Chapter 427: 44. The Genius of Magic
The distribution of rooms at night was quite simple—one separate room for each person, except for Hela.
This crazy Hela didn’t know what she was up to. She said she wanted to go out for some air and would return in the morning, then she walked off into the night and slowly disappeared.
She was a mythical being, so there was no need for others to worry about her. Even Fisher had to mourn for the others actively. After all, given the personality of this fun-loving angel, it was clear that going out for air was not as simple as it sounded.
After Tang Zeming Asuka and Fisher bid each other goodnight, she returned to her own room alone, where the bedding on the wooden bed was complete, making it quite comfortable to lie down.
She lay there in a daze, staring at the candlelight in the room, lost in her thoughts.
At this moment, she was indeed feeling somewhat confused. The feeling of being out of place made her quite uncomfortable, as if she had jumped from high school straight into the workforce, taking on projects that usually required decades of responsibility from others.
Or rather, the pressure at this moment felt even heavier.
As she thought about it, she turned on her side, clutching the bedding beside her to cover her head, pounding the bedding with her hand while muttering to herself,
“What high school student saves the world? It’s all a lie.”
She curled up under the quilt, and in the stillness of the night, it seemed to be the only place where she could truly calm down and express her real emotions.
Humans seemed so insignificant in this world. Other terrifying beings possessed abilities beyond her imagination. Everything that had happened before couldn’t even be explained or restored with technology, let alone the fact that she was the most ordinary one among the human group.
She couldn’t even finish her schoolwork properly, had no outstanding skills or abilities, and she certainly couldn’t mention how she dealt with people.
Mr. Mikhail knew a lot and had brought over some incredible future technologies; she had nothing. The female high school uniform she had brought with her was even corroded by that strange angel toy.
So why was she the one who crossed over instead of someone else?
Tang Zeming Asuka felt increasingly confused. Perhaps she had asked herself this question more than once; maybe it was just a matter of fate, and the lottery of reincarnation randomly fell on her misfortunate self.
Tang Zeming Asuka certainly had no option to refuse, and she was also trying hard to make her life in this other world run smoothly.
Looking on the bright side, at least she was lucky that the companions she encountered at present were very friendly and reliable. Otherwise, if she had reincarnated in the slave area of the Tree Continent or the Holy Realm, she would definitely be living a miserable life.
Yet in such nights, she would still have some fantasies.
For instance, she imagined that she had special abilities like the heroines in anime or novels, like being able to transform into a magical girl like in “Sailor Moon.” Or perhaps, she might have the talent to pilot Unit 02?
As Tang Zeming Asuka indulged in these fantasies, she suddenly sat up from under the quilt as if she had been struck by a bolt of inspiration. She recalled a term she had heard in this world before.
Wasn’t Mr. Fisher questioning whether magic existed, which Mr. Gouwen might know about?
Mr. Fisher was not a Trans, but he seemed somewhat different from Mr. Gouwen, this local whale person. Where did he come from? Why was he so strong?
Was it because of the “magic” he mentioned?
Could she possibly learn magic from Mr. Fisher?
That way, she wouldn’t be so useless.
But suddenly, she thought of that sense of distance she had felt before. She hesitated, afraid that if she asked and was rejected, it would be awkward.
“Ugh, so tangled up!”
Tang Zeming Asuka felt a bit dramatic. She buried her head in the pillow again, determined to ask Mr. Fisher about this matter in the morning. It wouldn’t matter if she was rejected.
At worst, it would just be a bit awkward.
As she lay there, she suddenly felt something hard poking her in the chest, causing her to gasp in pain as she sat up. She reached into her pocket and found the carving knife that Hela had handed her that morning. The sharp edge scared her, and her face turned pale as she quickly threw it away.
“I almost got stabbed by this thing just now?”
She was infuriated by her own confusion and stupidity. Tang Zeming Asuka hurriedly slapped her face to wake herself up, turned off the light, and lay on her side, ready to sleep.
Tomorrow, it would definitely get better.
So she thought.
As darkness enveloped the entire room, the dim moonlight seeped through the gaps of the wooden house, casting a streak of moonlight on the ground.
At the end of that light, the carving knife lying on the floor was illuminated by the moonlight, accentuating a touch of dazzling metallic luster.
Tang Zeming Asuka’s closed eyes were glinted by that shine, and a bit annoyed, she reached out to grab the carving knife, intending to place it where the moonlight couldn’t reach.
“Thump! Thump! Thump!”
In an instant, Tang Zeming Asuka, with no awareness, heard the hollow, distant sound of a wooden fish again, or perhaps it had been in her ear all along, but she just hadn’t noticed it?
But the moment she grabbed the carving knife, her mind suddenly recalled the image of Fisher carving magic in front of the big tree before.
Of course, Tang Zeming Asuka didn’t know what Fisher was doing now, but in her impression, she recalled seeing Fisher’s magical circuit light up, and the shining, peculiar magic runes glimmering on the leaves.
In the night, that rune she had only seen once seemed inexplicably imprinted in her mind. Just a casual recollection made her memory heat up, vividly recalling that strange rune and Fisher’s engraving technique repeatedly flashing before her eyes.
“Could that… be magic?”
This thought leaped into her mind, but she couldn’t be absolutely sure of what Fisher was doing.
Maybe she should ask Mr. Fisher in the morning about what he was doing at that time, or perhaps she could verify right now what exactly Mr. Fisher was doing?
Tang Zeming Asuka swallowed hard, gripping the carving knife. She turned to look at the wooden wall beside her bed, just like in the prison in the Holy Realm. While recalling Fisher’s actions, she raised the carving knife in her hand.
She didn’t even know that engraving magic required magical materials to stabilize. She didn’t know the specific meaning of those runes, nor did she understand the significance of the glowing magical circuit.
But as she gently placed the carving knife against the wall, with the rhythmic glide of the knife, her magical circuit lit up first, and then she seemed to feel the entire world’s depths.
“Thump! Thump! Thump!”
The tiny magic circle of “Wind” that Fisher had previously carved on the leaves was soon perfectly replicated by her.
In another room, Fisher had no heavy concerns like Tang Zeming Asuka. Even if he had some, they were only about the ladies closely related to him.
Right now, he was wholly focused on how to escape death, and he would think a little about the prospects after escaping death.
Now that the four major apocalypse prophecies had been adequately resolved by him, he indeed should consider what will happen next, such as what would occur when those ladies discover each other’s existence.
Greedy Fisher certainly wouldn’t give up any lady. Perhaps sometimes actively acknowledging his evils and greed was a good thing; this way, he could boldly declare he didn’t want to give up on any of them, and half-heartedness wasn’t his style.
In any case, Fisher believed that the current conflicts were still easy to resolve.
Renee basically wouldn’t interfere. Raphael was busy developing in the Southern Continent and establishing the New Dragon Court; that was enough to keep her occupied. Eil was inherently lazy, and perhaps even if he knew about his relationship with other women, he wouldn’t care. Jasmine had been staying underwater, so it was impossible for her to know about other women. Captain Alagina had already been immunized and wouldn’t erupt for the time being.
He needed to pay attention to the slimes with intelligence networks spread throughout the world before Valentina woke up, and Elizabeth, his extremely complex first love, whom he both loved and hated, how should he treat her?
In short, the advantage was on his side.
Thinking of this, Fisher suddenly paused slightly, realizing how he had somehow become so scummy; he could brazenly put his romantic debts on the table and analyze the conflicts among them with such composure?
He felt a bit ashamed and covered his face, though he couldn’t tell if it was self-reflection or not.
If only he could reflect on his reproductive abilities with the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans. If it continued like this, perhaps the divine rights of the deities of Ramastia would be transferred to him.
“Buzz.”
Just as everything was silent and Fisher, the scumbag, was reflecting internally, his soul abruptly and sensitively sensed the waves of magic.
He was slightly startled and then touched the carving he had completed in his arms. He was already an old hand; unless he activated magic, there was absolutely no way for it to emit such waves.
Was someone else engraving or using magic?
But didn’t Gouwen say that humans couldn’t use magic yet?
The Mother shouldn’t have descended to the mortal world either.
Fisher cautiously stood up from his bed, wielding his Fluid Sword, and went to the door, looking out into the air where the waves were faintly pulsating. But he quickly realized that the familiar magic waves didn’t come from outside but from the room next door, where Tang Zeming Asuka was resting.
No way, right?
Fisher raised an eyebrow and silently pushed open the unbolted door. Following the dim moonlight, he clearly saw Tang Zeming Asuka lying quietly on her bed, draped in a white robe.
Just like that night in the Holy Realm when she cried silently, she lay on the bed facing the wall, clutching a carving knife in one hand, her entire magical circuit brightly lit up. She slightly parted her lips, focusing on sketching the image she had seen in her mind, that magic crest.
But engraving magic couldn’t just be done by sketching the pattern; the complexities involved perception of magical power, output of magical energy, and control over the stability of magic.
Yet she could do all these effortlessly.
Tang Zeming Asuka focused on sketching magic, so absorbed in it that she didn’t even notice when Fisher entered her room. The magical energy surrounding her wasn’t too much and was being consumed at a brisk pace, but it was evidently more than enough to finish sketching the magic in front of her.
He quietly shut the door behind him, a flash of something indescribable passing through his eyes, but he didn’t rashly interrupt her engraving process, as it could cause magical accidents for a novice.
He retracted the Fluid Sword he had extended and silently approached her bed, watching her as she slowly and meticulously etched the magic onto the wall.
Her engraving speed was slow but precise, as fluid as water with the blade, even making Fisher question if she had received any training related to magic engraving before.
But she was a Trans, and it seemed there was no magic in the other world; this should be her first exposure to magic from him.
Even someone as cautious as Fisher didn’t anticipate that someone could replicate the entire process perfectly after seeing an incomplete magic engraving process just once.
As her future title suggested, she seemed to possess a rare and wondrous talent for magic, something Fisher had never seen, even though he had perused the history of human magic.
Fisher stood by her bedside, quietly waiting for her to finish engraving the magic while also ensuring she didn’t encounter any accidents.
He stood there for several hours. Although she could perfectly replicate this magic, she was ultimately just an ordinary human who had not undergone training. Both her soul strength and theoretical knowledge made her progress difficult. However, her intense focus cleverly mitigated this issue, and just as her magical energy was about to be depleted, the “Wind” magic on the wall finally took shape.
“Ha… ha… so tired.”
She rubbed her eyes wearily, letting go of the carving knife that had completely strained her hand. She stared blankly at the magic crest on the wall, not even knowing what this thing was for.
Before she could shake off her fatigue, Fisher’s calm voice unexpectedly sounded behind her.
“When did you learn this?”
“Ah!”
She was so startled that she immediately turned her head, her face pale from exhaustion, her forehead dripping with cold sweat. Her eyes were slightly vacant. Fisher’s expressionless handsome face was illuminated only halfway in the shadow of the moonlight, intently looking at the crest on the wall. Even though Tang Zeming Asuka was nearly exhausted, she was still greatly frightened and hurriedly spoke,
“Mr. Fisher, when… did you come in?”
“A few hours ago, from the moment you started engraving magic.”
“Hours? Has it been that long? I thought only a few minutes had passed, and… what is magic? What I just engraved is magic?”
Fisher crossed his arms and glanced at the sweaty-faced Tang Zeming Asuka, somewhat speechless.
“You dared to engrave magic without knowing anything, especially without my knowledge. I really don’t know if that’s foolish or brave. Do you realize there’s a possibility that you could still be drained by this and become a corpse? So, when did you learn this?”
Tang Zeming Asuka didn’t dare to look at Fisher, thinking her covert learning had angered him. She spoke softly,
“I… I don’t know, I’m not sure if I learned it or not. I just wanted to give it a try, and then it came out. Sorry, Mr. Fisher.”
“Why apologize?”
Tang Zeming Asuka slightly lifted her head to look at Fisher, who was still looking at the magic she had engraved, then she whispered,
“Because Mr. Fisher seems a little… unhappy. If this bothers you, I won’t… engrave such things anymore.”
Unhappy?
Fisher glanced at the girl sitting on the bed, drenched in sweat, cautiously watching him, not understanding whether she was referring to a little deer or the deerfolk outside.
He might indeed have some emotions, but it was definitely not unhappiness; it was just because of this girl’s future identity. Just the thought that she was the president of the Creation Society and that this president might have been born because of him left him somewhat at a loss for words.
Perhaps if Renee told him clearly whether his actions here had shaped the future, he wouldn’t be so conflicted.
Tang Zeming Asuka pouted her lips, wrapping her arms around her knees on the bed, continuously looking at him. Fisher read her habitual body language and didn’t answer the question directly; instead, he sat down beside her and said,
“Tang Zeming Asuka, for me, knowledge is not a monopoly. I also came from a background of ordinariness and poverty when I was young, so naturally, I wouldn’t be unhappy about you mastering this skill. You possess an unimaginable talent; I’m just unsure if letting it flourish is a good or bad thing.”
Tang Zeming Asuka hugged her knees, turning her head to look at Fisher. On his face, she only saw serious contemplation. After a brief silence, she turned away and smiled at Fisher, saying,
“Talent, huh? I didn’t expect that word would come up regarding me. In that case, let Mr. Fisher decide. I’m not very familiar with this world and can’t make any judgments. If this is a bad thing, then let it be… after all, I’ve had no talent since birth; it’s okay if I don’t have any later.”
“…Are you not afraid that I might plan something against you? You might lose a good support.”
Upon hearing Fisher’s words, Tang Zeming Asuka blinked, pouted her lips, and adorably hesitated,
“Well, maybe not?”
Fisher smiled slightly but didn’t answer yes or no. Instead, he said,
“You remind me of a student I had before.”
“Mr. Fisher was a teacher before?”
“A professor.”
“Ah, this is my first time meeting a real professor.”
“She was also a whale person, very kind, somewhat silly, just like you.”
Fisher was clearly referring to Jasmine.
Tang Zeming Asuka pouted her lips, and the nervous feeling dissipated with the conversation. She frowned and muttered,
“I’m not silly, okay? I’m really capable. When I was bullied by other girls, I used to chant curses at them.”
“Your religion includes such curses?”
“…No. I made up the curse; it probably doesn’t have any effect, just to scare them a bit. It helped me feel better at school because I heard they would take bullied people to the bathroom and beat them up, stealing their lunch and such. I didn’t want that.”
Fisher was slightly taken aback and glanced back at the faintly glowing magic crest on the wall. After a moment of pause, it seemed he made a decision.
“Then, would you like to learn something truly effective?”
“Um, curses? Can Mr. Fisher cast curses?”
Renee can cast curses; I cannot.
Fisher thought this in his heart, but on the surface, he only shook his head and replied,
“Not curses, but magic.”
Tang Zeming Asuka opened her mouth, seemingly not yet understanding why Fisher would make such a choice. Her gaze couldn’t penetrate the dark room; she could only hear his calm voice at this moment,
“I have experience teaching students. You have a strong magical talent and will inevitably walk this path in the future, and you will go far on this road. But talent alone is not enough; you need knowledge to support your talent, corresponding diligence, and a correct view of magic. I can provide you with these. So, do you want to learn magic with me, Tang Zeming Asuka?”
Fisher had already witnessed Tang Zeming Asuka’s terrifying magical talent, making him deeply realize her uniqueness as a Trans. He also knew that even without him, she would eventually walk this path.
He hadn’t yet witnessed the so-called influence of ‘murmuring.’ He only imagined whether having his correct guidance would decrease her chances of being influenced by the chaotic knowledge bestowed by murmuring.
“Yes! I want to practice… that magic thing, Teacher Fisher!”
Upon hearing this, Tang Zeming Asuka became quite excited. It seemed she wasn’t completely accepting the notion of “not having talent in the future” as she had just claimed.
Just like asking a boy, when an Ultraman transformation device is placed before you without burden or consequence, would you press that button to transform into light?
Hmm, the answer is perhaps apparent.
“Don’t be so excited; learning magic is not an easy task. It means you have a lot of theories to understand and memorize, along with many exercises and practice to complete. Learning is painful, and according to my observations over this time, you don’t excel at learning, but it’s okay; I will help you correct that.”
“Eh?”
Tang Zeming Asuka’s heart, which had just become excited, instantly cooled down. She perhaps thought learning magic would be as easy and fun as depicted in anime, but didn’t realize that the thing most akin to learning magic was mathematical study.
But overall, she was still quite excited, especially upon just encountering the powers of another world.
“So, Teacher Fisher, what can magic do? Can it transform into something? Or can it summon creatures?”
“No.”
Just as Fisher was preparing to respond to this naive question from his little magical apprentice, a sudden, unimaginable throbbing sensation erupted in his heart, as if a heartbeat exploded beside his ear, reminding him that death was closing in once again.
“Rumble!”
“Eh, is there an earthquake?!”
Before Fisher could react, Tang Zeming Asuka, for some reason, had already stood up quite skillfully, looking for a place to hide, as if she had experienced countless earthquakes already.
Accompanied by the violent sounds of the wooden house shaking, the entire Chuan Kingdom started to tremble.
As the saying goes, misfortune comes in rows—just then, the magic Tang Zeming Asuka had just inscribed began to shine brightly, as if it was activated by the drastically changing environment, instantly conjuring a gust of wind sweeping toward her.
Four Rings of Wind Magic, Whirlwind.
As she ran, her white robe stood on end, exposing her fair skin and unchanged cute bear underwear. Her face immediately flushed, and she screamed while attempting to cover her flying robe, but then she was swept up by the whirlwind.
“Ahhh! Don’t look… wuu wuu wuu!”
“Rumble!”
The violent sound of house collapse and Tang Zeming Asuka’s screams did not interrupt the surge of Fisher’s thirteenth rank’s power. He extended his Fluid Sword, wrapping Tang Zeming Asuka in mid-air and leaping explosively outside the house.
Tang Zeming Asuka’s face pressed tightly against Fisher’s chest, the heat of his body and the shaking from the tremors outside made her face alternate between red and pale.
Before she could fully recover from the dizzying sensation from being enveloped by his masculine aura, Fisher had instantly taken her outside. The situation outside was even worse.
In the shadow of the distant night, the enormous tree behind the Duke’s palace was swaying, rushing towards the capital of the Chuan Kingdom.
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(End of this chapter)
