Po Kong found a relatively flat rock and sat down. He pulled off his mud-soaked boots and poured out the dirty water inside. Looking at the fading light around them, he spoke thoughtfully.
Starlight was still looking down at the map, his brow furrowed. Po Kong’s words were like a bolt of lightning that instantly illuminated his thoughts.
“The marsh... That’s right! Where there’s a marsh, there’s bound to be water. I can try to sense the nearby water elements!” Starlight had a sudden realization. He immediately closed his eyes and entered a meditative state, attempting to establish a connection with the surrounding natural elements.
Just as he expected, he soon felt a large gathering of water elements in one direction. That dense, moist aura clearly guided him toward the path forward.
Under the precise guidance of the water elements, the two of them quickly traversed the dense woods and arrived before the legendary marshland.
The marsh before them was like a giant, damp sponge, emitting a heavy scent of moisture.
A faint mist rose slowly from the ground in the distance, intertwining with the surrounding air to form a hazy sea of fog that blurred the environment ahead.
In the fading light, strange cries of wild beasts occasionally drifted from afar, adding a touch of mystery and eeriness to the marshland.
Starlight squinted his eyes, trying to make out more details in the haze.
However, he could only vaguely see withered branches, fallen leaves, and some unidentified objects floating on the surface of the marsh. They appeared and disappeared in the mist like wandering ghosts.
The trees at the edge of the marsh were also shrouded in fog, showing only faint, blurred outlines, as if they were guardians of the marsh, quietly watching every living being that stepped into this place.
Po Kong walked to the edge of the marsh and cautiously tested the ground ahead with his foot.
However, he quickly pulled his foot back, a helpless expression crossing his face.
“Sigh, it seems I underestimated the situation in this area. We’ll have to camp on the edge of this marsh tonight. It wouldn’t be wise to head deep into the marsh at this hour.”
Although Starlight was still very worried about the safety of the caravan, he had to admit that Po Kong’s words made sense.
Judging from their progress throughout the day, neither of them excelled at wide-range sensing. Entering unknown territory in the dark was clearly an unwise choice.
Without the advantage of time or terrain, they could easily be caught off guard even if their strength far exceeded that of the bandits—especially since there were those mysterious figures in black robes among the enemy.
While Starlight believed he wouldn’t have much trouble dealing with three or five of those black-robed men if they appeared, he wasn't sure how many more of their accomplices had yet to show themselves.
To be safe, the two eventually decided not to take any risks at this time.
After conducting a simple investigation at the edge of the marsh, they retreated back into the forest and settled down near a relatively open and hidden cliff wall.
Po Kong had collected quite a bit of dry firewood along the way. He skillfully used stones and dry wood to build the base of a campfire, then pulled flint and tinder from his bag.
Just as he was about to crouch down and strike a spark with his tools, Starlight, who had just set down his backpack, happened to see him.
With a light flick of his finger, a fireball the size of an egg burst from his fingertip. Like a meteor streaking through the night sky, it shot precisely into the prepared pile of wood.
In an instant, the fireball set the campfire ablaze, making it look as if it had been burning for a long time rather than just being lit.
Starlight intended to continue preparing dinner for the two of them using the ingredients from his backpack, but he suddenly noticed Po Kong’s face, which was filled with surprise.
“What is it? Is there something on my face?” Starlight asked with some confusion, instinctively touching his cheek.
“No... I have to say, you really are unlike any other!” Po Kong seemed to realize his loss of composure and spoke after a slight nod.
“Hmm? What do you mean? What did I do? I just used magic to light a fire. Do you think it’s strange to cook in the wild?” Starlight found it even more peculiar after hearing Po Kong’s words and pressed for an answer.
“No, no, no, this is already very special! You should know that in my experience, very few mages would do such a thing! Are you serious?”
Seeing the earnest expression on Starlight’s face, Po Kong took a moment to organize his thoughts before explaining. Only then did Starlight understand why he was so surprised.
As it turned out, the number of mages on the continent today was far fewer than Starlight had imagined. Compared to Swordsmen who used battle qi, the ratio was nearly ten to one.
And that was only for the broad category of Swordsmen. If one added other professions like rangers, rogues, and knights, the ratio would become even more lopsided.
Even including the rare priests and niche magic-using professions, the number of people who could truly master and use magic was still handful.
The reason behind this was both straightforward and cruel: the cost of learning magic was staggeringly high!
Talent was important, of course, but even more critical was whether one had enough financial resources to support their path of study.
Whether choosing to enter a school for further study or becoming a disciple of a master, one had to pay a hefty tuition fee. Not to mention the need to purchase a large number of books, materials, and various magical items during the learning process.
In comparison, those in battle qi-using professions had it much easier. They only needed a suitable weapon to travel the world and make a name for themselves.
Mages, however, were different. The staffs, robes, inscriptions, and various auxiliary items they required were all significant expenses.
Although large-scale high-level magic often played a decisive role on the battlefield, mages were by no means invincible.
Because their physical constitutions were generally weak, the consequences were often disastrous once an enemy closed the distance in battle. Therefore, they had to rely on various external items to compensate for this weakness.
According to Po Kong, an average commoner in the kingdom could exhaust half a lifetime’s savings and still struggle to support the annual expenses of a novice mage. As for high-tier mages, it was simply unthinkable.
This also meant that most people who could study magic today had some kind of background. They were either from wealthy merchant families or were descendants of powerful nobles.
In an environment where rarity leads to prestige, almost every mage developed an arrogant and even haughty personality.
Their privileged conditions meant they almost always had attendants or servants by their side, so they never had to worry about the trivialities of daily life.
Daily chores like lighting a fire and cooking were beneath the notice of those high-and-mighty mages. They only needed to give a single look, and someone would hand them everything they needed.
One could hardly expect those young masters who had never lifted a finger for manual labor to cook for themselves, could they? It was already considered good if they didn't make their attendants build a house in the wild.
Over time, this habit gradually spread across the entire continent.
While there were indeed a few genius mages from humble backgrounds, such people were as rare as phoenix feathers or unicorn horns.
And a mage like Starlight, who had no air of arrogance and was so down-to-earth, could be described as absolutely unique.
Of course, the continent was vast, and people like him surely existed, but Po Kong said he had never met one until now, which was why he had been so surprised.
“Now do you understand? So, it’s not just me—in the eyes of most people, you’re a strange mage! Oh! Thank you!”
Starlight didn't find these fresh stories from Po Kong boring at all; instead, he listened with great interest.
While Po Kong was still talking incessantly, Starlight had already used the campfire to make two simple dinners and served a portion to him.
Due to the limited conditions, the ingredients for this dinner were some smoked meat and simple side dishes that Starlight had casually bought while shopping yesterday. Even so, Po Kong ate with great relish and was full of praise.
“Ah~ it’s wonderful to be able to eat a proper dinner like this in the wild! You know, usually when I’m alone, I can only gnaw on dry rations, or at most roast them over a fire to get them warm. Starlight, you’re too good!”
Po Kong quickly finished every bit of his dinner and then spoke in a boisterous manner.
Starlight only smiled at his praise and didn't say much. After all, in his eyes, such things were just a small effort.
Rate on N.U.
