Chapter 85: Searching for Wood Spirits related to Dark Magic.

“...Not all dark-element magic is dark magic.”

The Elven King’s rich voice echoed through the vast library as he explained the nature of dark-element magic to his young disciple in a clear, methodical manner.

“The dark element is a natural element, just like any other. We must not take the extreme view that all magic associated with the dark element is dark magic.”

“Take invisibility, for example. It is a basic dark-element spell.” The Elven King demonstrated it for his young disciple. After uttering a simple incantation, he vanished.

“Ah!” Shu Li’s eyes widened. He looked all around, searching for the Elven King.

He had really disappeared!

When Shu Li turned back, he was astonished to find the Elven King sitting in his original position and smiling at him as though he had never vanished at all.

So this was invisibility?

It was incredible! So cool!

Shu Li gazed at the Elven King in admiration. “Your Majesty, I want to learn invisibility!”

“I’ll teach you shortly.” Looking into his young disciple’s lively eyes, the Elven King asked, “Do you consider invisibility dark magic?”

“Uh...” Shu Li thought for a moment before answering, “No.”

Invisibility merely used dark elements to make someone disappear. It did not harm anyone, so how could it count as dark magic?

“Invisibility is support magic and is neither good nor evil in itself,” the Elven King said. “However, people with wicked intentions often use it for theft and other underhanded acts, causing it to be classified as dark magic.”

As Shu Li took notes, he protested indignantly, “The bad people were the ones who used it to do bad things, yet everyone blamed the spell instead. How unfair.”

The Elven King nodded. He then listed spells such as tracking, immobilization, slowing, stunning, defense reduction, binding, and weakening, analyzing them one by one until Shu Li possessed a much clearer understanding of dark-element support magic.

Shu Li took notes with complete concentration, and a concept gradually formed in his mind.

Simply put, most dark-element support magic resembled debuffs in games, weakening an enemy’s condition or abilities.

Of course, there were also buffs such as teleportation, dark shields, and dark healing, which helped enhance someone’s abilities.

White mages used these support spells as well.

After all, not everyone who awakened an affinity for dark-element magic was evil.

Then which spells were considered typical dark magic?

Curses, terror, devouring, poisonous mist, soul extraction, puppetry, necromancy, mind control, imprisonment, and similar spells—all magic used to take lives and satisfy the caster’s own interests and desires—were classified as dark magic.

An honorable white mage would never stoop to using such evil spells.

Even someone as powerful as the Elven King kept his distance from that kind of dark magic.

After all, dark magic such as puppetry, necromancy, and mind control required its practitioners to take lives or rob graves for corpses and skeletons before the spells could be used effectively.

Shu Li spent the entire morning studying. He became so engrossed that he did not even notice when noon arrived.

The Elven King closed the book on dark magic and gazed gently at the Little Fairy diligently taking notes.

“Are you hungry?”

Shu Li finished writing the final word, raised his head, and instinctively replied, “No!”

Grrrrr—

His uncooperative little stomach immediately exposed his lie.

How embarrassing.

The Elven King extended a finger and gently stroked his tiny head. “Come. Let’s go eat.”

“Okay...” Shu Li’s face reddened slightly. He put away his study materials and was just about to spread his wings when the Elven King’s hand closed gently around him, transferring him from the desk to his shoulder.

Out of habit, Shu Li wrapped his arms around a lock of hair and sat obediently.

The Elven King rose and carried him out of the library toward the dining hall.

Every Elf they encountered bowed respectfully to the king. By now, none of them found the Little Fairy sitting on his shoulder unusual.

Lunch was a lavish meal, and Shu Li ate until his little belly bulged.

Afterward, he returned to his room to rest.

Ordinarily, he would make time for an afternoon nap, but today he decided to read the stack of books the Elven King had given him.

He took them from his storage ring and laid them across his bed one by one. After looking through them, he chose a comparatively thin volume.

Using wind magic to open the hard cover, he floated cross-legged above the pages and lowered his head to read.

The book was an introduction to elemental essences, precisely what Shu Li wanted. He soon became completely absorbed in it.

Elemental essences were elemental spirits.

They had existed ever since the Mother Goddess Isfu created the world, predating even the birth of the gods.

No wonder the first line of the Song of Creation was, “Spirit of Water, Spirit of Fire, Spirit of Wood, Spirit of Wind, Spirit of Earth.”

Water was the source of life, fire the light of civilization, wood the symbol of the cycle of renewal, wind the force of transformation, and earth the mother of all things.

Only with these elements could a new world take shape.

Elemental spirits possessed physical forms and consciousness of their own. They favored places where their respective elements were most concentrated. The Spirit of Wood, for example, preferred forests and had once been a frequent visitor to the Faerie Forest and the Elven Kingdom.

The other elemental spirits each had their own customary dwelling places. Finding them would require careful study of a map of the Austin Continent.

Shu Li did not have a continental map on hand. He would have to find one in the library next time.

He took out pen and paper and began by copying down the information about the Spirit of Wood.

One at a time. There was no need to rush.

After reading several dozen pages, Shu Li began to feel sleepy. He rubbed his eyes, inserted a bookmark, and closed the book.

After stretching, he returned the books scattered across the bed to his storage ring one by one.

As he was putting away the final volume, he noticed the title The War of the Gods on its cover. He paused, then curiously opened it with wind magic.

The gust was slightly too strong and flipped the book straight to the middle.

Shu Li scratched his head and was about to return to the first page when an illustration caught his attention.

It was a book filled with both text and illustrations.

The picture depicted a pointed-eared Elf riding a unicorn and wielding a staff. Judging by his clothing and crown, he was the Elven King.

Although the illustrated features were not as handsome as the Elven King’s actual face, there was a definite resemblance.

A strangely beautiful woman floated beside him.

Her hair consisted of countless long, slender willow branches, and her clothes were made from enormous leaves. Below her calves, her body dissolved into a mass of cloud and mist. A leaf was marked upon her forehead, and she forcefully brandished a thorny vine, radiating aggression.

She was... the Spirit of Wood!

Shu Li quickly read the text beneath the illustration, confirming his conclusion. During the War of the Gods, the Elven King had once fought the God of Death, a subordinate of the God of Darkness, to protect the Elven Kingdom and the Faerie Forest.

The Spirit of Wood had joined the battle. By combining her strength with the Elven King’s, they had decisively defeated the God of Death.

After finishing the page, Shu Li stroked his smooth little chin.

The battle had taken place in the northern reaches of the Elven Kingdom, near the Danaga Sea.

If possible, he wanted to go there and investigate.

Shu Li copied down the incantation the Elven King had used to summon the Spirit of Wood.

After napping for half an hour, he awoke refreshed and went to do farmwork.

He had harvested fruit the previous day, so today he went to weed the wheat fields. Combining wood magic with earth magic, he uprooted every weed and piled them beside the field. He then twisted some grass into a rope, tied the weeds into a bundle, and delivered them to the nearby composting grounds.

Every part of the process required precise magical control, consuming a great deal of stamina and mental energy.

Because Shu Li wanted to visit the northern part of the Elven Kingdom, he worked faster and finished half an hour earlier than usual.

Seeing this, the other Elves praised him with smiles.

“Little Sperien is working very hard today!”

“Thank you,” Shu Li replied openly. His tiny body dragged a bundle of weeds more than ten times his size as he flew unsteadily toward the composting grounds.

After delivering the bundle, he washed his face and hands in a nearby river, then whistled to summon Dorei.

Dorei had remained here to live after bringing him to the Elven Kingdom. Whenever the bird heard his whistle, it would fly to him no matter how far away it was.

Sure enough, Dorei appeared above the river five minutes later.

“Dorei!” Shu Li waved to it cheerfully.

Dorei dived, the powerful currents generated by its enormous wings sending waves surging across the previously calm river.

“Chirp!”

Extending its powerful talons, it landed steadily atop a huge boulder beside the river.

Shu Li beat his gauzy wings, flew onto its back, and burrowed into its thick feathers.

“Dorei, let’s go to the northern part of the Elven Kingdom.”

“Chirp!”

Dorei answered and flapped its wings, soaring into the sky in an instant. Without needing Shu Li to guide it, the bird flew precisely north.

An Elf working at the composting grounds spotted the familiar Sekern bird and asked in confusion, “Where is Sperien going on its back?”

Another Elf replied, “Back to the Faerie Forest?”

“He only arrived yesterday. He hasn’t stayed for his full two weeks yet.”

“Hmm... The Sekern bird is flying... north?”

“North? Why would Sperien go there?”

“I don’t know. Should we inform the king?”

“Perhaps.”

Although the Elven Kingdom was very safe, it was home to many ancient, high-rank magical beasts with eccentric and difficult temperaments. The Little Fairy’s rank was still too low. If he encountered one, he could easily find himself at a disadvantage.

Entirely unaware of the Elves’ concern, Shu Li was focused solely on finding the Spirit of Wood, excitement filling his entire being.

He was especially eager to test the summoning incantation he had copied.

After a little over twenty minutes, Dorei carried him into the northern reaches of the Elven Kingdom. The bird descended and began circling overhead.

Shu Li crawled closer to its neck and looked down at the landscape below, astonishment appearing on his face.

What an enormous wasteland!

The rest of the Elven Kingdom was filled with beautiful mountains and clear waters, yet the north contained a vast stretch of land where not a blade of grass grew.

How strange!

Had the powerful magic unleashed during the Elven King’s battle against the God of Death destroyed the land’s natural environment?

“Dorei, take us down,” Shu Li ordered.

“Chirp!”

Dorei descended and landed atop a mound of earth. The force generated by its beating wings whipped up a cloud of yellow dust and sand.

“Cough, cough, cough!”

Shu Li hurriedly covered his mouth and nose, then burrowed into Dorei’s feathers to escape the blowing sand.

Dorei folded its wings and shook the dust from its plumage.

After a while, the sandstorm subsided.

Shu Li emerged from the bird’s feathers, lowered his hand, and drew a deep breath.

He flew into the air and gazed at the barren land, wavering with indecision. Did he really want to recite the incantation and summon the Spirit of Wood here?

There was no grass, no tree, and no source of water—only yellow sand and parched earth. The Spirit of Wood would have to be out of her mind to make this place her home.

Shu Li scratched the back of his head.

He had been too impatient. Without properly investigating the situation, he had hurried straight here.

What should he do now?

Go back?

But... he had already come all this way. He could not return empty-handed, could he?

“Chirp!”

Dorei suddenly let out a warning cry.

Shu Li frowned and took out his magic staff. He was now an Intermediate Mage and capable of protecting himself. He could handle most ordinary situations.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Those were the heavy footsteps of an enormous magical beast.

Every feather on Dorei’s body stood on end as it prepared for battle.

Seeing this, Shu Li reassured it. “Don’t worry, Dorei. I’m here. The magical beast won’t do anything to you.”

Although high-rank magical beasts hunted those of lower ranks, they did not dare attack Elves or Fairies.

Reassured by him, Dorei reined in its aura.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

As the footsteps drew closer, Shu Li finally saw what the magical beast looked like.

It was an enormous lizard with a back covered in knobby growths. Its four legs were thick and powerful, its head was hideous, and a red forked tongue flicked from its mouth. Its vicious eyes made it clear at a glance that it was not to be trifled with.