177. The Heart That Believes Is Your Magic

"Prayer for Magic?"

Lu Ban has seen many movies with magic themes, but most fantasy movies do not show the details of the magic settings of that world in detail.

Or he might chant a spell and his staff would start glowing, capable of collapsing a bridge with a single blow.

Or they'll shout "Avada Kedavra" and devour a giant melon, and a flash of green light will kill you.

Or perhaps you simply wear some kind of pendant and strike some strange poses to turn back time.

As for how magic works and how it is cast, that's all subjective.

Of course, your belief is your magic, and magic is inherently a matter of the mind.

He was somewhat curious.

"Do you need to pray when you use magic where you're from?"

"Yes, we need to Prayer for Magic after midnight every day, and then the gods will grant us spells that we can use. These spells can be used infinitely throughout the day."

Xiya nodded slightly.

"However, this other world is very far from my world, and the gods' response is somewhat slow. I can only exert about 70% of my strength."

She raised her armored hand and snapped her fingers.

A kind of invisible Lu Ban spread through the space, and he only felt a gentle breeze, not knowing what was happening.

"I just used a Detection Spell, which can detect threats within a hundred meters. Hmm, something seems to be sleeping beneath the desert. Hopefully, we won't disturb it."

"Amazing!"

Lu Ban clapped softly, then asked a question.

"So, can you knead bread now?"

"I... I did not pray for the Food Creation Spell."

Xiya said, as if she were very apologetic.

"Can't you use the corresponding magic without praying? Is magic really such an inconvenient thing?"

Lu Ban found it very strange.

"Magic is not something that humans can easily access. Only gods can bestow extraordinary powers. Before the Gray Tower was built, we suffered greatly from the Demon Tide of the Black Forest. Under the leadership of the founder of the Gray Tower, humans gradually came into contact with miracles, turning magic, which was originally only usable by a few Chosen of the Gods, into a miracle that mortals could also touch."

Xiya spoke with great reverence, suggesting that the founder of the Gray Tower and his actions had indeed improved the living environment of the Night Country.

"So what spell did you pray for?"

Lu Ban asked another question.

"That's a secret."

Xiya did not answer.

"In the Night Country, what spells a mage can pray for, and what spells they pray for each day, is an absolute secret. Because if you know what spells a mage can use today, you can target their weaknesses. So even my teacher, I will not tell him what spells I prayed for today!"

She explained it very carefully.

"Alright, hopefully you have some combat spells."

Lu Ban didn't inquire in detail. Ultimate science and magic are no different, and vice versa. So-called magic is probably just changing things in a way that transcends common sense. He thought that what Xiya had mastered was probably just spells like fireballs and blizzards, like rocket launchers and mortars, which could just grind enemies to dust and that was it.

"Speaking of which, can someone from your world, like me, pray to your gods to obtain magic?"

He was somewhat eager to try it out.

"I haven't tried that before."

Xiya seemed stumped by the question. She pondered for a moment, then turned the pages of the book, intently searching for something.

The firelight illuminated her profile, revealing her emerald green eyes that shone brightly—a color Lu Ban had never seen before.

He waited for a long time, maybe half an hour, but the girl in armor was still flipping through the books.

Lu Ban felt he might not be able to wait any longer, so he stood up and looked at the scenery at the edge of the sand dune.

Even when the people around her disappeared, Xiya didn't react at all, seemingly immersed in the joy of reading.

Lu Ban pinched a handful of sand. The sand was silvery and finer than the sand on the beach. It flowed easily through his fingers without sticking to his skin.

Curious, he pinched some more and tasted it with his tongue.

"It tastes like sand."

Spitting out the sand, Lu Ban looked at the wasteland under the starlight.

There was no Moon or city lights in this world, which made the stars shine even brighter. Only then did he realize that there were no clouds in the sky. Looking into the distance, the entire night sky was like obsidian, pure and dazzling.

However, the Other Shore the horizon, there was nothing but sand, endless dunes forming a monotonous landscape that contrasted sharply with the colorful starry sky.

"Do the people of this strange land live in this desert? But how do they ensure their water and food supply? Do they really all eat insects? I saw water reserves in the camel packs, so it seems there must be other terrain besides the desert, maybe even an oasis."

He was thinking.

However, none of this is relevant to his mission. The Nameless City, a treasure-filled ruin, is definitely in the desert. Considering the mission, he just needs to avoid encountering other Wasteland Hunter.

Back by the campfire, Lu Ban saw that Xiya was still flipping through a book.

"Actually, I'm not that obsessed with using magic, so you don't need to look for it anymore."

He patted Xiya on the shoulder.

The girl is reading.

There was no response.

"Uh, Miss Xiya?"

Lu Ban reached out and waved his hand between her eyes and the pages of the book.

There was still no response.

"Asleep?"

He leaned closer for a look. The girl in armor kept her eyes open and was even turning the pages of a book, but she didn't respond to Lu Ban's calls.

Like a kind of doll.

"Something went wrong?"

Lu Ban wasn't sure if there were any ghosts or monsters in this desert that could turn people into puppets, so he hurriedly pulled out a crowbar and forcefully knocked down on the armor behind Xiya's head.

Clang—

The crisp sound echoed through the desert.

Lu Ban noticed that Xiya had stopped turning the pages of the book.

Like a puppet suddenly turning into a person, Xiya raised her head, her eyes filled with lively color again. She looked at Lu Ban, and then at the crowbar in Lu Ban's hand.

"What are you doing?"

Such a question.

"Just now you"

Lu Ban hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"It's magic."

Xiya explained.

"This spell is called the Reading Spell. After casting it on a book, it allows my body to remain in a reading state, learning knowledge, while my own consciousness can rest and do other things."

"?"

Is this a case of textbooks growing up and learning to crawl into our brains on their own?

Lu Ban didn't quite understand.

He only knew that this thing would definitely be super useful in class.

"Well, I just looked up a way to learn magic, and I can let you try it now."

Xiya spoke again, which excited Lu Ban.