arms.


    "I already tried. These things are completely fireproof. I can''t burn or melt them at all..." Jack said dejectedly.


    ''Goliath, we need your help. Can you hear me?!'' Only now did Teo think of the ancient Golem that he usually carried around with him and reached out to him with his thoughts.


    ''Great idea, putting your secret weapon into a coin purse... No one would think of stealing that...'' he thought while heaving a depressed sigh.


    It seemed that he would have to think of something by himself. At least, blindly waiting to be rescued was not a viable option for him. They often loitered around town or trained till the sun went down, did anyone even notice that they were missing yet? Even if they did, how was Jack''s dad supposed to find them, when they did not even know where they were themselves.


    Just like his friend had said, the tools that confined them did not seem to be made from ordinary cloth or iron. They were incredibly tough. If Jack had failed already, Teo could forget about melting the shackles with his meager Fire Magic.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    Mana, however... was even less useful than Fire. It was not very destructive in its nature, and even if he tried to burst his restraints apart in a massive explosion, his body would be the first to give in.


    He tried to hack and saw at his chains with compressed Mana, but could not even leave a mark on its surface; it was a futile effort.


    Mana Bolts, drills, spears, even the occasional scythe; Magic of various shapes, properties, and velocities was hurtled against the joint, connecting the thick chains to the wall, without visible, or rather, tangible progress. The wall itself seemed just as sturdy, and his Magic had little effect on the hard rock.


    They needed to get out of here and alarm the town guards as fast as possible! Who knew what they were going to do to them here?! They had no time to lose!


    Teo sat down beside his unusually calm friend, who sighed softly, seeing (hearing) that even Teo had given up.


    But instead of crying or wallowing in self-pity, Teo just sank into deep thought. Silently sitting on the ground and putting together all the pieces he remembered and all possible escape routes he could come up with.


    The metal used to forge their restraints was unusually hard, fireproof, and even Mana-resistant, unable to be damaged in the slightest by the two boys. No doubt about it, this was some kind of alchemical alloy.


    Teo had seen dozens of unique alloys during the Enchanting practice with his uncle. They usually boasted unique strengths and weaknesses, that could improve the quality of equipment dramatically when used wisely in blacksmithing or Enchanting.


    If he knew one thing about them though, then that they were crazy expensive! The one he had encountered here was probably a low-quality product, but with this amount of metal, it must have cost a fortune anyway.


    Most probably, the chains were the only real obstacle they had to overcome to escape. No one would expect them to manage even that part with how unbreakable they were, indestructible by any means.


    There was a significant chance that their captor had not invested another fortune into an even stronger plan B.


    They just had to come up with a way to break these shackles, and they would be a good deal closer to seeing the light of day again ¡ª or night, which it probably was by now.


    Luckily Teo had an idea, even if it was more of a guess than a real plan.


    If he could not destroy them from the outside, then how about destroying them from the inside?


    The alloy had reminded him of his gruesome Enchanting practice and the hundreds of failures he had to endure over the years ¡ª beautiful weapons and valuable alloys crumbling in his hands.


    Exactly! Just a while back, he had messed up an Enchantment on a steel dagger and made it disintegrate into metal dust with barely a touch! Maybe, just maybe, he could use this experience to his advantage.


    Teo did not have Goliath with him at the moment, severely limiting his prowess in the craft, but carving a few Energy channels and having his Mana run amok in there should not pose much of a problem.


    His mind made up, he quickly focused his attention and got down to business. A thin string of compressed Mana soon entered the cuffs through his wrist and slowly tunneled its way through the thick chains.


    It was a Mana-resistant alloy and working on it felt a bit like taking a swim in a pool of pudding, but with his far above-average control over Mana and large Mana Capacity, he made significant progress in a short time.


    With swift motions, he carved numerous channels through the material and let them gather around a small amplification Rune, before finishing the second half of the circle. Now the Mana would travel around and around the Network, becoming more violent with every circulation.


    It was quite dangerous, especially when the item in question was literally tied to his own hands, but what choice did he have?


    "Better take a step back, Jack. I''m going to try something," Teo said as he stood up from the ground.


    After a moment, he began to channel his Mana into the new ''Enchantment'' and carefully positioned his arms far away from his body.


    A rapid torrent of Mana rushed through the tight channels, becoming faster and more compressed by the second.


    Soon the material could not bear the increasing strain anymore, and small, hairlike cracks began to spread from the walls of the Mana channels.


    A crackling noise could be heard, like a fresh piece of meat in a pan of oil. Small arcs of energy discharged from the shackle and burned Teo''s skin, even through the protective layer of Mana he had wrapped himself in. After a few seconds, the sound stopped, and the cell was covered in eerie silence once again.


    The shackle was still fastened around Teo''s slightly injured arms.


    In a final attempt to struggle free, Teo pulled back his arms with all his might... and it broke. The cuffs crumbled around his wrists like dried mud and fell to the ground, much like Teo, who landed on his butt with a thump due to the sudden absence of resistance.

 31 Angels Whisper 4

    It took a while to get rid of Jack''s shackles as well, but now they could finally breathe and move freely again.


    The most direct problem averted, Teo took in the surrounding room with greater focus, and even Jack hurriedly jerked his head left and right, evaluating their new situation.


    It was a small room, or rather, a cell, barely 10 square meters in size. The floor was covered in moist stone tiles and was exceptionally dirty. The walls were monotonous and free of windows.


    There was not much here, apart from scraps of straw, rat feces, and naked stone. Teo focused his attention on the other side of the chamber instead.


    A thick wooden door, lined with metal reinforcements and a small barred window, was covering the only exit.


    "Well, that''s one step further," said Jack optimistically.


    "It won''t help much if we can''t get out completely. We made a lot of noise, and somebody could check on us at any time!" Teo was not in the mood for small talk right now. They would have to get through that door ¡ª asap!


    "Maybe the door is weaker than it looks?" Jack suggested jokingly, not believing it himself.


    "It should be! It looks like a normal door, at least. I doubt it can compare to an alchemical alloy," responded Teo while collecting and compressing Mana in the palm of his right hand.


    A sizzling, blue ball of energy rapidly grew in front of the boy and emitted an ominous glow.


    "Step back, I''ll take care of that!" he prompted, and Jack was all too happy to oblige.


    *WOOOOMMMM*


    A loud explosion rang out as wood and metal pieces splintered and flew against the opposite wall. If they had not been heard yet, they had been now.


    They hurriedly dashed through the ruined passage into a small room connected to several similar cells, but before they could make it far, a door opened, and two guards stepped in, fully armored.


    ''Guards'' was a blatant overstatement though since they more closely resembled mercenaries, but they were obviously here to guard the cells nonetheless.


    They did not waste any time on words and directly charged at the duo; their rusty swords raised high. Teo was already prepared and intercepted them with a quick Mana Barrier, buying enough time to reposition themselves properly in the anteroom.


    There was a fat man with an unshaven beard and a tall one with a glaring scar on his neck, running from his left ear all the way to his shoulder; both were dressed in light leather armor.


    "Look wad'' wa got here, Jimmy. Where''d those m¨¢gots crawl out?" said the tall one with a nasty smile, speaking in a creepy dialect.


    "Don''t ya be such ¨¢ killjoy, Jimmy. We can sound''em alarm when wa done havin som fun, na?" said ''Karl'', while slobbering his yellowed teeth with his tongue.


    Alright, those two were a creepy couple, and the boys had no intention to get to know them up close and personal. They would, however, have to go through them to reach the door leading out of the room.


    "You get the fat one, I''ll take care of the creepy one," delegated Teo, already preparing to attack. He did not have the time to contemplate the moral consequences of a life and death battle yet, but if he would not attack first, they would.


    "They are both creepy though... alright, alright, leave it to me!" joked Jack, but quickly became serious again under Teo''s desperate gaze.


    However, before they could prepare any Magic attacks, the fatty was already charging at them. Understandably, he did not respond well to being called fat and creepy at the same time by some precocious kids.


    It was not a particularly skillful attack, he came at Teo with a simple upward swing from the right side, but his superior combat experience allowed him to secure the first move for himself ¡ª and thus, the advantage in the encounter.


    Without any weapons or armor, Teo could not block the hit straight on. He would have been physically weaker than his assailant anyway, so he tried to take a step back, keeping his opponent at bay with a quick-cast Mana Bolt.


    The room was not very long into this direction and after a large step, Teo almost had his back against the wall now. However, his improvised Mana Bolt hit the mark with only a slight deviation of its trajectory and struck the plump man on the right shoulder, throwing him off-balance and giving Teo more time to think.


    Before he could come up with any contingency plans though, Jack had already conjured a flaming sword in his hands and charged to defend against their attackers. Using the aftermath of Teo''s Mana Bolt to his advantage, he managed to land a good hit on the leather wrist guard of the man.


    Unfortunately, Jack did not have access to a real sword and was only swinging around a compressed rod of Fire Elements, devoid of a physical core, so it passed right through the attacked arm and only left a few scorch marks. It would be difficult to strike down his opponent without being able to block his attacks or inflicting physical damage.


    By now, Teo understood Jack''s intention to follow the initial plan and began the preparations to engage their second enemy as soon as he tried to interfere in Jack''s standoff.


    Just as Teo finished preparing a thick sheet of Mana, which he could activate as a fast barrier when necessary, the tall man charged too, rapidly approaching the brawling couple in the middle of the room while snickering.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    He swayed a bit to the left side and struck out with his sword, which would hit Jack in a matter of seconds as he was too occupied to dodge it.


    Already expecting this situation, Teo activated the Mana Barrier, which he had positioned between Jack and the slick man, with a smile ¡ª yet it remained untouched. It was a feint!


    The man spun around his own axis and used that velocity to continue his sprint towards Teo, who was staring at him in despair.


    Jack had never been his target in the first place. He just wanted Teo to waste his best shot to try and protect his friend so that he would be left defenseless himself. What a cunning plot.


    Now the slender man was fast approaching Teo, his sword thirsting for fresh blood.

 32 Angels Whisper 5

    A rusty sword was fast approaching his neck, and Teo had at most a few seconds to avoid it. Dodging wouldn''t be enough though, he would need to stop his opponent from chaining a deadly follow-up attack if he wanted to survive the encounter.


    With no time for even a flimsy Mana bolt or improvised shield, he would need to fall back to one of his contingency plans.


    Teo pulled out two spinning orbs of Mana from his hands, rotating in opposite directions.


    They were tiny with no time to charge them up and would do little more to Karl than throwing two raw eggs at him. He smiled ferociously, confident of his success.


    Yet Teo did not just throw them at him. He clapped his hands together, colliding the two spheres, while hurriedly dodging to the side and averting his eyes. A dazzling flash of light ensued and blinded Karl temporarily.


    This technique had been inspired by the basic principles of Light Magic, which they fortunately discussed in last year''s Elements class. The opposite flows of Mana would result in a rapid discharge of energy on collision, which was relatively harmless, yet very bright.


    Thanks to this unexpected diversion, his attacker could not adjust the trajectory of his sword and had to follow through with a blind slice towards Teo''s original position.


    However, Teo did not remain unaffected by it, even though his life had been saved, he was grazed by the tip of the sword and received a glaring cut on his left shoulder.


    Hurriedly he began to direct the Fire Element in his body against his own skin, cauterizing and disinfecting the wound at the same time.


    The practical courses of the third year put a heavy focus on the defensive and first-aid techniques that most Elements were capable of. Petrifying, freezing, or cauterizing fresh wounds was a great way to stop the bleeding and prevent infection, even if it hurt like hell, especially with Fire Magic.


    Teo knew that this was not the time for complaints though, so he tried to turn the tide and began to prepare a counterattack after putting a suitable distance between them.


    Teo needed to act quickly if he wanted to take advantage of his opponent''s dazed state and could only commit to a mediocre Mana Bolt. The substantial impact on the back seemed to have delivered some damage though.


    He also managed to reinforce the skin-tight Mana Barrier around his body, hopefully preventing wounds from light attacks in the future. With Karl''s vision returning, it was time for round two.


    Teo would now be able to fight on equal ground, without worrying about his friend too much.


    Due to his lack of ranged attacks, Karl could only charge face on into a barrage of lesser Mana Bolts, trying to cross the distance.


    He needed to dodge every last one of them, as Teo had focused his assault on the sensitive parts of his opponent, the hands, face, knees, and crotch, trying to incapacitate him ¡ª it was no time to play fair after all.


    Just as he slid underneath an incoming bolt aimed at his face, he pulled out a small danger from inside his mantle and threw it in one smooth motion. Who said that he lacked ranged techniques?


    Teo was flustered by the sudden turn of events but managed to react in time. Empowered by the thin Mana Barrier, he intercepted the deadly projectile with his hand, flicking it to the side.


    This was the only way to guarantee it would hit the exact point where he expected it too, and the area around his hands was the easiest to reinforce for him anyway. He just lost a second that he could have used to get in another attack.


    To best this opponent he would need to get just as crafty as him, and mercenaries tended to


    The small gap between them was closing, but Teo was already expecting him.


    It became increasingly harder to control Mana as it got farther from his body, making it almost impossible for him to redirect launched attacks. But he had still thought of a trick to catch his opponent off guard. Teo had already started to prepare the ingredients for it a while ago, and now was the time to put it into practice.


    After the short interruption, he launched a big but seemingly ordinary, spinning Magic Bolt at Karl''s face, which he naturally dodged without paying much attention to it. Such an obvious attack would not hit him in a hundred years.


    But of course, there was a catch.


    Invisible to the untrained eye, it was connected to Teo''s hand through a thick thread of Mana, which acted as a sort of remote control, almost like a more advanced version of a morning star ¡ªand naturally, he pulled it back with all his might.


    The spherical accumulation of Magic power rushed back silently and knocked into the scoundrel''s nape, just as he was about to swing his sword again, completely catching him off guard.


    It was a decently sized projectile made from compressed Mana, and the impact it generated on collision sent a shock running through the skinny man''s nervous system, rendering him unconscious instantly.


    One down, one to go, but the hardest part had already been accomplished.


    With the main character taken out of the picture, the boys teamed up and finished his obese henchmen with little effort. Now, he was unarmed and on his knees, begging for his life.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    "Ohh, pleashe don''t kill poor Jimmy! It washn''t my idea anyway. I jusht helped becaushe Karl''sh always sho shcary!" he protested dramatically, tears literally flowing in streams down his cheeks.


    At least the mystery of how he managed to survive so long with his mediocre skills was finally lifted, and the reason certainly was not his high sense of pride.


    "What should we do with him?" asked Jack, unsure about the right course of action given such a situation.


    "How am I supposed to know?! Can''t you just knock him out or something?" replied Teo surprised, he did not expect having to deal with such questions.


    And so they did. Jack had needed several tries to yield the desired effect though, he was still a child and lacking in power, while his target was at least five times more massive than him and crying the whole time...


    After freeing their former enemies of their weapons, the duo continued onwards on their journey to freedom.


    "Are you alright, Teo? That looks pretty bad," queried Jack while pointing at the burned incision under the ripped shirt on Teo''s upper arm, close to his shoulder.


    "I''m okay. It does hurt, but he just grazed me, I think." He covered the wound with his other hand and forced a smile. Damn! With the adrenaline slowly leaving his system, it really did hurt like hell now! But what could he do about it?


    "You better go see a healer after my dad saves us and brings us home," Jack said, full of conviction, still not doubting it.


    Teo gave him a sarcastic smile ¡ª a natural one, this time.


    "Then we better let him know where we are, don''t you think?" Teo retorted.


    "Good idea!" Jack was wearing his trademark, dazzling smile now. The stress and fear from the previous battle nowhere to be seen.


    After they left the antechamber of their former cell, they stepped into a narrow hallway, stretching towards both sides, illuminated by sporadic torch-holders on the walls.


    They decided to head left, as the right side led towards a dead-end, which could already be seen a short distance away.


    Not even a minute had passed, when they stumbled upon a small window in the upper section of the wall, through which the light of a few lonely stars and the barely visible crescent moon shined on them.


    "Can you lift me up there? This just might be our chance!" said Teo excitedly.


    Standing on the shoulders of his friend, he could now reach it and see the paved road it bordered on, as well as the clear night sky above it. However, the opening was way too small for them to fit through, and he could merely stick his arm out.


    But possibly it allowed him to complete one of their goals already.


    Teo took over half a minute to prepare and finally launched a sizeable ball of Mana towards the night sky, that flew higher and higher into the darkness.


    When it reached its apex, far above the adjacent roofs and trees, it exploded in a dazzling flash of blue light. It was a variation of the blinding technique he had used in the last battle, heavily influenced by the ''fireworks'' he had once seen.


    If they had not been noticed previously, they had been now, hopefully in a good way this time.


    The City at night was silent and dark. Such a distinct phenomenon was unlikely to go unnoticed, especially when their families were probably already searching for them.

 33 Angels Whisper 6

    The corridor was not excessively long, and after a few minutes of walking, they saw it opening up into a slightly larger hall. Carefully they sneaked towards the corner and took a peek at what lay ahead.


    A burly man was leisurely sitting in front of a worn-down table, rocking back and forth on his chair with his feet put onto the tabletop in a relaxed fashion. On the other side of the hall was a similar archway, probably the exit he guarded.


    The guard was playing with a small stack of silver coins, and on a shelf behind him rested a single blue-grey cube.


    ''Goliath!'' Teo almost cried out but managed to restrain himself from giving them away.


    He signaled Jack to follow him back towards the corridor and whispered to him:


    "We need to take out that guard!"


    Jack looked confused. "Why? wouldn''t it be easier to just sneak towards the other side?"


    "How confident are you in your sneaking ability then? We would literally pass by under his nose..." Teo said, trying to sound convincing.


    "Also... they took something important from me," he added truthfully after hesitating for a bit.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    "Alright, what''s the plan then?" Jack inquired vaguely, not asking for further details.


    "We will distract him and take him out in one fell swoop from behind while he doesn''t expect it!" said Teo with high confidence.


    "Well, that''s not even a real plan. How do you want to distract him anyway?" Jack retorted with furrowed brows.


    Teo smiled mischievously and said, "Leave that to me, just be ready when it''s time."


    They returned to the sheltered corner from where they could observe the hall safely and waited for the right moment to strike.


    Naturally, they did not just wait for a miracle to happen. Teo had already begun to imprint a message on a thin strand of Mana and sent it over to Goliath, who was resting motionless in the distance.


    ''Hey, Goliath! You hear me?'' he asked.


    ''Thank Anathor; it was time you got me out of here!'' Goliath replied almost instantly, sounding very relieved.


    ''We first need to take out that guard, can you lend us a hand?'' Teo transmitted with a chuckle.


    ''I''m almost out of Mana. I fear even a basic shield is beyond me before we meet up.'' Now he just sounded depressed. He felt like his immediate rescue had been postponed for a week due to his own incompetence.


    ''Don''t worry, you just have to distract him, and we will take care of the rest. Try making a sound or something,'' Teo tried to reassure him.


    Teo looked at Jack and gave him a quick nod, silently notifying him of the approaching chance ¡ªthey were ready.


    ***


    Ragnar was leisurely sitting in front of a spacious desk, rocking back and forth on his chair, his feet comfortably lodged on the tabletop.


    This job had turned out better than expected.


    The pay was excellent considering the small amount of work he did, and he could even keep the loot from the additional brat he had brought in, which was a further plus, especially for his finances.


    The only problem was... that it was fricking boring here. There was nothing to do at all. He had already counted his profits six times and eventually got bored of even his most favorite pass time.


    He had spent so much time picking his nose tonight, it probably hadn''t been this clean in years!


    When he was silently dozing off, his eyes still half-open, but his mind already hazy, he saw something unusual.


    A cold, blue light was illuminating the uneven cobblestones on the walls and the ceiling, even overshadowing the few torches that hang around the hall.


    ''Am I already dreaming or was the last cup of grog too much after all?!'' he asked himself in a disoriented state, staring at the glowing light around him.


    As he sobered up from his short daze, he quickly looked around for the source of the weird phenomenon. And he found it, in the shape of a small rock-cube laying behind him.


    "Screw ma grandma, what is that?" he exclaimed in surprise.


    He had thought that it was just a useless rock. A bit polished, yes, but probably just the weird toy of a rich brat. It wasn''t even that pretty.


    Now, however, it was glowing like a small, blue sun! There was definitely Magic in play here, and even the most ordinary Artifact sold for a small fortune.


    He slowly walked towards it and greedily reached out his hand. He only had eyes for this cube of pure gold now.


    *Bamm!*


    When he was just a few centimeters from touching it, he suddenly felt a stinging pain in the back of his head, and his vision turned black. He could not reach it, after all.


    ***


    "Keep your dirty hands off my friend!" shouted Teo angrily.


    "He did not really get that close to me, you know?" said Jack, confused.


    "Ahh, yes. Of course," Teo said hurriedly in a low voice, embarrassed by the fact that he had almost revealed his biggest secret.


    "Alright, let''s go. We need to get out of here." Teo quickly changed the topic and stuffed the things on the table and the shelves into his pockets.


    Finally, he had been reunited with Goliath, had gotten most of his stuff back, and even had a rusty sword to protect himself with. They had come a long way from helplessly being stuffed into a dirty cell.


    After they had left the hall through the only exit in high spirits, they could already smell the fresh air from outside; it could not be far anymore.


    They passed by several smaller rooms and passages, but no one else bothered them.


    The building complex they were walking in was old, poorly constructed, and in steep contrast to the typical architecture of the region. It was a rare sight in a town like Sigella, which was famous for its impressive and modern townscape.


    After passing one last corner, they could finally see the exit in the shape of a large gateway, which was just waiting for them to pass through. They pushed open the large wooden gate, and they were free at last.


    "I told you I would get us out of there safely. It was almost a bit too easy, hahaha-!" Teo voiced his thoughts jovially but was interrupted by Jack at the last moment.


    "Watch out!" he cried and pushed Teo to the side, almost causing him to fall to the ground.


    "Hey, what''s gotten into you all of a sudden?" Teo threw back, annoyed, but when he waited for an answer, there was none.


    He straightened his posture again and turned around to face his friend, just in time to see him fall to the ground, a long, black arrow plunged into his chest.

 34 Angels Whisper 7

    His mind was blank.


    Teo was helplessly staring at the body of his friend, lying on the ground like trash.


    What had he done?!


    This was his fault!


    If he had not insisted on escaping, this would have never happened!


    If they had just waited for help patiently after sending the distress signal, everything would have been alright!


    If he had been a little less confident and just paid a bit more attention, it would not have ended like this!


    Something in his mind broke.


    He ignored the panicked messages from Goliath, trying to pull him back to reality, and sunk into deep sorrow.


    No... anger!


    He did not hurt Jack, ''they'' did!


    What had they ever done to deserve this? Who had they offended for this to happen?


    This was not fair!


    Riddled with self-doubt, guilt, and uncontrollable anger, his mind could not handle the sudden influx of extreme emotions and frothed over.


    A violent maelstrom of Mana and Fire Elements manifested around him and ravaged the surrounding area, only leaving the space around Jack untouched.


    He would find whoever was responsible for this!


    ''Calm down, boy! Please!'' Goliath tried to reign him in again, his voice barely more than a whisper to Teo right now.


    ''He is still breathing! If you go on a rampage now, he will die for sure!'' Goliath screamed with all his might, trying to get through Teo''s mental defenses.


    "What?!" Teo said, surprised. This message finally made it through to him.


    ''You need to get down there and stop the bleeding! Now!'' Goliath literally screamed directly into his mind.


    Teo was still not completely clear-headed right now, but he was not about to lose control anymore. He hurriedly bent down to his friend and checked on his wound.


    Jack had taken the full brunt of the shot in his stead and was severely wounded, but he was still breathing, if only shallowly. With the arrow still in place, blocking most of the wounded blood vessels, he only had to cauterize the edges and soon managed to slow down the bleeding significantly.


    It must have been incredibly painful, yet Jack did not even twitch, he was clearly unconscious.


    "Hehehe, did you think you could just leave like that?! Ruining my brilliant plan?" a lean man in a black mantle cackled as he slowly stepped closer towards them.


    He had a sickly pale complexion, and from his wrinkly scalp hung a few dirty swaths of dark hair, resembling the leaves of wilted cabbages.


    "No one can leave before my perfect revenge is complete! The trap is almost set up too! Hehe." The man continued to talk to himself while caressing a large Arbalest in his arms. Clearly, he was responsible for the earlier shot. Unforgivable!


    The tornado of energy surrounding Teo had not vanished entirely and picked up speed once again, causing a looming sense of danger to creep up in anyone sane watching it. However, the man before him fell not into that category.


    ''Be careful! I can sense another one hiding in the shadows!'' Goliath made himself noticed again, providing vital information for Teo.


    By now, the scrawny man had already finished cocking another bolt, took aim at Teo, and fired. Apparently, he was done wasting words now and ready for action, but so was Teo.


    He swung his rusty sword, covered in a blaze of red and blue swirls, directly disintegrating the projectile midair, turning it into a haze of splinters. It did not pose much of a threat to him when he was expecting it.


    He readied himself for a charge, but before he could even take off, he felt Goliath sharing the sensation of something approaching from behind. He spun around in a smooth motion and let his sword clash with an incoming dagger, targeting his neck.


    He must have looked like a supremely talented swordsman right now, feeling his opponent''s killing intent on his back, yet it was only through Goliath, that he had a second pair of eyes. His natural intuition was quite weak, and if not for that crucial piece of information, he would have met a quick demise just now.


    The new arrival appeared to be a skilled assassin from his dress up and the fact that he sprang at Teo''s back with a dagger at the first opportunity that presented itself. Probably he was part of the trap which the crazy man had talked about.


    He would have to deal with both of them if he wanted to leave this place in one piece and unskewered.


    Teo tried to use the Mana around his sword to surround and take control of his opponent''s weapon, but it was met by a swift flow of dark energy that canceled the effect instantly.


    ''Great. A Magic-User was just what I needed now,'' he thought bitterly.


    Teo was fueled by anger and determination, so he was not about to give up due to a minor complication, yet he was conscious enough to realize the dire situation they had been maneuvered into.


    He gripped his sword with both hands, so tight that his knuckles turned white, and pushed through with his strike, blasting the assassin a few meters away. He had put his whole cacophony of emotions into that, trying to buy himself a few seconds.


    This time window was all he needed. Teo hungrily grasped as much Mana as he could and compressed it into a deadly sphere, even incorporating the Fire Element into it to increase its explosive might.


    It was an unusually quick task, as he was surrounded by a blazing storm of Mana anyway and had Goliath trying his best to support his endeavor.


    The Golem was easy to go unnoticed since he did not do anything flashy usually, but he played a huge role behind the scenes. Gathering Mana, weaving spells, compressing elemental energies, these were all tasks that he could and would help Teo with, increasing his capabilities and efficiency dramatically.


    Before the assassin could strike again, the orb of destruction was already flying towards his employer, reminding him why he was a strict advocate of payment in advance.


    Unfortunately, the man was not wholly self-absorbed and managed to defend himself somehow. He intercepted the attack with the sizeable ranged weapon in his hands, turning it into a splintered mess, before he sailed dramatically through the air, only slightly injured though.


    Either the hard landing on a nearby wall or the second one on the ground seemed to have knocked him out cold, as he did not continue moving afterward.


    Teo clicked his tongue but did not have the time to pursue the matter further right now, he literally had a professional assassin on his heels.

 35 Angels Whisper 8

    Sparks flew through the air and illuminated the night as metal ground on metal. Teo and the unknown assassin were embroiled in a heated exchange of blows, which none of them seemed to dominate.


    Owing to his small stature, Teo held the natural disadvantage strength-wise, but wielding the longer weapon and empowering himself with Magic, he somehow managed to counter the attacks with almost equal blows.


    To his great relief, he did not have to defend himself from repeated assaults of Darkness Magic. In fact, his assailant seemed to be rather untrained in the magical arts even though he possessed some talent.


    He only managed to perform a few miserly tricks, which Teo did not fall for. On the other hand, it posed a severe problem to Teo that his opponent could neutralize or dissipate many of his spells with his dark Magic.


    He clearly knew how to defend himself and probably even had some experience fighting against other Magic-Users.


    Teo tried to limit his mobility with a barrage of Magic Bolts, but he was too fast for him to keep up with. Only after switching to several weaker, but more annoying Mana Whips did he manage to hinder his enemy somewhat.


    Slowly the cuts, burns, and abrasions accumulated on the man''s body, his dark hood already in tatters, revealing his masked face underneath.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    However, Teo took his fair share of beating too. His shirt had been torn to shreds, and many Magic empowered hits even managed to get through his barrier, covering his body in shallow cuts and lacerations.


    Right now, he did not feel anything though. He just pounded his sword onto his attacker with all his might, releasing all of the pent up emotions in the process while screaming savagely.


    They seemed to be equally matched and quickly exhausted one another.


    Not only was Teo''s stamina almost depleted, even the pool of Mana he could draw from had been nearly exhausted. Still, it could not look too different on the assassin''s side, bringing both of them to their wit''s end.


    It was no easy task to drain Teo of his Mana since he could use his own, unusually large Mana pool, as well as the naturally occurring Mana flow of his surroundings. Yet


    Since Teo also had to make up for their difference in physical strength with his Magic, he had burned himself out much faster than usual.


    Teo had long overexerted his temporary strength caused by his outburst of emotions; he was simply tired now and did not feel much of anything else anymore.


    The assassin was not as fortunate and soon found himself wound up with an enemy that he could neither take out quickly nor disengage safely.


    Eventually, he made a slight blunder due to his exhausted state ¡ªassassins were not commonly known for their superior stamina as they tended to focus on short burst attacks and hit and run tactics.


    Teo managed to catch him with several Mana tendrils and used the opportunity to chop savagely at the extended arm, which he could reach in time, almost cleaving it in two. He did not manage to sever it entirely, but it was still unlikely that the assassin could use it again anytime soon.


    After the assassin distanced himself a few steps, he noticed a violent tornado of Mana circling around Teo and the vicious, bloodthirsty look in the boy''s eyes.


    ''That''s not a child. It''s a demon!'' the masked man thought and quickly decided to flee as fast as he could.


    The boy seemed to have much of his reserves left in the tank, yet he had been running on fumes for a while now. He did want to honor the codex, but his life came first. He hurriedly dashed away, climbed an adjacent building with a few steps, and disappeared into the darkness of the night with one last jump, his badly mangled arm hanging limply at his side.


    "Haaaa..." Teo let out the air he had squeezed into his lungs with a long sigh and stumbled forward weakly. Unable to grip his sword any longer, it clattered onto the ground noisily, and Teo almost followed it, only catching his balance in the last moment.


    Luckily his bluff had worked. He was even more exhausted than the assassin and was only kept going by his trained willpower and his strong determination to survive.


    He suffered from a splitting headache caused by the blatant overexertion of his Mana, and all the muscles in his body felt like tearing apart with every minor movement he made. And that was without taking his injuries into account.


    Teo continued to catch his breath for a few seconds when he suddenly received a sense of incoming danger from Goliath.


    Using the very last drops of Mana that he could squeeze out of himself, he formed a small barrier, barely the size of a shield, and turned around.


    *Dang*


    A thin stiletto collided with the barrier and was knocked away by the impact. When Teo saw the scrawny man in front of him who had shot Jack, his anger flared up again. Only this time, he had no fuel left to burn.


    Before he could even react and move his sluggish body, Teo received a brutal kick against his kneecap, which gave way with a loud cracking noise.


    "Ahhhhhh!" he screamed, the pain clouding his senses. He had not expected the sudden assault just when he had considered himself safe. Teo had almost forgotten about the man after knocking him out, something he deeply regretted now.


    Without losing any unnecessary words, the man threw himself with outstretched arms at the boy who now lay helplessly on the ground. He was ready to strangle and squeeze the life out of this nuisance.


    Teo could not think clearly at this moment, but Goliath was silently calculating their odds with mechanical calmness. In the blink of an eye, he had already materialized the enchanted dagger from inside his storage space right on top of Teo''s palm, who instinctively grasped it with all his might as soon as he felt the familiar, ice-cold sensation of metal touching skin.


    Without even looking, Teo stabbed the weapon towards the approaching man in a desperate attempt to defend himself.


    Yet the expected pain and suffocation did not follow. Instead, it was a soft impact on his whole body and a warm shower of thick liquid that covered his face and chest completely.


    When he opened his eyes, he saw the crazed and shocked expression in the man''s eyes, a rapid stream of blood gushing from his neck where Teo''s dagger was still deeply embedded.


    He instantly let go of the weapon and tried to crawl out from under the collapsed man, trembling and crying the whole time.

 36 Another Day

    Teo awoke to the sight of an empty wooden ceiling, something he did not yet manage to get used to. Busy voices and the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the shut, but very thin door, which cut the small room off from the rest of the clinic.


    Apparently, he had been here for almost a week now, just that he could not remember most of it.


    After getting rescued by one of the groups of guards who had been sent out to comb the area, he had fallen into a deep sleep, or rather, into a coma, presumably from stress and exhaustion.


    He only woke up yesterday around lunchtime, much to the surprise of the nurse that was trying to change his bandages at the time.


    Goliath, on the other hand, was still out cold, due to expending too much of his internal Mana.


    Teo had not been injured that gravely, apart from his leg, and had not been in a life-threatening condition when he was brought in. Still, his sudden coma had caused quite the ruckus and got the medical staff worried over the boy.


    His condition was still much better than Jack''s though, even if the spunky boy had regained consciousness much faster than him. His friend was currently lying in another room close by, the best healers of the town working tirelessly to improve his condition.


    The arrow that impaled Jack''s chest had caused a lot of damage to the surrounding tissue, and even though it did miss most of his vital organs, the severe blood loss, as well as a pierced lung, were still far from harmless.


    It had taken days for him to be declared stable again, and it would take a long time for him to regain his former strength and mobility.


    Shortly after regaining consciousness, Teo had been interrogated by an attendant from the Sigella Town Guard Headquarters, who was tasked with recreating the events of that fateful night.


    There was not much that Teo could hide, given the surprising amount of evidence lying around the place and the clear marks of battle, which no one had the time to erase. He did try his best to play down his feats and make everything less dramatic than it was, yet the devastation that had been left in his path made his words somewhat unbelievable, which earned him the secret admiration of the guards and medical staff alike.


    Officially the information was on lockdown, unsuitable for public display, and potentially even harmful for Teo''s future development. However, this did nothing to stop the small talk from going on behind closed doors, and soon the whole medical ward was fond of the tiny hero who had valiantly saved his friend from mortal danger.


    Something that could not have disgusted Teo more.


    He was no hero.


    Teo had not forgotten even a second of that day and could do naught but blame himself for it ¡ª all of it.


    He had taken it too lightly before. Everything. Even their own lives.


    How could he be so unresponsible? How could he just trust in fate and that everything would just magically work out in exactly the right way?


    He just had to stumble forward without a care in the world, and everything would be fine... right?


    Had he really been so stupid?


    Had he really been so blind?


    They could have both died that night. Many times over.


    If even a tiny part had been slightly different... Had they dodged a bit more slowly, even a single time...


    They would have been dead now.


    It was not some distant concept, not a possibility. It was close and real. It was a fact.


    Teo did not want to think about it, unable to stomach the possible consequences of his own actions, yet this was what kept him awake at night; what haunted his dreams when he eventually did fall asleep.


    Death. He had never really thought about it. What it meant.


    What it REALLY meant.


    Teo looked at his own hands, his palms outstretched in front of him; shivering.


    He could still feel the blood on them. Covering his body. His face. He could taste it.


    He had never felt this unclean in his entire life. It was a weird, indescribable feeling, making him sick when he thought about it for too long.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    He, Teo Grassdown, 9 years of age, had killed a man that night. Another human. A living, breathing, thinking, and feeling being.


    He curled up like a shrimp on his minimalistic bed and wept silently, complex emotions slowly eating away at his mind.


    There was a knock on the door.


    Two short, gentle yet powerful knocks, signaled the arrival of a visitor.


    Teo hurriedly wiped away his tears and fixed his blanket to look somewhat proper, then he answered in a slightly hoarse voice,


    "Come in!"


    A tall and muscular man stepped into the room with wide strides, flaming red hair that almost reached down to his shoulders framed his rustic face in a manly fashion.


    "You must be Teo. Good to finally see you awake," he said with a broad smile.


    Teo had never seen the man so far, yet he was obviously dressed in military fashion, clearly not a doctor, and his smiling face did show a slight resemblance to a particular friend of his.


    While Teo was still mustering the new arrival, the man introduced himself in a loud voice and offered him a huge, calloused hand.


    "I have come here several times when you were still unconscious, but this is the first time we officially meet. I am Allvar Jumpheart, acting Commander of the Town Guard Brigade, as well as Jack''s old man."


    Teo tried to reciprocate the firm handshake but could just not muster any strength yet. He could also not help but be impressed by the Commander''s aura. He was clearly very charismatic and would leave a deep impression on anyone he met.


    "In the name of the whole city... or rather, as a father, I want to thank you!"


    Before he could react, the stately soldier had already bowed so low that Teo was afraid he would accidentally hit his head on the nearby nightstand.


    He tried to sit up into a more appropriate posture to stop Allvar from acting so exaggeratedly, but the stabbing pain radiating from his splintered knee stopped him after a short jerk.


    "I have done nothing you should thank me for," Teo said dispirited, and averted his eyes, staring blankly at an empty wall on the other side of the room.


    Allvar smirked knowingly and did not intend to continue poking in open wounds. He had years of experience dealing with crime and tragedy, enabling him to somewhat reconstruct the mental state the boy in front of him was trapped in.


    "You did much more than anyone could have asked for. What happened is not your responsibility; it is but my own failure!" he put on a serious expression and voiced his honest opinion in front of Teo. Then Allvar put one of his large paws onto Teo''s arm and continued,


    "It may sound harsh to you now, but a life taken in self-defense is a life of someone precious saved. I cannot tell you that you will ever forget it, but it will get easier, and it has not been in vain."

 37 Healing

    "With this, the matter should be finally over. I can only repeat how sorry I am. Without my oversight, none of this would have happened," Commander Allvar said in an upright, yet regretful voice. He had specifically come to pick up Teo from school today to inform him of the latest news.


    The masked assassin he had fought was caught last night and had been promptly executed without much of a trial.


    Apparently, this had all been part of some desperate revenge plot an escaped criminal had tried to set up for Jack''s father, but Teo did not care about the why anymore. He was sick of that question.


    "Well, I won''t bother you any more than necessary. Greet Jack for me, will you?" the Commander grinned and hopped off the carriage. He still had work to do near the town center and could not follow Teo to the hospital, even though he probably would have liked to.


    "Thank you, Mr. Jumpheart. I will."


    Teo performed a slight bow and bid the man farewell politely.


    Some time had passed since the incident, and some of his scars had healed, mentally, and physically. Others had not.


    Teo''s leg was still wrapped up like a dumpling, supported by a solid scaffolding to prevent any mishaps.


    It did not hurt as much anymore, and the healing was making good progress due to his extraordinary physique, he just hated to stumble around on crutches and could not wait to


    Apparently, the constant Mana compression and supercharging over the years had improved the natural enrichment process of his body just as intended.


    He had initially thought of it as pointless babble, but by now, he could already see its effects in action. Shallow wounds and abrasions healed in barely half the time it took a healthy youth, and his broken bones mended themselves at an extraordinary rate. He even had to lie to the healers during checkups, concealing his progress so as not to draw too much attention on himself.


    Naturally, a gruesome injury such as this still took a tremendous time to fully heal and severely handicapped Teo in his daily life.


    But there was good news too.


    Jack''s condition had improved continuously over the last month, and it was not long before he would finally be discharged. He must have gotten quite rusty from all the rest.


    Goliath had also woken up around two weeks ago and had asked a lot of questions, once again stirring up all the emotions inside Teo. He was forced to relive that night again.


    The small Golem had spent a lot of effort on consoling Teo since then, trying to reassure him that it was not his fault, that he had done nothing wrong ¡ª but it was too little, too late.


    Of course, it was not his fault. He knew that. Teo did not blame him, nor was he angry at him for any reason. It was merely a fact that Goliath had been unable to soften the blow which his young mind had suffered from.


    His "new" family had been just as useless. They had tried to be there for him, at least some of them, but it was just not the same. There was still an unbridgeable distance of some sort between them.


    And meeting his parents... Teo did not dare to right now. He just couldn''t.


    They had been informed of his injury, of course, but Teo had literally begged his grandfather to leave out how exactly it happened ¡ª he feared, they might not take it well.


    The carriage stopped abruptly, and from the small window, Teo could already see the large building he frequented lately.


    He got off with the help of his driver, Phillip, and walked towards the entrance on his wooden crutches.


    This was the largest and maybe even the only real clinic in Sigella. Of course, there were other healers, but many chose to work alone from home, opening their shabby huts at the edge of the forest for the treatment of patients.


    It was the traditional way. In a certain sense, it was the clinic that was weirdly out of place here.


    The Association had revolutionized and changed many aspects of daily life in the last hundred years. The establishment and promotion of public schools, clinics, and bathhouses in most major cities was a radically new approach to providing infrastructure that improved the lives of many people significantly.


    Of course, "public" had to be taken with a pinch of salt since most faculties still demanded compensation for the operating cost, but considering the previous system, it was already a fantastic achievement.


    As soon as Teo hopped through the door, he had already caught the eye of the female receptionist who was an especially big fan of his.


    "Oh good day, little Mr. Grassdown. Here to visit your friend again, are we?" she said with a bright smile shining from ear to ear.


    Gossip came as second nature to this lively, middle-aged women, and she was especially fond of this small patient standing in front of her. His dramatic and tragic backstory was just to her taste, bringing her close to tears every time she thought about it.


    "Good afternoon, Theresa. How is Jack doing today?" replied Teo amiably when he finally reached the counter. He could not stand the women, but it brought no benefit to offend her unnecessarily.


    "Same old, same old. He is being taken good care of; if you know what I mean," the lady said and gave him a wink.


    Teo did not know what she meant.


    He chose to abstain from further questions though, and passed straight through the white door beside her desk, entering the patient''s ward.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    It was a pretty modern facility, practicing traditional Light Magic, Herbology, and Medicine. They even had their own research unit to explore possible new treatments. In fact, less than half of the building was open for patients and even less for visitors.


    The scarcity of healers with a strong Light Element Affinity had always been a problem when treating the sick, and Herbology had been the only affordable solution for most people, even given its low effectivity when used as the sole method of treatment.


    After the rise of the Association, they had heavily supported the study of medicine and the other disciplines of what they called "science", and it spread over the continent like wildfire.


    Healers began to study new unmagical ways of treatment, the makeup of the human body, and how the various herbs and diseases affected it. The number of lives it must have saved over the years is probably uncountable.


    After passing through a long and sparsely decorated corridor, Teo finally stood in front of Jack''s room. Number 143, yes, this was it. He gently knocked on the door and waited for an answer.


    "Come in!" Jack''s voice came from the other side of the door.


    "Well, if it isn''t my brother and savior. How was school today?" Jack said enthusiastically when Teo stepped into the small room.


    Words like these still felt like burning needles digging into his skin, especially when they came from Jack himself, but Teo did not move a muscle on his face. Instead, he equipped a compelling smile and reciprocated the greeting. He had already become accustomed to it.


    "Same as always. I brought you some of your favorite pastries today. You know, the ones with the meat filling," Teo said and put a small bag onto the table.


    Angelika, who sat on a simple stool beside Jack''s bed, greeted him as well. It seemed like she had been here for a while. This would at least explain why she had not been in school for the last two subjects.


    "Hi, Teo. How is your leg doing?" she asked with her sweet voice while giving him a caring look.


    "Still broken, but I think it''s getting better," he replied.


    The mood between the three had taken on a slightly awkward undertone since the unfortunate incident.


    Jack did not put too much thought into it. He was just extremely grateful to Teo for saving his life and hovered on cloud nine most of the time as Angelika would take care of him a lot.


    Teo, on the other hand, was still fighting with his feelings of guilt, which were only aggravated further by every word of gratitude coming from Jack, as well as the general lingering fear of death and emptiness. Unable to share his burden with anyone, he just continued to build walls around himself.


    Meanwhile, Angelika was caught up in between the two and was just trying to patch things up and make it how it had been before. She would always worry about the boy''s health and try to lighten up the mood ¡ªwith little success.

 38 The Forest 1

    Another month passed and Teo''s leg was almost fully healed by now. It still was not as good as new, but he could walk just fine now and knew to appreciate his regained mobility.


    Everything went its usual way, yet Teo still felt different. Changed, somehow. Even after Jack had gotten discharged and started coming to school again, they did not spend as much time together as they used to. There was this... something, between them.


    They were still best friends, at least Teo did not really have many other friends, but Teo preferred to spend much of his time alone now. Of course, Goliath would not leave his side, but that was something completely different.


    Contrary to the expectations of his family, he performed very well in school lately, and naturally even better in Enchanting. Apparently, he was channeling his stress and frustration into studying and practice, which may not be very healthy, but definitely very effective.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    Right now, Teo was heading through the thick underbrush of Thorn Forest. To be more specific, through the branch of the forest right behind the family mansion. He was not sure, when exactly he had started to come here, but it had become a habit of his for sure.


    When Teo was younger he had already liked to explore the outer stretches, as any curious child would, but lately, he had been heading in deeper and deeper, often spending hours on his trips.


    He had followed a worn-out path from the mansion to the east and headed into the thick of the forest from there. After a while, he separated from the trail that lead further ahead to the quarters of the nearby woodchopper camp and cut his own path through the vegetation.


    Teo was looking for a runlet of water he had found on a previous expedition. It was not easily found though and he had only stumbled upon it by pure chance back then. The small stream lead around one mile to the northeast, where it originated from a freshwater spring that had expanded into a little pond over the years.


    The pond was located right in the middle of a small clearing and housed numerous water lilies and mysterious fish. The area around it was both spacious enough to move unhindered and discreetly sheltered by thick blackberry bushes and various trees on all sides. It was the perfect place to try out new techniques, far from prying eyes, as well as the only place where he did not have to hold himself back.


    If he were to find some valuable herbs on the way that would just be an added bonus.


    Thorn Forest was a literal treasure trove of plant life and lured a great number of adventurers into its depths every day. Some made it back, a few richer than ever, others were not as lucky.


    Since the different herbs had a wide range of functions and uses in Herbology, Alchemy, and even Enchanting, they had learned to classify and categorize the most common ones in school.


    Teo finally found the stream after a bit of searching and followed it to the northeast, the most incompletely mapped part of the forest. The overgrown forest tended to lead inexperienced adventurers in circles, but thanks to Goliath''s inherent sense of magnetic fields he did not have to rely on luck to find his way.


    Teo also was not afraid of the wild animals he could encounter here, a stray wolf would not pose much of a challenge to him anymore and it was pretty unlikely to encounter a real magical beast in the vicinity of the city.


    If he marched a few dozen kilometers deeper into the forest or tried to cross over the Black Mountain Range that was a different story though. There were even stories about Dragons, Griffins and other legendary creatures, who no one was sure if they really existed or not, making their nests on the sharp cliffs and volcanoes of that hazardous place.


    After the short trip, Teo incinerated the last patch of Thorn bushes blocking the way and entered the clearing around the spring, which was as fragrant and rich in flowers as always.


    ''I can''t point out why exactly, but I am getting a strange feeling from this place. Every time we come here I feel... comfortable; it''s hard to explain,'' Goliath transmitted the same thought to him, he had voiced every single time they entered this natural cove, deep inside the forest.


    "That''s still not very surprising. I told you before, look around! This place is full of flowers and buzzing insects, it''s beautiful! Just look at the rich Mana suffusing the place, who would feel uncomfortable here?" Teo said cheerfully. He really liked this particular clearing. Just like Goliath he could feel some kind of unexplainable connection to this place.


    Goliath materialized and stretched himself out, he did not get many chances to walk around on his own and he was not about to waste this one. The Mana really was dense here, able to fully support him without the need to hold himself back. Meanwhile, Teo sat down on a large rock and eagerly dug into the provisions he had taken from his backpack.


    Naturally, Goliath was not appeased by Teo''s childish explanation and sniffed around the place on his own, while the boy was still busy with his metabolism. He had found nothing so far, even though he had been looking around every time they came here, something was bothering him about the place. He would always look into the depths of the pond for a while, unable to see its bottom, but always decided against taking a closer look. He would sink like a stone after all. He had even analyzed the water several times and had found nothing special except for it''s high Mana content.


    Teo stowed away the leftovers of his abundant lunch-box and watched amusedly as Goliath ran around the place like a curious child. It was time to train now.


    He had quickly recognized the potential of the place when he first set foot in its vicinity. The naturally Mana-rich environment made it a lot easier to compress Mana and grow his core while supercharging. The clear and unusually Mana-rich Water was what got him to follow the stream towards its origin in the first place.


    When training here, he would be able to achieve a lot more in the same amount of time, making the effort it took to get here more than worth it.


    After diligently training every day for several years, Teo had managed to grow his Mana Core considerably and it was slowly approaching the proportions of one of his small fists. Recently it had become a lot harder to grow it further though.


    It would still willingly take in all the Fire Elemental threads it could get, but it was becoming harder and harder to squeeze additional Mana into it. Teo had even discovered, that Mana Threads under a certain compression rate could no longer be incorporated into the core at all.


    Only special places like this, possessing exceptional Mana density, would allow for further improvements.


    Teo spent around 3 hours training, until he was completely exhausted. Not only did he work on his foundations in this time, he even practiced new and old combat techniques and the set of sword skills his grandfather had taught him.


    Alternating between mental and physical tasks, he did not stop until he felt himself nearing his limit in both aspects.


    He splashed some of the crystal-clear and ice-cold spring water onto his face and then took a huge gulp with both hands. It was incredibly refreshing.


    Not only because of its temperature or even the fact that Teo was really thirsty, he felt like it could refresh his spirit and renew his vigor with a single sip.


    The effect was not big, but his Mana and stamina really did regenerate somewhat faster than usual and after less than an hour he felt eager to go for another round.


    Of course, he knew better than to lose himself in training and still remembered his obligations. If he wanted to make it in time for dinner he would need to head home soon.


    Teo had not left the spring for long however, when he heard several indistinct voices from a distance. Someone seemed to be shouting from at least several hundred meters away.


    That was all it took for his natural curiosity to take over and he quickly decided to take a small detour.

 39 The Forest 2

    Teo was making good progress, and the voices became increasingly more distinct. He could even make out the occasional ringing of colliding metal now.


    He was close.


    After a few more minutes, he was approaching a relatively bright clearing, illuminated by the fading afternoon sun; he would need to get even closer to see anything, though.


    ''Careful now. I can sense some pretty strong Magic Waves spreading out from over there. Maybe we should go back before we end up tangled in this mess,'' Goliath advised in his usual melodic voice.


    ''I just want to take a peek real quick. We are downwind from the clearing, and I don''t think anyone has noticed us yet,'' Teo said unconvinced.


    Curiosity was a force to be reckoned with, and as long as he did not forget to prioritize his safety, they would probably be fine. After all, judging from the noise, whoever was in that clearing


    As stealthily as he could, Teo slowly crawled forward and used the abundant underbrush as cover. When he finally reached the edge of the clearing, he almost couldn''t believe his eyes.


    Three tall men were standing some distance away, another two lay motionless on the ground, and a huge, black hound stood opposite them, staring maliciously at the group of humans with anger burning in its red eyes.


    The beast stood over a meter tall and was at least three times as long; dark miasma swirled around it, and saliva dripped from its curved fangs ¡ª this was definitely no ordinary wolf.


    ''Please tell me you know what that is?'' Teo asked his partner in a slightly worried fashion.


    ''If you had spent more time in the library, I would not even have to tell you,'' Goliath complained, but quickly delivered a satisfying answer nonetheless:


    ''That''s a Barghest, a low-level Magical Beast.''


    ''A Magical Beast?!'' Teo was shocked. Of course, it did not look like any animal he had ever seen, but what was a Magical Beast doing this close to the city?


    ''They use Darkness Magic to conceal themselves as well as to supplement their physical attacks. They are quite abundant deeper in the forest. Still, it is truly inconceivable to find an adult one so close to the edge of the forest,'' Goliath explained in his soothing voice, uncaring for Teo''s shocked expression.


    Letting Goliath copy almost the whole family library had proven to be an excellent idea, even if it had taken up a considerable amount of time. Scanning an entire book took him barely a minute, yet this could still amount to a lot when several thousand books were taken into account.


    Teo''s attention was entirely focused on the Barghest now, as it savagely jumped at one of the adventurers and knocked him back. Both sides seemed to be heavily wounded, but the beast still had the upper hand.


    None of the adventurers used Magic, but all seemed extremely skilled with whatever weapon they used, and they somehow managed to keep the beast at bay. For now. The two dead bodies lying near the center of the clearing spoke volumes about the sacrifices this battle had already demanded.


    Teo closely watched the confrontation with great interest and quickly noticed, that the beast was behaving slightly odd.


    Even though it seemed to wield the advantage, it did not act as aggressively as it could have, choosing to fall back to the same point again and again, instead of pressing forward to slaughter the human offenders.


    Further observation also revealed the likely reason for this behavior ¡ª it was trying to protect something.


    When the Barghest pounced on the nearest adventurer again and was intercepted by a huge shield, Teo could see something small and golden-colored laying in the grass behind it.


    It looked very fluffy, and from its stocky body grew four limb-like protrusions. The golden fluffball seemed to struggle in an attempt to get away, yet it was connected to the ground through a brown vine and could only move in a small circle around the point where it was anchored.


    ''Isn''t that... a Scythian lamb?!'' Teo exclaimed astonished over their mind-link.


    ''It sure looks like one,'' Goliath assessed emotionlessly.


    ''Aren''t they supposed to only grow in the heart of the forest, where the Magic is strongest?'' Teo tried again, hoping to get a more useful answer or at least a proper reaction out of his walking library.


    ''Supposed to, yes. But apparently, no. This would explain what a Magical Beast is doing here, however. Normally a low-rank Magical Beast like this would not be able to compete for such nutritious prey.''


    This explanation cleared a lot of Teo''s doubts and made his eyes burn with desire. This one was considered a very rare herb, and he would not get another chance to snatch another one anytime soon.


    ''So, if we are not leaving, shouldn''t we help those adventurers or something?'' Goliath queried, trying to understand Teo''s motive for hiding on the sidelines like this.


    ''Just a bit longer, I think they will give up and run soon,'' Teo replied hesitatingly and continued to observe the battle going on in the clearing.


    The group of adventurers were using a basic combat formation and seemed to each specialize in a different role: attacking, tanking, cutting, blunt attacks ¡ªinitially, they even had a ranger with them¡ª a healthy setup for a small party like this. Yet they had bitten off more than they could chew and were hopelessly overpowered by their feral opponent, something that not even excellent teamwork could change.


    It did not take long for the situation to escalate further. While the group was trying to retreat from the clearing and escape into the forest, their shield-bearing defender stumbled over a thick root and fell to the ground. A fatal mistake. Not for him, though, as the large tower shield protected him even in this embarrassing position, but his teammates were left unprotected in the meantime.


    Not letting the sudden opportunity slip through its claws, the canine beast dashed towards the next best target, a slender man who wielded a long spear, and pushed its unexpecting victim to the ground effortlessly. With a swift motion, it ripped out his throat before anyone could react to the sudden development. Fresh blood sprayed everywhere.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    "JEAN! Damn it! We need to get out of here! NOW!" a tall man with a thin mustache shouted, his voice audibly laced with fear.


    Teo averted his eyes and looked to the ground. His vision was shaking, and a suffocating feeling of sickness rose up from his stomach. He had done it again. He could have helped them, but¡­ who could expect a sudden twist of fate like this?! They had almost successfully retreated after all, but¡­ No!


    Teo forcefully shut his eyes and bit his lower lip until a slight trickle of blood flowed from his mouth, then he took a deep breath and opened his eyes again, determination evident in them. Why should he care about them? He did not lead them into this situation! It was different.


    The omnipresence of brutality and death only served to remind him of his morbid fears and the only solution to it all. If he were just strong enough, he would not have to see his loved ones suffer. Never again. He would be the hound and not the prey.


    From a young age, he had always believed himself to be favored by fate, destined for success. His experiences so far only substantiated this further, but lately, this had changed. Did he really want to depend on chance? On something so ephemeral? If he were just powerful enough, no one would dare steal from him again, his happiness, his friends, his family. No villain, and not even fate itself, would be able to touch them.


    After wrestling with his feelings for a short moment, Teo looked up into the clearing again, just in time to see the remaining two men escape into the forest. They were in quite a bad shape as they stumbled into the woods, supporting each other, but they were alive.


    In fact, they could be described as very fortunate with even this result. Their small group looked pretty experienced, yet bandits and wild animals were all they had


    Groups like this often formed spontaneously in the major cities around resource-rich regions and mostly served to provide a steady stream of herbs and rare ores to the various consumers around the urban areas. In essence, they were not prepared to take on such a vicious opponent.


    The irritating humans taken care of, the beast could have focused, or rather, feasted on its hard-earned prize, yet it did not drop its guard. Its blood-red eyes focused on a point near the edge of the clearing as it slowly turned its massive body.


    It stared directly at Teo.


    "Tch!" Teo clicked his tongue in annoyance and wiped the small smudge of fresh blood from his lips.

 40 Struggle

    As he had already been spotted, there was not much use in hiding anymore. Teo stood up from his crouched position and stepped onto the battleground.


    There was no use in lying to himself ¡ª he was afraid. Yes, terrified even. Just a few meters from him stood a vile, savage beast, saliva dripping from its tooth-laden maw, its large claws coated with human blood. To all redundance, it was even able to use Magic! It made Teo''s blood freeze in his veins, and the hair on his back stand on end.


    Being afraid was very natural in such a situation; anything else would be pure madness.


    Yet he wanted to overcome this fear, and he could afford to gamble a little under these conditions. The Barghest was in a significantly weakened state and, most importantly of all; It was on the defensive.


    An unpredictable, wild beast going on a rampage in a blood frenzy, that was scary; yet he could clearly see the goal and the tactic of his opponent here. If things went south, he could just run away like the adventurers just now; it did not chase after them either.


    ''Don''t overdo it! A cornered animal is the most dangerous. Just run if you can''t handle it,'' Goliath reminded him again how precarious the situation really was, but Teo paid him little mind.


    Of course, he knew the risk. He would need to be a complete moron in order not to expect this dog to bite. But his chances looked rather optimistic, and the grand prize was also very enticing. Teo had no specific plans for the herb yet, but it was bound to be useful for something¡ª worst-case scenario he could just sell it for a very pretty penny.


    Unwilling to leave its prey unguarded, the Barghest could only bare its teeth and growl from where it was, in an effort to intimidate the newest arrival.


    Teo steadied his determination and pulled out his enchanted dagger, preparing to make his move. Actually, Goliath had materialized the knife right on top of Teo''s hand from out of nowhere, which looked even more impressive, but this small detail made little difference regarding the bigger picture.


    In a matter of seconds, the blade was enveloped by a cold, blue glow, which exuded a mysterious, sharp feeling that made one''s scalp tingle. It started from the small handguard and traveled up the blade to its tip ¡ª but it didn''t stop there.


    The glow seemed to grow further, surpassing the tip of the dagger and finally formed a complete sword, almost entirely made from Mana.


    It was a useful trick, which Teo had picked up recently. Once he had figured out the trick to it, the effort it took to project the blade further than his weapon''s actual reach had been reduced tremendously.


    What he did now, was very different from crude techniques like that, though. It was a clever manipulation of the internal energy flow of the weapon, combined with firm control over the external Mana Diffusion speed and direction. It was quite sophisticated.


    Teo consistently channeled his own Mana through the access point at the handle of the dagger and, in doing so, drove the Energy Channels inside the weapon, effectively powering it up on full gear.


    With the system up and running, he used the internal Sharpness Magic Circle to refine the Mana-flow itself and alter its properties. Lastly, Teo only had to forcefully pull the refined Mana out of the weapon ¡ªwhich was surprisingly easy, owing to the additional acceleration rune ¡ªand condense it in a usable shape.


    It sounded like a very complicated process when explained in detail, but with Teo''s current mastery in Mana Control, it was not that hard to achieve, once he actually had the idea to do it.


    Just because he had a suitable weapon now, Teo did not intend to throw himself into a meaningless melee, though. He was a Mage ¡ªalmost, at least ¡ª and he just wanted to be prepared for the worst. No one liked to be caught off guard after all. Also, he had another trick up his sleeve.


    Keeping the original distance between himself and the beast, Teo lifted the half-ethereal blade, pointed it at his opponent, and held it tight with both hands.


    Incorporating ancient crafting techniques into this dagger had been one of the wisest decisions he had ever made. Especially the major acceleration rune which he had carved painstakingly for the sake of an experiment, it had surpassed his expectations for its usefulness by multiple times.


    He had stumbled over quite a few unexpected uses for it in the last month, while he had been unable to exercise his body and had to restrict himself to mental practice.


    A small divide began to form near the tip of the illusionary sword and expanded rapidly, almost splitting it in two. As soon as the pointed "tip" had been fully separated, Teo activated the acceleration rune of the dagger in one go and fed it a sudden burst of his Mana. Instantly, the separated tip


    Unable to react to the unexpected attack in time and worn down by exhaustion, the beast did not manage to dodge in time, and the magical projectile penetrated deeply into its left shoulderblade.


    The attack seemed effective, and Teo nodded to himself at his successful attempt to hinder its mobility.


    Unfortunately, Teo needed a few seconds to reconstruct the initial conditions and could not fire again immediately. As his adversary was not a mindless beast, and in fact rather intelligent, it was unlikely to give him enough time to prepare another attack.


    Just as expected, it did not continue to stand guard over its prey and chose to subdue the ranged attacker from the offensive instead. The angered Barghest was quickly closing in on Teo, feinting to approach from the left or right to confuse him, before it would jump in for the real attack.


    The rapid approach of the giant, slobbering canine was extraordinarily intimidating, and Teo had to forcefully suppress the urge to panic, somehow managing to stay calm.


    Contrary to this Magical Beast, he still had most of his stamina and Mana remaining and had the advantage of time, yet he would still need to be extremely careful of the violent struggle, which the beast was sure to put up in its death throes.


    With expert speed and precision, he formed a thick barrier between himself and the rabid dog, which it collided with unceremoniously shortly afterward.


    It was a heavy impact, but the Magic shield held up, bearing the full brunt of the assault in his stead. Before the beast had any time to reposition itself, he stabbed his ''sword'' right through his own barrier and landed a jab near the left front leg.


    The barrier was made from his own Mana, so why not use it to his utmost advantage? It was not genuinely semi-permeable, though; instead, Teo used his excellent control over Mana to open a small hole in the freshly woven shield, just large enough for his attack to pass through.


    Once again, he managed to use a very simple trick to maximize his advantage¡ª a clever move.


    Mr. Barghest was not happy with the development though and channeled the dark mist, which naturally surrounded its body, towards its claws where it solidified, giving them a mysterious luster and making them slightly longer, most probably sharper, and definitely deadlier.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    With its empowered claws, it dug into the barrier eagerly, the dark energy eating away at the shield like acid.


    Apparently, low-level Magical beasts, or at the very least this particular one, did not possess the knowledge or brain capacity to anticipate and counteract sophisticated plans. They did, however, possess exceptionally sharp instincts and were far from stupid, enabling them to deal with most hindrances thrown in their way. Not to mention their apt physical prowess, which made them far superior to ordinary warriors.


    In just a few seconds, Teo went from wielding the absolute advantage into a slightly unfavorable position. He could not afford to underestimate his opponent. He would need to use his brain if he wanted to come out on top here.


    Abandoning the collapsing shield, Teo distanced himself as much as possible in the short amount of time he had. He even tried to wrap the splintered barrier around the angry Barghest in a last attempt to turn his broken defense into an additional attack, but it had already been corrupted too far and swiftly dissolved after losing its energy source.

 41 Confrontation

    The overgrown wolf was unexpectedly nimble on its injured leg and managed to dodge a few attacks, but at least five magical blasts struck true and battered on its leathery hide like hail.


    It looked severely mangled now and had slowed down significantly compared to the start of their confrontation.


    Using its pent-up exhaustion against it, Teo hurriedly spun several strings of stabilized Mana and scattered them around himself in an attempt to entangle it with them.


    Unable to dodge in time, the Barghest ran straight into the trap and began to drag around the net of Mana threads with its movements, slowing it down even more.


    Its speed was not so impressive anymore, and Teo patiently prepared his blade to meet this foe.


    The jumping ability of its legs seemed to be heavily impaired now, and it could only charge straight at him, which he dodged with a swift step to the left.


    Teo had to concentrate on dodging and only left a shallow cut on the side of the tiring animal; then, he steadied himself for the next attack.


    Circling him from behind, it looked like it would pounce at any second now, something Teo did already expect and was ready for; but for a fraction of a second, a malicious grin seemed to flash over the beasts ghastly face, sending shivers down Teo''s back.


    With a sudden jerk, it forcefully pulled back it''s right foreleg and swept Teo off his feet.


    "Ahhhhhrghh!" Teo screamed, shocked from the sudden change in perspective, as he fell over and landed on the short grass of the clearing, his hands slowly sinking into the soft earth that wholly covered the forest floor.


    He needed a second to reorient himself and wondered what had happened; then, it hit him.


    The Mana threads, which he had used to entangle the hound previously, had unnoticedly wrapped around his own ankle when the Barghest ran around him. It directly connected him to the strong limbs of the beast ¡ª what a sly bastard.


    He swiftly dissipated the Mana that made up the strings, erected an emergency barrier in front of him, and tried to get up as quickly as possible. But he was too late.


    A giant, clawed paw was already fast approaching him.


    Fueled by his almost full reserves, Goliath intervened and concentrated all the available Mana into the barrier, especially fortifying the area around Teo''s face ¡ª that was all he could do.


    When the giant paw landed on the barrier in front of Teo''s face, its impact produced a loud noise and made it groan under the immense weight, but the barrier held up, managing to tank the hit.


    However, Teo did not just sit around idly either. He quickly rolled over to the side and thrust forth his magical weapon in retaliation.


    When the claws left the fortified area, they finally managed to shatter the shield and thumped onto the soft ground where he had previously been with immense force¡ª they only grazed Teo''s upper arm, though. They did not manage to inflict a serious injury.


    The Barghest was not as lucky. Teo''s sword did not hit its mark perfectly either but managed to inflict an extended cut on its flank anyway, causing dark blood to ooze forth and forcing the beast to retreat a few steps.


    It did not take long for Teo to get back onto his legs, but what he heard from his Partner next instantly soured his mood even more.


    ''Great! It looks like we got company again,'' said Goliath in a sarcastic voice.


    Teo did not realize that anyone had approached them since he had needed his full concentration in this fight and did not have any time to spare on minor matters. He looked around the clearing in a hurry, wondering if the adventurers had returned with additional backup, but he had guessed wrong.


    Over a dozen dark silhouettes shuffled around the edges of the clearing, silently watching over them from the cover of the abundant shrubbery. They were obviously not human though, covered in grey fur, equipped with deadly claws and sharp teeth.


    A pack of wolves had encircled them, eyeing the scene curiously from a distance, probably lured over by the smell of blood or the sounds of battle.


    Their natural weaponry may seem unimpressive, compared to a humongous beast like the Barghest standing in front of Teo, but they were many, and their targets were exhausted and injured ¡ª the potential danger of the situation could not be denied.


    Apparently, the new arrivals did not have much cross-species sympathy and after the alpha gave the signal with a deep howl, they all dashed into the clearing to join the fray.


    With at least two dozen wolves attacking them from all sides, the former enemies could not care less about their original opponent and focused solely on their own struggle against the lesser beasts.


    Teo was doing pretty good actually. He was not very experienced in fighting large groups of enemies, but his Magic provided him with an impressive advantage.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    He did not have enough power left in the tank to form a solid, unidirectional shield, which would protect him without further effort. However, Goliath automatically created small barriers right in front of any incoming attacks near his back and provided an excellent overall defense anyway. In the meantime, Teo would hurt or dispatch one wolf after the other with his sword.


    The previously formidable Magical Beast was not doing as well. Its speed was not what it used to be, it was exhausted and severely injured. Each swipe with its savage claws would rend one of the animals, but two others would fall into its back in return.


    It would not be able to defend itself much longer; defense never was its strong suit in the first place. Soon it became increasingly more sluggish and started to look at Teo with a pleading look in its eyes.


    ''Why is it looking at me like that?'' Teo asked Goliath, confused by the sudden appeal to his empathy.


    ''Maybe it wants your help?'' Goliath called the obvious but did not seem to care much.


    ''Help


    ''Well, that is not something I am concerned with. It''s your decision what you want to do with it. If we do nothing, it should succumb to the constant attacks soon, and after cleaning up the other nuisances, we can easily sack the loot and be on our way,''  Goliath said while he intercepted a large wolf in midair, flattening its face in a most hurtful manner.


    Teo wanted to refute the idea directly, but seeing his former opponent battered by constant attacks, becoming weaker by the second and whimpering, something in him stirred. He did not have a grudge against it per se, they just fought over the same limited resources, but it was no longer a real threat to him now.


    He chose not to save the adventurers already, maybe this was his opportunity to make up for it, yet he was not sure if it really was a good idea.


    Then he had a sudden epiphany and was eager to try it out.


    While keeping the pestering wolves at bay, he wove a strong thread of Mana and used it to connect his mind to the struggling Barghest. With his increased control over Mana, he was already capable of forging a bidirectional Mind Bridge by himself with ease now.


    ''Hello?'' Teo asked probingly, unsure if it was even possible to communicate with a Magical Beast.


    ''Who there? Please help!'' a deep voice echoed in his mind loud and clear.

 42 Contac

    A deep and rough voice echoed in his head, pleading for help. Teo was shocked.


    It was just a random thought, an experiment. Who could have known that it would actually work?


    Yes, thought transmission crossed all barriers of language ¡ªsince it primarily transmitted meaning and not intonation¡ª but it required the target to be self-conscious and capable of some matter of speech or coherent thought... something he had not expected to find in a Magical Beast.


    Of course, they were far more advanced than regular animals, but... Teo still needed some time to get used to the idea of real non-humanoid intelligence. But, well, if it worked for Dragons and Griffins, why not for lower-ranked creatures? Maybe there were a lot of ''beasts'' with their own thoughts, and they were just unable to voice them in an understandable manner. It was an intriguing thought.


    ''Help! Please!''


    While Teo was still stuck in deep thought, he heard the voice once again, snapping him back to reality.


    ''Why should I help you?'' Teo asked directly instead of beating around the bush.


    ''Me do anything. Don''t want... to die!''


    The voice did not sound evil, not at all. It was desperate. Alone. Teo could feel the pulsating waves of fear traveling through the mind-bridge. He could no longer bring himself to feel hate for this thing; for this... being.


    ''Do you think... I should save it?'' he asked Goliath, not sure of what to think anymore. He had expected to find bloodlust and hate when he reached out with the mind-bridge, something that would confirm his expectations, yet he had been entirely wrong. It just wanted to live.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    ''Why ask me? I''m just a rock,'' the Golem retorted in a clearly fake voice. Apparently, he was planning to stay neutral in this moral dilemma.


    Left to his own devices, Teo could only contemplate the matter again. What guarantee did he have that the beast would not turn on him at the first opportunity after he saved it? None! It would be the natural thing to expect from a wild animal... But without his help, it would die.


    Could he just watch on while it was butchered in front of him, uncaring for its fate?


    No! He could not.


    Sure, it was no saint, obviously. But neither was he, after... that.


    Did it not deserve a chance as well?


    So far, everything it did was technically in an effort to preserve its own life, which was understandable...


    Having made his decision, he hacked his way through the pack of wolves and cleared a path towards the injured Magical Beast. It was already covered in wounds and must have lost a significant portion of blood, even for its size, but the wolves only continued their assault with increased vigor, uncaring for their growing losses.


    It was a perplexing sight to Teo. Why were they so intent on ripping this more or less related canine to pieces? Surely there must be easier prey to hunt in a vast forest like this?


    Unable to solve the mystery without sufficient research, Teo focused primarily on disabling the wolves that threw themselves at him. They at least showed some serious aggression towards him, making the choice quite easy.


    Through blinding, wounding, and blasting away the wolves with a mix of Arcane and Fire Magic, he made good progress and soon reached the side of the wounded beast, carefully clearing out a small area around them.


    Teo almost expected the Barghest to sink its deadly claws into his back as soon as he turned around and even told Goliath to watch out for sudden attacks, but all it did was collapse onto the ground weakly. It must have long surpassed its limit during this fight.


    After struggling with Teo''s impenetrable defense for a few more minutes, the pack finally gave up. They escaped the clearing with half the troops they had entered with, their furs singed, their bodies covered in lacerations of varying degrees, and their tails tugged neatly between their legs ¡ª victory, at last.


    Teo was quite exhausted as well, and he too sat down on the stirred-up grass as soon as he felt safe again. It was not that hard for him to fight off a pack of wolves on his own, but the prior battle with the Barghest had drained him considerably, and the manic manner in which the wolves had thrown themselves at him was tough to deal with as well.


    He too, had earned a break.


    After catching his breath like this for a while, Teo focused on the mind bridge that he still shared with the wounded Magical Beast again. Thankfully, Goliath had a lot of experience in maintaining magical constructs in his stead whenever he lost focus on them, otherwise many of his efforts would be lost to passive dissipation.


    Teo had initially thought, that the beast had lost consciousness as soon as the battle ended, but now that he could relax, he noticed that he could still feel the slight tugging of a weak mind on the other side of the bridge. It was awake, just resting its battered body. It was worth a shot to communicate with it again; he needed to see where this was going after all.


    ''Hey, uhhh... Mr. Barghest. How are you doing?'' Teo tried to start a conversation in a natural way ¡ª and failed horribly. Somehow he was quite nervous, even though he was quite literally talking to a dog. This realization did not help, though, and now he felt even more like an idiot.


    ''Smooth.'' Goliath added to the conversation casually, not missing out on a perfect opportunity to amuse himself. With his partial control over Teo''s Mana, it was quite easy for him to eavesdrop, he just chose not to interfere until now.


    ''Was that really necessary?!'' Teo objected vehemently. He was very thankful for his encounter with the small Golem, but sometimes he could truly understand how he had gotten himself deactivated as a defective product in the first place. He was about to give his friend another piece of his mind, when he heard a rough voice in his head once more.


    ''Hurt, bad. Alive. Thank you... Master.''


    ''Master?!'' Teo exclaimed in shock, involuntarily sending the message down the mind bridge.


    ''Master saved me. Master good.''


    The voice tried to explain, but seemed to lack the vocabulary to express itself adequately.


    Teo did expect a lot of things, but nothing like this. He put his hand onto his forehead, trying to think this through.


    Apparently, he had gotten himself a new pet to take care of. He had only been looking for some quick loot and had found another piece of work added to his already busy schedule instead. But it could have its bright sides as well.


    In any case, it was better than being betrayed at the first best opportunity ¡ª even though he was still wary of that possibility.


    But now was not the time to philosophize over his past decisions, for now at least, it did not seem to bear him any ill will and its wounds were in pressing need of being tended to ¡ª he better got to work now.


    Owing to Teo''s sufficient preparation, Goliath''s storage space was packed with a variety of daily necessities as well as emergency- and survival-equipment. Bandages, ropes, torches, a fishing rod, even a few sets of fresh clothes, he had it all. It seemed he had learned from his past ventures and had begun to stockpile whatever could come in handy one day.


    He was especially thankful for the set of freshly washed garments, as he felt all icky from the blood and gore on him and could definitely not show up at home in this attire.


    With the materials prepared, Teo got down to tending the fresh wounds of the surprisingly docile Magical Beast, while Goliath cleared out anything valuable in the vicinity.

 43 Care

    *Sigh*


    Teo exhaled, stood up, and washed the dark blood from his hands using a bottle of water. He had done what he could in this short amount of time.


    Many of its wounds were deep, and this case obviously surpassed Teo''s medical knowledge. Still, he did manage to stop the most severe injuries from bleeding for now and generously applied a basic ointment to its skin, using up almost his entire stash in the process. It would have to do for now.


    Next, he would need to plan out a suitable course of action for the following days.


    Teo did not have much experience ¡ª or to be more precise: no experience¡ª taking care of someone or something, Goliath took care of him more often than the other way around after all.


    He was sure about one thing, though: He could not leave it here! He had already gone out of his way to save it and was kind of responsible for it now, so he might as well go all the way and take care of it properly.


    Just that he could not show up at home with a critically injured Magical Beast in tow, his granduncle would indeed explode most unpleasantly. He would need to think of something else.


    Teo did not have many suitable places in mind. He had never heard of someone ''befriending'' a Magical Beast or anything of the sort, so he was pretty sure that it could quickly lead to some uncomfortable misunderstandings. With no better alternatives to show, the decision was made quickly: His secret training spot near the pond would have to do.


    He packed together the few things which he had Goliath take out from his storage space and prepared to set off again. It would not be easy to transport the injured Barghest through the dense forest, though.


    With surprising patience, Teo tried to explain what he was planning to his new foster child, and soon they departed. He had to support it with several tendrils of Mana, reducing its weight to something its tired legs could stem, and they only made slow progress ¡ª but it was progress nonetheless.


    It was already early evening when they arrived in the vicinity of the spring, and the sun hung low on the horizon already, casting its reddish rays through the organic roof of the forest. He would definitely be very late for dinner today.


    Entering the area around the small spring was always a special kind of experience. Somehow Teo even felt like it had gotten a little bit warmer all of a sudden, and the biting cold that was almost omnipresent at this time of the year seemed but a distant memory.


    Even the shrubs and flowers seemed to defy the natural cycle of seasons and were abundant and lush whenever he laid his eyes on them. But the same was true for the whole of Thorn Forest, to a limited extent.


    ''Look, it''s getting late, and I need to head home now. Just stay here and rest, I will come as soon as I can tomorrow. Okay?'' Teo tried to explain, unsure if the monster in front of him understood at least a part of it.


    ''Master good. Me stay!'' it responded in its usual fashion and softly wagged its tail. At least it seemed to be simple-minded and did not make many demands.


    He checked one last time if it had everything it would need for the night and then headed towards the family mansion. He would be in for a good round of scolding when he made it back home.


    Teo was already quite lucky that most of his wounds and scratches were covered by his clothes now.


    ***


    The next day came excruciatingly slowly, and Teo''s patience was approaching its limits. He was eager to go back into the forest, even with all the dangers he had faced there and the scolding it had earned him, but he could not simply postpone his obligations.


    Even if he was unwilling to go, he could only obediently follow the rules and go to school like any other normal day. If he tried to sneak out now, he would only pull unnecessary attention to himself, which could just as well hinder him even more.


    As expected, Teo did not pay much attention to his classes today and even chose to keep some distance from his friends ¡ª who instantly noticed that something was wrong, but decided not to ask too many questions about it, unwilling to pry into his secrets.


    Much had changed in the last year, they themselves most of all, and everyone needed some time and space to find out where they stood with each other. Thus it was not very difficult for Teo to make up excuses so as not to spend his afternoon with them.


    After spending the entire morning sitting on the edge of his seat and even enduring the exceptionally boring Mathenomics class, Teo was finally free again and did not waste a single second before running out of the building.


    He quickly bought a few supplies as well as several juicy steaks while he was still near the town square, then set off towards the family mansion. His trusty driver, old Phillip, ferried him there faster than ever, while simultaneously dodging every single pothole on the road with expert precision.


    The comfortable carriage-ride did not take too long and when they finally reached the property, Teo just jumped out directly, bid his farewell for the day, and zoomed into the distance like a flash of lightning.


    "Yeah, sure. My pleasure driving you, young master. Great working with you. Your words are too kind, young master..." the middle-aged man said, holding a short monologue for no one in particular. He spat on the ground and continued after a long sigh.


    "Should''ve just listened to my old man and learned a genuine craft when I had the chance, hmm?"


    Then he turned around the coach and slowly drove back towards the city. At least his family respected him, and he had something to look forward to.


    In the meantime, Teo had already made it to the edge of the forest right behind the estate and began heading down the sparsely-lit path, which led further into the depths of Thorn Forest.


    ''Do you think it is still where we left it?'' Teo asked his personal consultant in a nervous voice.


    ''Where should it go then? With the state it was in, it wouldn''t go anywhere even if you didn''t tell it to,'' Goliath remarked pessimistically ¡ª or to be more precise: he simply did not care.


    The content of the response only increased Teo''s worries, though, and he quickened his pace even more, vividly painting all the different scenarios in his head that could have happened after he left the forest.


    When they reached the spring, though, nothing had changed compared to how it looked yesterday evening. The grass, the flowers, the pond, the wounded Magical Beast lying in a makeshift shelter, all how he remembered them.


    ''Morning! Feeling a bit better today?'' Teo asked as soon as he was in range to do so.


    ''Master back! Yes, feeling better,'' the wounded beast replied excitedly. It really seemed to have accepted Teo as some sort of pack leader and was very cooperative so far ¡ª provided that it was not just part of a sophisticated ruse.


    ''Good, good. You are probably hungry, right? I brought some food today,'' said Teo while signaling Goliath to take out the steaks which they had prepared in advance.


    ''Hungry, yes. Me hungry,'' it echoed in Teo''s mind in response, and saliva slowly began leaking from the elongated, canine snout, connecting to the ground in a long, sticky thread.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    Teo carefully put down the pile of raw steaks in front of it and carefully took a step back. It did not need an additional invitation and immediately began to dig in, swallowing the deliciously marbled meat slabs one after the other, each with barely more than a bite while showing a seemingly very joyful expression.


    When it had gobbled up the last piece, it delightedly smacked its lips and stared at Teo with pleading eyes, then Teo heard the now-familiar voice in his head again.

 44 Beas

    Who could have expected this giant entity of doom and destruction to be such a glutton?


    Well, of course, Teo had anticipated it somewhat. The heap of high-quality fresh meat he had carried over could have allowed a small family to dine like kings for a week. His chauffeur, Phillip, would have cried rivers, had he known about this waste.


    But it seemed like Teo had still underestimated the bottomless stomach of a wild beast after all.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    Unable to deny his cohabitant''s plea, mainly owing to the exceptionally skillful application of its big, black puppy-eyes, Teo was left with no choice but to go hunting spontaneously.


    Luckily, it was not a very difficult endeavor. The forest was lush and abundant in all kinds of wildlife, coupled with Goliath''s superior perception he managed to pick out the fresh trail of a deer in no time


    It did not fare too well against him, and he was able to return to the clearing with fresh game soon.


    After the satisfying hors d''oeuvre, his guest was already eagerly waiting for the main course and continued the feast without further ado, gobbling it all down in a surprisingly short amount of time.


    While the large Magical Beast was gnawing at the leftover bones, Teo tried to strike up another conversation.


    ''You got quite the appetite, huh? I guess that''s a good sign, though.''


    ''Feel weak. Need food, get strong.''


    ''No bone to pick with that, I suppose. My mom always used to tell me much the same thing when I was younger. I wonder how she is doing, lately. I have not visited her since her last birthday,'' Teo contemplated while sitting on an old tree stump. It was quite nice to have someone who would just listen to him without throwing back cynical comments, like a certain someone.


    ''Me like bones! Bones good!''


    ''Haha, you sure do, buddy. That''s not exactly what I meant, but it''s fine,'' he replied after managing to suppress his laughter.


    ''By the way, do you have a name? I can''t keep calling you "you" and "it" all the time after all.'' Teo inquired, unable to hold back his curiosity.


    ''Me name? What''s name?'' it asked back with a questioning look.


    ''Yes, your name. You know... who you are.''


    ''Me is me!'' it responded without giving it much thought. Maybe he had expected too much.


    ''Alright. If you don''t have one then maybe I can come up with a good one for you,'' said Teo with a smile, he enjoyed naming things, even if Goliath always made fun of him for it.


    ''I got it! How about "Beast"? Do you like it?''


    ''Me Beast?'' it looked at the boy again and tilted its large head slightly to the side.


    ''Yes, that''s right! From today on, that will be your name!'' Teo said cheerfully and patted the large animal on the head.


    ''Wow! You''ve really excelled yourself on this one, boy,'' Goliath could not help but remark in his melodic voice, slightly souring the moment for Teo.


    The boy, however, did not openly show that the comment had bothered him and instead chose to ignore the pesky Golem. Sometimes, silence was the best remedy against bullies. Any reaction would just further reinforce the unwanted behavior.


    Next, Teo checked on Beast''s wounds and was not surprised to find little change from their previous state. Not even the monstrous vitality of... well, a monster, could improve such critical wounds in a short amount of time. Even with Teo''s limited knowledge in medicine, he could only come to the same conclusion as Goliath: It was dubious if it could recover on its own anytime soon.


    Yet there was little he could do about it, he was no professional, and he seriously doubted anyone else was willing to at least try. He would just have to take care of him as best he could and hope for the best ¡ª he could not bring himself to abandon him anymore, not after taking him in already. It might just have been a whim at the start, but he was beginning to grow fond of Beast already.


    ***


    Days passed, and Teo still took his newfound obligations very seriously. It did utterly ruin his schedule and forced him to limit his training to the bare necessities. Even his granduncle and his teachers were beginning to get upset with his whimsical behavior, thinking that he was straying from his path, but Teo did not care.


    The feeling he got while taking care of Beast was very new and exciting for him. He had never really felt ''needed'' by anyone so far and was beginning to understand why many people chose to take in a dog or a cat.


    Of course, his was a special case, and most people did not talk to their pets either ¡ª at least they did not usually get a reply ¡ª but it was quite similar nonetheless.


    The deep wounds Beast had sustained that day did not heal as fast as he had hoped, though, and his condition did not seem to improve much at all.


    Unable to come up with a better solution, Teo spent a lot of his free time in the clinic again, pretending to be interested in the arts of healing.


    They probably thought that he had a sudden desire to become a healer after having his own and his friend''s life saved by medicine, but Teo was more pragmatic than that.


    Whatever the case, they were very willing to share their knowledge and proved to be a big help for Teo, he even managed to acquire some special ointments from a friendly nurse... Hopefully, she would not get into trouble for his lack of a prescription.


    He had already learned how to keep clean and adequately bandage a wound and made good use of that knowledge when taking care of Beast, yet the treatment still seemed to be lacking. Plenty of rest and the regular application of unmagical herbs seemed to be just enough to uphold the status quo.


    But over the course of several more days, Beast''s condition deteriorated further. His wounds refused to close up entirely, and the slow healing continuously sapped his energy dry. Teo started to worry again.

 45 Complications

    "You really can''t give me anything stronger than that?" Teo asked, a hint of despair showing on his face.


    "Look, kid. I already explained it to you. This is the strongest we have; infections are not easily dealt with. At the stage you described, anyone''s best bet would be to swing their back-quarters over here as fast as possible to receive treatment from an experienced healer with Magic. I get that your anxious after what you went through, but is this really just about preparation?" a middle-aged healer explained with a stern look on his face. He was Dr. Salivarius, one of the leading figures in the clinic and a local expert on infectology.


    "I''m sorry. I did not intend to bother you, sir. I just want to be prepared for any eventuality, and I think infections especially should not be taken lightly," Teo talked his way out of suspicion in an unusually skillful fashion.


    "You''re right, boy. It really is a seriously underestimated threat; in fact, more people die to infections than to hunger, accidents, and Magical Beasts combined... But I really can''t help you ¡ª no one can. Unless you find a skilled Alchemist and acquire a specialized potion for a small fortune, there is literally nothing you can do," the man said as he turned to walk away. It was only due to Teo''s unique standing here in the clinic that he had wasted even this much time on childish banter, he was a busy man after all, and rows of patients were already waiting.


    Teo did not give up hope entirely, though.


    "An Alchemist, huh? I guess I could try that," he murmured as he was left standing alone in the corridor.


    Ever since Beast''s condition took another turn for the worse, Teo desperately began to absorb as much knowledge in the shortest possible time, as he could. Through a mixture of pleading, feigning interest, and straight-up paying people to teach him, he managed to pick up several useful techniques, both magical and scientific, which allowed him to take his treatment methods to the next level.


    Teo had tried to remove the infected tissue and disinfect the wound with Mana several times already, but all it managed to accomplish was slowing down the inevitable.


    He was neither a real healer, nor did he possess a Light Magic Affinity, bringing the efficiency of his treatment down by a few notches compared to what he intended to accomplish.


    The infection seemed to be of a pretty aggressive, Mana-resistant strain as well and quickly proved to be more than the young boy could handle on his own. It was to be expected since anything sensitive to Magic would not be able to infect a Magical Beast in the first place, but lacking prior experience in the field, Teo still failed to predict this outcome.


    His last hope had been to acquire a suitable medicine from somewhere, no matter the price ¡ª but the clinic seemed to be unable to deliver in that regard. Still, a silver lining remained, because his last conversation with Dr. Salivarius gave him a direction to work towards.


    Alchemists were a rare class of Magical Craftsmen, very similar to Enchanters in that regard. But, instead of focusing on the process of binding Magic to a tool through a complex process of carving Magic Circles and energy pathways, they studied the interaction of the natural Elements contained in various ingredients and how to use them to one''s advantage.


    Through mixing and processing many more-or-less magical ingredients with each other, they were able to forge a wide range of elixirs, formulas, and consumables ¡ª many of which possessed incredible potency.


    Just like with Enchanting, the rarity of the profession was founded in the high level of magical talent necessary for it. Correctly assessing the exact quality of the magical ingredients used and gently guiding the mixing energies during processing steps required both a keen sense for Magic and the Elements, as well as precise control over one''s own power.


    It was hard to decide which profession imposed heftier demands on its practitioners, but all agreed on one thing: these professions represented the pinnacle of craftsmanship ¡ª at least if real Magicians weren''t taken into account. It was only natural for occupations created by and for the elite of society to prove more challenging and profitable ¡ª and thus, more highly regarded and influential as well.


    Enchanting demanded exceptional mental and physical stamina, as well as an above-average Mana Capacity, whereas Alchemy focused on finer control of Magic and a sharp mind; they were not too different, really.


    If he could just find an Alchemist able to prepare a healing elixir,  that would potentially solve his problem ¡ª given that he could persuade him to help. It was easier said than done, but it was a direction to work towards nonetheless.


    Teo would have to look into that first thing tomorrow. For now, he was going to head home.


    ***


    It was a rainy day and thick, billowing clouds covered the sky like a dense blanket, a lonely carriage scuttled along the country road, passing by empty fields. As he looked out the small window from the comfortable couch and rested his head on his arms, Teo could not help but fall into deep thought. Somehow the situation reminded him of the day he arrived in this marvelous town.


    The weather did not do them any favors back then either, and it had rained for a whole week with barely any breaks. How long had it been? One or two... no, three. Three and a half years, more or less. And he could still remember it like yesterday.


    A fresh new start. A bustling city to explore. New friends to meet. A new "family" to get to know.


    How he longed for the simple and straightforward days of back then. Life was definitely easier when he was younger, yet he could not precisely put a finger on what had changed. He could, however, point out when it had all started.


    To call his experience of being kidnapped and forced into a fight to the death, "traumatizing" would be a blatant understatement. It was not something any child should have to go through.


    It was hard to deny that it had changed him. Somehow. How could something like that leave anyone unscathed after all?


    Maybe he had no choice but to accept the fact that the only thing that had changed about his life was he himself, yet that had changed everything.


    Sure, ever since he decided to leave his hometown and his parents loving care, he had been forced to face some minor complications, yet it was barely worth a mention when he looked back at it now.


    His grandfather had accepted him with open arms, and even his granduncle was a solid supporter at his side after Teo had overcome his initial skepticism. Of course, it had not been all smiles and warm welcomes back then either.


    Especially the part of the family under his uncle Dalmore, his grandfather''s brother, never thought too fondly of him. And Aunt Greta was the worst of the bunch.


    By now, he could understand where her opposition to him rejoining the family came from, but that did little to improve his impression of her cold and unfriendly attitude.


    Badmouthing him behind his back, spreading weird rumors and inciting her children to play pranks on him, she was not precisely someone he could consider as family.


    Yet there was some truth to her words. Had he not miraculously appeared out of nowhere, possessing the gift of the ancestors, her husband would have succeeded the position of the family head in a few years, significantly boosting their branches standing in the clan.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    Teo did not feel a shred of sympathy for the old crone''s loss, but he did think that he could not simply accept the position either. He still longed to explore the vast continent and its unexplored reaches; would he be capable of supporting this household while chasing his dreams? How could he accept such a heavy obligation, when he was just a selfish weakling?

 46 Family

    "Where have you been gallivanting around again today? Don''t you look away when I am talking to you, young man!" said Thoralv in a harsh voice.


    As soon as Teo had made it through the entrance, he had found the old Butler, James, already waiting to escort him to his uncle''s office. Teo''s grandfather and Uncle Thoralv were seated around an imposing wooden table in the small room and wasted no time in tearing the boy apart like ravenous animals.


    "We got a letter from your school today, informing us of the recent decline in your academic performance. Inattentiveness in class, clear disinterest in every subject, being late for classes or skipping them entirely, disobedience towards the staff... The list goes on and on, that was not even half of it. Do you have anything to say in your defense?" Uncle Thoralv came right to the point and put Teo on a knife''s edge.


    "No," the boy responded while averting the stabbing gaze of his mentor.


    "Just what is going on? Talk to us! I know something is wrong, I can feel it in my old bones!" his Uncle tried to put on a slightly gentler tone, but still pressured him into revealing whatever was the reason for his sudden change in attitude.


    "It''s nothing. School is just a little stressful lately," Teo tried to lie his way out of the conversation but failed to deceive the sharp intuition of his relatives.


    Thoralv originally wanted to continue his ranting, but Teo''s grandfather, Troy, patted him on the shoulder and exchanged a brief glance with him. Thoralv took a deep breath and let the air escape from his lungs in a long sigh; then he continued in a less forceful fashion:


    "Look, we know this year has not exactly been... easy on you... Umm... If there is anything that you want to talk about... Well..." the gray elder fidgeted around, visibly uneasy ¡ª clearly, he was not very skilled when it came to approaching sensible topics.


    Before he could mess up too badly though, Troy intervened and saved his senior''s dignity:


    "What your Uncle wants to say is that we are family, and we always stick together. We may be unable to keep you out of harm''s way forever, and we can''t know what is going on in your life unless you tell us, but we will always cover your back and support you, however necessary. If you want to talk or if you need anything, we are here for you."


    It came all too suddenly, Teo had no time to prepare before these words hit him like a rogue wave. He had expected to be lectured, disciplined, or punished even, but not this.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    For the first time in moons, he allowed himself to cry, like the child that he still was deep inside ¡ª and not even Goliath dared to make fun of him now.


    Troy embraced his grandson supportingly after getting up from his chair and Teo just vented all of the emotions which he had tried so desperately to hold back all this time ¡ª Thoralv, on the other hand, was still seated behind his desk, stiff as a stick and noticeably unsure of how he should behave in a situation like this.


    It did not take too long for Teo to calm down and wipe the tears from his eyes. He murmured an almost inaudible "Thank you" towards his grandfather and sat down on the stool in the middle of the room again. He re-gathered his composure and finally spoke up for himself:


    "Thank you! I think I have to handle this myself, but I will ask for your help if it turns out I can''t. And about school... I will take care of it somehow. I won''t skip classes anymore, I promise!"


    Thoralv just looked at him, unable to comprehend what he had just heard, while Troy simply smiled. Who could have known that it would be so easy to get some sense into the boy again?


    Thoralv had thought about a lot of ways to get his young apprentice back on track, including but not limited to scolding, punishing, and lecturing him. ''I should tell him how hard it was back in my days''. ''A long day of hard, physical labor will get his mind off things''. ''A week of survival training in the forest will make him forget his troubles, right?''


    Maybe he should invest some time to get into this new way of parenting that Troy preached about lately... Or he could just leave it to his nephew and focus on his crafting ¡ª that had worked so far, hadn''t it?


    What followed was just a comparatively light conversation on various topics, the main objective for today had already been met, and Teo had managed to profit from it a lot.


    He really had withdrawn himself into solitude too much lately. His family, his teachers... his friends. He had tried to shoulder everything by himself without burdening anyone else. Of course, he still could not just tell everyone about his new friend, who happened to be a literal monstrosity, but he was not alone nonetheless and could count on support as soon as he asked for it. This little detail made it a lot easier for him and took a lot of pressure off his mind.


    Even the food on his plate tasted different today, and the fading rays of sunshine seemed to be so much brighter. For the first time in days, he managed to relax again and even picked up his old training routine in the evening.


    Tomorrow after school, he would go to the best Alchemist in town and take care of the matter once and for all. There was bound to be something useful available, and he was determined to acquire it, whatever it took.

 47 The Alchemis

    "Kid, I just run this potion shop, I don''t make them myself. You could try asking Sir Trismegistus for a custom order, but I doubt you could afford that," a middle-aged man replied to his question with slight annoyance. It was the third shop in a row that gave Teo almost the exact same answer.


    As he left the last shop he knew of, Teo silently complained to his lithic companion.


    ''What best Alchemist in town? More like only Alchemist in town! How do all these shops have the same supplier?!''


    ''That''s how business empires work, boy. Who would be dumb enough to give up his monopoly?'' Goliath threw back his logical explanation, doing little to soothe the upset Teo.


    ''I just thought it would be easier to meet an Alchemist in a huge town like this, but apparently, I was very wrong about that...'' Teo continued to complain and sighed once again.


    ''Magic always had a strange property to it that just seems to push people apart... Most Wizards are lonely, and I doubt it is much different for Magic Craftsmen ¡ª they rarely mingle,'' Goliath shared his long-time observation seriously.


    Teo smiled mischievously and retorted:


    ''Really? So, where does that leave you? Being an artificial lifeform of pure Magic and all.''


    ''Oh, shut up! I don''t want to hear that from someone who pushes his own friends away for no reason as soon as things turn ugly. I''m a fully functional, self-determined Golem and am very happy on my own, thank you for your concern!'' Goliath snapped back disgruntled.


    Maybe it had been a bit mean to make fun of him, Teo thought, but the remark still stung ¡ª especially since he knew it was true. He was, however, still in a good mood today and decided to let it slide.


    ''Don''t be like that, Goliath. I''m sorry. And you''re not on your own; you still have me!'' Teo said, trying to lighten the mood again while he strode over the shiny tiles of the business district close to the market.


    ''We should better focus on finding this Alchemist though... there does not seem to be much variety here after all. Any suggestions?'' Teo asked, returning to the previous topic of their conversation.


    ''We could check out his address in the town hall register,'' Goliath replied plainly. Apparently, he was not too upset anymore.


    ''I don''t know, wouldn''t that take like forever?'' Teo said skeptically.


    ''Yes, it certainly would,'' the Golem confirmed nonchalantly.


    ''Then why did you even suggest it in the first place?!'' Teo exclaimed, almost speechless.


    ''You asked,'' Goliath answered the inquiry in full seriousness.


    ''Alright, I will try to think of something on my own then... It should not be a secret where he lives, so maybe we can just ask a few shopkeepers for directions...'' he contemplated.


    ***


    "That thing is huuuuge!" Teo marveled at the humongous Tower in front of him.


    "Who does he think he is, a Magician?" he continued to complain about the imposing landmark.


    They had wasted a few hours walking around the business district, chasing after shopkeepers and merchants, trying to find out where they got their alchemical supplies from. After oiling a few palms with a couple hard coins, they actually made some progress and slowly homed in on their target.


    Apparently, the old Alchemist Trismegistus was famous for being a money-hungry, cranky hermit and lived in a tall stone tower near the edge of Sigella ¡ª the very same one that Teo saw rising into the clouds in front of him right now.


    From the gloomy design, the tall walls surrounding the estate, and the heavy gate, it could be seen that this particular old man was probably not too fond of guests, but what choice did they have but to try their luck? Teo grasped all of his courage and held onto it, then he walked to the gate and knocked.


    It was a heavy wooden door, reinforced with decorative iron ornaments, from the color of the aged wood it seemed to be made from... oak? Teo was no expert on doors or wood, but the solid gate made his knuckles hurt slightly as he knocked his small fist against it, and the sound produced was more of a sorry excuse for a knock than a real notification that signaled the arrival of a visitor.


    The message seemed to have arrived though, as a small plank was slid to the side and a spyhole was revealed. A large, seemingly glowing eye appeared on the other side of the hole and a rough voice called out simultaneously.


    "What?" the voice that could only be described as raucous and nasty said.


    "Ehh... I came here to meet Sir Trismegistus!" Teo managed to squeeze out after his initial shock caused by the unwelcoming reception.


    "No visitors." the rough voice said unnegotiably, and the small window was already about to be shut again.


    "I''m not a visitor; I am a customer!" Teo threw back hastily. He had no better idea but to state his intention to spend money as fast as possible. From the background information he had managed to acquire today, it could be concluded that the Alchemist was seemingly incapable of turning down a profitable offer.


    "Go home, kid. Master does not need your pocket money!" the voice answered after intently examining him from top to bottom. Yes, Teo''s attire was not considered poor-looking, but also not luxurious. The fact that his height instantly gave him away as a child did not help either.


    "I can pay! Really!" Teo fished out his coin purse and dangled it in front of the small window. It was quite voluptuous, round, and fat; it produced a euphonious clinking sound whenever he shook it.


    Of course, that was not enough to impress the experienced servant guarding the door. Having one''s purse full of coppers was not too unusual a thing. Usually, he would have had to check the contents first, like any other day. Without a few dozen silvers or several golds, he was not allowed to let anyone enter, no matter the reason. What good would poor people do for the Master?Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    Yet today, something managed to catch his eye. On the brown, velvety leather poach was an artful stitching of a family insignia. It was not one of the really famous ones, and most people would have failed to recognize the green and blue emblem, but not this well-informed doorman. It was the coat of arms of the Grassdown family, a somewhat influential clan of Enchanters. They were not terribly powerful or politically active, but if there existed a list of people able to afford the Master''s services in Sigella, they would undoubtedly be on it.


    "Wait here. I need to talk to Master," the sandpaper-like voice instructed and closed the small sliding window.


    ''That wasn''t too bad, I guess,'' Goliath analyzed the situation.


    ''I guess the rumors were true though, he reeeeally does not like visitors,'' Teo remarked silently.


    ''At least he did not just shut the door in our face, that would have been troublesome,'' said Goliath.


    They waited for over half an hour in front of the closed door like this, exposed to wind and weather, when the wide gate opened all of a sudden.

 48 Negotiations

    Arched Doorways, ancient furniture, and a torch-illuminated stairway. Even though the walls were plastered with tapestries and the furnishings were quite decadent ¡ª or precisely for this reason ¡ª the atmosphere in the gloomy tower was slightly unsettling and made Teo feel like if he stuck weirdly out of place.


    The hesitative boy weaseled forward with an increasingly uncomfortable sensation creeping down his back; his small steps had already regressed so much as to resemble tip-toeing. All the while, the mysterious gatekeeper leading the way had not said a single word, making Teo oddly uneasy.


    They made their way up the winding staircase, floor after floor. They must be on one of the highest levels of the building right now, or maybe not ¡ª it was hard to tell how large exactly the tower was from outside, and walking in tight circles along the central stairway completely ruined his spatial awareness.


    "Wait here," the gatekeeper said in his usual, gritty voice.


    They stood in front of another wooden door, the real entrance to the floor which they had just climbed to. It was visibly fortified with metal, but in an ornamental way, making it less conspicuous.


    Contrary to Teo''s expectations, this was not the highest level. To the side, the winding path of steps continued onwards to higher ground, but the way further up was blocked by a heavy iron gate. The upper levels seemed to be even more restricted than the rest of the building.


    Without waiting for questions or giving any instructions, the grumpy gatekeeper turned around and headed down the flight of stairs from where they had made their way up here, leaving Teo to himself.


    The boy did not have to wait long, however. With a loud creaking noise, the door in front of him swung open, an overwhelming herb-like smell wafting from the interior of the room. Instinctively Teo stepped through the thick frame in large strides; this was his chance.


    The room was furnished with carpets of varying colors, and aged furniture that seemed elegant, old-fashioned, and also a bit tacky. The recurrent motive of excessive curls and wavy patterns gave them a synthetic, impractical feeling that did not resonate well with the younger generations.


    At the opposite end of the room, on top of a pompously cushioned armchair, sat a wrinkled, old man. He was around the same age as Uncle Thoralv, yet much much leaner, giving the impression of a thin twig that could break under the slightest gust of wind. He pointed one of his bony fingers at a comparatively unimpressive chair while he looked at Teo emotionlessly.


    "Teodor Grassdown, heir to the Grassdown lineage. A full-fledged Enchanter at such a tender age; impressive. To what do I owe the honor of your visit today?" the man said imposingly. His voice like old paper, like pages of an ancient tome, gently rubbing against each other.


    "Oh, I was¡ª" Teo tried to explain his intentions and the reason for his visit, but was promptly interrupted after but a few words.


    "Yes, yes, I know. You''re young, ambitious, zealous. Full of vigor and drive... You don''t need to say anything. I know ex¡ªactly what you want. Your family may underestimate your talent, but we both know that you are destined for something much greater! You desire power. Power to slay your foes and banish your enemies. Power, to take revenge on those who held you back in the past! Am I right?" the quirky Alchemist continued with his monologue. Words fluttered about like loose pages grasped by a howling tornado, and an inconspicuous twinkling glimmered in his eyes.


    "Am... Uh... I wanted to ask for a healing Elixir actually, Sir Trismegistus..." Teo replied meekly. Apparently, he had been intimidated quite a bit by the stormy speech of his host.


    An uncomfortable silence enveloped the room for a second, neither of them sure of how to proceed.


    The Alchemist contemplated the situation for a second, trying to figure out what had gone wrong with his preparation. This short speech had served him well for the past dozens of years, and everything in the young man''s background profile pointed towards him being this type of customer as well, but it was alright, mistakes happen. He was a professional and knew how to handle all kinds of situations.


    "Yes, of course. Of course. Please excuse my peculiar type of humor. I do have dozens of Elixirs in my catalog, may I inquire which type would you be looking for exactly?" he improvised with practiced confidence.


    Teo had already heard about the quirky nature of this senior beforehand and was not too surprised by the bumpy course the conversation had taken, yet he was still at a loss for words. ''This is what you call humor?''


    He quickly decided not to bother with the details, though, as he did not have any alternatives anyway and needed to make the best of the situation. It was probably a good idea to get straight to the point.


    "A friend of mine has been wounded. I have already tried conventional medicines and herbs, but he is only getting worse. I have heard that a powerful healing Elixir could resolve his affliction and hoped to find one here since none of the potion shops seem to have any," Teo explained honestly. He had tried to dodge the topic with the doctors of the clinic, but there was no point in trying to deceive this Alchemist. He was not associated with any public position and had no reason to ask any unnecessary questions. Not to forget, that this was his last chance, messing up here due to his dishonesty would mean losing Beast to his cruel fate once and for all.


    "A wounded friend? Why don''t you bring him to this new clinic then? I thought this ''medicine'' humbug had made so many advancements that almost anything but death is curable nowadays. Isn''t it supposed to make healing type Elixirs completely redundant?" the tottery man retorted surprised, as he elevated himself into a more upright position on his luxurious armchair.


    "It... It is complicated. He can''t go there right now, and I don''t think anyone else can help him," Teo said, trying to search for the right words. He could not exactly reveal the whole truth, could he?


    "No, no. It is quite alright. It is none of my business anyway. I would be more than happy to supply you with a potent healing type Elixir right now, young Grassdown. I did not have the pleasure of making one for ages now. It''s just that..." he made a dramatic pause, and all of a sudden, a regretful look appeared on his puckered face.


    "With all these new techniques and medicines, there is hardly any demand for my Elixirs anymore, and that obviously affected the most important ingredients for them as well. As it stands now, most can''t even be found on the market anymore and have become quite a rare sight. Not to mention that they always have been rather costly. I could prepare a potion or two with the ingredients from my private warehouse, just that... it would have its price." The words flowed from his mouth like oil, trying to wrap the child in his fa?ade of sympathy. It did not come as a surprise though, Teo had expected to pay a high price for his services to begin with.


    "It doesn''t matter! I have saved quite a bit of money over the years and I am more than willing to work for whatever I cannot afford!" the boy stated firmly. He had already made up his mind before coming here. Teo hated people who did things half-assed and stood behind whatever decision he had previously decided on. No one would be able to outrun the consequences of his actions and decisions anyway, so he might as well start dealing with them as they came.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.

 49 The Elixir 1

    "A Mana- and Darkness-resistant infection? Oh, that will need a pretty strong Light Element healing Elixir, and coupled with the recuperation from critical wounds, this could prove to be quite the challenge," the Alchemist remarked after listening intently to Teo''s description of the patient''s condition. It did not sound too optimistic, but it was also not a ''there is nothing I can do''.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    "So, do you have an Elixir to treat something like that, Sir?" Teo asked respectfully, while trying not to appear overeager.


    "No. This is too special of a situation for a generalized treatment... But I could make one. It is a difficult process, however, requiring dozens of precious ingredients which would need to be compensated for," the Alchemist explained, the leathery skin of his face warped into a thin, regretful smile.


    "That''s fine with me! How much do I need?" the boy replied. What did it matter if he paid one gold coin or two, five or a dozen? It was just metal anyway. As long as it was in his power, he would gladly pay up.


    "I am afraid; just money won''t be enough to compensate for this order, young man. It is a difficult task, requiring hours of undisturbed focus and precious ingredients. I fear that I will have to ask for another service in return... Unless you can provide an ingredient of appropriate worth and rareness, as old Alchemist tradition dictates, of course. But what are the chances of¡ª" the Alchemist elaborated until he got cut off by the sudden exclamation of the young boy beside him.


    "I have one!" chimed Teo joyfully, remembering the precious herb he still held in his pocket dimension through the workings of fate.


    "What?" the old man queried in shock.


    "A rare herb! You just said I could pay for your services with that," Teo said optimistically


    "Eh, yes. As old tradition has it, any ingredient of suitable worth can be traded to acquire the services of an Alchemist, but this rarely happens. You don''t seem to understand. I will need to sacrifice several special herbs from my private collection to finish your order; there is no way they could be compensated for by ordinary herbs you may find on the edge of the forest, boy. Without even taking the effort of crafting an Elixir into consideration, there is no way that¡ª" the Alchemist tried to explain why this was not a real option and more of a courtesy towards the customer, but he was interrupted by the spirited boy once more. Not with words, though, but with action.


    "That! T-That''s a Scythian lamb! Where... How?! How did you manage to get this, boy?" the Alchemist burst out, completely taken by surprise. How had he not noticed such a precious herb in such close proximity until the boy chose to reveal it? The strong, characteristic smell of this herb was hard to mistake and even harder to ignore... More importantly, how in the world had this youngster managed to get his hands onto an ingredient like this?! Even he had not seen one in years, they only grew deep in the heart of Thorn Forest and were exceptionally hard to retrieve. Too dangerous to acquire for mercenaries and not powerful enough to catch the eye of a Magician, this type of herb was both rare and precious alike, causing his mouth to water and his eyes to sparkle faintly with greed.


    After acquiring it in his fateful battle with Beast, Teo had not paid much attention to and almost forgotten about it with the ensuing complications. He simply had too much to deal with to take care of it and it became less and less important to him. He did not even have the time to look into its real value yet, but he was sure of it being a very rare herb. And judging from the shocked expression on the Alchemist''s face, this seemed to be exactly the case.


    Both looked at the bundle of greenish hair laying on the table.


    After Goliath had cut the vine connecting it to the ground back then in order to collect the herb, it had quickly dried up in a matter of seconds and both the vine and main plant it connected to completely turned to dust, only leaving the dried up ''body'' of the lamb behind. It had initially been almost half a meter long but shrunk to around half that size while drying and could now easily be held in one hand. Apart from the four small limbs curled close to its shriveled body, it mostly resembled an ordinary ball of dried up fern and moss. It also gave off a strong, pleasant smell of earth and wood.


    "So, would that be an appropriate compensation for your services, Sir Trismegistus?" Teo asked and thus broke the silence.


    "Ah... Yes, yes. It is not too rare of a herb, and the quality is lacking as well... but I will accept it as a show of good faith anyway. Just do inform me should you manage to acquire anything like this again, I might be willing to take it off your hands as well," the Alchemist said after composing himself once more.


    "Thank you, Sir! I will definitely inform you when the time comes!" Teo said with a bright smile; so far, everything went according to his plan or even better.


    "Let''s discuss the details of this specific affliction once more, and I will start with the crafting procedure right this instant."


    ***


    A boy walked down the worn-out lane in large strides, carrying a satisfied expression on his face. The alleys where dim-lit in the hazy twilight of the early evening, and most buildings in this district seemed to be on the verge of falling apart from old age, but this did little to hamper the bright mood of this enthusiastic young man.


    ''Don''t you think that Alchemist seemed kind of odd?'' a sonorous voice appeared in his head without prior indication, yet the boy did not seem surprised at all ¡ª he was used to it.


    ''Let him be, Goliath. He is an old man, have you ever met one who didn''t seem kind of odd?'' Teo replied unhesitatingly.


    ''Fair point, but I still have a weird feeling about this. Do you really think it was a good idea to pay in advance?'' the Golem shared his doubts.


    ''Sure! Why wouldn''t I? He even gave me a receipt, and he wouldn''t dare to scam me in open daylight like this, right?'' Teo answered leisurely. He was just glad that he would be able to cross the matter of saving Beast off his list once and for all tomorrow.


    ''Suit yourself then, I would not be so trusting though,'' the magical construct replied as if the matter had nothing to do with it.


    ''Goliath, please. What could possibly go wrong now that we have already discussed all the details with him? I don''t think he would accept our order if he weren''t up to the task; he has a reputation to uphold after all,'' the boy said telepathically to his companion and continued to head down the lane.


    From the window of a nearby tower behind them, a lean, elderly man observed them, unaware of their ongoing conversation.

 50 The Elixir 2

    Teo originally wanted to rush over and cash in his receipt first thing this morning, but remembering how the Alchemist had insisted that he should come no sooner than noon, he begrudgingly dragged himself to school instead.


    It was already well into the second semester, and early spring had been around for a while. He would have to deal with his finals soon, but his priorities lay elsewhere for now. The whole morning he sat through one boring lecture after another, trying to pay as much attention to class as possible, while his thoughts were wandering.


    It was easier said than done, but Teo had no choice if he wanted to appear inconspicuous to his teachers and avoid trouble with his family. Somehow he had to nail all of the knowledge to the insides of his head in the least possible amount of time to keep his grades in the average range while saving enough free time to deal with other matters.


    It felt like forever, but after several excruciating hours on the treadmill of the educational system, he was a free man once more. With a victorious grin, he stepped out of the building and rushed off the premises like a madman ¡ª it was past noon, and he had a delivery to receive.


    His speed was quite impressive, and many onlookers barely saw a shadow dash by, unable to identify his facial features. One guard even wanted to tackle him to the ground out of reflex but held himself back at the last second when he saw that it was just a child. Usually,  it was only a few particular occupations that had a reason to move at such velocities on the marketplace, leading to this almost catastrophic misunderstanding. The captain would certainly not have liked to hear about him wrestling children to the ground ¡ª in duty no less!


    After approximately twenty minutes, Teo could already see the steep tower rising high above the adjacent buildings. His training seemed to have had substantial effects on his endurance, allowing him to cover the distance in a surprisingly short amount of time, even when he had gotten a bit slower towards the end.


    He checked his pocket one last time, to feel for the slightly crumpled receipt he had gotten the day before, then he strode towards the wooden gate, demarcating the estate from the rest of the neighborhood, and knocked.


    "What?" it echoed from the other side whilst a sliding window was pulled open to reveal a large, round eye, trying to espy the identity of this visitor ¡ª It was the same, grumpy doorkeeper he had the honor of meeting yesterday.


    "Good afternoon, Sir! I am Teodor Grassdown, and I have come to pick up my order!" the boy stated firmly. He had already rehearsed this several times on the way, intending to get this over with as fast as possible.


    This time Teo knew the way and was not as impressed with the eccentric amounts of furniture and decoration. In his eyes, it was just a lot of junk lying around the place that looked funny.


    As soon as they finished their ascension on the helical staircase, Teo knocked on the already familiar office door without hesitation, before the gatekeeper could even say anything. Seeing that his services were no longer necessary here, he turned around on the spot and marched down the stairway again, intending to return to his post as quickly as he could. Even though he made a sluggish appearance while walking, he was not slow by any means and disappeared behind the next bend after barely a breath.


    When Teo focused his attention on the door once more, it was already wide open, and only now did he notice the strong medicinal stench wafting from inside ¡ª it certainly was a lot stronger than last time.


    "Good afternoon, Sir! I have come to pick up my order," Teo said with a friendly smile.


    "Ahh, just at the right time. I have finished the procedures just an hour ago and was already expecting you, young Grassdown. Here, take a seat!" the Alchemist said and gestured for Teo to join him, which he did.


    Teo tried to hold back his curiosity, but could not help but blurt out when he had barely taken seat yet: "Did it work? Did everything go as planned?!"


    "Someone is quite impatient, I see. Yes, everything went according to plan. I have managed to prepare your potion, even if it has cost me much of my evening, my entire morning, and many precious materials. Take a look!" the man said and pushed an ornate, wooden box that had been seated on the table the entire time, closer to Teo.


    It was small but seemed to be rather expensive. The outside was decorated with carvings of leaves, vines, and floral patterns. Teo carefully opened it, after observing it in detail from the outside.


    The intestines of the box provided an entirely different picture and surprised Teo quite a bit. The bottom and the walls were lined with a fluffy fabric, dampening any shocks from the outside and protecting the flasks resting on it in neat rows from breaking.


    "So many?!" Teo cried out involuntarily. He had expected one bottle and not... One, two, three... ten bottles! A grand total of ten crystal vials filled the box in an orderly five by two pattern, a pale, yellow liquid resting inside of them.


    "It''s just a matter of packaging. You did specify that you need an especially large dose for your purposes, but I can''t bottle it in a way that would encourage potentially lethal overdosing. This is an aggressive brew, and any ordinary man would pop like a balloon if he were to ingest it all at once. It is a drawback of the formula, but given the circumstances, it should be the most effective solution," the Alchemist explained while Teo nodded intently at every sentence.


    "One bottle a day, not more, optimally consumed after a meal. After ten days, your patient should be as good as new, if not better. Just revisit me if there are any problems," the man said and gave Teo a surprisingly amicable smile.


    "Oh, ah... Thank you, Sir! One bottle a day got it!" the boy said, jumped up from his seat, and bowed to his benefactor. Finally, he had a solution to his most pressing problem.


    After bidding farewell to the aged Alchemist and reassuring him that he would return for all his alchemical needs, Teo tightly grabbed the small, locked box and was on his way.


    ''I told you he was not a bad guy! He even gave me such a nice box for free! It''s all about reputation ¡ª Re-pu-ta-tion!'' Teo taunted his silent companion.


    ''I don''t know. His smile did look a bit fake. I still think that he has some kind of hidden agenda,'' the Golem responded after a few seconds.


    ''You''re just salty because you were wrong, admit it! Being bad at dealing with others does not make one a criminal mastermind, you know?'' Teo continued to celebrate his victory. Who had the better eye for people now? Huh?

 51 The Elixir 3

    Finally!


    Everything had come together, and Teo was finally able to cure the ailment of his friend.


    After receiving the valuable Elixir of healing from Mr. Trismegistus, Teo had not wasted a second and rushed immediately towards the secret clearing in the woods where Beast was still resting, and he had been awaited.


    ''Master! Hungry!'' the black hound barked in expectation as he saw his human companion approaching him.


    "Easy, Beast. I did get you a snack, but I also brought something far more important today," Teo said and gently leaned the small backpack, which he always carried around, against the improvised shelter.


    He did not have terribly much to discuss with his canine friend, so Teo just sat in silence as Beast gobbled down the large piece of ham that he had brought for him.


    "It''s best applied right after a meal..." the boy mumbled silently and reached out for Goliath with his mind.


    ''Goliath, can you¡ª'' he tried to say but was interrupted by a certain wooden box materializing in his hands.


    ''Way ahead of you,'' Goliath remarked as he had long anticipated Teo''s question.


    The young boy carefully opened the contraption and looked at the vials inside, then he said, "This is it. Look, I''ve brought a special medicine for you, Beast! Swallow this and you will be up and running again in no time!"


    ''Medi-cine?'' the Magical Beast looked at him, its confusion openly visible. It seemed this was a new concept for it.


    "Relax, just open your mouth and drink this," Teo tried to persuade him to cooperate and moved towards the snout of the wounded animal.


    As soon as he unplugged the cork, a strong herbal aroma diffused into the surroundings. Beast was still skeptical but did as he was told and opened his mouth.


    Without hesitation, Teo splashed the full content of the vial into Beast''s gaping maw, which was forcefully shut soon after as the wounded Barghest rolled around on the ground and emitted low growling sounds.


    Judging from the intense reaction, the Elixir was not blessed with a particularly pleasant taste. But what did his mother always say? The bitterer the medicine, the better it worked.


    After a few moments of heartbreaking howling, his canine companion had quieted down again and now lay limply on the ground like a wet towel. Teo tried to approach him again.


    "Are you feeling better? Did it work?" he asked while taking a closer look at his wounds ¡ª and what he saw shocked him.


    Barely a few seconds after drinking the potion, there were already visible effects! The exposed flesh around the wounds sizzled, and his blood seemed to start boiling. Simultaneously, a few of the shallower scratches closed up at visible speed ¡ª It was working!


    Now, recovery was only a matter of time.


    *****


    At the same time, at a different place, another boy was working on his own agenda.


    "Father, please let me come with you! I promise I won''t cause you any trouble!" Jack begged. The duo of father and son were at home right now, but the mood was anything but relaxed.


    "You know that is impossible. Just stay here and rest, I will be back in no time." His father, however, was an obstinate man, and not that easy to persuade.


    "I always dreamed of going to the capital one day. Please just take me along!" Jack kept on insisting, though.


    "Do you think this is for amusement? I have no choice but to respond to the summons, but I will certainly not take you along for a joyride through half the continent in your state." Allvar had made up his mind and transmitted his decision firmly.


    "I am feeling much better already! You won''t even notice that I am there, I promise!" However, the red-headed boy was still not ready to accept the outcome.


    "This matter is not up for discussion, young man! Your wounds may have healed, what about your obligations? What about school? Do you expect me to excuse you for two months? Stay here and look after your sister!" The captain of the Town Guard Brigade repeated himself for the last time and stepped out of the room.


    A while back, he had been summoned by the administrative office of the Magic Association in the capital and was preparing to take a trip there in person. It was time for the quadrennial conference of continental security, and it would be the second time for Allvar to attend.


    It was something like a national fair where all the brigade heads of the major cities gathered to discuss the recent developments on the continent and the necessary measures to tackle them. Additionally, there would be lectures, presentations, and even a tournament. Primarily, it was a political event concerning public order and security, though, and it was nowhere near as much fun as it sounded. Who could enjoy being locked in a room full of two-fisted warhorses that did nothing but blare at each other for days?


    To be honest, Allvar did plan on bringing Jackson with him initially... yet could not help but change his mind after the recent events. The boy had had enough action for now, and he would rather know him safe and bored for the time of his journey than to drag a wounded child onto the road with him.


    Much to his regret, he had given Jack a few hints in regards to his plans several months ago, and the boy was not the type to forget about a potential adventure...


    "Haa..." Allvar sighed. When would he be able to get some sense into this son of his? Somehow he seemed to be much more interested in adventures and becoming a guard than studying... but that was also a good thing. Having dreams to aspire was just natural, and there could be much worse things going on in his mind after the recent occurrences.

 52 The Mines 1 *bonus Chapter*

    \"Weird, very weird,\" Edgar the Apprentice Magician said and stood up from his crouching position.


    \"What is it?\" a blonde woman beside him asked attentively.


    \"A trail. It must be less than a few days old, but I just can''t put a finger on what animal made it. They remind me of a deer''s, but it looks like this one walked on two legs,\" he answered, then turned to the woman, \"And... What exactly are you doing here? Go home!\"


    \"I am coming along,\" she stated firmly in denial.


    \"You can''t come with me, Elisa. It''s dangerous!\" he tried to persuade her.


    \"I am coming along!\" But she had a differing opinion.


    \"And what are you planning to do once we find what is responsible for this?\" Edgar asked in return.


    \"I will help,\" she replied.


    *Sigh*


    Edgar heaved a deep sigh and stopped trying to achieve the impossible. Teo''s mother, Elisa, was an extraordinarily obstinate woman, and arguing with her would do him little good.


    But why was he ranging the depths of Thorn Forest with her in the first place? To answer that question we will have to go back a little further...


    It had all started around a week ago.


    The small village of Ritark was beginning to thaw up after the harshest part of winter, and the village was back to its usual bustling self. The hunters went hunting, the farmers were preparing the fields for sowing, and the mines had opened up business again... Like any other year.


    One detail, however, was different. There were complaints.


    Ever since the Mines had reopened, workers have been reporting unusual noises and the feeling of being followed. Tools would suddenly disappear from where they were left, and several days later, the small hut that the miners used for their breaks had been vandalized.


    It must have happened in the middle of the night since the miners heading there for their morning shift only found one of its walls with a gaping hole, and most of the furniture torn to splinters. The vandals nowhere to be seen, and the only clue they left were vague hoofprints in the soft earth of the forest.


    Initially, the village people thought it to be a tasteless prank, but they were proven wrong soon. People began to disappear.


    The first one was a miner that headed towards the village after finishing his shift and never arrived. The second, a woodchopper with a very similar story.


    And the third one was the local Blacksmith, Rainert. Teo''s father.


    As a blacksmith, he was not usually near the area of the mines, but he had been asked to deliver several new sets of equipment and decided to take measurements in person. No one had seen him since yesterday evening.


    Now, the unlike duo of Apprentice Magician and housewife were investigating what was behind these mysterious events.


    Owing to this responsibility, Edgar had been planning to investigate this matter for a while, but the appearance of a furious housewife on his doorstep today had accelerated his departure from the comfortable Magician''s Office considerably.


    By now, they had already made their way to the vicinity of the mines that bored their tunnels deep into the sides of Mount Kroll and were investigating the surroundings of the local outpost. Edgar had been unable to shake off his pesky appendage throughout the whole morning and had by now already accepted her company as an unavoidable inconvenience.


    \"So, what is the plan? Do we question the nearby workers first, or should we directly investigate the mines?\" Elisa said nonchalantly without much of an expression. Somehow it did not show on her face, even though she must have been quite worried given the current situation.


    \"You really are serious about this, are you? You want to head into the mines now, without preparation or the necessary equipment?\" Edgar retorted with a baffled look. He had not expected her to be so... practical.


    \"Why wouldn''t I? We need to get to the bottom of this as fast as possible; there is no time for dilly-dallying,\" the headstrong woman replied and quickened her pace.


    \"But your a wo¡ª\" Edgar started but held himself back at the critical moment. Then he continued, \"Nevermind. These hoofprints are the only clue we have so far, and I don''t think whatever made them lives down in the mines. We should start by questioning some people in the area. Maybe we can find a few more clues,\" he said and followed beside his temporary sidekick.


    Soon, they arrived at a more extensive clearing on the edges of the lonely Mount Kroll that towered high above the trees, where a few shed-like buildings defied the natural order of the forest.


    They strode directly towards the largest of the bunch, where the supervisor of the mining efforts resided during the day and knocked on its wooden door. Directly afterward, Edgar entered the small cabin without waiting for a reply.


    \"Hmm? Who''s there?\" a grumpy man who had a striking similarity to a barrel said from behind an unorganized desk.


    \"Edgar Atkins. Senior Apprentice Magician and official delegate of the Magic Association. This is about the missing workers,\" the lean Magician said and nonchalantly took a seat in front of the messy table.


    \"Ohhh! It was about time you showed up. My people are hardly working out there with all that crap happening lately, bunch o'' slackers. Hurry up and blast these dang culprits with a fireball or something!\" the portly man replied as he hurriedly rose from whatever he was doing on his table before.


    Edgar scrunched his eyebrows and glared at the vulgar man. Due to his high position in the small village of Ritark, it had been a while since he was exposed to such ill manners, yet he surprisingly kept his calm and said,


    \"I don''t do fireballs, but consider the case as good as closed.\"

 53 The Mines 2 *bonus Chapter*

    \"And have you heard anything unusual lately?\"


    \"You bet I have! See Jona over there? Someone saw his cousin in action with a goat last week and ¡ª\"


    \"I meant concerning the incidents! The missing workers?\" Elisa hurriedly interrupted the man, her face quickly taking on a crimson color to display her discomfort.


    \"Oh, yeah. The incidents. Nothin much to tell ya about it. Weird creeps stealing our equipment for a while now,\" the slightly disappointed miner who she was interrogating replied.


    \"But were there unusual noises, or did you see anything?\" Elisa asked expectantly.


    \"Not much, honestly. We are just mindin our business and once in a while, something disappears or breaks or whatnot. Hard times, I''m telling ya. But no one''s seen a thing so far,\" the man elaborated further and spit on the ground.


    \"Alright. Thank you for your time then. I will keep asking around,\" Elisa replied and turned away.


    \"Well, good luck with that, blondie. But be careful, lot''o weird shit happening here lately,\" the miner said warningly and turned back to his work.


    This was not the first conversation of similar outcome that Elisa had held today. Nobody had seen anything, and the eerie rustling or whistling which some of the workers reported was barely enough to be considered a clue. A few dozen men were working here, how come no one could report anything useful when every passing day marked the occurrence of a new incident?


    Without anything noteworthy to report, she decided to head towards the scheduled meeting point and discuss with Mr. Atkins how they should proceed from here. When she approached the agreed-upon location, the lean man was already waiting for her impatiently with his arms folded in front of his chest.


    \"Elisa! What took you so long? I have been waiting here for almost a quarter of an hourglass!\" the upset Apprentice Magician complained.


    \"That''s not that long,\" Elisa stated matter-of-factly.


    \"What?\" Edgar exclaimed, taken by surprise.


    \"Forget it. Did you find out anything useful?\" Elisa changed the topic.


    \"These miners are dumber by the dozen, no one has seen, heard, or even smelled anything! Even if clues are lying around here somewhere, we will have to find them ourselves,\" Edgar remarked bitterly. It was no feat to see through his annoyance regarding this development. He looked at Elisa and asked in return, \"What about you? Any luck?\"


    \"Not really. Some reported a rustling or whistling when they passed nearby shrubs, but it might as well be their imagination. Right, and one guy was dead certain that he heard someone play a flute on his way home, but I don''t know what to make of that,\" Elisa summarized quickly.


    \"Same as me then. As expected, nothing useful we can get from talking to these ingrates.\"


    \"Strange, very strange. I fear, Magic is involved in this matter ¡ª almost certainly it is. Some of these incidents happened in broad daylight in the middle of the camp. Unless they are lying, someone should have seen something...\" the middle-aged Apprentice Magician continued to mumble to himself.


    \"One guy seriously kept insisting that his ax was stolen directly from his hands, just as he was about to chop down a tree... and he didn''t see anything! Can you believe that?\" Edgar suddenly turned around and asked.


    \"Uhm, no. That really is strange,\" Elisa replied unprepared.


    \"All he remembered was feeling groggy and a bit lightheaded and the next second his ax was gone... I thought he was exaggerating or just had too much ale, but what if he was put into some kind of trance?\" Edgar queried as he continued his trot, not really expecting an answer.


    \"Can Magic do that?\" Elisa asked confused in return. So far she had only seen basic applications of elemental Magic and could hardly fathom the possible scope of more advanced techniques.


    \"What can''t it do, child? It would certainly explain what''s going on here, but who would do something like that? Or rather, who can do something like that?\" he continued to ramble about his theory.


    \"So, you think there is a human culprit behind this after all? But who would profit from some missing tools?!\" Elisa interjected.


    \"Oh, I did not say human, did I? Ever seen a human with hooves? I haven''t.\" Edgar returned amused.


    Elisa looked at him in bewilderment. If it wasn''t a human, then who was it?


    \"Didn''t you say there was a high chance of Magic being in play here?\" Elisa asked back, trying to put the pieces of the story back together.


    \"And you think humans are the only ones capable of Magic? Here? In Thorn Forest?\" Edgar laughed jovially and showed one of his rare smiles in response to her naivety.


    \"You really think you''re at the top of the food chain, don''t you?\" he said rhetorically after a deep breath and soon calmed down again.


    \"So what are we talking about? I have never heard of such a sophisticated bear before...\" Elisa retorted with slight sarcasm.


    \"A Magical Beast... or rather, a Magical Creature, possibly intelligent even\", Edgar said solemnly. He had donned a grave expression now and was even more serious than before.


    \"What? Here?\" Elisa exclaimed.


    \"Where? Inside an ancient, magical forest? That does not seem too farfetched if you ask me\", he replied with folded arms and scrunched eyebrows.


    \"It''s not magical...\" she tried to object but was quickly interrupted.


    \"Everything is magical! Especially old places, dark places, wet places, spots where no one ventures... does that ring a bell?\" Edgar threw back agitated. Elisa ignored him and immediately tried to change the topic,


    \"But it''s unheard of for a Magical Beast to appear this close to the village!\"


    \"Magical Creature; and that they don''t usually go out of their way to bother you does not mean there aren''t any.\" Edgar lectured.


    A moment of multilayered silence ensued. Elisa had not yet been aware of this possible threat to her and her family; at the very least she had not expected it to be this close. However, she soon spoke up again,


    \"So, what are we going to do?\" she asked soberly.


    Edgar abruptly stopped in his tracks. He turned around imposingly, the edges of his loose robe fluttering in the wind, then he said,


    \"Well, isn''t that obvious? We''re going to set a trap!\"

 54 The Mines 3 *bonus Chapter*

    Night fell soon, and the unusual duo continued their hunt for the mysterious perpetrator. A plan had been promptly assembled, and the cooperation of the nearby miners won easily through the help of their uncultured supervisor. The pack of workers did not really play a part in the plan except for the preparation, but it was vital that they didn''t get in the way nonetheless.


    Everything was ready.


    All things considered, it was a rather simple plan, but more often than not simple was best. The more complicated every aspect of the whole thing was, the likelier it was to fall apart without any results in the end ¡ª and they could not afford to take any risks given the current situation.


    Taking into consideration that the culprit liked to steal tools, especially at night and when no one was watching, they had sent home most of the miners and ordered the rest of them to hide in the nearby huts till nightfall. The trap itself was rather unimpressive as well and only consisted of a simple iron ax on top of an old stump.


    It may not seem like a particularly tempting lure, but considering the preferences of their nightly visitor and the fact that they had cleared out all the other tools in the area, it should do the trick nonetheless.


    Initially, Elisa had advocated for Edgar to skewer anything he saw with a giant ice lance the moment it stepped into the clearing but had to reconsider due to the Magician''s advice. She would indeed be unable to find her husband in the convoluted thicket of the forest if they killed their only lead.


    They would need to catch it alive.


    \"Why is it not coming out? The sun has already set, and we had all of the miners take shelter... Do you think it will come at all?\" Elisa said quietly from behind their cover. They had been hiding like this for a few hours now, and the last rays of sunshine had already bid their farewell a while ago ¡ª it was getting cold with the cooling evening breeze brushing past them.


    \"I can''t answer that with certainty, but since every day so far had at least one incident and nothing has happened yet, I doubt there will be significant deviations from our predictions\", Edgar responded in a hushed voice. He had designed this setup and was utterly convinced that his plan would deliver a desirable outcome.


    \"But it could still take the whole night, right? I can''t feel my legs anymore, and it probably won''t come for that rusty ax anyway... Wouldn''t it be better to go and search the forest for its hideout directly?\" Elisa tried to persuade the middle-aged Magician while rubbing her ankles when a sudden rustling noise caught their attention.


    They instantly turned their heads towards the edge of the clearing from where the sound originated, but all they saw was a black shadow swiftly making its way towards the area where the prepared ax lay on a lonely tree stump. It was way too fast!


    \"I know!\" Edgar grunted back and rushed out. He had certainly not expected such a swift target.


    Trying to chase after the mysterious shadow, he sprinted towards the direction of the stump and began to weave his Magic immediately. Depending entirely on his extensive expertise in Water Magic, Edgar managed to finish a half-liquid, half-frozen net of impressive proportions in no time and propelled the whole thing forward with a rushed blast of mental power, aiming directly towards the stump that the shadow was about to reach.


    But he was too late. When the meshwork of elemental Magic hit the ground, it was already empty ¡ª the unknown creature had reached, taken, and darted off with the ax already, causing Edgar to miss completely. How was this thing so fast?!


    \"Come on, chase it! We can''t let it escape!\" Elisa shouted distressed, everything was on the line for her in this case, and she was not mentally prepared to loose their only clue once more.


    Edgar, on the other hand, did not seem too bothered. It certainly did scratch his ego that he had missed a mere forest creature with one of his renowned spells, but he was not going to rush after this foe headlessly anytime soon. Instead, he slowly walked back to the direction where they had been hiding previously, meeting Elisa halfway.


    \"What''s wrong with you? What are you just standing around for?\" She asked displeased and out of breath as she finished her short sprint as well.


    \"Calm down. I have marked the ax in advance. We can follow it directly to its hideout\",  Edgar said matter-of-factly.


    \"What? You have... what?!\" Elisa stammered unbelievingly.


    \"I put a small Leadstone on the ax before we put it down so that we can track it in case anything went wrong\", the lean man replied.


    \"A Leadstone? Is that some kind of magical tool?\" she asked as soon as she calmed down.


    \"It''s a naturally occurring magical ore the shape of a small, pointed shard. Not only is it magnetic and will stick to most metals, but once cut into two halves, they will perpetually point towards each other until one of them is destroyed. They are quite useful, and I tend to bring a pair along whenever I head into the forest, they can also be used to prevent getting lost,\" Edgar, the Magician, explained, seemingly eager to pass on his knowledge.


    \"So, it''s pointing towards that thing right now?\" Elisa asked, bewildered.


    \"Of course! We could begin tracking it right now!\" Edgar replied and put on a victorious smile.


    \"Then what are we waiting for?\" Elisa exclaimed excitedly and rushed to grab the Magician by the wrist.


    \"Okay, Okay! I''m coming. Just let me grab my stuff,\" Edgar replied, flustered, and began his preparations to head out.

 55 The Mines 4 *bonus Chapter*

    "It''s too dark! I can barely see anything in this thicket!" Edgar complained as he cut his path through the dense vegetation of Thorn Forest.


    "Just follow your needle-thingie! It can''t have gotten far yet!" Elisa replied as she tried to free a part of her loose clothing that had gotten caught on the branch of a blackberry bush.


    "It is a Leadstone, and I know how to follow it! I''m just saying we would make faster progress if we waited for dawn.


    "Quit complaining and focus on the way!" Elisa retorted agitated, not taking well to the suggestion. Her husband was missing, abducted by a horrendous forest creature, and she was to wait for dawn? Not a chance!


    After they had gotten a few hundred meters between themselves and the clearing around the outpost, the terrain was slowly becoming more accessible as the obstructing ground-vegetation receded, yet so did the traces of moonlight that made it through the airtight roof of the forest as it grew denser. A slight breeze carrying the smell of soil, decaying leaves, and a faint trace of resin was blowing past them as they left the thornbush-covered area and headed deeper into the forest through an alley of towering trunks on all sides.


    It was dark and cold. A shiver ran down Elisa''s back, but her conviction remained unwavering. She did not care if she lacked suitable clothing for this endeavor or battle experience; she would see this through till the end.


    Edgar was leading the way and was slowly winning margin, but he did not seem to notice. He was entirely absorbed in the operation of his magical tool. More than a dozen meters behind, she still heard his dissatisfied exclamations from time to time.


    "What''s with this darn thing?! Why does it keep changing the direction it''s pointing to? It doesn''t make any sense!" he snarled at the small, metallic shard hovering over his outstretched hand, perfectly held in balance on top of a thin, icy needle.


    Meanwhile, Elisa was battling to advance safely across the uneven forest floor in her inadequate footwear. Then she saw something move and stopped in her tracks.


    "Hello?!"


    She whispered into the nothingness around her and turned her head to stare into the darkness seeping in from between the trees that encircled her from all sides. But, all of a sudden, it was not as dark anymore. A good dozen meters away from her, a bit to the left, a glowing whisp of light was hovering in the air, exuding a faint shimmer of brilliance that vanquished the darkness around it.


    "Edgar, I think I have found something!" she called out but did not receive a reply. Had he really moved on without her?! What a jerk!


    But it did not simply hold still as it hovered in the air, it bobbed and swayed in the gentle night-breeze and slowly drifted farther away from her as she tried to approach it. She could not put the feeling into words, but somehow she felt a connection to this glowing phantom. Something enticed her to follow it.


    "Wait!" Elisa called out and quickened her pace, chasing after it.


    Not paying any heed to her steps, she soon stumbled over a thick, barbed vine that had entangled itself with her right foot. Some of the thorns pricked her skin as they penetrated through the rough fabric of her pants with little effort, but she still managed to free herself after a moment.


    It was getting further and further away.


    She had only been following it for a few hundred meters, how could she lose it now that she was almost there?! She picked up her pace once more.


    It was hard to tell how long she had chased after the light in this dim forest, but eventually, it stopped.


    The small, glimmering orb was hovering peacefully in front of a narrow crevice that was part of a towering cliff a few steps in front of her. The bare face of rock stood in glaring contrast to the surrounding vegetation, and she could not see the end of it, as the upper parts were hidden behind the thick treetops of the forest.


    Elisa had only stopped for a second to take a look at her surroundings, but the orb had already resumed its journey and disappeared in the open crack of stone.


    "Wait!" she called out, but to no one''s surprise, it did not show a reaction.


    Elisa hurried towards the cliff face in front of her but hesitated to follow after her target. There was a breeze of air drifting from the crevice, and... was that the sound of a flute?


    She was uncertain of how to proceed but finally decided to continue onwards.


    The vertical crevice was narrow, but with her lean stature, she could squeeze through without much effort. Advancing like this, her back pressed against the rough, cold stone, her heart was beating like crazy. What was waiting for her on the other side? And why did she have this inexplicable urge to follow that light into uncharted territory?


    Elisa paused for a moment to consider her doubts, but after decisively shaking her head to get rid of these thoughts, she continued ahead, unafraid of the darkness. She could already see the light at the end of this fissure now, and the faint sound of music was only becoming more audible. She was almost at the exit. Thank the gods; there was an exit.


    Battered and exhausted, she fell on her knees as she stumbled out of the narrow opening. After a few deep breaths, Elisa raised her head once more to observe her surroundings; and gasped in shock.


    The place wasn''t exactly what she had pictured the interior of a mountain to look like. In fact, she wasn''t even "in" the mountain. Strange trees grew all around her, and far overhead Elisa could see the dark, star-covered night sky, peeking over the high cliffs that sheltered the groove from all sides.  The mysterious orb of light she had been chasing was hovering near her, right next to a burly tree; it must have been this one''s light that she had seen from inside the crevice.


    "You''re quite hard to catch, little guy. What did you want to show me?" she softly said to the specter beside her, trying not to scare it. She was beginning to suspect that it was more than a light in the forest. And then there were still the melodic, high-pitched notes of a flute reverberating from the surrounding walls, that plunged the place in an eerie cacophony of faint sounds and echoes.


    As if she had pressed a button with her words, the light zoomed into the distance again, dodging the gnarly trees to the left and right. Elisa chased after it and soon noticed that they seemed to follow a well-worn track. Progress was fast.


    They did not come far when all of a sudden, the orb of light stopped and dissolved into tiny specks of light that seemed to carry dozens of inaudible, faint voices that drifted away with the wind. It was gone.


    Shocked by the sudden disappearance of her target, Elisa stopped in her tracks too, but now that the only source of light in the area was gone, she could see a soft, orange glow reflecting on the nearby leaves a little bit ahead of her. She slowly advanced further.


    She soon stood on the edge of a clearing where a small campfire had been kindled from a pile of dead branches. Small sticks had been set up around the fire, sizzling fruits of various shapes stuck to their ends. And there he sat, Rainert, her husband. Leisurely leaning on a tree trunk and staring into the fire, that big idiot. What was he doing here?


    Elisa wanted to rush up to him immediately, but she was interrupted.


    "Who are you? You''re not allowed to be here!" a hoarse voice demanded to know. The flute had stopped, and someone must have been playing it after all. Elisa only got a good look at this new adversary in the dim light of the campfire after turning her head around to face it directly.


    "Elisa?!" Even Rainert had noticed her now and reacted promptly, but was silenced with a gesture of the beast.


    It was hard to describe, half man, half animal. It walked on two legs, hooves, and small horns adorned its head, but it was barely half her size, like a child. It brandished a long, wooden flute like a weapon, and held it threateningly in her direction.


    "How did you find this place?" it demanded once more.


    "I- I followed the light..." Elisa stammered in response, spooked by the sudden confrontation with this anomaly.


    "What light? It''s the middle of the night!" it retorted.


    "I- I don''t know. There was this glowing orb of light in the forest, and... and I followed it. It led me here. But it disappeared just a moment ago", Elisa tried to summarize what had happened to her today, but even she had to admit that it sounded far-fetched.


    "You mean a whisp?" the magical creature asked, surprised. It contemplated for a moment, then lowered its unusual weapon.


    "What''s a whisp?" Elisa asked, intrigued by the unexpected reaction.


    "Well, a light in the forest, obviously. They are also referred to as the guides of fate. They lead the pure-hearted creatures of this world towards their destiny." he explained in a grave tone.


    "If one led you here, there is a good reason for that," he added after a short pause and stepped to the side, allowing her to enter the clearing.


    She did not need to be invited twice and rushed immediately towards her husband, tears filling her eyes. How she had missed a hug like this.


    "Sorry that I did not come home last night, it won''t happen again," Rainert said and tightened his embrace. They were finally reunited, but what had happened?


    "What happened? What are you doing here?" Elisa questioned after struggling free and slammed her fist against his chest in a childish fit of anger.


    "Well, how should I say. Fil abducted me... I guess," Teo''s father replied sheepishly and scratched his head.


    "Who''s Fil?!" She called out hysterically. She had had enough excitement for one day.


    "He is. You already met him, remember?" Rainert said and pointed at the goatman that still stood a few paces away and watched them.


    "Yeah, I did not get around to introduce myself. Hi, I''m Fil!" the creature said as he approached them.


    Elisa was not yet ready to shake his furry hand and stumbled backward instead. "You have a name?!" she called out, surprised.


    "Of course I have. It would be pretty unpractical otherwise, right? My name is Filifern Goatweed, but I usually go with Fil. Nice to meet you, human," it replied and tried to shake Elisa''s hand again, this time with more success.


    "Nice to meet you too, Fil. I''m Elisa," she replied in a daze, still unable to cope with the situation.


    "So, Fil. How come you spouse-napped my husband, if I may ask?" she retorted threateningly after regaining her composure. She did not care what kind of creature had laid its hands on her husband, but it was best advised to start preparing for her reply.


    "How about I explain that to you?" Rainert interrupted the tense situation again and began to explain straight away without waiting for confirmation.


    Apparently, Fil had run away from a group of magical beasts that had attacked his village in the north a few months ago. The area was not as fertile as his original home had been, but he had managed to find a nice sanctuary that was surprisingly rich in primal Magic and had made it his temporary home. He lived from what the forest gave him, and as it was every Faun''s duty, he protected it in return.


    Around a month ago, he had started to notice more and more human activity in his territory. They burned the bushes, they fell the trees, they killed the animals... they were attacking the forest to quench their irrational thirst for blood and destruction.


    He had never seen a real human before and was afraid, but Fil knew he needed to do something, so he tried to frighten them into leaving the place ¡ª without success. Soon his attempts became more extreme and got out of hand quickly.


    "You kidnapped people because they chopped down some trees? That''s crazy!" Elisa called out, infuriated.


    "Destroying the forest is crazy! I just tried to protect it!" Fil retorted mopingly.


    They were both upset, but Rainert managed to calm the situation once more. As he had nothing else to do, he had spent the last hours thinking about possible solutions for this conflict and had already discussed some of them with Fil. After pulling Elisa into the discussion as well, they soon managed to come up with a satisfactory solution.


    "Marking all the sick and old tree''s with an X so that the miners know which ones to fell and which ones to leave alone... that could work! It''s a compromise, but I think both sides can live with that. We just have to tell the miners, that as long as they don''t mess with the forest, it won''t mess with them either," Elisa summarized. "If you lead us back to the camp, we could take care of the negotiations right now!" she proclaimed.


    "As long as they leave my tree''s alone, I have no reason to bother them. But do you think they will listen?" Fil asked probingly, unsure of the plan.


    "Just leave that to me! Bring us to the camp, and we will take care of the rest," Elisa proposed self-confidently.


    The decision made, they talked a bit more about the details and began the preparations to head out. The other Miners who had been abducted were stashed in an improvised cell and fast asleep. It was made from living branches, probably woven together with Magic. According to Rainert, they had been put to sleep by a rhythmic flute solo since they would not stop complaining. Naturally, they could not leave them behind.


    Elisa even found a small hill of discarded tools in the vicinity and remembered to search for the ax that they had used as a lure earlier today. With a smirk, she picked up a small metallic shard from the side of its blade and pocketed it.


    "With this, that idiot will find his way home eventually. Serves him right if he spends the whole night searching for us," she whispered to herself and turned away to leave.


    The matter as good as resolved, the small caravan of people set out together as Fil led the way towards the Miner''s camp. The gentle night breeze brushed through Elisa''s burr-covered hair as she looked back at the crevice one last time, then turned around to head home. She longed for nothing more but a warm bath right now.

 56 The Elixir 4

    "Come on, boy. This is the last one!" Teo said and fiddled with the small crystal vial in his hand.


    Ten days had passed by in the blink of an eye.


    Teo had looked forward to seeing the long-term effects of the elixir, and today it was finally time for the last treatment. It was not as happy an occasion as he had first expected, though.


    Beast''s condition had seen definite improvements over the past days for sure, but he was still far from healthy. Even though his physical health and his wounds had gotten better and better with every application of the mysterious potion, somehow, his spirit seemed to suffer from it.


    Initially, the large animal had been quite lively and motivated, even with his substantial wounds. Yet now, Beast simply lay still in his shelter most of the time, lacked appetite, and showed little reaction to outside stimuli. Even the magical energies suffusing his body seemed to weaken significantly over time, making the once-fearsome Barghest a lot less intimidating. He was like a completely different magical beast.


    Naturally, this development worried Teo, and he spent a lot of time trying to find out what was wrong ¡ªwithout much success.


    So now, after pouring the contents of the last vial into Beast''s mouth, Teo decided to visit the old Alchemist, Hermes Trismegistus, again, from whom he had gotten this potion in the first place. He had kept precisely to the prescription of one bottle per day and took note of everything that could cause complications, yet a full recovery of his friend failed to appear. Clearly, something was wrong, and he was best advised to consult the Alchemist about it before deciding on how to proceed.


    ''Say, Goliath. What do you think we should do? Is the potion not working, or what is the problem with Beast? '' Teo asked his trustworthy companion on the way.


    ''We talked about this already, haven''t we? The elixir has to be legit, or it would not have been able to heal such wounds... Yet it''s hard to refute that something isn''t right. Maybe it was just not enough yet?'' Goliath replied, more a question than an answer. The small Golem had naturally not encountered a similar case before, and he too had no idea of how to fix it.


    So with no other options to boot, they hurriedly continued their way to the gloomy tower of the only Alchemist they knew.


    *****


    "What do you mean, it''s not working?" the greyed senior asked in surprise.


    "It''s just not working, Mr. Trismegistus," Teo repeated himself solemnly.


    He was sitting in the flamboyant office of the famous Alchemist, Hermes Trismegistus again. It seemed as if he frequented this place a lot lately.


    "But there must have been some effect, right? I can''t imagine there to be no effect at all..." the Alchemist retorted and waited for the young boy to reply.


    "So, he is getting weaker? Hmm... it is probably just the accelerated recovery taking its toll on his vitality. The condition should not be underestimated, though," the man said and eyed Teo carefully.


    "I would prescribe... a few further treatment sessions with smaller doses to make sure his body is fully healed, and a strengthening type Elixir to support the recovery. That should quickly get him back on his legs again," the thin scholar elaborated his suggestion and observed Teo''s reaction.


    "That''s it then! Can you prepare the necessary potions for the treatment?!"


    "Certainly, certainly," the lean man said and smacked his lips, then he continued, "However, I would need a lot of precious resources for that again, and... you know how it works," he stated and looked expectantly at Teo.


    "Right, I need to pay. I almost forgot. About how much would that be then, altogether?" the boy asked in return, hoping that his savings would be enough to foot the bill.


    "Ahh... I am terribly sorry, but... I fear, just money will not be enough for this service," the Alchemist said and leaned in to close the deal. "May I ask for a favor instead?"


    Teo was a bit taken aback by the sudden request but soon steadied his resolve and asked,


    "What kind of favor?"


    "Oh, it is a simple one. To make the required concoction for your friend, I will need a special catalyst ¡ª a rare magical gem known as the Ocean''s Heart. Unfortunately, I don''t have any left in stock..." the Alchemist said, clearly beating around the bush.


    "So, you want me to get one for you?" Teo asked, finishing the sentence in his stead.


    "There is just a tiny little problem..." the Alchemist added, then hesitated before continuing, "It does not occur naturally in this area."


    "Well, if it can''t be found in this area, then how am I supposed to help you? I am not an adventurer, and I have no experience in collecting magical ingredients anyway..." Teo was stumped, as he still did not catch the intentions of the Alchemist.


    "It can be found directly here in the city. However, it is not for sale," the man amended in cryptic words.


    Hermes Trismegistus was a cautious man. He had been in the business for a long time already and knew most of the tricks. Through his endeavors over the years, he had accumulated a considerable amount of wealth, yet his ambitions reached even further. The rumors about him were indeed correct; he did not leave any opportunity that presented itself to him unexploited, and he was not about to waste this one.


    "What do you mean, Sir? How am I supposed to acquire it then?" Teo asked with a puzzled expression. Could this geezer come to the point already? Could he help Beast or not? At this point, Teo had many open questions, and he did feel that the situation was kind of weird, but he did not expect to hear the following words from the Alchemist:


    "There are certain unconventional ways to acquire it."


    ...


    He needed a moment to process these words but eventually puzzled them together. ''Unconventional''? Available here in the city? He was not telling him to steal anything, right? The old man did approach the subject a bit strangely and hesitated to call a spade a spade, yet he could not possibly be trying to persuade him to commit a crime, right?


    Intending to clear his doubts, Teo tried to approach the subject directly, "Sir, you aren''t telling me to steal it from someone, right?"


    "Stealing is a harsh word... but I am afraid there is indeed no other possibility but to take it secretly," the Alchemist replied matter-of-factly, causing Teo to stare at him in shock.


    "I will not steal anything for you!" the boy declared firmly, dismayed by the sudden turn of events.


    "It is not a preferable situation, yes. But remember, it is not for me. I am afraid it may be the only way to save your friend," the Alchemist replied, causing Teo to fall into deep contemplation.


    He did want to object vehemently, storm out of the building, and tell on the guards... yet he didn''t. Yes, stealing was certainly not acceptable, but what if it was the only way to save Beast? Could he just waste this opportunity? What else was he supposed to do about the situation? With no other options to choose, Teo had to consider his choices carefully.