"Guiding with mental power to ignite one's magical energy? Magic is an energy without any specific attributes, a special power that wizards wield... So, does that mean magic itself has no inherent combat strength?" This marked the fifth day since Green and his companions had arrived at the port of Zelato. That very morning, Green had successfully ignited his own magical energy through the Meditation Guide.
This filled him with excitement for the entire day.
However, Green soon encountered another obstacle: a wizard apprentice, lacking knowledge of sorcery, would find little use for their magic, even if they possessed it.
A wizard's magic is a mysterious energy, with infinite malleability, capable of directing any known energy. Yet, in its essence, it is a peaceful and gentle energy, harmless in nature, making it difficult to directly utilize in combat or destruction.
"Knowledge... How does one acquire knowledge?" Green, troubled by this question, rested his head on his hands, absentmindedly tugging at his hair. After Rafee performed a spell, the apprentices were all filled with awe and yearning for the marvels of wizardry.
"Green! Green!" A loud voice echoed from the courtyard of their small manor. Green didn't need to look to know it was Binson.
Slightly annoyed, Green had never before encountered such a talkative person, and now hearing Binson's voice gave him a headache. However, since he was already troubled by the issue of sorcery knowledge, he decided to see what Binson wanted at this late hour.
"Coming," Green muttered, tucking away the Guide to Magic Direction and extinguishing the candle before stepping outside.
"What's the matter?" Green asked in surprise, straightening his clothes.
In recent days, as Green traveled through various cities, he had acquired some benefits, including two finely tailored, extravagant outfits. A person is judged by their appearance, and with his golden curls loosely hanging behind him, a deep, serious expression between his brows, and a hint of wildness that he had retained from his childhood in a beggar's group, he now possessed a certain charm. At least, this was enough to make Rafee and Wade no longer uncomfortable in his presence.
"Hehe, have you heard of the Obscure Well of Zelato?" Binson said mysteriously.
"Hmm? The Obscure Well? What's that for?" Green had scarcely left his manor in recent days, entirely absorbed in his studies of the Meditation Guide, which was why he had succeeded in activating his own magical energy.
"Even better that you haven't heard of it! Come on, come with me, you'll understand when we get there—it'll be a memory you'll never forget." Binson tugged at Green, as if afraid he might run off.
Green's manor was located in a quieter part of the Zelato harbor, surrounded by a scattering of other estates. Only the wealthiest merchants or noble families could afford to own a property here, making the area peaceful.
Green was puzzled—Binson's father was a noble baron, so Binson had seen his fair share of the world. What could possibly intrigue him to the point of such mystery?
They passed through a bustling market, and it was evident that Zelato's vibrancy far outstripped that of Bissel City. The air was filled with the sounds of merchants calling out, and the streets were brightly lit. Even at night, the crowds continued to pour through the market, with many foreign traders selling goods. The attire of the women was much more revealing than what Green had seen in Bissel, where, apart from large noble feasts, the streets were empty at night.
Panting, Binson led Green to a vast estate, much larger than Green's own. Here, small groups of young people emerged, laughing in surprise.
Binson brought Green to a small, mysterious house. Moonlight filtered through the dense trees, casting shifting shadows on the windows. The atmosphere inside was heavy and oppressive. After Binson handed over twenty gold coins, a trembling old woman with wrinkled skin gave him two transparent stones, her cloudy eyes briefly glancing at the two of them, revealing a crooked smile. "Enjoy yourselves," she rasped.
Green remained confused, but Binson handed him one of the stones with a wicked grin. "See those wells over there? Those are the Obscure Wells. If you throw this Obscure Stone into one, you'll meet life forms from another world. Of course, some unlucky folks have encountered strange creatures, but overall, it's quite thrilling."
Intrigued by this novelty, Green's spirits lifted. There were roughly seventy to eighty wells in the yard, with about half of them already occupied. Some people whispered into the wells, occasional soft laughter escaping.
Watching Binson excitedly run toward a well, Green casually weighed the Obscure Stone in his hand and walked over to a well that seemed unoccupied.
The water in the well was shallow, only about seventy centimeters from the ground. It was as still as a mirror, the faint moonlight scattering on the surface, adding a touch of mystery. A little nervous but excited, Green dropped the Obscure Stone into the well. With a soft splash, it sank beneath the surface, sending ripples across the water, which soon calmed.
To Green's astonishment, a vague shadow appeared on the water's surface, curiously regarding him.
The figure was a humanoid creature with a long gray horn on its head. Judging by human gender characteristics, it appeared to be a female, likely from a civilization of its own. Her eyes, full of scrutiny, studied Green, showing no signs of the mindless hostility typical of savage species.
"Human from the wizard world?" A somewhat unfamiliar voice echoed in Green's ears.
Although Green could hear the voice clearly, he was certain it wasn't through his ears, but rather through some extraordinary method that allowed the being to communicate directly with his thoughts.
"Who are you?" Green asked.
The creature in the water furrowed its brow when Green spoke. Then, the voice returned. "Human, don't you know that communicating with beings from another world is done through the soul? Though your wizard world civilization is powerful, it hasn't reached my domain."
Green furrowed his brows. The soul?
As a wizard apprentice who had received no formal education in the fundamentals of sorcery, Green had no idea what this talk of "soul" manipulation meant. Moreover, the language of the wizard world was unintelligible to beings from other worlds. Some strange creatures didn't even have the ability to hear, so language was far too weak a method for communication between different life forms across worlds.
The creature seemed to sense Green's confusion and spoke again. "Alright, human, I'll ask you a simple question. Nod or shake your head, is that okay?"
Green nodded.
"Hmm, are you a human from the wizard world? If yes, nod. If you're one of the conquered humans from another world, shake your head."
Green was shocked. The wizard world had conquered other worlds? Although Green didn't know the specifics, he was certain he was from the wizard world. At least, that was the basic knowledge he possessed. Thus, he nodded.
"Then, are you a wizard? If so, what rank are you?"
This time, Green shook his head decisively. What a joke! He wasn't even a proper wizard apprentice, let alone a full-fledged wizard!
The creature seemed disappointed. "Oh, just an ordinary human? I finally obtain coordinates from the wizard world, and it's for such a weakling. Well, according to the principle of equal exchange, you can ask me two questions. Since you can't communicate with your soul, I'll assume you want to ask the same questions I would. I am from Star World, a species known as the Star Children, a fourth-level Star Spirit. My energy level corresponds to a second or third-level wizard in your world."
Without waiting for Green's response, the creature vanished, completely dissolving into the water.
Green awkwardly rubbed his nose and glanced at Binson. Binson was leaning over the well, nearly sticking his head inside, his face glowing with excitement.
After about ten minutes, Green and Binson joined the other youths who were whispering and leaving. Binson, still exhilarated, exclaimed, "That snow spirit was so surprised to see a human! She even asked me if I was a wizard. Haha, I told her right away that I'm a full-fledged wizard."
"Could she understand you?" Green asked, astonished, not bothering to comment on Binson's dishonesty.
"Huh… what do you mean? Didn't the life form on your side understand what you were saying?" Binson looked just as surprised, his expression one of disbelief.
Back at the manor, Green's mind was flooded with thoughts of the life form from the Obscure Well. Although he had learned through discussions with other wizard apprentices that, apart from his own wizard world, there were countless life forms from other worlds, this experience of communicating with one of them felt profoundly significant.
Wait a minute, the strange beings during the wizard apprentice qualification test—could they also be life forms from other worlds? What kind of talent was this?
Green's mind was filled with questions.