Spoken like a true arsonist. I could just imagine the entire palace or kingdom engulfed in glowing reddish orange flames.
I nodded in satisfaction. "How about we dedicate 5 hours a day to each combat, magic, and I'll teach you another way to use mana? Then you can sleep for 9 hours unless you want to do something else during that time."
"You promised to teach me to read."
"I found some magic books so we can do both reading and studying magic at the same time."
She seemed satisfied with that answer, so I went to where I'd stacked the books and picked out what seemed to be the most basic one. Then I sat down next to her and pointed at each word as I read it aloud. It would have been faster to read on my own, but then she wouldn't learn the words. I also don't know if this is the proper way to teach someone to read, but I think it'll work.
The book on the basics of magic went over different elements and types of magic like circles, potions, enchantments, and spells. It also includes a few simple spells at the end. I think Lila already knew the contents of this book, but it was mostly new to me.
We got through about one-quarter of the book in that 5-hour block. The next thing I was going to practice is cultivation. I think cultivation and magic together will be a terrifying combination. Magic doesn't strengthen the body nearly as much as cultivation nor does it provide much of a noticeable increase in lifespan. I took out the book on cultivation I got as a reward since Kitty said I could use the first chapter in this world.
I read this book in the same manner as the magic book so Lila would hopefully learn more. The cultivation book I got was a true all-encompassing manual at nearly 6 inches thick, covering what seems to be all cultivation methods in existence as well as pros and cons to each and which ones are compatible to be used together.
The first chapter was nearly an inch and a half thick; thankfully, it was divided into sections, and we didn't have to read it all. We skipped all the sections labeled as the worst methods and went right to the best beginner methods, then picked out one that seems to suit each of us. After picking out our methods, there was still a significant amount of basic knowledge to read that would help build the most stable foundation.
By the time we finished our time with the cultivation book, I was extremely tired of reading and hoping the swordsmanship book was not full of text to be read. I was in luck as there was only a few pages of text, then lots of drawings with maybe a sentence underneath each.
I bought two swords made of normal steel and of the correct size as stated in the book. After giving one to Lila, I took the other one and started practicing, trying to copy the movements depicted in the drawings.
We were pretty awkward with it at first, remembering one move then stopping and having to think about what the next one was, or even having to look in the book again.
While Lila slept after practice, I worked on devouring the old weapons and whatever else I found in the crates besides the books. It was slow going with the weapons; the mana crystals forged into the blade made them more energy-dense but very slow to devour. It was fine, though, as we had decided to stay here, since it was in the palace it was relatively safe, and kept the rain off our heads. But I was going to create an escape route underground in case anyone ever tried to come in.
After a week, we'd finished both cultivation and magic books and started practicing them. We couldn't practice very big spells in the space we had, the best we could do is memorize how they were supposed to work and be very familiar with them. After we were proficient in all the magic we could practice, we would move on to the next book.
I was right about Lila already knowing the stuff in the first book as she could cast those spells perfectly after only a few tries each. It probably would have been perfect on the first try, but she had to get used to her new mana veins that were much stronger than her previous ones.
I was faster to pick up on how to use the cultivation method. I tried using some of the techniques I got in the astral power world with it, but they didn't work well in this new world.
It took about 1 month for us to build our first mana circle. Lila said that the new mana veins also increased her absorption rate of mana as the first time she made the first circle it took about 4 months.
Lila learned to read in about 2 and a half months and now just rarely asks me about a few words. After daily practice, she now spends a couple of hours reading before falling asleep. She liked using me as a pillow since I never moved while working on devouring the weapons; every night she'd drag the blankets for the bed next to me before laying down.
There was a shocking event after about 4 months, we were quietly cultivating and I had broken through to the 1st layer of qi refining a month ago and Lila was about to also. I could feel Lila was about to break through, so I stopped cultivating to watch. The instant she broke through, she started glowing, the glowing got brighter and brighter till I couldn't see her anymore then kept getting brighter, and I had to cover my eyes.
After a few minutes, the light dimmed and stopped. When I looked at her again, she'd grown another tail! When she opened her eyes and there was a tail on each side of her, she yelped and almost hit the ceiling.
After she calmed down, i found out that no one had ever heard of having more than 1 tail. I thought this would be a problem especially if she kept growing more but after a while she found she could condense them down into 1 tail like normal.
We got into a routine and time flew by; after I finished devouring all the weapons about 2 years later, I spent that time split between cultivation and trying to increase my mana circles.
I'd also finished the escape route; it went down underground about 20 feet in a corner of the room and Lila told me which direction to take it to come out the cliff behind the wall around the palace. I didn't open it up at the end since she said people inspect it every once in a while in case anyone is trying to tunnel under the palace.
5 Years after I'd arrived, we'd made it through all the books and were proficient in the spells we could practice in this space. Our swordsmanship was nearly all smoothed out, rarely pausing. I'd have liked to spar, but that would make a complete racket, and even though the walls were thick, they weren't that thick. Instead of practicing swordsmanship every day, we started practicing hand-to-hand combat since you can't always guarantee you'll always have your sword.
When breaking through subsequent layers of qi refining, Lila never put on a light show or grew another tail. I'm thinking if it does happen it will only be when breaking through major realms.
I've also had to replace Lila's sword with a larger one several times but not as large as I'd have guessed it should be for her age; she seems to be shorter than normal.
After another 3 years, I'm 100% sure she's shorter than normal.
when a total of 10 years had passed, there was nothing we could find to improve except our cultivation and mana circles. Without sparing, our swordsmanship was at the highest it could be. All the spells in the books that we couldn't practice inside were memorized perfectly. Lila had read all the books from the crates and some of them several times. I'd devoured all the metal plates off the walls since it was a decent source of energy, leaving the bare wood of the structure underneath.
We'd both become 4th circle mages and 3rd layer qi refining cultivators during this time, though I was almost about to break through since i didn't have to sleep, yet Lila had just entered the level. It seems a little easier to increase mana circles level than qi refinement.
It was now time for us to leave this place; I'd slowly been adding more lumistone so as not to have the sun outside blind us when we stepped out. After devouring the lumistone and going to the end of the tunnel, I cleared the last little bit of rock away.
Seeing the world for the first time, I couldn't help but pause, overlooking the world from the cliff. The lands were such a vibrant green. The forests showed up in the landscape as a dark green to black color. I could see dirt roads winding across the land with a single wagon close enough to be somewhat visible and a village in the distance and purplish grey mountains farther out.
I looked at Lila and had to admit she'd grown up very beautiful after these 10 years.
Her golden eyes sparkle with intelligence, and her dark purple hair, bordering on black in certain lights, cascades down her back. Ears matching her hair tipped in jet black, emerge from her head, showcasing her fox lineage. A matching tail sways with elegance.
Perfectly smooth white skin enhance the ethereal quality of her appearance. Despite her shorter stature, her figure boasts tasteful curves enhancing her beauty.
She was gazing joyfully at the landscape that she hadn't seen in 12 years and whispered softly, "It's beautiful."
I smiled at her. "You look more beautiful."
She looked at me with a slight blush then gave a seductive smile and hugged herself close to me, then looking at the scenery once again before saying, "Thanks for saving me." I know there's some things she read in those books and sees me a little differently, as she once mentioned when she was reading when she was 8 that the books were right and someone did come to save the princess he loved and take her away to live happily. I can't find it in myself to mind the idea the books gave.
I know I just ended up in that room by chance, but I'm glad I did.
After my little happy moment, I bent down and placed my hand on the stone beneath our feet and activated my devour skill, trying to make it go down like an elevator. It sort of worked but was a little bumpy.
When we reached the bottom it was time to decide where to go next.
"Where should we go next?" I asked.
"A town in another kingdom. I don't want to stay here."
I nodded. "Alright, just point in the direction."
She pointed off to the southeast. "A human kingdom is that way; let's go there."
It was in the direction that I could see the village before when we were higher. I nodded, and we started walking in that direction.
"How long do you think till someone realizes no one is in that room?"
She touched the bottom of her chin and tilted her head, "At least a day, probably about a day. The next time someone comes to throw bread in, they should see from the spellwork on the outside that there isn't anything living inside."
"We should try to make it as far away as possible then," I said, picking up the pace which she followed.
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Lila grown image