Chapter Thirteen: An Ambiguous Relationship

With Wei Ling’s help, Vir’s auxiliary meditation scroll was finally completed. Crafted with meticulous precision, the elemental gentleness within the scroll far exceeded Vir’s expectations. Simply unrolling the scroll released a wave of cold air, but this chill was not the biting, bone-piercing cold he had experienced before; instead, it was a sensation perfectly balanced at the very edge of human tolerance.

Following Vir’s instructions, Charles Wei Ling sat cross-legged on a cushion, spread the scroll open, and carefully placed both hands upon it. Instantly, a surge of coldness flooded her entire body from her palms, making her shudder involuntarily.

Taking a deep breath, she steadied her slightly nervous heart. With the scroll’s special effect, Wei Ling quickly cast aside all distracting thoughts. Stimulated by the chill, her mental power began to focus, little by little.

With the scroll’s assistance, Wei Ling easily entered the initial state of meditation, and on this foundation her spiritual strength continued to gather.

Soon she felt the air around her grow cool and refreshing. Though her eyes were closed, she could distinctly sense countless pinpricks of green light gradually appearing around her—these, she realized with a thrill, were the magical elements Vir had spoken of.

Never before had she felt such an intimate connection with the presence of magical elements. A surge of wild joy overwhelmed her, and her focus wavered for a moment. But she quickly regained her composure, centered her mind, and concentrated anew, eager to perceive these elements even more clearly. Perhaps it was her unique magical talent, or perhaps the scroll’s extraordinary efficacy, but before she knew it, Wei Ling had entered an advanced state of meditation. The magical elements around her grew ever more plentiful, and astonishingly, she could begin to communicate with them using her mental power. Though complete control of the elements was still beyond her, Wei Ling was deeply satisfied with her progress. Taking a long, steadying breath, she drew herself out of meditation and slowly opened her eyes.

A gentle silver beam spilled into the room, and Wei Ling was surprised to discover that she had been sitting there the entire day. Yet she felt no fatigue; on the contrary, she was completely invigorated, as if she didn’t need to rest at all.

“I never imagined meditation could have this effect,” she exclaimed enthusiastically. “No wonder it’s said that mages don’t need to sleep. So that’s how it is—meditate while resting, train your power, and save as much time as possible for other pursuits. It’s wonderful!”

Excited, Wei Ling turned to look around. At last, she spotted Vir in the corner by the bookshelf—he too was meditating.

Perhaps her earlier connection with the magical elements had sharpened her senses, for when she closed her eyes and focused, she could clearly feel an intense concentration of magical elements gathering around Vir. For the first time, she could sense the vibrancy of the elements swirling around him. Smiling sweetly, she refrained from disturbing him and quietly slipped out of the room.

No sooner had Wei Ling left than seven distinct colors of light began to shimmer around Vir—blue for water, green for wind, violet for lightning, red for fire, ochre for earth, white for light, and black for darkness. Seven hues, representing the seven elemental attributes, swirled around him, gathering rapidly and gradually being absorbed into his body.

Only after a long time did Vir open his eyes, exhaling deeply as he slowly rose to his feet.

Now, Vir had successfully advanced to a Tier Two Mage. Though his cultivation speed was nothing short of miraculous, he remained unsatisfied. Especially after hearing today about the whereabouts of his lost Losiy Qigel Divine Staff, he was even more acutely aware of his own shortcomings. The royal family, Martial Soul Hall, the military, the nobility—any one of these would be the stuff of dreams for ordinary people, but for him, they were obstacles and trouble.

And at this moment, one of the troubles facing Vir was none other than Wei Ling’s bodyguard, East.

Opening the door, Vir stepped out and, guided by memory, deliberately took a winding route through the Earl’s mansion before making his way to the rear garden for a brief rest.

Night had already fallen, but the mansion was still brilliantly lit. Occasionally, a few patrolling guards and servants passed by. Upon seeing Vir, they greeted him courteously, and as they departed, they couldn’t help but cast him ambiguous, knowing glances.

This situation had its roots earlier in the day, before Vir had even stepped out. To facilitate his free movement within the mansion, Wei Ling had taken him on a tour of the entire estate, walking side by side, hand in hand, chatting and laughing. Within the mansion, and indeed throughout the imperial capital, everyone knew Charles Wei Ling for her famous pride; though many had pursued her, none had ever caught her eye. Yet today, the servants of the mansion witnessed her talking cheerfully with a young man of similar age, and naturally, their imaginations ran wild, embellishing the relationship between the two.

Vir, however, was unconcerned by this, and in fact found that it made his movements within the mansion much more convenient.

Strolling casually through the garden, just as he was about to return, Vir finally spotted the person he had been searching for all night—East—standing beneath a tree.

When East saw Vir, he immediately strode over, his gaze as sharp as a blade, fixed intently on Vir and sending a chill down his spine.

Just as Vir had suspected, East harbored deep suspicions toward this mysterious youth. Initially, he had thought Vir was just a half-grown boy and no threat, so he hadn’t paid much attention. But today, East discovered that the young man he’d brought back to the mansion was, in fact, a mysterious mage.