Chapter 7

"No need to overthink it. You did very well."

There was no ripple in his voice. "I could tell you put thought into it."

Even though, just moments ago, he had clearly seen this man sitting back in his chair with his eyes closed.

But Kamidar did not hesitate.

To grasp the flow of magic so quickly, Zhao Yu must have honed it countless times during hours when no one was watching.

Zhao Yu tugged at the corner of his mouth, his smile somewhat forced.

"Master, did you call me here for some instruction?"

He had indeed come here to study that ancient knowledge, but being summoned now still surprised him.

"Your shield."

Kamidar's gaze fell on his face. "How many times have you practiced it since then?"

When he saw that layer of light condense in the air today, he had sensed something unusual.

This place did not assign magic clear ranks, but anyone experienced enough could tell at a glance how well it had been mastered.

Two days ago, when this young man had first summoned a shield, his movements had still carried traces of clumsiness.

But now? The smoothness and stability of that Light Shield were nearly comparable to those of people who had cultivated here for many years.

At the instant he first saw it, he had held his breath just like the young apprentices around him.

He had almost failed to maintain the usual calm expression on his face.

Zhao Yu finally steadied his breathing before voicing his question.

"I'm not sure either."

He coughed twice. "I've only been practicing the usual way."

He looked across at him. "Master Kamidar, is there something wrong with that?"

A faint unease hid in his tone, as though he feared something had gone wrong with his cultivation.

"No."

When the old man set down his clay cup, his fingertips trembled faintly. "There is nothing wrong.

You did very well."

His face was like a frozen lake, but a searing sting spread across the root of his tongue—he had been so shocked just now that he had forgotten the tea had only just been brewed.

The young man's shoulders relaxed. "That's good.

It's all thanks to your guidance, Master."

If he had not met this old man, he would never have mastered magic so quickly.

"I know what I taught you."

Kamidar's voice was like wind passing through dead branches. "You reached this point through your own efforts.

No need to be overly modest."

After a brief pause, he added, "But do not grow complacent because of it.

On the path of magic, steadiness matters more than speed."

"I'll remember that."

Zhao Yu nodded.

Silence spread through the room for a moment.

The young man raised his eyes and cautiously asked, "Master, could you... teach me some new spells?"

The wrinkles on the old man's face did not move in the slightest.

But his heart was far less calm than his appearance suggested.

It had finally come.

He silently calculated his meager remaining reserves, unsure how much longer they could last.

Though his thoughts were in turmoil, he kept his tone gentle. "Your foundation is secure. You can indeed begin to study deeper material."

He rose to his feet, the hem of his robe sweeping across the rough wooden floor. "What I am about to teach you is a skill every mage of Kamar-Taj must master."

Light from outside the window cut across his profile.

"Portal."

Zhao Yu's fingers trembled slightly.

The secret hidden in the deepest reaches of Kamar-Taj was now falling into his hands.

A spell that could cross continents in an instant would probably be dismissed as madness elsewhere—but here, it was merely the first lesson for beginners.

"Take this first."

Kamidar handed him a round ring that glimmered with dark gold.

When Zhao Yu took it, even his knuckles stiffened slightly.

"Originally, this spell required no external aid."

The older mage's voice was calm. "But we are not like the Sorcerer Supreme, born with the mental strength to tear open space.

That is why she created this Sling Ring, so those who came after could also touch the threshold."

Zhao Yu said nothing.

He had long known that the mage was different from everyone else here.

Her very existence was like a crack, splitting common sense in two.

"Put it on."

Kamidar continued, "Use your mind to picture a place.

The more vividly you picture it, the more easily the door will open for you."

Zhao Yu listened intently.

This was the foundation, and the starting point of every possibility. He could not miss a single word.

Just then, something softly chimed within his consciousness.

Then came a second sound, and a third.

Like raindrops falling into an empty can, one after another, so clear they made his spine prickle.

Those sounds were actually telling him: the Sling Ring understood.

The Sling Ring was comprehending it.

The Sling Ring had already learned how to push open that door.

Zhao Yu froze.

He lowered his head to look at the ring around his finger.

It rested there quietly, its sheen muted, no different from an ordinary accessory.

But those sounds just now... had they been his imagination?

He tried moving his thoughts, sketching the scene at the other end of the room.

Almost at once, the metal on his finger gave a faint tremor, as though responding to his thoughts.

Zhao Yu drew a deep breath and forced that absurd guess back into his heart.

But the questions wound around him like vines—why had the ring in his hand understood first? Why had it learned the spell instead of him?

Could it be that, at this moment, he was not even as capable as a ring?

It was the first time Zhao Yu had entertained such a thought.

Having this system did not seem entirely good.

It made people doubt themselves far too easily.

But in the next moment, he dismissed those thoughts.

That Sling Ring—

In the end, did it not still belong to him?

Since the Portal had already opened, did that not mean he himself had mastered the spell?

Ding!

A soft chime rippled through the depths of his consciousness.

"Your Magic Shield has been greatly encouraged by the Sling Ring's breakthrough and is cultivating even more diligently."

"Your Basic Framework Principles of Magical Weapons have sensed the breath of danger and begun accelerating its absorption of energy."

"And your Basic Rune Arrangement... it feels despair, and its learning efficiency is declining."

Zhao Yu froze.

These spells actually each had their own temperament?

He had never expected them to be personified to such an extent, capable of developing entirely different emotions because of a companion's progress.

But why was it always the Basic Rune Arrangement dragging things down?

Could it be that his talent in this area was truly lacking?

Look at the Magic Shield, cultivating tirelessly day after day. How reassuring.

They were ultimately his own spells. He felt he ought to say something.

"Rune Arrangement."

He spoke softly in his heart. "Even if your talent is lacking, you still have to do your best.

As the old saying goes, diligence can make up for clumsiness.

Hard work may not take you to the summit, but it can always raise your starting point.

Don't give up."

Basic runes were the foundation of all magic.

They were far too important. He could never casually abandon this spell.

Ding!

The notification sounded again.

"Basic Rune Arrangement has heard your encouragement and been greatly invigorated."

"Its learning efficiency has now begun to rise again."

Zhao Yu's gaze lingered on the patterns of light for a moment, and his chin dipped slightly.

The patterns arranged at the very bottom still counted as a fairly decent spell.

Knowing to spend its time strengthening the foundation was a good thing, after all.

At this rate, helping him walk the path of a mage more steadily should not be difficult.

The expression between his brows flickered like a candle flame stirred by the wind.

None of it escaped Kamidar's notice as he stood nearby.

Seeing the shifting light and shadow on the young man's face, the old man's heart sank sharply.

Could it be... that something was twisted up inside him?

If such a promising sapling of Kamar-Taj truly grew crooked in his hands, how would he explain it later?

He would truly become the sinner of the entire place.

With that thought, Kamidar could no longer keep up his calm facade.

"Zhao Yu."

He softened his voice. "How are you feeling?"

"I see that something is off with your expression. Did you run into some obstacle while practicing?"

"Portal sounds like a basic spell, but the threshold for it is not low."

"It is perfectly normal not to find the trick right away."

"You must not get trapped in your own thoughts over this and lose faith in yourself."

He spoke slowly and heavily, as though every word had been drawn from the depths of his heart.

That wrinkled face was turned toward the young man, his attention so focused it nearly seemed to shine.

"Don't worry, Master. I'm fine."

Zhao Yu swallowed, warmth wrapping around his chest.

Kamidar was neither family nor friend to him.

He was merely an elderly mage who guided newcomers according to the rules.

Yet he could say such things to him.

It was impossible for Zhao Yu not to be moved.

Hearing his answer, the string in Kamidar's heart tightened even further.

Could this child be forcing himself to hold on?

He had seen too many clever young people.

At the start, they rode high on success, their path smooth and unobstructed.

But once they ran into a wall, they often fell harder than anyone else.

So many gifted children had sunk into despair like that and never risen again.

He absolutely did not want the young man before him to take that path as well.

So he drew a breath and lowered his voice, making it heavier and slower, almost pushing out each word one at a time:

"Zhao Yu."

The road of studying magic had always been filled with thorns.

Kamidar's fingers paused in the air for a moment before finally settling on the young man's shoulder.

He remembered those afternoons from his apprentice days—the sunlight piercing through the stained-glass windows of the high tower, dust slowly turning in the shafts of light, while he repeatedly practiced with the faint glow gathered in his palm, spending more than seven hundred days and nights before that shield could finally take stable form.

He had almost—just almost—been sent back by his mentor to the border town where he had been born.

"Everyone encounters obstacles they cannot overcome."

The old mage's voice was like worn parchment, carrying the creases of age. "When I was young, I could not be called talented either."

Zhao Yu blinked.

The air carried the mingled scent of old parchment and dried herbs, while the intermittent hum of apprentices practicing incantations drifted from afar.

He did not understand what this sudden reflection was aimed at, only that the hand on his shoulder felt far too heavy.

"Master Kamidar,"

He chose to interrupt that fog of memories. "Everything you said is right."

The old mage was about to nod when he heard the young man continue, "But I can already open the Portal spell steadily."

That hand froze in midair.

Kamidar slowly sat back down in his carved wooden chair, its legs scraping against the stone floor with a brief hiss.

He stared at the young man for the span of three breaths before letting his voice emerge steadily from his throat. "What did you say?"

"I tried it for the seventh time yesterday evening, and the gate never dispersed again."

Zhao Yu leaned forward slightly, making his sleeve slide down to reveal the mana burn marks on his wrist, not yet fully faded. "I guess I got lucky."

Lucky?

The old mage's fingers curled inside his sleeves.

Magic had always acknowledged only sweat and time. What luck could there possibly be?

He suddenly realized how much his earlier speech about talent and perseverance now sounded like a clumsy monologue.

Those carefully laid consolations, that bridge he had tried to build with his own experiences, had already lost their meaning when the other person had reached the opposite shore.

The wind outside the tower suddenly shifted, making the window lattice rattle.

Kamidar felt his ears grow hot, as though the apprentice who had trembled during an assessment years ago had returned to inhabit this body.

He cleared his throat, but only produced a dry cough.

It turned out that some thresholds were merely a height one could step over for certain people.

Kamidar's gaze settled on the young man across from him, and something sank deep within his pupils.

He did not speak immediately, simply allowing the silence between them to stretch for several seconds.

The air carried the mingled scent of aged wood and old book pages.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?"

His voice was flatter than he had expected.

The young man—Zhao Yu—blinked, his shoulders lifting in a slight shrug. "You... didn't ask before."

Those words made the pent-up frustration in Kamidar's chest surge upward again.

He picked up the warm-glazed teacup beside him, his fingertips brushing over the tiny chips along its rim.

The tea had already gone cold, leaving a faint bitterness as it slid down his throat.

Who could he blame?

He suddenly wanted to laugh, but the corners of his mouth did not move at all.

He should have understood long ago. What bottleneck could there be when dealing with an existence that could not be judged by common sense? Had the last lesson not been painful enough? It would have been strange if Zhao Yu could not learn the Portal. Learning it was the normal outcome.

The bottom of the cup lightly tapped the wooden table, producing a short, crisp sound.

"Demonstrate it once."

He spoke without a ripple in his tone. "That Portal of yours."