"That's right, finding someone."
Celia's expression turned a bit more serious. "We've received word from within the Church. It's said to be an oracle from the gods..."
Ansu listened patiently.
"A human chosen by the gods, the one prophesied to change the world, will appear in Benalu City. The Church calls this person—the Chosen One."
Celia fixed her gaze on Ansu. "After continuous investigation, Echoes of Truth has narrowed down the scope and finally locked onto your school."
"Your mission is to help me find that Chosen One among the thirty thousand students and faculty at the Royal Academy."
"Oh, so that's how it is..." Ansu's expression remained unchanged as he nodded.
However, a storm was already raging in his heart.
This Chosen One she's talking about... it seems to be me...
In the world of the Sword of Evernight, the Chosen One was actually the player, selected by the righteous gods to save the world.
At first, Ansu thought he was just a minor character, a small fry who died a tragic death in the cult sacrifice case.
But not long ago, he clearly saw the system refer to him that way.
【Chosen One, you have yet to overturn your fated death. Please keep trying!】
In other words, he wasn't just a background character, he was also the only player in the game, and even the primary target the cult was searching for...
"Then, may I ask..." Ansu inquired cautiously, "If you find this Chosen One, what will you do?"
Celia furrowed her brows. "That goes without saying. Kill him, obviously!"
"Right, right..."
I'm doomed...
Ansu, who had intended to play along with the witch for a while, once again felt the urge to pack his bags and run away...
How was he supposed to play this?
The target they were looking for was himself. He could slack off and stall for time for a while, but Echoes of Truth would eventually expect results. He couldn't exactly turn himself in, could he?
Ansu accepted the book containing the student registry, acting as if he were eager to share her burden. "Even if the search is narrowed down to the academy, it won't be easy to find them. Is there a time limit?"
"Not for the time being."
"Oh." Ansu breathed a sigh of relief, then asked, "Do you have any characteristics of this Chosen One?"
"Characteristics..." Celia pondered. "Since they were chosen by the gods, they must be extraordinary. They would have high talent, their looks certainly wouldn't be mediocre, they might be very popular, and they'd look different from ordinary people at a glance..."
With every sentence she spoke, Ansu grew more nervous, feeling as if his identity were being stripped bare...
As she spoke, Celia subconsciously glanced at Ansu, looking him over carefully.
"Hmm... actually, you fit these criteria quite well."
Ansu's heart skipped a beat.
Celia curled her lips into a smile, her deep and mysterious purple eyes leaning in close to observe Ansu's features at short range.
"I didn't look closely last time, but looking at you now..." Her fair finger poked Ansu's cheek as she giggled. "You actually fit my aesthetic quite well."
"Ah! Could it be?"
She covered her slightly parted mouth with her hand, her expression one of mock surprise. "Could it be that you are the..."
"Lady Witch!"
Ansu clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay calm, even preparing for the worst.
"You shouldn't joke about such things! How could I have that kind of talent? There's no way I could be..."
Celia burst into laughter. She found that she quite enjoyed teasing this new toy.
"I'm just kidding. Look at how scared you are!"
"In any case, the Chosen One won't be someone who fades into the crowd. Just use high standards when you search!"
Ansu immediately nodded in agreement, but in his heart, he complained bitterly about Celia.
This scummy witch!
"If you need anything else," Celia instructed softly, "just ask, and I'll handle it for you. Remember, you belong to me now."
As she spoke, she looked around the room with clear disdain. Ansu's home was currently so poor it made her frown.
If a robber came here once, they'd leave crying and probably have to leave a few coins behind out of pity...
She pulled a check from her bosom and handed it to Ansu. "Here."
Ansu saw the long string of zeros on the check, and his head spun. "This is... for me?"
"These are operating funds. If it's not enough, just ask me anytime." Celia waved her hand dismissively. "If there's nothing else, I'll be going."
Ansu thought this Lady Witch was truly generous to her own people. If her mission wasn't to kill the Chosen One, he really wouldn't mind following a boss like this...
Then again, he really did feel like he was being kept by a wealthy woman now...
Seeing that Celia was about to leave, Ansu quickly called out to her again.
"Wait, Lady Witch!"
"What now?" Celia glanced back at him. "You're not going to say the money isn't enough, are you?"
"Of course not," Ansu said hurriedly. "What you promised me before, about transcendent power..."
"Oh, that." Celia revealed a thin smile. "You certainly are persistent about transcendent power..."
She pulled out another book from somewhere and placed it gently on Ansu's desk.
"Magic is a profound field of study. Although you have some talent, you shouldn't be too hasty. This is a very basic magic text. Try to read through it, and if there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me."
Although he had some magic talent, in Celia's eyes, he was far from being able to compare with the genius mages within the organization.
She had chosen Ansu because of other qualities; she never expected him to be of any help in combat.
Ansu stepped forward and picked up the book titled 《General Introduction to Magic》.
"Study slowly. I hope you can bring me a little surprise~"
When he looked up, Celia's figure had already vanished from the room.
Coming and going without a trace, her level of magic never failed to amaze Ansu.
Ansu couldn't wait to flip through the magic text.
The author of this book was an unknown mage named Hoffman. The content was indeed quite profound and obscure; to someone without a foundation, it was like reading a heavenly script.
"Magic is not a miracle, nor is it a wishing machine that makes your dreams come true. Magic is a rigorous discipline that studies the essence of the world."
"A mage needs to use mental strength to construct exquisite spell models, and then draw upon the free-flowing mana in nature to cast magic."
"Regrettably, in my era, the concept of magic itself has been contaminated. Native mana is violent and chaotic, leading people to madness..."
"This will push our exploration of truth into the realm of the mysterious. Future mages may only be able to feel the great power of magic through so-called spiritual experience that is difficult to put into words. This is truly a shame..."
At the very least, Ansu could understand the opening prologue of this text. This Mr. Hoffman told the hidden history of the past like a story.
As he flipped through the text, system prompts popped up.
【General Magic Knowledge (Mastered)】
【Meditation (Unlearned) (Progress: 0/20)】
【Mage's Hand (Unlearned) (Progress: 0/50)】
【Illumination (Unlearned) (Progress: 0/50)】
Ansu saw several lit and unlit icons in the system, exactly like the panel from when he played the game.
It seemed that if he wanted to master these spells, he had to fill the progress bars completely.
Having progress bars was a good thing; this way, learning these spells was only a matter of time.
Ansu immediately began researching the magic in the text and followed the methods taught within to close his eyes and attempt to experience meditation.
As time gradually passed, he slowly fell into a state of self-forgetfulness, feeling his consciousness perceive the world from a subtle perspective. This was perhaps the spiritual experience mentioned in the book.
He also gradually felt the subtle, free-flowing mana in the air, and so he attempted to absorb it.
The night grew deeper...
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