Chapter 3

Chapter 3: First Steps into Magic (Part 1)
A-Dai said aggrievedly, ‘You… you didn’t tell me to go out! Didn’t you say I must obey whatever you command?’
Gris turned and walked into the room, letting out a long sigh. He opened the window to let in fresh air from outside, hoping to dispel the foul smell lingering indoors. He felt truly defeated by this clumsy boy. Taking another deep breath of fresh air, he shouted toward the bathroom, “Wipe your butt clean and come out.”
After getting dressed, A-Dai emerged from the bathroom. Suddenly, he felt as though he had become an entirely different person. An indescribable freshness coursed through his body; it seemed as if an extremely heavy burden had been lifted all at once. His entire being felt light and buoyant, even his previously clouded mind now clearer. Vitality surged through every part of him. “Teacher, what did you just give me to eat?”
Gris replied impatiently, “The Nine-Turn Marrow-Transforming Pill.”
“Nine-Turn Marrow-Refining Pill? What is that?”
“Don’t ask too many questions; just sit down.” Goris pointed to a stool nearby. “I have a few questions for you, and then I’ll take you to get something to eat.”
Upon hearing the words “something to eat,” A Dai’s eyes immediately ignited with excitement. He obediently sat on the stool, awaiting Goris’s inquiries.
“A Dai, do you have any other names? Are you from Luori or Huasheng?”
Adai shook his head and said, “No, I don’t have any other name. What are the Sunset People and the Huasheng People?”
Gris replied, “Sunset and Huasheng are the names of two other empires on the continent. Judging by your black hair and dark eyes, you must be a descendant of one of these two nations.”
“Oh, I don’t know where I’m from either. I think I’ve heard of the Sunset and Huasheng kingdoms before, but I can’t recall much about them.”
Gris sat back down on the bed, looking at Adai, whose complexion had now regained much of its color, and asked, “Do you know who your parents are?”
A-Dai shook his head blankly and said, “I only remember begging on the streets, begging and begging. One day Uncle Li came; he said he’d give me food, so I went with him.”
“Then how old are you this year?”
A-Dai thought for a moment and replied, “Twelve… oh, no, maybe thirteen.” He truly wasn’t sure how old he was. The children around Uncle Li who were about his height were all twelve or thirteen, so he figured he must be that age too.
“Twelve or thirteen, hmm, that seems reasonable enough.” Glis continued asking, “Do you know what year and month you were born?” As soon as he asked, he regretted it; the simple-minded boy in front of him didn’t even know his own age, so how could he possibly know his birth year and month?
However, unexpectedly, Adai blurted out, “March 21st, 977 of the Sacred Calendar.” As soon as he finished speaking, even he himself was stunned.
A cold glint flashed in Goris’s eyes as he said, “Didn’t you say you didn’t know how old you were? How come you just stated it?”
At a loss for words, Adai stammered, “I… I don’t know either. That date just suddenly came to my mind, and I said it.”
Gris furrowed his brows, silently calculating. It was now April of the Sacred Year 988, which meant this boy named Adai should be eleven years old. Yet Adai’s behavior just now had struck him as somewhat peculiar. In a cold tone, he said, “Boy, don’t try any tricks with me.”
Adai shrank back slightly and stammered, “N-no, I wouldn’t!”
“Come here,” Gris beckoned to Adai with a wave of his hand.
Reluctantly, Adai approached Gris. Reaching out, Gris grabbed Adai’s shoulder and murmured a few words under his breath. Instantly, a stream of warmth flowed from Adai’s shoulder into his body. At first, Adai found it quite comfortable, but after a while, the heat transmitted by Gris grew increasingly intense. Gradually, Adai could no longer endure it. He tried to struggle, only to discover that his body was no longer under his control. The scorching energy seemed intent on melting his internal organs, surging relentlessly throughout his system. Adai’s bones began to crackle loudly. The excruciating pain forced him to let out a piercing scream.
“Ah—, Master, I can’t take it anymore, please spare me, it hurts so much, it hurts so much!”
Gris frowned, raised his hand, and a ring of cyan light enveloped A-Dai’s body, completely containing the sounds within.
After a long while, when A-Dai’s body had gone somewhat limp, Gris finally released his grip. He let out a long breath and muttered to himself, “I didn’t expect this foolish boy to have such excellent innate constitution; he is suited for cultivating both magic and martial arts. My Nine-Turn Marrow-Transforming Pill was not wasted in vain. This is even better; when the time comes…” Speaking thus, he suddenly stopped and cast a cautious glance at A-Dai. Shaking his head, Gris said, “What a pity; it seems his mind has suffered some severe trauma. Even the efficacy of the Nine-Turn Marrow-Transforming Pill cannot dispel that accumulated stagnation. Nevertheless, fortunately, this does not affect my experiment.”
The surge of heat finally subsided. A-Dai collapsed to the ground, utterly powerless throughout his entire body. He did not understand why Gris treated him this way, and tears flowed involuntarily from his eyes.
Gris yanked A-Dai’s body up from the ground and said coldly, “No crying. I was just testing whether you have the strength to help me with work; do you understand? I wasn’t beating you. Gentle waters, gather in my hand and nourish the living being before me.” A blue light emanated from Gris’s palm, flowing like a trickling stream into A-Dai’s body. This was the most basic water-element healing spell, one Gris rarely used, but he had no choice but to restore A-Dai’s stamina to prevent any lingering trauma in his heart.
A-Dai felt a cool, water-like current continuously streaming from Gris’s hand; his lost strength was returning bit by bit, and the pain caused by the earlier burning heat had completely vanished. He couldn’t help but believe Gris’s words somewhat.
Gris shoved A-Dai onto a stool and, turning his back to him, said, “Remember this: only the strong can live better. The weak are destined to be bullied. Tears solve nothing.”
A-Dai felt as though he had heard Gris’s words somewhere before; they somehow resonated within his mind. Wiping the tear stains from his face, he timidly replied, “Yes, Teacher, I understand.”
Goris nodded and said, “Alright then, tell me, what’s your favorite food? What do you most want to do?”
Ah Dai answered honestly, “My favorite food is steamed buns, and also chicken legs. What do I most want to do? I… I don’t know.”
Goris cursed inwardly, “What a foolish boy,” yet thought, “But this might work in my favor for future plans.” He continued, “Very well, from now on, you’ll stay with me. I guarantee you’ll have enough to eat every day. However, if you dare to run off on your own, remember that table from today? That will be your fate.”
Goris’s threat seemed to have little effect on Ah Dai, who blankly replied, “As long as you let me eat my fill, why would I run away? But… but…”
“But what?” Goris spun around abruptly.
Adai glanced at Goris’s aged face and murmured, “But if you die, what will I eat?” He clearly remembered that the girl had once said her grandmother died simply from old age, and only after her grandmother’s death did the girl end up begging on the streets.
Goris trembled all over with anger at Adai’s words. He raised his hand several times only to lower it again. Recalling his grand plan, he decided to endure it. In a sour tone, he said, “Rest assured, even if you die, I won’t. Come on, I’ll take you to get something to eat.”
“Great! Teacher, you are truly magnificent.”
“Hmph! My greatness is something you could ever comprehend?”
Two days later, when Goris felt that A-Dai’s health had improved significantly, he led him away from Nino City. The weather today was unusually clear, as if foreshadowing that A-Dai was about to embark on a new chapter in his life.
“Master, will I ever be able to return?” A-Dai asked, gazing back at the small town where he had lived for over a decade.
Goris glanced at A-Dai and said, “Perhaps, if the opportunity arises in the future. Why? Is there something you’re still longing for?”
A Dai shook his head and said, “No, no.” This was the first time he had ever lied to Glyris. In truth, what he really thought was that the girl would come back to find him someday. But he did not say it aloud. Although Glyris had been quite kind to him over the past few days—making sure he ate his fill at every meal and even treating him to many delicacies he had never dared imagine before—A Dai still felt deep down that, compared to Uncle Li, this teacher of his, Glyris, seemed somehow more dangerous.
Glyris paid no attention to A Dai’s words and continued leading him forward.
After walking for a full hour, they arrived at the seaside port not far outside Nino City. A Dai had been here several times before. He loved the sea, cherished its magnificent vastness. Gazing at the distant horizon where sky met ocean, listening to the rhythmic crash of waves against the rocks, A Dai found himself momentarily stunned.
“Hurry up, we need to catch this ship,” Glyris called out, turning back to address A Dai, who was still facing the sea.
A-Dai was stunned for a moment and said, “A boat? Teacher, do you mean we’re going to build a boat?” His voice trembled with excitement. Countless times, he had imagined himself like those fishermen, drifting across the sea in a small wooden vessel. That feeling was what A-Dai longed for most.
“Yes, we need to reach Valiang Province; traveling by boat will be much faster,” Goris replied calmly.
“Wonderful! Wonderful! I’m going to ride on a boat! I’m going to ride on a boat!” A-Dai exclaimed, jumping up with delight.
Frowning, Goris said, “Keep quiet. If you want to take a boat, then let’s get moving.”
The two soon reached the dock. When A Dai saw the enormous passenger ship, over a hundred meters long, more than twenty meters wide, and three stories high, his jaw dropped as he murmured in awe, “Is this… is this the ship we’re taking? It’s so huge!” Compared to the white-painted giant before them, those fishing boats seemed utterly insignificant.
Gris snorted. “Big? I think it’s too small. Let’s board.”
Crossing the wide gangplank, A Dai followed Gris aboard the great ship named Baishen. Gris had booked a double cabin on the top deck. As soon as he stepped onboard, Gris felt thoroughly uneasy. The real reason he’d told A Dai that the ship was too small was simply because he suffered from seasickness. Had it not been for his desire to return early and begin preparing his plan, he would never have chosen to travel by sea.
A Dai wandered excitedly through the cabin, frequently peering outside through the round glass windows. Before long, broad sails were hoisted atop the tall masts, and the ship gradually began to move. Since icebergs lurked in the deep waters here, the Baishen initially sailed along the coastline; only upon reaching warmer regions would it venture into the open sea to accelerate its journey.

First Steps into Magic (Part 2)

“It’s moving, it’s moving! Teacher, the ship is moving!”
Goris yanked A-Dai in front of him, glared at him, and said, “Do you remember what I taught you yesterday?”
A-Dai blinked his eyes and awkwardly replied, “I… I forgot.” Over the past two days, Goris had been teaching A-Dai various aspects of alchemy. Unfortunately, A-Dai’s mind was simply too slow; he couldn’t even remember a few of the most basic terms.
“Hmph. I knew you’d forgotten again. Never mind, I doubt you could remember anything anyway. Sit cross-legged on the bed.”
“Oh,” Ah Dai replied, following Goris’s instruction and sitting properly. Goris stood beside him and said in a low voice, “We’ll continue studying the terminology once we return to my place. During our time on the ship, I’ll first let you experience what magic truly is. So-called magic involves using one’s own spiritual power to communicate with the various elements inherent between heaven and earth, mobilizing them through spiritual strength to accomplish what one desires. I don’t expect you to understand this right now. Shortly, I will infuse my own magical energy into your body. Close your eyes, perceive what you see, and then tell me.”
Ah Dai nodded, closed his eyes, and said, “Yes, Master.”
Goris continued, “I require that within three months, you must at least learn the two simplest spells: Fireball and Flame. Otherwise, I won’t give you any food. Now, gather your thoughts and feel the power I’m transmitting with your heart.” As he spoke, he extended his right hand, placed it on Ah Dai’s shoulder, and softly chanted a few incantations.
A Dai felt a sudden warmth on his shoulder, instantly recalling the torment he had endured that day at the inn; his whole body shuddered.
“Clear your mind of all distractions,” Goris said in a deep, solemn voice.
The stream of heat flowed from his shoulder into his body. It seemed not to intensify but merely circled continuously within him. A Dai gradually relaxed; since there were hardly any distracting thoughts in his mind to begin with, within a short while, he actually drifted into a hazy sleep amidst the warm current emitted by Goris.
At first, Goris thought A Dai was immersed and reveling in an ocean of magical elements. However, after quite some time passed without any reaction from him, and since this method of transferring magical power could only channel one’s inherent magic into another’s body without summoning magical elements from the air, even someone of Goris’s magical proficiency began to feel strained. He slowly withdrew his right hand and said, “Tell me, what did you see? A Dai, A Dai… Huh? Good heavens, you little rascal, you’ve actually fallen asleep! You’ve wasted so much of my effort for nothing. Grr… I’m furious!”
A small water balloon burst on Adai’s face, jolting him awake from his sweet dreams. “Ah! It’s snowing, it’s snowing!” he exclaimed.
Gris angrily tapped A-Dai on the head and said, “Your head nothing! What did I just tell you to do? And what exactly have you been doing?”
Only then did A-Dai realize his situation and recall some of what had happened earlier. Lowering his head, he said, “Teacher, I’m sorry. Just now… it felt so comfortable that I fell asleep.”
Barely suppressing his inner fury, Gris said coldly, “Tell me, what did you just see? Don’t say you saw nothing. If you truly saw nothing, then there will be no meal for you today.”
At the mere mention of food, A-Dai instantly perked up. Scratching his head, he thought, I didn’t see anything at all! How should I answer? Yet the temptation of food was simply too great. After thinking it over, A-Dai decided to describe the wonderful dream he’d just had, hoping it might help him slip through unnoticed. With this in mind, he looked at Gris’s stern expression and said, “I… I suddenly felt my whole body growing hot, and then everything became blurry. Later, I saw so many, many children coming to play with me. Each of them held a small red steamed bun in their hands, as if offering it to me. I kept trying to take them, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t collect them all. I wanted to give them something of mine in return, but I had nothing on me, so I could only give up. Then, you ‘woke’ me up.”
Gris was secretly alarmed. How could he not understand that A-Dai was describing his own dream? Although A-Dai had been asleep, what he described was somehow related to the fire element. Those children who supposedly played with him were entirely figments of his dream, while those tiny red spheres were precisely the fire elements existing between heaven and earth! Why would all the fire elements drift toward him? Unless he possessed an innate pure-fire constitution—but Gris had already checked, and he did not! Back when Gris himself had studied fire magic, he could only sense the presence of fire elements around him, nothing more.
A-Dai watched Gris anxiously, uncertain whether his lie—substituting a dream for actual sensation—would be enough to earn him a meal.
Gris extended his right hand and said, “Repeat after me: ‘O fire elements that fill heaven and earth, grant me your warm power; condense into a sphere and appear in my hand.’ Whoosh!” A fireball roughly ten centimeters in diameter instantly materialized in Gris’s palm, making the surrounding air suddenly scorching hot.
Although A-Dai didn’t fully understand what Gris meant, he realized this must involve some kind of incantation or technical phrase. Mimicking Gris, he began, “Repeat after… Ah, I don’t need to say that part, right? O fire elements that fill heaven and earth, grant me your warm power; condense into a sphere and appear in my hand.” The moment he finished the chant, A-Dai suddenly felt something rush toward his palm. With a soft whoosh, light flared in his hand, and a tiny fireball merely one centimeter in diameter appeared above his palm. Startled and fearing he might get burned, A-Dai instinctively willed it away, and the fireball immediately vanished.
Gris stared blankly at A-Dai. It took him a long moment to react, and a flicker of murderous intent flashed in his eyes. He had never expected that this simple-minded boy before him possessed such extraordinary magical talent. When he himself had first chanted the incantation for the Fireball Spell, all he felt was warmth in his palm, yet even then his master had praised him highly. And now this unremarkable, somewhat foolish boy had actually managed to conjure a tiny fireball—it was simply unbelievable.
A-Dai himself did not understand why a small fireball had appeared on his hand. He gazed vacantly at his palm, and the two of them just stood there, stunned, in the room.
After a long while, Gris extinguished the fireball on his hand and said, “That’s enough for today. I need to rest. Remember the incantation you just heard clearly. The fireball you conjure will float above your hand and won’t harm you. Whenever you have free time, sit on the bed and silently visualize those little red spheres. Do you understand?”
A-Dai nodded, striving to recall the words of that so-called incantation. He no longer cared about looking out at the sea. For an eleven-year-old child like him, the curiosity stirred by the Fireball Spell was far stronger than any fascination with the ocean.
Gris ignored him, lying down on the bed with his eyes closed to rest. Fortunately, today offered rare fine weather; the sea was calm and still, causing minimal rocking of the ship, which kept his seasickness symptoms remarkably mild. He thought that if another mage had witnessed A-Dai’s performance earlier, they would surely have delighted in taking him as an apprentice. His talent was indeed remarkable. Given his own advancing age, should he consider letting this boy inherit his knowledge? Gris shook his head vigorously. No, how could he break his own plan just because the boy showed great potential? Once the final experiment commenced, this child would inevitably die. What use would there be in learning even more?
One day later.
A-Dai sat cross-legged on his bed, eyes closed, thoroughly enjoying playing with those little red buns when Gris suddenly woke him. “Teacher.”
“Mm. Try reciting the incantation I taught you yesterday once more.”
“Oh, fire elements that fill the heavens and earth! Please grant, please grant… Ouch!” All A Dai could remember was the first sentence.
Gris withdrew his hand after smacking A Dai; this foolish boy’s memory was truly terrible. “I’m telling you one last time: if you still can’t remember it, you won’t eat before we disembark. Oh, fire elements that fill the heavens and earth! Please grant me your warm power, condense into a sphere, and appear in my hand.”
For A Dai, being denied food was the greatest threat. He struggled to memorize every word: “Warm power… condense into a sphere… appear in my hand.” Sitting on the bed, he repeatedly chanted the unfamiliar latter part over and over again. Such a simple incantation could be fully memorized by an ordinary person after just a short while of recitation, yet A Dai had to practice for half a day before he could barely ensure he wouldn’t forget it.
“Teacher, Teacher, I… I’ve remembered it!” A Dai shook Gris awake regardless of the timing, just as the latter had fallen asleep.
The wind and waves today were rougher than yesterday. Goris had tried to sleep off the nausea brought on by seasickness, and after much difficulty finally drifted off, only to be jolted awake. Glaring furiously, he snapped, “What are you doing?”
A-Dai startled back a step, stammering, “I… I’ve memorized that incantation.”
Goris snorted. “You’re the most dim-witted person I’ve ever met. It took you a day and a half to memorize a simple spell. What’s there to boast about? Recite it once so I can hear.”
The sliver of confidence A-Dai had painstakingly built was instantly shattered by Goris’s words. Bowing his head, he extended his right hand and murmured softly, “O fire elements that permeate heaven and earth, grant me your warming power; condense into a sphere and appear in my palm.” As the incantation concluded, he once again felt that gathering, nameless force—this time even stronger than before. With a soft puff, a small fireball three centimeters in diameter instantly materialized in his palm. Having learned from last time, A-Dai didn’t panic; he carefully observed the crimson flame. It felt warm, not scorching, against his skin. He lifted the fireball closer to inspect it, but in a moment of carelessness, a tuft of hair on his forehead caught fire. “Ah!” he cried out in alarm. His concentration broke at once, and the fireball in his hand flickered out. A pungent smell of burning immediately filled the cabin. A-Dai frantically patted at his hair until the tiny flames were extinguished. Poor fellow—his shoulder-length black hair now had a noticeable patch missing.
Watching A-Dai’s disheveled state, Goris couldn’t help but show a faint smile. “Fire and water show no mercy; just because it didn’t hurt your hand doesn’t mean it won’t cause trouble elsewhere. That was a genuine fireball—you basically set yourself ablaze. Be more careful next time. Open the door to let the smell out.”
A-Dai kept panting heavily. Although the recent incident had left him utterly embarrassed, the appearance of the fireball filled his young heart with joy. For the first time, he felt a surge of respect toward Goris. “T-Teacher, I’m sorry. I’m so clumsy. I couldn’t even cast such a small spell properly.”
Goris thought silently, “Doesn’t that make me even clumsier than you?” He had never seen anyone manage to release a fireball to such an extent after only two days of training. “Alright, no more talking. Just be careful from now on, and don’t forget the incantation.”
A-Dai nodded firmly. “I-I definitely won’t forget, Teacher.” The Fireball Spell was the first magic A-Dai had learned, and his heart was already filled with affection for that red sphere of flame. Sitting aside, he continued reciting the now-familiar incantation.
Two more days passed, and the voyage entered its final stage. Garris had not dared to leave his room all these days, fearing that the sight of the endless sea would make him vomit. All his food and drink were ordered by A-Dai from the stewards and delivered to their cabin; nearly ninety percent of every meal ended up in A-Dai’s stomach. A-Dai was a very well-behaved child. Over these three days, aside from persistently reciting the incantation for the Fireball spell, he spent his time meditating and cultivating on the bed. As the saying goes, diligence can make up for clumsiness; in merely three days, he had already mastered the Fireball spell quite well, capable of releasing fireballs roughly five centimeters in diameter. Occasionally, Garris would offer him guidance on applications of the Fireball, such as how to increase its temperature, enlarge its volume, or control its flight through the air. Surprisingly, A-Dai, who had always seemed dull-witted, learned these techniques with unexpected ease, mastering them quickly.
A-Dai controlled the fireball to revolve around his body, thinking silently to himself: even if his teacher were to die someday, he would no longer need to fear the cold; having a fireball to warm oneself felt truly wonderful. Fortunately, none of the spells Garris knew included mind-reading; otherwise, he would have been so enraged that blood would have poured from his seven orifices.
“Teacher, I’d like to go to the doorway for some fresh air.” After several days together, A-Dai was no longer so afraid of Garris; after all, Garris had never beaten him and had ensured he ate his fill at every meal.
Garris glanced at him and said, “Put away your fireball. Stay right by the door; do not wander far.”
“Got it, Teacher!” A Dai exclaimed excitedly. With a casual wave of his hand, he extinguished the fireball hovering in the air, then cheerfully opened the door and stepped outside. Standing on the corridor outside the cabin, A Dai gripped the railing as warm sunlight bathed him in indescribable comfort. He took a deep breath of the salty, fishy air and gazed toward the distant horizon where sea met sky, utterly captivated.
“Huh? What’s that?” While lost in admiration, A Dai suddenly noticed a black dot on the sea surface moving straight toward their passenger ship from diagonally ahead. It seemed to be approaching rapidly, gradually growing larger.
Within moments, the black dot’s shape became increasingly clear—it was another ship. Its hull was black, roughly the same size as their passenger vessel, with only a single deck. Emblazoned on its enormous black sail was a huge white skull, beneath which lay two crossed bones. “Why is their ship’s color different from ours?” A Dai wondered.
As the large black ship drew nearer, others aboard the passenger vessel also noticed the situation. Shouts of alarm rang out repeatedly: “Pirates! Ah! It’s pirates!”