Chapter 14: Year Of Growth

“First point!”

By the forest lake, the voice of the Fairy King Semiris rang out.

“Understand the dangers of this world!”

Clap! Clap!

Semiris conjured a transparent, floating blackboard with magic, holding a pointer and striking the board forcefully.

“Hey! You over there, pay attention!”

“Y-Yes!”

Huilim immediately sat up straight, though curiosity still shone on her face.

How did Semiris conjure a blackboard so quickly just now…?

Yesterday, Semiris had decided to stay and personally tutor Huilim.

Of course, this tutoring was designed not to interfere with Huilim’s normal life—she could still attend school daily as usual and come to the lake beside the forest after classes.

If it was a weekend or holiday, the tutoring sessions would be longer.

“Question: Little Huilim, do you know what dangers exist in this world?”

“Yes!”

Huilim raised her small hand high.

“Monsters!”

“Very good, that’s the first one.”

“Bad people!”

“Excellent, that’s the second. Keep going.”

“Keep going?”

Huilim tilted her head in confusion.

“You only know two? And those are such vague answers?!”

Semiris put her hand to her forehead but then began explaining to herself.

Semiris took Huilim up a mountain.

“That’s amazing, I just flew~!”

Huilim’s eyes sparkled with excitement, thrilled by her first flight.

“By the way, why did Semiris bring me here?”

“Hmph~ What else? Little Huilim~”

Semiris smiled broadly.

“Just now, I decided to change the way I teach you.”

“Change?”

Huilim looked at Semiris with a puzzled head tilt.

“That’s right! The fastest way to learn something in this world—”

“Is to experience it firsthand!”

“See the lake down there? That’s where we were just now.”

Huilim stood on tiptoe and glanced down at the lake, then nodded.

“Yes, I see it.”

“That’s the destination you need to reach soon.”

“Okay.”

Huilim nodded again, then—

“Huh?”

She looked up at Semiris, confused.

“The destination?”

Semiris smiled back.

“Exactly, Huilim. Now, you have to escape from the shadow beast chasing you, doing everything you can to reach that lake. Only upon arrival will the shadow beast stop chasing you.”

Gururu~, gururu~…

At that moment, shadows appeared on the ground behind Semiris.

—!

A wolf-shaped creature, pitch-black with glowing red eyes, emerged from the shadows.

Roar!

The shadow wolf let out a roar directed at Huilim.

“Eh?!!”

Huilim’s face instantly turned pale with fright.

Scary! So scary! Really scary…

But Semiris completely ignored the trembling little girl, whose eyes were brimming with tears like a scared chick, and threw her aside before flying up into the sky.

“Se-Semiris?!”

Huilim looked up at Semiris in the sky, terrified.

“Do your best~!”

Semiris smiled encouragingly.

“This guy won’t go easy on you. If it catches you, you’re done for~!”

“D- Done for?”

Huilim’s face went even paler.

“Don’t worry, I’ll rescue you right away. Even if it bites your neck off, I can still bring you back~! So don’t worry at all!”

Bite off…

Is that really game over?!

“Bite off? Neck?!”

Huilim was even more shocked.

“Hmm.”

Semiris pondered and whispered loudly enough for Huilim to hear.

“Come to think of it, if you die on the spot, even I can’t save you…”

“Eh… eh—?!!!”

Huilim felt as if everything around her suddenly went dark, the light rapidly fading away.

Will I die… will I really die?

“Well~! Anyway, good luck!”

Semiris said cheerfully.

“Just don’t get lost, okay? Otherwise, it’ll chase you forever~!”

“Then, let the race begin—!”

After announcing loudly, Semiris disappeared with a flash into the air.

At this moment, Huilim was utterly alone; her last shred of hope shattered.

Huuruu~!

The shadow wolf growled threateningly from its mouth and slowly approached Huilim.

“D-Don’t come closer!”

Howl!

“Waaah—!!!”

A girl’s terrified scream echoed through the forest.

Some time later.

By the forest lake.

“Waaah! Waaah! Waaah…”

A seven-year-old girl sat by the lake, crying loudly.

“All right, all right~, don’t cry anymore, the scary guy’s gone~!”

Hearing Semiris’s voice, Huilim threw herself into her arms, her tears and snot smearing all over Semiris.

“Scary! So scary! Waaah…”

“There, there~, the scary guy is gone now~!”

Semiris gently rubbed Huilim’s little head, her hands emitting a soft green glow.

As the light entered Huilim’s body, her frightened heart gradually calmed and she found peace…

A few minutes later, Huilim was completely composed.

“…Sure enough, still such a little baby~!”

Semiris chuckled as she looked at the now calm Huilim.

Huilim’s face instantly turned as red as a ripe apple.

“I-I’m not! Semiris is! Semiris is the baby!”

She protested loudly, then angrily turned her head away.

“Ah, right, right, Huilim isn’t a baby~!”

Semiris said half-heartedly, then continued.

“But… nope, that won’t do.”

Huilim sneaked a glance at Semiris.

“Huilim, you’re totally hopeless~!”

“Ugh.”

Huilim puffed up her cheeks in anger.

“Ah, ah, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Little Huilim isn’t hopeless.”

After a while of coaxing, Huilim’s puffed cheeks returned to normal.

“Little Huilim, your problem right now is that your physical condition is seriously lacking.”

“Physical condition?”

“Yes. To escape various dangers, a strong body is essential. During the earlier chase, you ran less than a hundred meters before you were out of breath. You practically had to crawl the rest of the way.”

Semiris continued.

“The fact you made it here was only because that shadow wolf was just meant to scare you and didn’t actually attack. But at that time, you were so scared you didn’t even notice.”

Huilim’s face flushed again.

“So, from now on, we need to increase your physical training~!”

“Let me think… okay!”

Semiris clapped her hands and made a decision.

“We’ll start with ten round trips up and down the mountain!”

“Huh?”

From that day on, Huilim began a grueling training regimen far beyond what was typical for her age.

Weighted runs, obstacle runs, and—

“Waaah! Help—!”

Howl!

Racing against the shadow beast.

Besides that, there was also willpower training.

Splash!

Under the waterfall’s assault.

“Stabilize your mind, don’t be affected by the outside world. Focus your attention and control your magic. Only then can your mental power improve quickly.”

“N-No, gulp… (drowning sounds)”

Then came magical training.

“Excellent mages are always refining their magical skills. Blindly pursuing more powerful magic is meaningless. Only a solid foundation built on basic magic will allow you to advance faster and farther.”

“Your casting speed is too slow, try again.”

“Ugh… no magic left.”

“Is that so? Then go under the waterfall to temper your spirit~.”

“Nooo—!”

Time passed; seasons changed.

Days turned to months.

The girl grew at an unimaginable rate.

Howl—!

In the mountains, several shadow wolves rapidly pursued the girl ahead.

Her figure was agile and graceful, darting swiftly through the trees, always keeping distance from the wolves.

Huff—!

When the girl finally broke through a thicket and arrived by the lake, the wolves suddenly stopped and dissipated.

“Good job~, you’re even faster than last time~!”

Semiris appeared before her out of thin air.

Huilim was used to this by now and stretched on the spot to loosen her aching limbs.

“That’s because I ran faster than before.”

Huilim answered calmly.

“Hmm, I see… Looks like we need to increase the difficulty. How about starting next time deeper in the forest? The terrain will be more complicated, and there may be other dangers.”

“No problem, I can try.”

Huilim showed no visible change in expression despite the increased challenge.

Long-term training had made her stronger, and her former timid innocence was gradually worn away.

She wasn’t yet calm enough to handle everything coolly, but she no longer screamed in fright at every problem.

After that, Huilim’s training intensity rose again…

Weighted load increased, obstacle courses got harder, and training time grew longer.

The waterfall’s assault became fiercer.

Speaking of which, why did the waterfall get stronger?

Here, there’s another important detail.

There is no waterfall in Ment Town!

Every time, the waterfall was created temporarily by Semiris! This meant the water flow could be adjusted to perfectly suit Huilim’s training needs.

Moreover…

According to Semiris, this waterfall was infused with special magic.

By constantly contending with this magic, Huilim’s body developed greater resistance to magic itself.

Besides training, Semiris would also explain to Huilim many things about Shimlir: various legends, creatures, and strange lands.

Unconsciously, Huilim’s knowledge and understanding grew rapidly.

And so…

A year passed.

Outside Ment Town, in the forest.

Huilim, now a head taller than a year ago, arrived at the lake with ease.

There, the great existence known as the Fairy King lay sprawled lazily on a large rock by the lake, legs crossed smoothly.

In one hand was a newly published book, and to the right sat a box of deep-fried snacks in exquisite packaging.

“Hahaha, really stupid~!”

Semiris laughed loudly at the lowbrow story in the book, completely unaware of Huilim’s arrival.

She casually reached into the box and stuffed a greasy snack into her mouth, sucking her oily fingers clean with no regard for the oil stains at the corner of her lips.

If any devoted church worshippers of Semiris had seen this scene, their illusions would surely be shattered.

“Semiris, what are you reading?”

“Haha~ Oh, it’s you, Huilim. You came.”

Semiris put down the book, rolled up her sleeves, and wiped her mouth carelessly.

Huilim: “…”

“You humans are really interesting. I didn’t even know there were such silly people. Living long really means witnessing all sorts of things.”

Huilim glanced at the book cover.

Indeed, it was a collection of lowbrow stories, mostly fabricated.

“Those are all made-up stories. The people inside don’t exist in reality. Semiris, don’t believe them too much, okay?”

“Eh?! Really? I was actually thinking about meeting the person in the book!”

Semiris looked like she’d been hit hard.

“Whatever.”

She tossed the book away casually, and no one knew where it landed.

“Oh, right, do you want some snacks? I just bought these from the Southern Federation. They’re really tasty!”

Looking at the oily-looking food Semiris offered, Huilim hesitated but decisively declined.

“No, thanks.”

“Aww, what a pity. These snacks have been really popular with the Beastmen recently.”

Semiris didn’t push and waved her hand; the snack box also vanished without a trace.

“All right, let’s get to the main point! First, let me see how much you’ve grown so far.”

Semiris’s eyes lit up with a familiar glow.

Soon, a block of text appeared before Semiris’s vision.

【Huilim Hayeral

Race: Human (Female)

Age: 8

Life Force: D Rank

Magic Power: D+ Rank

Magic Affinity:

Fire: S Rank (Fairy King’s Fire Blessing)

Water: S Rank (Fairy King’s Water Blessing)

Earth: S Rank (Fairy King’s Earth Blessing)

Wind: S Rank (Fairy King’s Wind Blessing)

Light: S Rank (Fairy King’s Light Blessing)

Darkness: S Rank (Fairy King’s Dark Blessing)

None: S Rank (Fairy King’s None Blessing)

】

“Hmm, you’ve grown pretty fast, Huilim. In less than a year, your magic power has increased significantly.”

“Really? I grew that fast? But I just kept practicing magic as Semiris told me to.”

“Constantly consuming and absorbing magic will naturally expand your magic capacity. That’s why your magic power has risen so quickly.”

“I see.”

Huilim nodded in understanding.

“Good! Since your magic power has grown enough, it’s time for you to start learning second-rank magic.”

Huilim’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I can start learning second-rank magic? But why start now? Why didn’t you let me learn it before?”

“Hmph hmph~” Semiris smiled mysteriously. “Little Huilim, you’re still too immature. Although you could have started learning second-rank magic long ago, and even made it your main practice, did you think about this?”

“When your magic power was only D Rank before, the magic consumption of second-rank magic is far greater than first-rank. If you practiced second-rank magic as your main focus, how many times could you really practice magic in a day?”

“First-rank magic is different. With D Rank magic reserves, you can support a large volume of first-rank practice. That’s why your growth was fastest, and your proficiency in magic increased quickest.”

“Also, don’t underestimate first-rank magic. Although it’s the weakest, even the strongest mages use it the most!”

“Because practicing first-rank magic only brings minuscule improvements to powerful mages, but it consumes almost nothing, and even if you’re distracted, you can still control it. So no matter how small the benefit, continuous accumulation eventually leads to massive experience.”

“Especially for top-tier mages, practicing magic is an everyday thing—whether eating or sleeping, casting magic constantly is basic operation. To maintain this without disrupting daily life, first-rank magic is the best choice.”

After Semiris’s explanation, Huilim understood.

“So, Semiris is letting me start learning second-rank magic now because my magic power has improved enough to support lots of second-rank practice?”

“Exactly! Your magic power is now D+ by this world’s standards. Next up is C Rank.”

Semiris snapped her fingers and continued.

“All right, next, I’ll teach you second-rank magic. Let me think—there are so many to choose from, it’s a bit of a headache…”

While Semiris pondered, Huilim sat expectantly before her.

What magic would the strongest Fairy King beneath the gods teach? Would it be the ancient lost magic she had mentioned before…?

“Decided. Since the first magic you learned was Fire, we’ll start with Fire magic!”

Semiris’s words snapped Huilim back to reality.

“Speaking of Fire magic, that must be Fireball! It’s the face of Fire magic! Everyone knows it, from ancient times till now it has never been lost! Yes, that’s right, Fire magic means Fireball!”

Huilim stared at Semiris in confusion, unable to grasp why Semiris suddenly blurted out such a bold claim, so she chose to avoid it.

“Ah… so we start with Fireball?”

“Yes, that’s right!”

Huilim felt a bit disappointed—looks like no lost ancient magic for now. Or maybe low-rank magic really hasn’t changed much over time.

“Although it’s the face of Fire magic, the magical circuit of Fireball is actually on a different level than first-rank Fire magic in terms of difficulty.”

While Huilim was still pondering, Semiris had already begun teaching Fireball. Huilim immediately focused and listened carefully.

“Not just Fire magic, but almost all attributes’ magic increase in difficulty exponentially as rank rises. For example, third-rank magic is almost a hundred times more complex than first-rank. Without the proper talent, there’s no way to master it.”

“I’ll teach you the magic circuit and auxiliary incantations of Fireball. Watch carefully and feel the difference in difficulty compared to first-rank magic.”

Semiris then used magic to project an image in the air—a schematic of Fireball’s magic circuit.

Huilim’s eyes widened as she studied every detail of the magic circuit. As Semiris had said, this circuit was at least ten times more complex than the first-rank Fire ignition.

However, Huilim was not discouraged by the daunting magical barriers ahead because this was the inevitable path every mage must climb—a mountain that must be conquered.