Bald men are never easy to deal with!
—Rosha
In the second chapter of *Foundations of Magic*, *Elemental Pop*, the method of testing affinity with crystals is explained in detail: red means fire affinity, orange means metal, yellow and purple mean earth, green and cyan mean wood, and blue means water.
That was why Riven had blurted out a curse when she saw Rosha's result—he wasn't attuned to just one element, but to all of them. That meant Rosha could use any kind of element. In all of Runeterra's magical history, such a person had never existed. Who knew what heights he might reach in the future?
"I suggest you walk the path of a mage, not a swordsman," Riven said calmly once she had collected herself. A disciple like this was beyond her ability to teach, so after thinking carefully, she gave her advice.
"You want to teach me?" Rosha looked at her strangely. "We don't exactly have the means for that, do we?"
"If you go to any magic academy, they'll fight to recruit you," Riven shook her head firmly. "I truly suggest you become a mage."
"No, not for now." Rosha shook his head. "I must stay here."
"For them?" Riven couldn't understand his motives.
"No. For my father and mother." Rosha smiled faintly, looking at her. "To make up for the past, to repay, and… for love."
Riven froze for a moment, then nodded. "Let's begin. You must learn two things: meditation and control of spiritual power."
Meditation was the practice of converting natural magic into one's own magic. Spiritual control was the art of shaping that inner magic precisely—the prerequisite for turning it into battle qi.
"Normally, these require insight and wisdom. But since you're attuned to all elements, one round of guidance should be enough for you," Riven sighed with a wry smile. "When I learned, it was agonizing."
"Learning itself is painful," Rosha shook his head. "There are no shortcuts. If you want lasting growth, you need solid, serious effort."
"High ideals," Riven gave him a sideways glance. "So you mean you don't need guidance?"
"Of course I need guidance—I'm from another world," Rosha shamelessly replied, earning himself a roll of her eyes.
The process went smoothly. Rosha couldn't understand it. In his past life, he was never a prodigy—his way through school and college had only come by hard work. So why here did he learn things so quickly?
Meditation wasn't difficult; once he closed his eyes, he could sense the magic elements drifting in the air. Training his spiritual power amazed him even more. He seemed to leave his own body, observing himself from the outside. This strange separation of spirit and flesh made him marvel.
Riven, meanwhile, was only more and more shocked. This guy was a monster. Being attuned to all elements was already ridiculous—but to master meditation and control on his first try, and even fall into a deep meditation? Such resonance with magic was something only the most ancient, transcendent beasts of the continent were capable of.
What truly left her speechless was that even Lulu, Rosha's python-monkey, was drawn into meditation along with him. That beast wasn't even magical—it was just an animal. Everything she saw today left her dizzy. She decided she'd rather go home and eat dinner. From the looks of it, Rosha wasn't coming out of deep meditation any time soon.
"Daida, where are Rosha and Lulu?" Shava asked when she saw Riven come home alone. It was noon, and she hadn't seen Rosha and his pet return.
"He's cultivating. Don't worry about him," Riven smiled. "For lunch—let's have Rosha meat."
Only in front of Shava would she show a girlish side.
"Alright! I'll cook it for you!" Shava patted her hand and went into the kitchen.
Riven thought Rosha would emerge from his first deep meditation in three days at most. But ten days passed, and he still hadn't awakened.
By the second day, Asa and Shava were deeply worried. Riven brought them to see Rosha, sitting motionless on a stone. Once they confirmed their son and Lulu were still alive, they left—since their daughter assured them it was a good thing and mustn't be disturbed. They didn't understand, but when they saw little sprouts and flowers growing from the stone beneath him, they believed her. Still, they visited every day to check on him.
During those ten days, the children came by several times, looking for their teacher. Even the blacksmith came, only to be told Rosha was away and no one knew when he'd return.
Each day Riven left home, she saw the villagers working busily—digging cellars, building pens for pigs, sheep, and chickens—all under the children's guidance. The once quiet village now pulsed with energy and progress. Could one man bring such change? She didn't know how to judge it.
Rosha didn't care about judgment. What he did care about was the purple bald man now before him.
When he emerged from meditation, Riven wasn't there. Instead, he saw a massive bald figure seated calmly. His skin was an unusual purple, inscribed with glowing blue runes. A fine beard adorned his face, a giant scroll rested across his back, and a sturdy tome hung from his waist.
"Hello!" Rosha stood up, brushing leaves from himself and shaking Lulu off his shoulder to the ground.
"Child favored by the Runes, greetings," the bald man's voice was heavy, weary.
"What do you mean?" Rosha didn't understand.
"Why not choose the path of a mage?" The bald man studied him for a long time, his gaze drifting to Lulu at Rosha's feet. "Fortunate little creature."
"No one to teach me," Rosha spread his hands. Thanks to his meditation, he could feel this man's immense power. He needed to gauge his intentions first.
"No need to be tense. I'm only passing through," the bald man smiled kindly. "If you wish to become a mage, come with me—I will teach you."
"No," Rosha shook his head without hesitation. "There are more important things I must do."
The bald man blinked, then asked, "To become a spellblade?"
"No. It's hard to explain," Rosha scratched his head. "I'm sorry, but I must refuse your kindness."
Just then, Asa and Shava emerged from the woods to check on him. They were delighted to see Rosha awake from meditation, but froze when they noticed the strange figure beside him, growing tense.
The bald man turned, already aware of them. "Hello. Do not be afraid—I am only a wanderer."
They quickly bowed in respect. They could tell he was a mage, and in Ionia, mages were among the most revered of all.
"Honored sir, the Asa-Conde family welcomes you to our home," Asa said, performing a proper Ionian chest-salute.
"With pleasure," the bald man replied, helping Asa back up. "Please, lead the way."
Asa led the way, while Shava fussed over Rosha, brushing leaves and weeds from his clothes, tidying his wild hair—he looked like a savage.
Lulu scurried happily alongside them, scrambling on all fours.
"Mother, why invite him home?" Rosha whispered, bewildered. This seemed too hospitable.
"He is a mage," Shava said cheerfully, holding her son's arm. "Having him as our guest is an honor." Life at home was far better now than before; she no longer worried about hosting someone properly.
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