Catching Myself?

"That's right, looking for someone."

Cecilia's expression turned more serious. "We received news from within the church, supposedly an oracle that came directly from the gods..."

Ansu listened patiently.

"A human chosen by the gods, the one prophesied to change the world, will appear in Benalu City. The church refers to them as the -- Chosen One."

Cecilia stared at Ansu. "After continuous investigation, the Echo of Truth Cult has narrowed down the scope, finally locking it onto your school."

"Your mission is to help me find that Chosen One among the thirty thousand students and faculty at the Royal Academy."

"Ah, so that's how it is..." Ansu's expression remained unchanged, and he simply nodded.

However, a stormy sea was already raging in his heart.

This Chosen One you're talking about... it sounds like it's me.

In the worldview of Eternal Night Sword, the Chosen One is actually the player, selected by the true gods to save the world.

Ansu had initially thought he was just a minor character, a nobody destined to die miserably in the cult's sacrificial case.

But not long ago, he had clearly seen the system refer to him as such.

[Chosen One, you have yet to reverse your fated death. Please continue to work hard!]

In other words, he was not only a background character but also the only player in the game, and even the primary target the cult was hunting down...

"Then, may I ask..." Ansu inquired cautiously, "If you find this Chosen One, what will you do?"

Cecilia frowned. "That goes without saying, of course, we'll kill them!"

"Oh, I see..."

It's over...

Ansu, who had intended to play along with the witch for a while, once again had the urge to pack his bags and run.

How is he supposed to play this?

The target he's supposed to find is himself. He could slack off and stall for a while, but the Echo of Truth Cult would eventually demand results. He couldn't exactly turn himself in, could he?

Ansu accepted the notebook containing the list of students and faculty, pretending to be concerned about her request. "Even if it's narrowed down to the school, it won't be easy to find them. Is there a time limit?"

"Not for now."

"Oh." Ansu breathed a sigh of relief, then asked, "Do you have any characteristics of this Chosen One?"

"Characteristics, huh..." Cecilia pondered. "Since they were chosen by the gods, they must be extraordinary. They must have high talent, their appearance certainly wouldn't be mediocre, perhaps they would be very popular, and they would look different from ordinary people at a glance..."

With every word she said, Ansu felt more nervous, as if he were being exposed...

As she spoke, Cecilia subconsciously glanced at Ansu, giving him a careful look.

"Hmm... actually, you fit these criteria quite well."

Ansu's heart skipped a beat.

Cecilia curled the corners of her lips, her deep, mysterious purple eyes leaning in close to observe Ansu's face.

"I didn't look closely last time, but now that I see..." Her fair finger poked Ansu's cheek, and she giggled. "You actually fit my aesthetic quite well."

"Ah! Could it be?"

She covered her slightly parted lips with her hand, her expression one of surprise. "Could you be that..."

"Lady Witch!"

Ansu clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay calm, even preparing for the worst.

"You shouldn't joke about that! How could I have that kind of talent? How could I possibly be..."

Cecilia burst into laughter; she found that she quite enjoyed teasing this "new toy."

"Just kidding, look how scared you are~"

"In any case, the Chosen One won't be lost in the crowd. Just search according to those high standards!"

Ansu immediately nodded in agreement, though he complained about Cecilia in his heart.

If you think this book is good, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you don't lose it next time.

This trashy witch!

"If you need anything else," Cecilia whispered, "just ask, and I'll help you solve it. Remember, you're mine now."

As she spoke, she looked around with visible disdain; Ansu's home was so poor it made her frown.

If a burglar came here, they'd leave crying and probably drop a few coins behind...

She pulled a check out from her robes and handed it to Ansu. "Here."

Ansu saw the long string of "zeros" on the check and felt dizzy. "This is... for me?"

"This is your operating budget. Ask me for more if it's not enough." Cecilia waved her hand dismissively. "If there's nothing else, I'm leaving."

Ansu thought to himself that this witch was certainly generous to her own people. If her mission wasn't to "kill the Chosen One," he might have actually wanted to follow such a boss...

But then again, he really did feel like he was being kept by a "sugar mommy" now...

Seeing that Cecilia was about to leave, Ansu hurriedly called out to her again.

"Wait a moment longer, Lady Witch!"

"What is it now?" Cecilia glanced back at him. "You aren't going to tell me this money isn't enough, are you?"

"Of course not." Ansu quickly said, "You promised me back then, regarding extraordinary power..."

"Oh, that." Cecilia revealed a faint smile. "You certainly are persistent about extraordinary power..."

She pulled a book from who knows where and placed it gently on Ansu's table.

"Magic is a profound field of study. Although you have some talent, you cannot be too hasty. This is a very basic magic tome; try to read it through. If there is anything you don't understand, you can come and ask me."

Although he had some magical talent, in Cecilia's eyes, he was still far from comparable to the genius mages within the organization.

She had chosen Ansu because of other "traits," and had never expected him to be able to help her in terms of combat.

Ansu stepped forward and picked up the tome titled Introduction to General Magic.

"Study slowly. I hope you can bring me a little surprise~"

When he looked up, Cecilia's figure had already vanished from the room.

Coming without a shadow and leaving without a trace, her level of magic always left Ansu in awe.

Ansu couldn't wait to flip through this magic tome.

The author of this book was an obscure mage named Hoffman. The content was indeed quite profound and obscure; for someone without a foundation, it was like reading a heavenly book.

"Magic is not a miracle, nor is it a wish-granting machine that makes your desires come true. Magic is a rigorous discipline that studies the essence of the world."

"Mages need to use mental power to construct exquisite spell models, and then absorb and utilize the free magic power in nature to cast spells."

"It is a pity that in my era, the very concept of magic has been polluted. Primal magic power is violent and chaotic, leading people toward madness..."

"This will push our exploration of truth toward mysticism. Future mages may only be able to feel the great power of magic through the so-called 'spiritual experience' that is difficult to describe. This is truly a regret..."

At least Ansu could understand the opening prologue of this tome. This Mr. Hoffman told the secret history that existed in the past as if he were telling a story.

As he flipped through the tome, a system prompt popped up.

[General Magic (Mastered)]

[Meditation Technique (Not Mastered) (Learning Progress: 0/20)]

[Mage Hand (Not Mastered) (Learning Progress: 0/50)]

[Illumination Spell (Not Mastered) (Learning Progress: 0/50)]

Ansu saw several lit and unlit icons in the system, exactly the same as the panel from when he played the game.

It seemed that if he wanted to master these spells, he would have to fill the progress bars completely.

Having progress bars was a good thing; this way, it was only a matter of time before he learned these spells.

Ansu immediately began to study the magic in the tome and followed the methods taught within to close his eyes and experience "meditation."

As time gradually passed, he slowly fell into a state of selflessness, feeling his consciousness perceiving the world from a subtle 'perspective.' This was perhaps the 'spiritual experience' mentioned in the book.

He also gradually felt the subtle free magic power in the air, so he attempted to absorb these magic powers.

The night grew deeper...

If you think this book is good, please remember to add it to your bookshelf so you don't lose it next time.