56. Waste Stone Thops
"I always feel like we skipped a level?" In the garden, Houraiji Kyuushou held her smooth face in her hands, brows furrowed slightly.
Luo Tianyi, sitting across from her, felt the same way.
Lemuen, sitting off to the side, held a cup of tea and gazed at the magnificent panorama of the royal capital with a smile.
Houraiji Kyuushou and Luo Tianyi never imagined that they'd just gone home for a nap and suddenly already cleared the game. This gave them just a little sense of participation, but not much. Lemuen finally pulled her gaze from the scenery, setting down her teacup. She smiled and turned to Houraiji Kyuushou, her tone soothing, "Alright, Kyuushou, you don't have to be like this. There are a lot of things to do, and I need your help, like finding the fallen stars, right?"
"Uh..." Houraiji Kyuushou's momentum deflated like a popped balloon. She slumped down on the round garden table with a thud, her forehead resting on her forearm. Her voice muffled from the crook of her arm:
"That's right... Lemuen, you're right... the stars are indeed important..."
"But I feel like something's missing... I've missed that thrill of fighting side by side to the end! That scene of everyone cheering as the final boss falls..."
Is there such a scene?
Lemuen said nothing, picking up her tea and taking a sip. After hiding her face for a moment, Houraiji Kyuushou suddenly raised her head. With the crisp sound of her palm slapping against the table, she felt as if instantly invigorated, her back straightening.
"Forget it!"
"Whatever! Now's not the time to sit here and wallow in self-pity!" Houraiji Kyuushou's eyes were once again filled with energy.
Houraiji Kyuushou smiled at Luo Tianyi and Lemuen. "Then I'll be off."
Luo Tianyi immediately raised her hand and waved gently. "Yes! Kyuushou, have a safe trip!"
Lemuen nodded. "Be safe."
"Don't worry!" Houraiji Kyuushou gave a thumbs-up, her smile bright and confident.
Then, with one hand, she grasped a corner of the gorgeous cloak draped behind her, seemingly woven from the deep night sky, dotted with countless tiny star-like points of light.
"With Xiling's Starry Cloak, I'll be fine."
After leaving these words, Dark Night Wings appeared on her back, and Houraiji Kyuushou soared into the sky, disappearing from their sight.
...
"What a crazy theory! How did you come up with such a crazy theory?" The Tarnished looked in astonishment at a bald man named Thops, whom they had met shortly after leaving the magic academy. Upon seeing the team he led, he immediately became excited and ran forward to salute the teachers.
However, the magicians were clearly uninterested in him, not even glancing at him. The same was true for the other magic students.
Out of curiosity, the Tarnished approached the man and engaged him in conversation. During their discussion, Thops proposed a theory, a terrifying one.
This theory could even have countless magicians hunting him down.
But the Tarnished couldn't understand why someone from that magic academy could come up with such a theory.
Thops scratched his head sheepishly. "I don't have any talent."
"Having talent or not, I don't know. What I know is you have a terrifying mind," the Tarnished muttered to himself.
Thops continued, "No matter what kind of magic it is, it's difficult for me to learn. But I'm still an apprentice exploring magic, and I believe I should work harder to explore its mysteries. Since I lack talent, I'll create my own kind of magic. So I came up with this theory, and it's almost coming to fruition!"
Thops' voice was a little agitated, but the Tarnished covered his mouth.
The Tarnished whispered to Thops earnestly, "You'd better not tell those people at the magic academy about this theory."
The Tarnished looked at the people from the academy. Even though they had all surrendered to Xiling, Thops' magic was so shocking that it was hard to guarantee that some magician wouldn't attack him desperately.
"Why! Why!" Tops was puzzled.
He still needed to perfect it! When he's done, he'll tell the teachers at the academy! He wants to prove it!
Prove he's not useless! Prove his research is valuable! He wants to show everyone! He can do it, too.
The Tarnished felt his temples throbbing.
"No! What the hell are you thinking?" The Tarnished pinched his brows.
"Your magic... no, your theory, your force field. If you dare report it to the academy..."
The Tarnished took a deep breath and warned.
"They'll probably kill you right then and there!"
The Tarnished wiped his throat.
"Even me, when I heard you just now, my head was buzzing! Have you ever thought about it? You're undermining all magicians! You're treating the power they've spent their lives striving for like garbage and wiping it away! How will they survive? How will the entire academy, those high-ranking masters, stand up? This doesn't prove your talent. If you tell them... you'll be courting death!"
The Tarnished was shocked beyond words. How could someone practice magic like this? And he's still a magician.
After hearing the Tarnished's explanation, Thops' face darkened slightly. He had never considered such things.
He...he just wanted to prove himself.
He had never imagined that the rugged path he had found would lead not to a palace in the starry sky, but to the guillotine of all those who gazed at the stars.
The Tarnished observed the man's lost expression, thought for a moment, then patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't be too sad. This path is blocked for now, but there are other ways!"
Thops looked at the Tarnished.
The Tarnished smiled.
"Come on, follow me to the Leyndell Royal Capital. Maybe you can set up a classroom on your own later."
"Me? A classroom?" Thops mumbled as if he had heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. His cracked lips trembled, and he unconsciously pointed a finger at himself, his tone filled with disbelief and self-denial.
Waste Stone Thops, teaching others? That was a hundred times more outrageous than his force field theory.
"Yes, you," the Tarnished's voice was firm and unwavering, devoid of any intention of joking.
The Tarnished saw the bottomless inferiority in Thops's eyes and emphasized, "Listen carefully, Thops. You haven't blazed a new trail—you've blasted through the high wall of magic, creating a whole new, unseen realm behind it!"
The Tarnished spoke as if to pierce Thops's thicket of self-doubt.
"'Pioneer of Magic,' 'Conceptual Subverter,' whatever you call yourself, you deserve it! You're enough to make others, those truly curious and unconstrained by conventional norms, willingly sit down and listen to your lectures! As long as..."
The Tarnished stared into his blank eyes. "You're willing."
"Can I...can I?" Topps' voice was as weak as a candle in the wind.
Waste Stone...does he really have the qualifications? Is his theory truly nothing but a pathetic fantasy? The Tarnished saw the man's bewildered expression and, knowing what he was thinking, patted him on the shoulder.
"You need to be more confident. Your theory is terrifying. It's enough to shake the entire Lands Between, and..."
"If you don't mind... could I be the first student in your class? I'm truly, deeply interested in your theory." The Tarnished slowly and clearly raised a thumbs-up toward Thops.
Thops was stunned.
He stared at the raised thumbs-up.
It wasn't pity, it wasn't charity, it was... recognition? A desire for knowledge? Someone was actually willing to learn from a worthless person like him...?
A surge of scalding heat, a heat he'd never experienced before, rushed to Thops's nose and eyes, nearly causing him to lose his composure.
He hurriedly lowered his head, blinking furiously, trying to suppress the surging emotions. After several seconds, he slowly raised his head, his pale, humble face finally forcing a smile.
"...Okay."
Thops' voice trembled with suppressed sobs.
"If... you don't find my instruction... too... long and... boring..."
The Tarnished smiled.
"And please don't look down on me as your student. After all, I've never encountered this kind of magic."