Max and Snickers sat in Dragon's Nest Inn, a map spread out on the table before them. The inn was full of people, the warm light shined through the decorated windows. It was a relief to Max to be in a place where Snickers didn't have to hide. People here were more accepting, Snickers liked that as well.Max traced a path on the map with his index finger, planning the next steps of their journey. "So we'll head through the Golden Plains first," he said, pointing to the big space on the map marked by rolling fields of wheat. "It looks pretty straightforward, mostly farms and small villages."Snickers nodded. "I've heard the wheat fields are beautiful. And there's always good food in farm villages."Max chuckled. "Let's hope they have some decent ale too," he really liked the ale in these parts. "After that, we reach Willowbrook." He pointed to the next stop. "It is known for its healing herbs says here.""Sounds like another nice place to rest and resupply," Snickers said.Max moved his finger to a darker area on the map. "Then we'll have to cross the Dread Marshes. That's going to be tricky. On the map, it says that dangerous creatures lie there, and the terrain is not good for walking either."Snickers looked worried. "I heard stories about that place. We'll need to be really careful.""Agreed," Max said, tapping the map. "After that, it's Brighthaven, a large fortified town. And then, finally, Kingsport." He traced the road to their final destination."Our journey is really starting to take shape," Snickers said."Can't believe months have passed since I'm in this world." Max thought.The next thing to discuss was what to buy for the journey. As they discussed their plans, the inn's door opened, and Aliana walked in. Max's heart skipped a beat. There she was again, the first woman he asked something for and the first woman that said No to him.She spotted them and approached their table, a smile in the corner of her lips."Planning your journey, I see.""Yes," Max said, trying to sound casual, putting one hand over the chair. "We're mapping out our route.""Looks like you've got quite an adventure ahead," Aliana said, looking at the map."Would you reconsider teaching me some spells?" Max asked, almost begging.Aliana shook her head. "I'm sorry, Max. I have my reasons."Before Max could press further, the sound of a window being broken erupted at the bar. A group of men, who clearly drank too much, had started a brawl.Tables and chairs were knocked over, and drinks spilled everywhere. The chaos quickly spread, and the innkeeper shouted at them to keep it down and take it outside.One of the men, seeing Aliana's pointed ears, staggered over and yelled, "Look, fellas, an elf! Thinks she's better than us, does she? Maybe some human cock will put her in the right place, eh?"Aliana's eyes narrowed. "I don't want any trouble.""Too late for that," the man slurred, reaching for her.With a swift movement, Aliana raised her hand, a big wand appeared in her hand, and a gust of wind sent the man tumbling backward into his companions. They looked at her, stunned for a moment, before charging at her in anger.Max and Snickers barely had time to react before Aliana started casting another spell. She moved fast, her hands moving in the air with delicacy, slow and fast at the same time, making patterns in the air.The first man to reach her was met with a burst of flame and it sent him running away with his beard on fire. Another tried to grab her from behind, but she turned around fast and hit him with a bolt of lightning knocking him out cold.Max watched in awe as Aliana defeated her attackers without much effort. A wall of ice appeared out of nowhere that blocked a chair thrown in her direction, then shattered into shards that sent the remaining attackers fleeing.The entire brawl lasted less than a minute. The inn was silent except for the groans of the injured. Aliana lowered her hands, her wand disappearing."That was incredible," Max and Snickers stared at her.Aliana shrugged, another faint smile on her lips. "Just a few basic spells.""Please teach me! I need to learn." Max begged."Are you crazy?" Snickers said through his teeth, still keeping a smile on his face and not moving his eyes from Aliana. "Did you just see what happens when she gets mad? You wanna die?"Aliana studied him for a long moment, then sighed. "I won't teach you any spells, but I will teach you how to learn them.""W-what do you mean?" Max asked.She put her hand out and a scroll appeared in her hand. "You can get these, in towns, on the road, I actually have some by me that I already learned so I can give them to you." She sat next to him, and Max blushed.Aliana made herself comfortable in the chair, unrolling the scroll in front of him. Max leaned in, his eyes wide with curiosity."These," she began, pointing at mysterious symbols and runes on the paper, "are spell scrolls. Each scroll contains the essence of a spell. To learn a spell, you must study the scroll, understand the runes, and feel the magic within them. But that's just the beginning."Max nodded, trying to absorb every word."Once you understand the basics," Aliana continued, "you can start experimenting. Each rune represents a specific magical effect. By rearranging these runes, combining them in different ways, and adding your own energy, you can create new spells or modify existing ones.""That sounds fun." Snickers also watched over Max's back to see what was Aliana explaining."But be careful. If you make a mistake, the spell could backfire." Aliana said with a smile.Max examined the scroll closely. The runes seemed to pulse with a faint glow, inviting him to explore their secrets. He traced his finger over them, feeling their energy."Here are a few more," Aliana said, pulling out a couple more scrolls from her satchel. "One for a healing spell, one for a shield, and one for a teleportation spell. These should cover the basics and give you a good starting point.""Thank you Aliana," Max said."Good luck," she stood up to leave."Will we see you again?" Max called out."Perhaps," she paused at the door, looking at them with a mysterious smile. "The world is full of surprises."With that, she was gone, leaving Max and Snickers alone in the inn.Max examined the scrolls a little further.New spell learned.Shield Spell - LvL 2Level 2 Shield SpellThe Level 2 Shield Spell enhances the caster's defensive capabilities, providing a stronger barrier against physical and magical attacks."Well, that makes the learning a lot easier," Max said."What?" Snickers looked confused."I just learned this shield spell.""That was fast, it must've been very basic." Snickers continued drinking his ale."Could be," Max said. "Or it could be that I'm a hero with this system of mine?" he thought to himself. Either way, it didn't matter, he learned a new spell, and now it was time to learn the rest.