Novalia asked, “What is the other thing?”
Ning Busan said, “I want to study magic and practice swordsmanship at the same time, just like you. Could you guide me in learning swordsmanship?”
Novalia's expression became highly complex for a brief moment. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but suddenly paused.
She asked, “Why do you want to learn swordsmanship?”
Ning Busan considered his words before saying, “I feel like my physical fitness is too poor. I need the exercise.”
He had never liked exercising before; his body was incredibly fragile, and he would huff and puff for five minutes just to finish a one-kilometer physical test.
You can never have too many skills. The more things he knew, the greater his chances of survival in the future.
When it came down to it, he was simply afraid of dying.
Novalia remained silent for a moment before agreeing to Ning Busan's request. “Fine. Come over and train with me every morning from now on.”
Ning Busan agreed enthusiastically, “No problem!”
...
In the slums.
Inside a small shack built from dilapidated wooden boards and sheet metal, a man in tattered clothes lay on a narrow wooden bed. His breathing was rapid and heavy, punctuated by occasional coughing fits.
His name was John, a very ordinary commoner.
His job was building houses for the nobles. Though his wages were low, they were barely enough to cover the daily expenses for him and his wife.
But he had fallen gravely ill.
In this world, there was no such profession as a doctor, but there were potion masters.
The potions concocted by potion masters could cure illnesses, but the price of herbs was far from cheap, so most potion masters chose to work for the nobility.
Hardly any of the potion masters in the slums possessed real skill.
For commoners, a minor fever could cost them their lives.
This was because they could not afford expensive magic potions.
To treat his illness, his wife had spent nearly all of their savings, yet his condition showed no signs of improvement.
He loved his wife dearly, so he chose to let her take the remaining money and leave him.
The roof was covered with uneven tiles, and rainwater dripped down through the cracks, making the room unbearably damp and cold.
John began to cough violently again.
He thought that perhaps, before long, he would die.
In his daze, he heard his wife's joyful voice: “John, I bought an amulet.”
John forced his eyes open and asked weakly, “Where did you get so much money to buy an amulet?”
The woman said, “John, I bought this amulet at the market. It only cost one silver coin.”
John felt she had been swindled. “How could that be possible?”
Amulets contained the healing power of the light element, which was something even more precious than magic potions.
The woman clenched the amulet in her hand and whispered, “Let's try it. What if it works?”
The amulet radiated a warm, sacred white light, instantly healing the ailments afflicting John's body.
In an instant, John felt his entire body surge with strength.
He leapt up from the bed, his face filled with utter disbelief. “I'm cured! I'm really cured!”
His wife embraced him, weeping tears of joy.
Actually, when someone first started selling amulets at the market for only one silver coin, no one dared to buy them.
One silver coin was merely a week's worth of expenses for a commoner.
The price was so low that everyone assumed it was a scam.
However, there would always be people like John's wife who, in their desperation, would turn to any doctor they could find. Once they verified the authenticity of the amulets, everyone rushed to buy them.
The chest of amulets crafted by Ning Busan saved many families like John's.
Even Ning Busan himself did not realize that he had already begun to exert a faint influence on this world.
This influence was small, very faint.
But when he truly grew strong, this influence might become immense.
...
One month later.
Ning Busan wanted to file a formal complaint—Novalia was a demon!
The physical training regimen Novalia designed for him was precisely at his absolute limit.
Every time, it left him half-dead with exhaustion, yet he still miraculously had just enough energy left to study magic.
No results could be seen yet, his muscles were incredibly sore, his arms couldn't be lifted, and his body was completely drained!
Compared to swordsmanship, magic was absolutely lovely.
On this day, Saige was teaching Ning Busan how to use magic to attack enemies.
But suddenly, the sky seemed as if it had been dyed with ink, leaving not a single trace of light.
The entire world was shrouded in an oppressive, deep darkness, as if foretelling an impending disaster.
Startled by this sudden change, Ning Busan couldn't help but look at Saige and ask, “Teacher, what's happening?”
Saige opened the window, his expression grave. “The Black Sun.”
Ning Busan looked out through the window.
It turned out that what blanketed the sky was not dark clouds, but a dense mass of xenos. They blotted out the sun, resembling a natural disaster.
Outside the city walls, the xeno army surged forward like a tide.
Thunderous footsteps and roars intertwined, shaking the earth, as if they were about to completely devour this majestic empire.
Ning Busan was thoroughly shocked by this scene.
He licked his lips and asked, “Teacher, with so many xenos, can the empire hold them off?”
Saige sneered, his eyes filled with mockery and malice. “With what would the empire hold them off?
“By relying on those noble mages? They will only send out knights and commoners to throw away their lives in vain.
“They can't hold them off.”
Ning Busan asked, “What about the empire's magic defense array?”
Saige shook his head. “That won't hold them off either.”
Seeing his calm expression, Ning Busan knew the empire must have a countermeasure, so he asked, “Then what should be done?”
Saige sighed softly. “The reason the empire doesn't worry about the Black Sun is because of the existence of summoners.”
Ning Busan's eyes flickered slightly.
Summoners were a branch of mages who could form contracts with mythical creatures and summon them at critical moments to aid them.
Feeling relieved, Ning Busan asked, “Are they going to summon an archangel of the Celestial Clan?”
In his impression, the God of Light had always maintained a friendly attitude toward humanity, so he should be willing to send an archangel to assist humans through the crisis of the Black Sun.
However, Saige said, “The Celestial Clan has not responded to human summons for nearly a thousand years. The other mythical creatures are incredibly arrogant; they couldn't care less whether humans live or die.
“In contrast, the only ones who might actually respond to a summon are demons.”
“Demons?” Ning Busan was shocked. “But summoning a demon requires paying an immense price.”
Saige said, “One hundred years ago, on a Black Sun just like today's, the xeno army drove straight in, and the gates of the Dawn Empire were on the verge of being breached.
“At that time, Novalia had no choice but to use a summoning spell.”
Ning Busan asked, “What price did she pay?”
A flash of pain crossed Saige's eyes. “She lost her magic talent, completely losing the ability to sense magic elements.
“She had already become an Archmage when she had just turned eighty. She was supposed to become the youngest Grand Archmage.”
Ning Busan fell silent.
So the reason Novalia trained so hard in swordsmanship was because she had lost her magic talent.
To lose the talent she was most proud of at the peak of her success—she must have been incredibly heartbroken at that time.
Ning Busan asked, “Who was the demon she summoned?”
Saige said, “It was the Demon King who holds the authority of greed.”
Ning Busan was slightly startled. Just as he was about to utter that name, Saige stopped him.
“To speak is to be known. Do not directly utter the names of mythical creatures, or you will be targeted by them.”
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