Chapter 85 - 30: [Night Journey Chat]

Chapter 85: Chapter 30: [Night Journey Chat]

"Therefore, after my younger brother and I were born, my father immediately sent us to Clero Mage Academy—it wasn’t great, but we could barely receive some magic education," Randall said. He leaned against the tent behind him, watching the afterglow of the setting sun gradually disappear over the horizon.

"But I... I simply wasn’t cut out for it," he added, turning his head with a frank smile. "I didn’t like magic, nor could I understand the operating principles of magic arrays. They were too complex and too dull.

"The academy’s mentors wouldn’t let you practice hands-on either, because magic catalysts were all demonized materials, which were very expensive. Only a very few wealthy mage academies had the ability to provide students with a large number of rune stones and magic catalysts to practice freely.

"Clero Mage Academy was a small academy in a backward province of the Empire; they simply didn’t have that kind of financial power. They would only have you draw shapes on boring blank paper, calculate cycles, and repeat meaningless tasks over and over again, constantly reciting the materials and operating principles of demonized flora and fauna."

The sunlight had completely vanished, and the stars twinkled overhead.

"I’m not someone... who can sit at a desk for long," Randall smiled bitterly. "Continuing at the academy was meaningless—my grades were terrible, and it was impossible for me to graduate normally.

"I love tangible things, not abstract theories. I want to learn from experiences, not from blank paper.

"I want to touch demonized flowers and plants with my own hands, rather than staring at faded pictures in secondhand encyclopedias, daydreaming in a daze.

"I want to measure the land with my own footsteps, instead of memorizing the names of provinces in different regions and the climate characteristics of the Demon Realm.

"At that time, an advanced adventurer mage came to our academy to give a lecture. He spoke of the wondrous things he had seen all over the world: the continuous snow-covered mountains in the north watching over the knight clans, travelers in the eastern deserts and oases riding camels, devout believers of the Holy Light Church Country in the south bowing with every step on their pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and young girls of the Floren Kingdom in the west wearing open and free short skirts."

Randall smiled. "I suddenly realized that the world was so vast, yet I was going to spend my entire life like my father, guarding my own fields and staring blankly at the dirt.

"My father was very stubborn. When I told him I wanted to drop out to become an adventurer and see the world, he beat me fiercely with a whip, leaving my back covered in scars.

"After a massive argument, I ran away from home." He took a deep breath. "I secretly climbed onto a merchant caravan heading to the Barren Land. Although I was discovered halfway by the old caravan leader because my stomach was growling with hunger, he didn’t drive me away. After asking about my situation, he gave me food and a spot on the carriage, and brought me to Luojie City.

"When I first arrived in Luojie City, I was actually pretty similar to you two. It was Mr. Norman who helped me through the adventurer registration process, and it was also him who took on the rookie internship quests, allowing me to tag along with his team for over a year."

He chuckled softly. "So when I saw the two of you, I was so eager to help—including with the magic potions, which are extremely important. I almost died on my first internship quest because I didn’t have any magic potions.

"That’s why I shoved my magic potion bag to you when I saw you didn’t have one—though given your situations, you probably didn’t need it much."

"No, no, your magic potion bag saved Luken Roster’s life," Samael recalled. "That was very important."

"Who was that again?" Randall was stunned for a moment.

"The Split Claw Bird killer," Samael replied.

Both of them couldn’t help but burst into loud laughter.

"Anyway, I became an adventurer," Randall said. "I touched the White Shell Flowers from the textbooks with my own hands. They smelled like mint and egg whites, and their petals were as hard as steel.

"I personally experienced a rot dust storm. That day, our team and other rookies huddled shivering in the barracks lobby. The brown rot dust raged against the windows outside, and the proprietress brought us hot tea to calm our nerves, watching us rookies make a fuss over nothing.

"The world used to be so small—only my father’s farm. Later, I went to Clero Academy, and it became my new narrow cage.

"It wasn’t until I was finally free, standing under the sky and looking at the Kana Plain and Luojie City, that I realized this is the real world. It’s not the faded pictures in encyclopedias, nor the two lines of text in a book. It’s the White Shell Flowers in the shaded woods, the howling rot dust storms, the barking Beaked Dogs, and the waddling Rot Root Balls.

"The world is... everywhere I walk." Randall looked up at the sky.

"It truly is a blessing to be able to wander through such a vast world," Samael marveled, looking at the expansive starry sky above. "That goes for both you and me."

The two men laughed heartily as they watched Eliot, not far away, wobbling toward them with seven bowls of steaming meat stew.

"Are you blind, Riska? Hurry up and give me a fucking hand!" Eliot howled. "Damn it, this is burning me alive!"

"Coming, coming!" Samael and Randall stood up and hurried over to take the boiling hot stew.

"Time to eat!" Eliot shouted at the top of his lungs, bellowing toward the tents and carriages. "Eating is the top priority, you hear me? A tough, miserable life is entirely sustained by food!"

Far away from the camp, in the desolate darkness, a Demon Crow chuckled lowly.

"Just as I was saying, you little girl of the Ronov family. The hunters of Sittika have arrived. A high-ranking Demon Race commander is rapidly crossing the Kana Plain, leading twelve demonized beings.

"Meanwhile, a group of Blood Sword Guard reserves in training has been permanently stationed at the Empire’s border, equipped with powerful Blood Steel Weapons."

"Understood." Talia crouched in front of the Demon Crow, using her cloak to shield it, and nodded.

"You seem to have nothing to fear," the Demon Crow narrowed its eyes.

"Because he is traveling with me," Talia replied.

"What exactly is that Nether Copper Knight?" The Demon Crow tilted its head slightly. "Is he a living person? Or is he an undead from the Age of Gods?"

"I have to go. Withdraw your Demon Crow scouts quickly; don’t compromise our hidden identities." Talia could faintly hear the shouts coming from the camp.

"How rude," the Demon Crow cackled lowly.

"Where is your Feather-crowned Demon Crow pet? Why did you send an ordinary Demon Crow to deliver the message?" Talia asked.

"Since you know I won’t answer, then you might as well not ask," the Demon Crow scoffed.

"The same goes for you," Talia said.

"Rude girl." The Demon Crow flapped its wings and flew away.