"From beginner to apprentice... the most important thing... is... magical essence control ability."
Ashu listened as Anna gave her lecture, but after a short while, she stopped talking and started rambling. Ashu could only pinch her cheek to get her to focus and continue her lesson.
Through this intermittent process, he was able to gather some useful knowledge.
For a cultivator, the basics begin with practicing control over magical essence. Once a certain level of proficiency is reached, one can advance to the rank of a cultivator apprentice.
From the point of being a cultivator apprentice, one can start learning proper skills.
Whether it's a fireball, lightning strike, charge, battle roar, or even stealth and healing, these are all considered skills.
Once the proficiency in any one category of skills reaches a certain level, the individual is considered a true cultivator.
So,
Based on the massive amounts of magical essence control proficiency gained from the system's critical hit returns, Ashu could already be considered a cultivator apprentice.
Like Anna, she was also a cultivator apprentice now.
The difference was that Anna's mind held a wealth of knowledge; she was like a walking library of the Witch's Guild, whereas Ashu lacked cultivator knowledge in his mind.
Later,
"Anna, I want to learn water magic first."
Gorn Village didn't have running water or wells, so the villagers had to go to the river at the south end of the village to fetch water for their daily needs.
Being able to master water magic would significantly improve daily life.
"Patience is key. I haven't even tested whether you've truly become a cultivator apprentice yet, and you're already thinking about learning magic?" Anna said.
"Then go ahead and test me."
"Listen carefully. Without relying on your eyes, use your magical essence to manipulate an object and complete a designated task. You can only use magical essence feedback to perceive things, not your sight," Anna thought for a moment, then added, "For example, you sit here and clean the bowls in the kitchen. They must be spotless."
"Easy."
Anna probably didn't fully understand the extent of Ashu's proficiency with magical essence control.
Not only did he complete the task she set for him quickly, but he also casually emptied the ash from the stove outside the door.
"How about now?" Ashu asked.
Anna ran to the kitchen to check and returned with a look of complete surprise as she stared at Ashu.
She re-tested Ashu's talents, and indeed, he didn't have much spiritual perception.
But even without spiritual perception, he was able to perform such precise manipulation of magical essence. This phenomenon was something even she couldn't explain.
Thankfully,
A man like this was hers.
"Let's go to the river. I'll teach you water magic," Anna said.
"Why by the river? Can't we do it here?"
"No, and it's for two reasons. First, as a beginner, it's easier to grasp water magic where there is more water essence. Other elements are similar. Second, as a beginner, even if you create the rudiments of water magic, it's hard to judge how well you've mastered it. If something goes wrong, you can just throw the water magic into the river to avoid damaging the environment. You wouldn't want a flood to destroy our home, would you?"
Anna explained with a sense of seriousness.
Ashu had no choice but to agree.
The river in the village was something Anna hadn't seen in over ten years. Time had passed, and so much had changed. The river was now wider, but the water quality had significantly declined compared to what it was a decade ago.
Some said it was due to war at the source, others claimed that a malicious magical beast had appeared in the water.
Ashu didn't delve into these issues. He had always been less concerned with such things. Even if he knew the cause, he wouldn't be able to change anything. All he could do was change himself—by drinking boiled water more often.
Now,
The two of them had arrived at the riverbank.
Anna immediately noticed the river water. With her twelfth-stage spiritual perception, she could sense something, but she didn't pay much attention to it. Instead, she took off her shoes, revealing her foot, which looked like it was sculpted from white jade, and cautiously stepped into the water.
"Ah, it's so cold! Ashu, come in too!"
"Uh, do I really have to stand in the water to learn this magic? Can't I just stay on the shore?"
Ashu didn't have many shoes, or rather, he didn't have many that fit well and were comfortable. After years of living alone, he had picked up many life skills, but his ability to make shoes remained poor.
So, he could only buy shoes at the town's shoe shop. They were expensive, and it took him half a year of savings to finally buy a pair.
Normally, when fetching water, he wore sandals, but today he had forgotten to change his shoes and was wearing cloth shoes instead.
It was fine to go barefoot in the river, but when he got out, the wet feet and the river mud would make the cloth shoes a complete mess.
"Come on, get in," Anna called sweetly.
Reluctantly, Ashu took off his shoes and stepped into the river.
The icy water reached his ankles, the riverbed smooth in some places and rocky in others, making each step either soft or a little painful.
"Let's begin."
"Focus, okay? I'll demonstrate first. This is the most basic water magic, the Water Ball."
"Clear water, descend, let the gentle flow of water appear! Water Ball!"
As Anna chanted the incantation and shaped the magical essence, a spinning water ball quickly formed in front of her raised hand.
The water ball was as large as a basketball, and as the magical essence surged around her arm, the ball shot rapidly downstream.
Boom—
The river water 40 meters away was blasted up into a spray of foam several meters high.
"How was that? Since my fall to cultivator apprentice, it's the first time I've used this. I guess it's my first time really learning it," Anna said.
As soon as she finished speaking, Ashu heard the system's notification sound in his mind.
[Anna·Kagreia: Water Ball Technique +1]
[Critical Hit Return! Host gains: Water Bullet +1!]
Water Bullet?
Confused, Ashu felt a flood of complex information rush into his mind. He immediately bypassed the learning and practice steps and reached the level of "knowing" the technique.
He focused on the magic. This was an enhanced version of the Water Ball spell, which could compress the water ball into a projectile and launch it explosively. Not only would it travel farther, but it would also pack a much greater punch.
Just by understanding it on paper, Ashu could deduce that if a Water Bullet hit the same spot where Anna had just cast her Water Ball, it would instantly shatter the riverbed.
Such a powerful spell... Ashu thought for a moment and decided that it was probably better not to use it in front of Anna.
From controlling magical essence to mastering it, this was a process with clear steps.
But Ashu had only just started learning water magic, and suddenly using the Water Bullet—it would be hard for anyone to accept that.
So,
He decided to mimic Anna and recite the incantation from earlier.
"Clear water, descend, let the gentle flow of water appear! Water Ball!"
With his magical essence control reaching a certain level of proficiency, he could "see" the way Anna had manipulated her magic earlier. Adding the short incantation, in an instant, a water ball the size of a cannonball formed in his palm.
"Just as I thought. Ashu, you're the smartest. Although the heavens were stingy and didn't grant you much talent, your luck and intelligence always make up for it. This water ball, for a cultivator apprentice, is a great success!"
Anna praised Ashu with admiration. She had always looked up to him since childhood, and now that they shared an intimate bond and had discovered Ashu's unparalleled learning ability, she naturally adored him even more.
"The next step is to shoot it!" Anna directed.
At her words,
Ashu looked towards the 40-meter distance. The destructive power of an ordinary water ball wasn't much, so the shooting distance was crucial.
Thus, he put all his strength into it and shot forward.
However, the water ball flew slowly, tracing a weak parabolic arc, and dropped into the river just 10 meters away with a soft splash.
"This..."
Ashu felt embarrassed. Even though it was just a shot, it didn't go as planned.
Just as he was preparing to take another shot, he suddenly heard voices coming from nearby.
Ashu looked at Anna, and she had obviously heard them too.
Both of them immediately held their breath and listened carefully.
...
"You're only at the first stage of spiritual perception, so you don't have much talent. At most, you'll scrape by in this field. Also, I sense that you're very impatient. Here, I have a potion. After you drink it, it will enhance your magical essence control ability." The voice was deep and raspy.
"How much is this potion?" The voice sounded familiar, and Ashu recognized it as Carol's voice.
Then, the other voice must belong to the tutor Carol's father had hired—the wizard.
The voices were getting closer, clearly heading towards the river.
Ashu had no intention of avoiding them. He had lived in this village for over ten years, and had seen the wizard's methods a few times. While Ashu might not be as devious as the wizard, when it came to the Water Bullet spell, he could easily blow the wizard's intestines out with one shot.
Sure enough,
The two soon noticed Ashu and Anna standing in the river.