Ebert put down his teacup, glanced at the bookshelf in the teahouse, and a glimmer of hope ignited in his heart.
If he could find some introductory books on magic, he might be able to learn some simple spells and enhance his self-protection ability. After all, in this dangerous world of "Agora", he, an ordinary person from the future, is too weak.
He stood up and walked to the bookshelf, carefully flipping through the books on it.
Most of these books were written in a language that Ebert had never seen before, and he didn't recognize a single word. Occasionally, there would be a few books written in ancient Sanskrit, but the contents were mostly religious scriptures or poetry stories, and had nothing to do with magic.
Ebert searched for a long time, but he didn't find the magic book he wanted, and he couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
"My guest, are you looking for a book?" Just when Ebert was about to give up, an old voice came from behind him.
Ebert turned around and saw an old man standing behind him, looking at him with a smile.
The old man was wearing a washed gray robe, leaning on a wooden stick, with a gray beard hanging down to his chest. His face was full of traces of time, but his eyes were still bright and energetic.
"Hello, old sir." Ebert quickly bowed to the old man, "I'm looking for some books about magic. I wonder if you have any here?"
"Magic?" The old man stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Young man, are you interested in magic?"
"Yes, old sir." Ebert nodded, "I came to this world not long ago, and I am full of curiosity about everything here, especially magic. I am very eager to learn magic."
"Learn magic?" The old man looked Ebert up and down, "Young man, learning magic is not an easy thing. It requires talent and perseverance. Are you sure you are ready?"
Ebert's heart was shocked. He heard the hidden meaning in the old man's words.
"Old sir, what do you mean..." Ebert asked tentatively, with a hint of expectation in his heart.
The old man did not answer directly, but asked: "Young man, why do you want to learn magic?"
Ebert was silent for a moment. He asked himself this question many times, but he never found a definite answer.
At first, he was just curious about magic and wanted to experience the feeling of controlling supernatural power.
Later, he realized that in this dangerous world, magic is the guarantee of survival. He must master this power to protect himself and find his father.
But now, facing the old man's questions, he found that these reasons seemed not enough to convince himself, let alone the old man.
"I..." Ebert opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
The old man seemed to see through his thoughts. He smiled and said, "Young man, learning magic is not just for the pursuit of power. More importantly, you need to understand what you want to do with this power."
"Magic is like a double-edged sword. It can be used to protect or to destroy. The key lies in how you use it."
"If you learn magic just to satisfy your own selfish desires and pursue power, then you will eventually become a slave to magic and be devoured by it."
"But if you have a firm belief in your heart and something you want to protect, then magic will become the most powerful weapon in your hands to help you realize your ideals."
The old man's voice, although old, is full of power, like a revelation, which makes Ebert's mind shake.
The old man's voice, like a morning bell, echoed in Ebert's ears.
He never thought that learning magic would have such a profound meaning.
All along, he only regarded magic as a tool, a power, but never thought about why he should learn magic and how to use this power.
The old man's words, like a flash of lightning, split the fog in his heart, allowing him to see the other side of magic and the real desire deep in his heart.
"Old man, I understand." Ebert took a deep breath, and his eyes gradually became firm. "I learn magic, not to pursue power, nor to satisfy my own desires, but to protect the people I want to protect, to find my parents, and to solve the mystery of me!"
The old man looked at Ebert, and a glimmer of appreciation seemed to flash in his turbid eyes.
"Good!" The old man nodded, "Young man, it's great that you have this awareness."
"In that case, I will make an exception and teach you a thing or two."
"Magic comes from nature and also returns to nature." The old man said slowly, "If you want to learn magic, first of all, you must learn to perceive nature and communicate with nature."
"Perceive nature?" Ebert frowned slightly. He grew up in the city and did not have a deep understanding of nature.
"Yes, feel nature." The old man nodded, "All things in nature have spirituality, they breathe, flow, make sounds, and emit breath."
"And magic is to sense these breaths and resonate with them, so as to borrow the power of nature."
"Close your eyes and feel it with your heart." The old man said, pointing to the teacup in front of Ebert, "Feel the temperature of the tea, feel the aroma of the tea, feel the touch of the teacup..."
Ebert closed his eyes as he was told, calmed his mind, and began to feel it with his heart.
The tea, warm, with a hint of bitterness, the tea fragrance, fresh, with a hint of sweetness, the teacup, smooth, with a hint of coldness...
All kinds of feelings poured into Ebert's mind, making him dazzled and overwhelmed.
"Don't be anxious, take your time." The old man's voice sounded in Ebert's ears, like a breeze blowing, which gradually calmed his mind.
"Focus your attention on your breathing, feel every breath you take, feel the airflow in your nose, in your throat, in your chest, the feeling of flowing..."
Ebert followed his words and focused his attention on his breathing.
Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale...
His breathing gradually became slow and long, and his state of mind gradually became calm and peaceful.
---
With the adjustment of his breathing, Ebert gradually entered a wonderful state.
He seemed to have forgotten everything around him, forgot time, forgot space, and his consciousness was completely immersed in his own perception.
He felt a faint fragrance in the air, which was the fragrance of tea, but it was not just tea. It seemed to be mixed with the smell of soil, grass, and flowers...
He felt that his body became extremely light, as if it was integrated with the surrounding environment. He could even feel the flow of tea in the teacup, and the tea leaves stretching and floating in the water...
"Is this the breath of nature?" Ebert's heart was full of shock and surprise.
"Very good." The old man's voice sounded in his ears, "You have already felt the breath of nature. Next, what you have to do is to resonate with it."
"Resonate?" Ebert asked puzzled.
"Yes, resonance." The old man nodded, "All things in nature have spirituality, and they will react to your emotions."
"When you feel happy, flowers will bloom for you, when you feel sad, the sky will cry for you, when you feel angry, the wind will roar for you..."
"And magic is to combine your emotions with the breath of nature, so as to borrow the power of nature."
"Now, try to feel the emotions in your heart and release them." The old man's voice was full of bewitching, "Let nature feel your presence and your power!"
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