Six days remained until The Month’s Promise.
Hyllim began attempting Light Attribute Magic.
Because the daytime was full of light, and the nights had lamps,
Hyllim initially thought Light Attribute Magic would be the easiest to master.
However, she had miscalculated.
Her experience with the Four Great Natural Elements turned out to be of little use for Light Magic.
The difference between the Light Element and the Natural Element was surprisingly vast—
this feeling was almost like when she had learned Fire Attribute Magic and then tried practicing Water Attribute Magic.
Hyllim kept practicing Light Magic, eager to master it quickly.
One day passed.
Two days passed.
By the third day…
A hint of impatience arose within Hyllim. She was on the verge of grasping it.
She felt that if she continued like this, it wouldn’t be long before she could control the First-level Light Magic: Illumination.
But—
Time was running out!
Just as Hyllim felt troubled, her mother, Lilya, came up behind her.
Seeming to sense her daughter’s worries, Lilya bent down and softly asked:
“How is it, my Hyllim? Is something troubling you?”
Hyllim, seeing her mother, thought for a moment before sharing her concerns.
“Mother, I feel I’m always just a little short of being able to use Illumination, but I don’t know why I can’t quite get it.”
Hearing this, Lilya smiled gently and said softly, “So it’s about this.”
“Come, Hyllim, hold out your hand.”
Hyllim looked at her mother in confusion but chose to obey.
Lilya also extended her right hand. Her lips moved slightly as she quietly recited a spell.
Then, a soft glow emanated from her palm. Lilya held Hyllim’s small hand with her glowing palm,
and gentle light leaked through her fingers. Watching this, Hyllim felt a strange sensation rising inside her.
“Hyllim, do you feel it? Light is a presence of gentleness and tranquility.
Approach it with a forgiving heart, and I believe it will respond to you…”
Lilya disappeared from Hyllim’s side at some unknown moment,
but her mother’s words continued to echo in Hyllim’s ears.
Night fell.
The room was dark and dim.
[TFMTPF4′[H°M+n】
A soft white light flickered from Hyllim’s fingertips, dispelling the darkness in the room.
Three days remained until The Month’s Promise.
Hyllim had mastered the First-level Light Magic: Illumination.
On the second night after mastering Light Magic, Hyllim used a bedsheet to block the moonlight from outside the window.
She also sealed the gap under the door, plunging the entire room into pitch-black darkness.
In this darkness, Hyllim first lost her sense of direction, then her sense of space,
and then it felt as if the entire world was drifting away from her.
The oldest loneliness in the world wrapped around her completely.
Hyllim curled up, struggling to suppress the rapidly shaking emotions inside,
forcibly resisting the urge to tear down the bedsheet blocking the window.
She curled like that, eyes slowly closing as her heart gradually quieted.
She didn’t know how much time had passed.
The darkness around Hyllim seemed to deepen. Something came beside her.
In the darkness that should have been forever silent, she no longer felt alone.
Two days remained until The Month’s Promise.
Night again, still the enclosed room.
Hyllim finally recognized the true nature of the presence beside her.
They were gathered Dark Elements.
[M<•*TMPN•M&PN]
A familiar sensation of magic being consumed came.
The darkness around Hyllim thickened sharply,
and a veil-like shadow covered her like a blanket.
Dark Magic: Shadow.
Mastered!
One day remained until The Month’s Promise.
Hyllim faced her biggest problem yet.
“How on earth do you master Non-attribute Magic…?”
If other elemental magics could be quickly grasped with the help of the environment,
then Non-attribute Magic had no shortcuts at all.
Compared to other distinct elements, the Non-attribute Element could only be described as utterly featureless!
Though it was the most widely present element, it was so widespread that people instinctively ignored it.
Like air—if not deliberately reminded, people would subconsciously overlook the air around them.
It was precisely this indescribable, featureless nature of the Non-attribute Element
that earned it the name “Non-attribute.”
Hmm… If there truly was the most suitable target to observe the Non-attribute Element,
then it could only be…
Thinking of something, Hyllim subconsciously lowered her head.
……
……
A month passed.
It was now the day of her meeting with Semilis.
“Semilis, I’m here!”
“Oh ho ho~ I thought you wouldn’t show up~! You didn’t run away, how brave of you~!”
By the Forest Lake.
Semilis floated leisurely on the surface of the lake, teasing.
“Hmph, I’m not running away! But Semilis, are you ready to accept defeat?”
Hyllim showed no change in expression at Semilis’ teasing,
instead directly declared her resolve.
“Oh…”
Semilis looked at Hyllim in surprise.
“You just seem different from a month ago…”
“Of course! Now I have grown like never before—
I’m a mature adult!”
“Ha—!”
Semilis held her belly, struggling to suppress laughter, muttering quickly:
“Pfft~ Mature adult? You’ve just grown a little, and judging by how smug you are, you’re still a little baby~!”
Hyllim: “Semilis, what are you talking about?”
“Ahem… nothing at all!”
“Alright then! Since you didn’t run away, it’s time to fulfill our contract!
Hyllim, show me what you’ve worked hard for!”
Wings behind Semilis glowed faintly as she announced loudly.
Yet a sly smile curled at the corner of her lips.
Mastering seven types of magic? Impossible. From the start, you never had a chance, Hyllim—I’ve seen through your bluff!
“Just what I want. I’ll show you the fruits of my month’s effort!”
Hyllim took her stance and shouted.
The atmosphere in the forest suddenly tensed.
“First, the first one!”
Hyllim stretched out her right hand.
“First-level Fire Magic: Ignition!”
【ドドタトコM○フドM*メドタ”oA】
As the incantation was uttered, a small flame ignited from Hyllim’s fingertip.
“How’s that, Semilis!”
“Uh…”
Semilis’ smile stiffened slightly.
“You pass the first one.”
Inwardly, she comforted herself: it’s only one magic. With some effort, mastering it within a month isn’t a big deal. No need to worry, no need to worry.
Next up is the second magic. She definitely won’t be able to use that one, right?
Confidently, Semilis’ smile returned.
“Next is the second one!”
Here it comes! Let me see you fail miserably, Hyllim!
【ATPXO’A*I+MIF○KBRF】
“Water Flow!”
A clear stream of water shot from Hyllim’s index finger.
Uh…
She actually used it?
Semilis’ eyes widened; her smile froze.
Panic began to rise inside her.
Is this girl a dual-element mage?! Two elements in just one month? She really did work hard!
“Semilis, what do you think?”
“Uh, you pass the second one too! But don’t get too happy—now comes the main event.
Don’t think you can use the third magic. Better to give up early; I won’t laugh at you.”
“Rock!”
Whoosh!
Before Semilis finished speaking, a stone shot past her ear, plunging into the lake.
A splash sounded, rippling the lake’s surface.