Invitation to Become Partners

If someone asked Rhode what he would do if a beautiful elf girl lay unconscious before him, he would answer with righteous integrity that he would guard her and quietly wait for her to wake up.

Now, that exact situation was unfolding in front of him.

Seeing Serie, whom he had knocked flying into unconsciousness, Rhode froze for a moment, then immediately snapped out of it and strode forward quickly.

"Miss Serie, are you alright?"

Our Little Ancestor, of course, couldn't answer him; her cute little face still held a trace of disbelief.

"This is awkward."

He should have realized it sooner—the Ancestor now wasn't the terrifying figure of later eras; she was still young and inexperienced, otherwise she never would have been knocked unconscious by his magic.

Staring at Serie, who was right in front of him, Rhode couldn't resist.

He reached out a small hand and pinched her round cheek—soft and smooth, like squeezing a giant soft dumpling.

The texture was unexpectedly pleasant, so he poked it again, thinking to himself, "I guess I'm the first person in history to dare poke Serie's cheek like this."

Just then, Serie's eyelashes suddenly fluttered slightly, and then her eyes snapped open.

Rhode froze instantly—his hand was still on her cheek.

"Ahem." He withdrew his hand as if nothing had happened, asking with concern, "Miss Serie, are you alright?"

Serie's golden pupils were dazed for a moment, then sharply focused, locking onto Rhode.

She realized that this damn man had dared to touch her face, but that wasn't the most important thing.

This man's magic was so absurd that, caught off guard, she had been knocked out by him.

Shame and humiliation intertwined, but she didn't show it. Still, she had to ask.

"What were you doing just now?"

Rhode immediately threw up a French salute to prove his innocence. "I wasn't doing anything—just checking if you were injured."

"Just Basic Attack Magic," Serie said suspiciously, staring at him. Thanks to the Defense Magic she had cast earlier, she wasn't hurt, but the impact of his magic had knocked her out.

Mainly because she hadn't been prepared; otherwise, she would have layered on a spell to resist the force.

"Your Creation Magic is very strong."

Serie was silent for a moment, then stood up and said slowly.

She brushed the dust off her white robe, gathered a wisp of magic at her fingertip, and checked her condition.

She muttered to herself, "Mana consumption is much higher than expected."

This man hadn't just perfectly replicated her magic—he had even made it more powerful.

She paused, then suddenly broke into an excited smile. "How fascinating! Your magical ability might be able to overturn this era!"

In this Age of Gods, all magic had already been fixed.

Serie could sense that because of this man's appearance, a new storm of magic would arise—one that even the gods would not permit.

She asked eagerly, "If I teach you more complex magic, can you 'create' new variations based on it?"

Rhode was taken aback. He hadn't tried this method before and couldn't guarantee it, but he steeled himself. "I can give it a try."

"In that case, you'll stay on the outskirts of the Elf Forest. I'll come every day to teach you magic."

Compared to the dangerous outside world, the outskirts of the Elf Forest were relatively safe.

As long as he didn't wander off or go into the territories of dangerous magical beasts, his life wouldn't be at risk.

Besides, no elf was as idle as Serie, running around all the time but never daring to leave the Elf Forest's sphere of influence entirely.

"Like a master and disciple?"

"If you want to think of it that way, that's fine."

Serie had never taken a disciple, and she didn't mind taking this human as her first one.

But this man's ambition seemed to go beyond that.

"Then forget it, Miss Serie. I want to go on adventures in this world. Rather than being your disciple, I'd rather invite you to become my companion."

Becoming the disciple of this Little Ancestor and pulling off a rebellious student plot would be nice, but Rhode still wanted to leave a deeper impression on her.

He wasn't pretending anymore—he was coming clean. He wanted to become Sindel.

Serie laughed.

This human was more interesting than she had expected.

Her smile carried a hint of amusement as she tilted her head slightly, her golden, silky hair cascading like tassels.

"Companion?" She repeated the word softly.

It was the first time she had ever received an invitation from someone.

Elves were, in truth, an emotionally cold race. Not just toward outsiders, but even among their own kind, there wasn't much warmth.

Let alone becoming companions with someone else.

Serie was the same.

"Do you know what you're saying, human?"

Rhode met her eyes. "Of course I do."

"Interesting." Serie crossed her arms. "Then tell me, how does a short-lived, weak human qualify to become my 'partner'?"

"With this." Rhode raised his hand, and a wisp of light coalesced at his fingertip.

But unlike the earlier, offensively potent magic, this light orb served only one purpose—illumination.

This was a new spell he had just analyzed and created from Serie's magic.

"This is a new spell I just created. It can provide light in the darkness. I call it the Illumination Technique."

"You—" Serie's pupils contracted. "You analyzed my magic?"

This was a light-attribute spell unique to the Elf race, yet this man had effortlessly cracked it, even creating a new spell based on the original.

Was it his personal talent? Or was the human race's aptitude this formidable?

"I replicate and decode your magic, then recreate it in my hands, rewriting parts of its effects to produce a new spell. That is my creation."

As he spoke, the light in his hand gradually shifted shape, finally condensing into a crystalline flower of light, floating above his palm.

It was a form of magic Serie had never seen before.

"Creation..." she murmured, a gleam of unprecedented fascination flickering in her eyes. "How interesting."

Rhode smiled faintly. "So, will you become my partner and travel together? I can create more magic you've never seen before, and you—"

He paused, his tone turning serious.

"Teach me how to survive in this world."

Serie was silent for a long moment, then finally let out a soft laugh. "Fine!"

The outside world was dangerous—even she dared not venture out lightly. But this man was far too intriguing. She was already looking forward to seeing more magic from him.

It would be a short, yet fascinating adventure—one that would leave her with enough memories to revisit throughout her long, long life.