Light Spell

Late at night.

A full round moon hung high in the sky, its cold light scattering over the small house on the western outskirts of town.

A flickering, warm yellow light emanated from the cottage window.

It was a ball of light that He Xi had conjured at his fingertips.

Practicing the [Light Spell] was much smoother than He Xi had anticipated.

Thanks to the accelerated Magic Power recovery from [Earth Affinity] and David's notebook, after repeated attempts throughout the previous night, He Xi had gradually grasped the basics.

During the day, he slept soundly to recover his exhausted spirit.

Now, after several more hours of tedious practice—

[Skill Acquired: Light Spell]

The ball of light at his fingertips, which had been somewhat flickering before, was now stable and bright.

"It worked!"

He Xi rejoiced inwardly, but then felt a pang of disappointment.

"It didn't increase my Intelligence attribute..."

He sensed the subtle changes brought by the newly mastered spell and understood.

"It seems effort and reward are proportional."

"This [Light Spell] is just a simple illumination trick, with no real technical depth, and it barely hones mental strength."

"Unlike the [Earth Spike Technique], which is more difficult. Without [Earth Affinity], I probably wouldn't have learned it in this lifetime."

He glanced at Bruce, who was listlessly lying on the ground.

"Bruce, get some rest," He Xi extinguished the light at his fingertips, and the cottage plunged into darkness, with only moonlight filtering in through the window. "We'll pack up tomorrow and get ready to leave."

"Leave tomorrow?" Bruce weakly lifted his heavy eyelids, his voice thick with sleep. "Is it because of the two guards who came last night? Didn't they come again this morning? And they said... Lord invited you to the manor as a guest?"

Bruce had been through quite a lot these past two days.

As a dog with a regular schedule, he needed to sleep at least 15 hours a day.

But He Xi's fingertips had been lighting up and going out, going out and lighting up, almost blinding Bruce's eyes.

Moreover, he felt that He Xi had been acting strangely ever since he could talk—lethargic during the day, but full of energy at night! This was completely contrary to his understanding!

"It's not because of them," He Xi shook his head and walked to the bedside to sit down. "Although it was annoying that they inexplicably came to chase us away at first, I was planning to leave anyway. If it weren't for that notebook."

"The notebook?" Bruce yawned widely. "What does the notebook have to do with it?"

"Of course, it's to learn skills! Mastering two basic Mage skills will allow me to get my introductory certification at the Mage Guild! With the certification badge, I can register as an Adventurer! Then..."

"Adventure?!"

Bruce's spirits instantly soared! His tail thumped against the ground, and all sleepiness vanished. "Really? We're finally going on an adventure?! Legendary dragon lairs and treasures! And dungeons!"

"Yeah!" He Xi was also infected by its excitement. "We won't go to the manor, it's boring. The priority now is... to make money."

He felt the few Silver Scales and Copper Nails left in his pocket.

The money He Xi brought from Holder was almost gone after over a year of Plint eating them away.

Adventure requires equipment and supplies; without money, one can't move an inch.

Bruce, lost in his fantasy of "Adventurer Bruce," twitched his nostrils a few times.

"Hmm... He Xi?" he tilted his head in confusion. "Is there... a strange smell?"

"A smell?" He Xi sniffed but didn't detect anything.

But Bruce's nose never made a mistake!

"It smells like rotten eggs, and also like... rotten meat that's been left out for a long time?"

He Xi's heart tightened. He immediately got up and quickly led Bruce out of the cottage.

Outside, the moonlight was like water.

The stench in the air seemed to have intensified.

He Xi's gaze sharply swept towards the direction of Plint Town.

In the darkness, the town's silhouette was indistinct, and it seemed... something was wriggling?

He cautiously approached the town with Bruce.

The closer they got to the town, the more pungent and overpowering the stench became.

He Xi's heart leaped into his throat.

He raised his hand, and a ball of white light appeared at his fingertips.

[Light Spell]

The ball of light arced, landing precisely on the wriggling darkness at the entrance of the town!

The light dispelled the shadows.

He Xi and Bruce instantly saw the scene before them clearly.

Several creatures, hunched over with sickly green skin, were exposed to the light!

They were only waist-high to human children, with pointed ears and fangs. Their murky yellow eyes squinted painfully under the strong light, and their wrinkled faces contorted into ferocious expressions.

They covered their eyes with their claws, their mouths full of sharp teeth opening silently.

"Goblins!?"

He Xi's heart trembled.

"How can goblins be here? How did they get past the town's checkpoints?"

"No... something feels really strange."

Despite his heart being full of doubt, He Xi didn't immediately cast Earth Spike Technique to attack.

It was a mage's great taboo to rashly expend Magic Power before understanding the situation.

Just then, He Xi felt his pant leg being yanked fiercely!

He looked down and saw Bruce biting his pant leg, his eyes full of anxiety.

"Bruce?" He Xi was about to ask, but his voice was as if absorbed by an invisible sponge, disappearing into the air!

He couldn't hear his own voice!

Nor could he hear Bruce's whimpers!

He Xi instantly understood where that strange sense of dissonance came from.

The goblins were shrieking, Bruce was barking, and he himself was speaking, but the surroundings were deathly silent.

Fortunately, casting spells was not affected.

He immediately cast another Light Spell, causing the goblins who tried to approach to scramble backward in a panic.

Then, he retreated rapidly, with Bruce close behind.

After retreating about forty to fifty meters, the sounds of the wind, insects, and his own footsteps rushed back into his ears like a tide.

"Hoo... hoo..." He Xi gasped for air, his breathing and Bruce's barks flooding his ears again.

The goblins stopped at the edge of that invisible boundary. They bared their teeth and claws at them within the silent area, but dared not step further.

"Damn it! He Xi, I almost screamed my throat raw just now, and you didn't react at all?" Bruce shouted, still shaken.

"Could you hear yourself before?"

"No!" Bruce answered instinctively, then realized, "Ah! You mean... near the town, we couldn't hear each other when we spoke?"

He Xi nodded gravely, "Yes! That area... sound is isolated by some kind of power!"

He looked towards the silent Plint Town, his ominous premonition growing stronger.

"Which sewer did these green-skinned shorties crawl out of? That stench is their smell!"

"I don't know, let's circle around to Eagle Claw Manor first. Listen carefully, and if you notice the sound getting quieter again, remind me immediately."

"Understood!"

The man and dog turned west, guided by the moonlight.

As they rounded the westernmost corner of the town, preparing to head towards the main road leading to the manor, a nauseating smell of blood gradually wafted through the air.

Bruce let out a low "Mmmph."

He Xi's heart sank!

Plint Town under the night sky was terrifyingly quiet.

Suddenly, He Xi stopped. He noticed something hanging on the town's tallest bell tower not far away.

A gust of night wind blew, sweeping away the clouds obscuring the moon.

The bright moonlight poured down.

It was a doll.

It looked like it was made of black mud.

On the doll's head, long black hair gently swayed in the night wind.