Communication Magic

At night.

The moon and stars are sparse.

Unable to sleep, Rienta lay on the roof, staring blankly at the starry sky.

In your mind, arrange the twinkling stars into patterns.

It was boring, but it calmed his agitated state of mind a little.

Rienta didn't think this was what you call being smitten.

After all, he and Serie had only met a few times.

As someone with a cheat-like ability, Rienta naturally fantasized about having a passionate love affair with the 'Sect Saintess'.

But he never imagined that the person who would inspire this idea would be Serie.

Ultimately, it's all Solitär's fault!

As a Demons, instead of properly studying magic, he resorts to crooked and evil practices.

Amplifying the evil thoughts in others—is that something a Demons like you should be doing?

Thinking of this, the image with several dazzling affixes flashed through Rienta's mind again.

Just then, a mocking voice rang out.

"What's on your mind?"

"Selena... Ai? It's you?"

With lightning-fast reflexes, Rienta changed the name she instinctively uttered into a question.

At the same time, the expression on his face became puzzled.

Serie smiled slightly, staring at Rienta for a long time before finally finding a comfortable spot on the roof to sit down.

Rienta broke out in a cold sweat, her mind racing, and hurriedly said:

"Lady Serie, I'll go prepare two drinks."

Having said that, he vanished from the rooftop.

Serie tilted her head and looked towards the spot where Rienta had been standing.

At such close range, she didn't even realize what kind of magic Rienta used to leave.

"Interesting."

Serie chuckled softly and murmured.

When her eyebrows and eyes curved upwards, they resembled a crescent moon, and the liveliness in her eyes was even brighter than the moonlight.

She crossed her legs and swayed them gently, the skin that was inadvertently revealed was as warm as jade, without any flaws.

In the [Personal Space].

Rienta let out a long sigh, gave a wry smile, and began making the drink.

Because of the [Golden Land], the Demons race has long since disappeared from the entire Weise region.

In addition to other reasons, he did not usually activate [Detection Magic].

That's why Serie caught him off guard when she got close.

Now he can only place his hopes on the fact that, like Serie and Frieren, in some ways they are still children.

Otherwise, the society would be doomed.

A short while later.

The extra-large cup of fruit tea, made by combining two cups of local Weise fruit with his own homemade sticky rice balls, is now complete.

Rienta, holding a cup of fruit tea in one hand, left the [Personal Space].

Roof.

"Here, yours."

Rienta handed over a cup of fruit tea made primarily of watermelon.

After Serie took it, he sat back down on the roof.

The two stood about a meter apart, each drinking their fruit tea, without saying another word.

I don't know how much time passed.

Rienta finished her fruit tea.

He subconsciously took two more breaths, the straw making a hissing sound.

"Rienta."

"I am here."

Serie paused for a moment, then continued, "Do you know about Dunkel's [Curse-Reversing Magic]?"

Rienta nodded, then looked at Serie with some confusion.

Dunkel mentioned this when it was decided that he would face Macht head-on.

Those who pass the First-Class Mage exam will all possess a [Privilege].

The [Privilege] can be used to request a spell from Serie.

Even more so, if it's a spell like [Curse-Reversing Magic], which requires ordinary magicians to cultivate for decades or even centuries before it can be used in actual combat.

Serie can also use [Transfer Magic] to transform her Grimoire in [Curse-Reversing Magic] into a grimoire at the cost of forgetting herself.

By simply reading that Grimoire, one can transcend the vast expanse of time and learn the Grimoire contained within.

This is practically an otherworldly version of initiation!

Serie looked at Rienta: "So, do you have the magic you want now?"

"Of course, it can't be 'magic that makes one's special abilities look cooler'."

After Rienta shook her head and said, "Not yet."

During his battle with Solitär, he felt he lacked a magic spell that could deliver the final blow.

But later, the compressed and solidified Mana, combined with Übel's magic, did achieve the destructive power he had imagined.

So for now, he still doesn't have any particular magic he wants.

"I see."

Serie couldn't quite understand Rienta's thoughts.

After a moment of contemplation, he took out a Grimoire, tossed it to Rienta, and said, "Extend your hand."

Rienta took the Grimoire and extended her palm.

Serie gently brushed Rienta's palm, and a small Hexagram-shaped Magic Array Pattern quietly appeared.

The Magic Array Pattern solidified on the back of Rienta's hand in the next instant.

"This is the [Communication Magic] you mentioned before; the specific spell formula is in the Grimoire."

"Currently, although the conditions for using this magic are somewhat demanding, it shouldn't be a problem for you."

"Consider it compensation for Lernen's previous rudeness."

Rienta placed the Grimoire containing the [Communication Magic] into her [Personal Space].

After carefully examining the Magic Array Patterns on the back of his hand, he frowned and said:

"Excuse my bluntness, Lady Serie."

"I believe Lady Frieren will be very satisfied with [Communication Magic] as compensation."

"But this compensation should not be provided by you."

"Furthermore, the recipient of the compensation should be Lady Frieren."

Serie was well aware of this.

But every time she met Frieren, they would start arguing after only a few words.

There was no chance to bring up the issue of compensation.

Moreover, she didn't want to bow down to Frieren.

Needless to say, Lernen was even worse off.

It's one thing to be ignorant of social issues when you're young, but it's another thing to be ignorant of them in your old age.

Despite knowing that Rienta harbored resentment towards him, he still issued the commission in his own name.

The reward for helping Dunkel solve the [Golden Land] was merely a Grimoire.

That makes it difficult to evaluate.

Serie glanced at the Mana surrounding Rienta, sighed softly, and said:

"After your letter requesting help arrived, Lernen intended to set off to assist you."

"However, I stopped him."

"Lernen is, after all, my disciple. I don't want him to get upset over trivial matters..."

Serie didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was already quite clear.

Rienta a noncommittal shrug.

He simply felt annoyed with Lernen.

It hasn't come to the point where we absolutely must kill him.

However, if Lernen really dares to come to Weise.

He wouldn't mind taking the opportunity to give Lernen a hard time.

Sorry, I woke up last night to find I had a cold.

I feel incredibly dizzy.

I will try my best to make up for it.

Here are some things I want to complain about.

You can skip this if you don't like it.

Speaking of which, my book was also quite popular, with over a thousand copies sold at its peak.

For a newcomer to achieve this level of success is more than enough.

But, how should I put it?

During that period, I was sitting in front of the computer every day, and some people felt uncomfortable watching me.

They're urging me to go out and find a job.

Well, then, due to some unforeseen circumstances, I went.

Delivery driver.

After working for about half a month, I was cut off by a fellow driver at night and fell, resulting in loss of sensation in the lower half of my hand, from my palm to my elbow.

I don't know how to describe it.

I can't exert any strength normally; it's fine if I don't touch it, but it goes numb as soon as I do.

It took two months of intermittent healing to recover.

My novel was also put on hold for a long time because of this.

Don't ask why I don't go to the hospital, because I'm ridiculously poor.

During that period, I never had more than 500 yuan on me.

It's quite abstract.

During that period, I did update it a few times, albeit intermittently.

But looking back at the chapters from that period, around chapter 100 and beyond, I always feel there's something strange about them.

In my opinion, the most important thing about writing novels is to keep writing.

After such a long hiatus, I genuinely couldn't write anymore.

It means I can't write it down literally.

Some people say, "Your plot is already quite similar to the original work, so why can't you write it?"

I honestly don't know how to answer that.

I just can't write it down.

Sitting in front of the computer, my mind is so blank it could run wild.

So why did it start updating again last month?

The reason remains the same: poverty.

The kind of poverty where you can't even afford rent or an 8-yuan cigarette.

I've never worked in a factory either.

A simple routine: dormitory, workshop, canteen.

I worked on the front line for over a year, with three shifts and two rotations, each shift lasting 12 hours.

During that time, I really felt like I wasn't even human.

Fortunately, I have a good talent for gaming.

Through an online friend's introduction, I started working as a game booster.

During the period when I was injured and had to stop updating, I barely survived thanks to my former boss.

Until last month.

Two incredibly absurd things happened at the same time.

I rented a car for food delivery, but the contract had problems, and I got ripped off.

We have to pay compensation.

I wanted to rent a house, but I was scammed by a shady real estate agent and lost the few hundred yuan I had left.

Ha ha,

I'm already in my mid-twenties, how can I be so stupid?

It's hard to hold back.

My gaming skills have declined, and I can no longer make a living from it.

I thought to myself, why don't I just write a new novel?

After all, he has some talent and luck involved.

But then, damn it, a certain crane dropped a bombshell.

Then, a certain 39 company also had a financial scandal.

Then the so-called Zaoshen Project also emerged.

Then all sorts of AI-generated content started popping up like crazy.

The result is...

My book... I guess it's completely dead now, right?

Anyway, that's the income, two or three yuan a day.

Sometimes, I wonder if I'm cursed with bad luck, because everything I do seems to go wrong.

But upon closer reflection...

It's mostly my own problem.

If I had continued working instead of becoming a game booster...

If I hadn't become arrogant and continued making money as a game streamer by boosting accounts, instead of starting a game studio...

If I had continued running the studio instead of writing novels...

If I had continued writing novels instead of becoming a food delivery driver...

If I can persist in doing something.

Will things be different?

Now you don't have to stare blankly at your current balance of less than 100 yuan.

Still complaining here.

They said it was due to force majeure that I stayed in my small room every day, never going out. Even on my days off when they went home, I didn't go out, and I didn't even eat.

He doesn't even dare to see his own family.

This is an illness, a mental illness.

It's a disease that requires treatment; you have to go to work in a factory and receive social security benefits to be cured.

I don't know how to say it.

Well, that's pretty awesome anyway.

I don't know if I'm sick or not.

I just don't dare to see anyone, especially not people I know.

I'm afraid of their gaze.

Every time they look at me, I feel like I'm a mistake.

The last time I was most emotionally vulnerable, I considered just giving up.

But when I stood on the 33rd-floor rooftop and looked down, my legs went weak.

I can't believe my legs went weak!

Even though I was mentally prepared, I gave up because of my fear of heights.

Yes, I still regret it now.

I regret not being more decisive back then.

In this way, the suffering can be reduced by at least half.

Okay, okay.

I rambled on and on, saying quite a lot.

There wasn't really a theme.

Just some random thoughts.

That's all.

It's like seeing a path that could have been paved with money from writing novels—a path that, while not a path to great wealth, would have provided enough for a comfortable life—once again destroyed by myself and by unforeseen circumstances.

I feel a little sad.

Why can't I just be a little more persistent?

Was it because of the slap on the face?

Was it because of their hateful gaze?

Or is it because of something else?

I have no idea.

I don't understand it either.

Humans.

There will always be a few moments in life when you finally understand things.

I don't know if I can figure it out.

However, it's probably coming soon.

Hey-hey.

That's all.

See you tonight.