Chapter 14: Prestidigitation

In Faerun, if one only requires the ability to cast spells, there is actually not much of a threshold. Many Netherese can cast level-0 Tricks as soon as they reach adulthood, and as long as one is willing to invest time, energy, and money, even an illiterate farmer can be trained into a true Mage, though their ultimate achievements may not be very high.

Xia Duo did not actually worry much about whether he could step over the threshold of spellcasting; what he worried about was not being able to obtain enough power for self-preservation.

Completely casting aside Mu Yan's guidance, Xia Duo attempted to cast a spell according to the element of spellcasting he understood—focus. The only element of spellcasting he knew for the moment was focus, so he would take focus to the extreme and carry it through to the end.

Xia Duo plucked a hair, placed it on the back of his hand, held it before his eyes, and concentrated all his attention on one end of this hair. However, he did not think about changing anything in his heart; he simply stared, and stared again.

The light in the tent at night was not bright; it was merely the light emitted by an oil lamp hanging near the entrance, but Xia Duo seemed to feel that his hair was so bright because his attention was so concentrated.

To the point that it broke the shackles of reality.

But this was not enough to let him touch Magic; he still had to rely on some auxiliary measures, such as Meditation, pain stimulation, and so on.

Xia Duo did not know if Mages practiced Meditation. His Meditation was just a method used to organize the distracting thoughts in his mind. Before he transmigrated, he was a writer; when he encountered writer's block, he would often empty himself, and after clearing away distracting thoughts, he would take up his pen again.

It was the same now. Xia Duo closed his eyes to meditate, analyzing all his current thoughts one by one, clarifying those distracting thoughts of worrying about failure, fear of death, longing for his hometown, and so on. He did not want to banish them; that was unnecessary, and impossible.

He amplified his intention to focus on a single point infinitely, then opened his eyes and stared at the end of the hair.

He did not know if it was an illusion, but Xia Duo felt that this hair seemed to move. If he were on Earth, he would absolutely not think so, but in Faerun, everything is possible. Xia Duo would not let inherent cognition limit himself. (Cognition is different from one's worldview; worldview is a stance and a starting point, while cognition is all the content obtained starting from one's worldview. Cognition can change, but a worldview is hard to alter.)

"Add some fire!"

Xia Duo knew that human energy is limited, and a state of high concentration cannot be sustained indefinitely. At this moment, he had to add more fire and give it a push.

Xia Duo had heard the story of "hanging one's hair from the beam and piercing one's thigh with an awl" countless times since he was a child. He could not hang his hair from a beam here, but he could pierce his thigh with a blade. Xia Duo felt for that Iron Dagger in his bosom and fiercely stabbed his thigh.

The instantaneous pain made Xia Duo's expression ferocious, but he smiled.

Because in that instant of pain, he sensed a magnificent, gorgeous structure full of energy, spread between heaven and earth, and even he himself was within this structure.

It was the Magic Net! Xia Duo immediately thought of this.

In the instant of excruciating pain, Xia Duo caught a glimpse of the Magic Net, but that instant lasted only a very short time. When the Magic Net disappeared from his Perception, Xia Duo felt a sense of loss, but he quickly remembered what he should do.

Still focusing on the end of that hair, when he felt his eyes becoming a bit blurry, Xia Duo stabbed his thigh with the Dagger again. This time he felt the Magic Net again, and more than that—

The hair before his eyes was actually flickering with specks of fluorescent light.

Xia Duo rubbed his eyes, confirming that his vision was not blurred. He was somewhat unable to contain his joy and jumped up in excitement, unable to wait to find someone to share his joy with. At this moment, Xia Duo thought of Mu Yan, who was in the compartment on the other side of the tent.

"Mr. Mu Yan, I succeeded, Mr. Mu Yan, I succeeded!"

Lifting that curtain, Mu Yan was writing something on a piece of Parchment. Seeing Xia Duo, his expression was somewhat astonished. He had just been immersed in his creation and had not sensed such a faint fluctuation of the Magic Net. He did not expect Xia Duo to suddenly burst in and say he had succeeded.

"Mr. Mu Yan, look!" Xia Duo stretched his hand out before Mu Yan. The fluorescence of the hair on the back of his hand was already so faint as to be almost invisible, but it did exist; it was the power of Magic.

Mu Yan saw this glowing hair, and his expression was very colorful. "You touched the Magic Net?!"

His tone seemed somewhat regretful, yet also filled with gratification.

"Yes, Mr. Mu Yan, is there something wrong?" Xia Duo was somewhat apprehensive, fearing that Mu Yan might say something he did not want to hear.

"There is nothing wrong, you did very well, it's just that you might really not be suited to become a Bard."

Subsequently, Mu Yan explained: "Usually, the first spell a Bard obtains is 【Ghost Sound】 or 【Light】. These spells also come from the Magic Net, but they do not require our understanding; they are merely Magic appearing in obedience to our hearts."

"But your first spell is 【Prestidigitation】. This spell is usually the first spell a Mage obtains. This means you chose rationality; perhaps you are truly suited to become a Mage."

Xia Duo did not understand how making a hair glow was considered 【Prestidigitation】 by Mu Yan, or how that was choosing rationality, but he did not need to know these things for now. He only needed to confirm that he had stepped over the threshold of spellcasting.

The Long March had only just taken its first step, but it was the crucial step from nothing to something. Originally, Xia Duo still had some faint worries in his heart about whether Earthlings might be Magic-insulating or something, but now that worry was swept away.

Having just touched the Magic Net and triggered the power of the Magic Net, and now with his mood suddenly relaxing, Xia Duo could no longer hold on and fainted.

Before fainting, Xia Duo only saw Mu Yan's mouth move, as if he were saying something, but he could no longer hear it.

The next day, Xia Duo woke up from the simple folding bed, covered with a blanket. As soon as he got out of bed, he tugged at the wound on his thigh, and only then did he discover that the wound had already been bandaged by someone.

"Xia Duo, any Spellcaster needs to be cautious when dealing with Magic. You are truly too reckless. Over-casting spells just after touching the Magic Net will affect your Soul. You had best not attempt to cast spells for these two days."

Mu Yan's concerned yet reproachful voice came from outside. Xia Duo hurriedly got up, and Mu Yan walked in, holding a large pile of things: feathers of unknown birds, dried excrement, animal claws, horns, and so on.

Placing these sundries on the wooden table, Mu Yan began to take things out from the inner pocket of his robe: shiny metal, powders of various colors, and a White Crystal, placing these items on another wooden table.

"Regarding Mages, I cannot provide any training. You joining the Mage Tower of the Wier Lingzhu can be considered a good choice; after all, as a descendant of a Great Arcanist, there is still some foundation. Now, I will give you one last gift. I am leaving here tomorrow."

Only then did Xia Duo remember that he had already stayed at Mu Yan's place for two days. Today was the third day, and it was also the day the results of the Mage Tower assessment would be released. And Mu Yan also knew this, and hoped that Xia Duo would join the Mage Tower.

"Mr. Mu Yan, you really don't need to do anything more. I have already gained enough these past two days."

Xia Duo knew deep down that Mu Yan treating him this way was entirely because Mu Yan believed Xia Duo was also a person from Kara-Tur, and the tradition of the people of Kara-Tur was that "all within the four seas are brothers." With so few people from Kara-Tur on the Faerun continent, Mu Yan, as a senior, naturally had to take some responsibility for guiding a junior.

But—

Xia Duo was not a person from Kara-Tur!