Chapter 182: Stagnation and Change

Chapter 182: Stagnation and Change

In the dense forest on the outskirts of Barum, black hellfire raged uncontrollably, streaking across the sky with blinding light. The explosive surge of magic destroyed everything in its path.

Luk panted as he dodged the powerful magic that descended from the sky like divine punishment. He wielded his purple sandalwood staff, causing the ground to crack and churn, forming a massive earth golem that punched at Fyllian, who was hovering mid-air.

A high-density magic shield blocked the attack, followed by a thick beam of magic that shattered the earth golem. After dispatching this conspicuous enemy, Fyllian deflected the incoming fire arrows with a flick of her wrist.

Purple lightning gathered at the tip of her staff, ultimately striking Luk as he rushed forward. At the same time, the tip of a sword pressed against Fyllian's chest.

...

The battle ended, and Fyllian and Luk walked side by side back to the manor.

"Your total magic power, control, and proficiency with attack spells are all excellent. You have a good grasp of the battle situation, and you are already an outstanding mage."

Fyllian offered a simple compliment to this young member of her race, who could fight her to this extent.

Luk shook his head. "Mages are very vulnerable when engaged in close combat. I only have an advantage because I also train my physical strength."

Elves are not just about magic; their physical potential is also formidable. In the original story, there was an elf monk who lived from ancient times until the Xinshe Era, and statues of this monk still stand in some regions, testament to his great power and achievements.

In terms of mage skills, Luk was far from Fyllian's level. If they fought at a distance, Fyllian would win, but in close combat, he would have the upper hand.

"Compared to the demons, what level do you think I am at now?"

"That's hard to say. The gap between elite demons and great demons is significant. Not just the Seven Collapsed Sages, the Corrupt Sage, and the All-Knowing Schurart, each great demon has unique abilities. Some of them are fully capable of taking the place of the Seven Collapsed Sages."

Fyllian recalled her battles with demons and glanced at Luk. "You are currently between these two levels, with a considerable gap on both sides."

Luk furrowed his brow. "I've noticed that my power growth has slowed down recently, and it's getting slower."

"Power growth is not a straight line. The stronger you become, the slower your progress. Feeling this way means you are entering a new realm," Fyllian reassured him calmly.

"Don't worry, you are still young and have plenty of time."

"Alright."

Luk put aside his discomfort with the plateau in his power and changed the topic. "The adjustments to the flight spell are almost complete. It can be used in combat now, and with some further optimization, it will be ready."

This conclusion came from his practical training.

He felt a bit nostalgic. Developing a new spell was much more difficult than he had imagined. Often, solving one problem would bring up several new ones. Reaching this point was no easy feat, but the gains were significant.

"Once it is used in battle, the front-line mages will have better support for infiltration, reconnaissance, and aerial combat. You have made history, Fyllian."

Fyllian said casually, "We both worked on it. You can claim the credit externally."

A practical spell like flight would become a mandatory skill for every mage in the future. As the creator, he could gain substantial wealth and fame by submitting it to the newly formed Mage Association or offering it to the Central Nations.

"I did a small part of the work. You are the primary creator," Luk replied seriously.

"I just don't want to be famous. Even though humans will forget about me in a few decades, that time is still quite grueling."

Fyllian's face twisted. "And now, you need this spell more than I do. After all, you need to present a dowry to the Gri Family."

"Then let's split it according to the work done. You get eighty percent, and I get twenty."

"Fifty-fifty is fine. The extra part can be a gift from me to you." Her face scrunched up, and she added, "You might be the earliest marrying elf in the entire history of elves."

Due to their insensitivity to time and emotions, elves' mental growth is relatively slow. They often waste a lot of time on meaningless things over their long lives.

In the eyes of elves, an elf under a hundred years old might as well be a few years old, with a mind that cannot be compared to that of an adult human, even if their bodies are fully developed.

"I think, in a way, Trella is committing a crime."

Luk: ...

Hearing Fyllian's words, he felt a bit uneasy, like a teenager caught by their parents for early romance.

"Not really. If I were a human, my mental age would be at least twenty-two."

"How did you come up with that number?" Fyllian asked, a bit curious.

Luk thought for a moment. "It's hard to say."

If he had to say, it was thanks to the mud truck.

By the time they returned to the manor, it was already twilight. The sunset, gradually turning red, cast a warm glow. Trella was waiting at the gate.

Seeing Luk return, she greeted him, taking his coat and smoothing out his disheveled clothes and hair, acting exceptionally devoted.

"You're back, dear."

Her voice was sweet and soft, with a cloying quality.

"Yep."

Faced with his mischievous lover, Luk simply nodded calmly. "Anything happen at home?"

"Ms. Rhine's old coughing problem flared up, but she's fine after the monks treated her."

Trella leaned against Luk's solid chest, looking happy. "You were gone for so long. Did you miss me?"

“

“I just went out for a few hours.”

“But I miss you so much when I can't see you for a moment...”

Fyllian: “...”

Fyllian: “I’m going back to my studies. See you tomorrow.”

The scene and dialogue made Fyllian uncomfortable, not because of the overt display of affection, but because she instinctively associated the pretty noble girl with pedophilia and kidnapping.

As Fyllian walked away, Trella dropped her affected pose, sticking out her tongue and making a face.

“You don’t like Fyllian?”

Luk silently observed everything, asking in a calm tone.

“Both of you are elves and know magic. You share the same interests and spend more time together than with me.” Trella pouted, “What if you two fall in love over time?”

“No, in my mind, Fyllian is in a quantum superposition of being both an elder and a daughter. She’s an elder when it comes to magic, and a daughter most of the time.”

Luk explained matter-of-factly, “Besides, I already have you.”

The last sentence clearly struck a chord with Trella. Her eyes welled up, but after a moment, she seemed to remember something and looked at Luk with a strange expression.

“I remember you mentioning something about a son when you were reading Amir Campbell’s letter.”

“A frog son,” Luk smiled faintly, “In my hometown, there’s a type of frog that often travels and sends back strange things to its parents, just like Amir.”

“I’ve never heard of such a peculiar frog?” Trella looked at Luk suspiciously, “Are you secretly fond of being called dad?”

“No such thing.”

“Dad.”

Luk rubbed his temples in frustration, “Don’t call me that.”

“You’re sometimes too serious. Was it Lady Mother who raised you to be this way?”

Trella poked Luk’s cheek, then linked her arm with his and walked into his room, her head held high under the envious, jealous, and resentful gazes of the maids.

“No, Laniess mostly ignored me. She’s too carefree and relaxed, and I reject becoming that kind of person from the bottom of my heart.”

Luk walked to his desk, opened a magic book, and began to read carefully, “When you have an unreliable mother, you have to be reliable yourself. That’s how my personality changed.”

“Do you actually dislike Lady Mother?”

Luk paused in his reading, recalling Laniess’s departing figure, and answered softly, “No, I don’t dislike her.”

“Then you must like her. Hmm... I’d be very happy if you were willing to be a bit less serious for me.”

As she spoke, Trella lit a candle on Luk’s desk to ensure the light was sufficient and wouldn’t strain his eyes.

She then began to tidy up the room, putting away the randomly placed magic books and devices, preparing the clothes Luk would wear the next day, and watering the purple flowers by the window.

Luk’s room was a simple guest room where he had lived since childhood. Although Lady Roine gradually considered Luk her own child and suggested he move to a better room, he refused, having grown accustomed to it.

Trella’s invasion was comprehensive. The day after she had thoroughly seduced the elf, she moved into Luk’s room despite Lady Roine’s disapproving gaze and the maids’ gossip, carrying a large number of personal items.

“Life should be a bit more elegant.”

With that, Trella gave the room a makeover. She replaced the bed with a softer, more comfortable one, placed a few ornamental plants on the windowsill, and decorated the room with many beautiful trinkets, bringing new life to the old, modest guest room.

Additionally, she took great pleasure in buying many clothes for Luk, playing a dress-up game with the elf, who was both physically and facially outstanding. In these harmless matters, Luk indulged his lover’s interests.

Marking his page, Luk rubbed his tired eyes and stood up, intending to stretch his stiff body. As he rose, he felt a warm embrace from behind, soft arms wrapping around him.

A soft, warm body pressed against the elf’s well-trained, strong physique.

“It’s time to rest.”

Trella’s trembling, shy voice urged her lover to engage in the evening’s activities.

Luk glanced at the magic book he was about to finish, hesitating, “Why don’t you sleep first?”

“Is the magic book more important than me?”

Luk said nothing more, allowing Trella to lead him to the bed. He stroked her trembling eyelashes and kissed the noble girl’s soft, tender lips.

...

Thud—

A significant noise echoed in the quiet night. The guard on duty rushed to the sound, hesitating for a moment before knocking on the door, aware that a noble lady resided inside.

“Young Master Luk, is everything alright in there? Do you need any help?”

After a moment, Luk’s voice, slightly hoarser than usual, replied, “Everything’s fine. I had a small accident while doing a magic experiment. You can go back.”

“Yes.”

As the guard left, Luk let out a sigh of relief and lightly tapped Trella’s head.

“I told you not to call me that.”

Trella’s water-blue eyes shimmered in the darkness, and she let out a barely audible, cheerful laugh.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end