The night was cool like water, and the bright moon hung high.
The guild's lights were still bright, but due to the war, the usually boisterous guild was now quiet and peaceful.
Everyone on shift had tidied up early and returned to their dorms to rest.
After several days of intense fighting, even the members of Fairy Tail, known for their love of battle, were starting to wear down.
Fairy Tail, Guild Library.
Under the warm, orange glow of the lamps, a golden-haired youth sat at a reading table, wearing goggles, drawing and writing with paper and pen, with two thick spellbooks at his side.
An open ancient book also lay on the table, its pages densely covered with notes.
"Dong, dong dong."
The knocking did not interrupt Ezreal's furious writing.
"The door's unlocked, come in." The youth said softly, without lifting his head.
The old wooden door creaked open, and Jet, still wearing his cowboy hat even indoors, walked in.
Jet's footsteps were light; he walked over, gently pulled out a chair, and sat opposite Ezreal.
"You're later than I expected." Ezreal raised a hand and pointed to the clock on the wall.
Jet's face showed a hint of uneasiness, and his hands unconsciously rubbed together.
"EZ, I… I want to become stronger." Jet's voice was a bit hoarse, his eyes filled with determination.
"It's alright to be late." Ezreal put down his pen, closed his notebook, picked up the water cup beside him, took a sip, and slowly said, "It's good that you came."
"No matter how fast you run, if regret is deep in your heart, you can't outrun it." Ezreal gently pushed a brick-thick spellbook towards Jet, "Right?"
Jet's face paled slightly, and he looked down at the thick spellbook on the table with a hint of panic.
The cover was made of various melted precious metals, adorned with twisted patterns that made one dizzy just by looking at them.
These patterns converged in the center of the cover, forming three ancient characters.
Having teamed up with Levy, the knowledgeable bespectacled girl, Jet recognized these three words.
"Alchemy."
"This is…" Jet reached out to touch the book's cover, and just as he was about to open it, two metal-clad fingers pressed down on the cover.
Ezreal's sword-finger gently tapped the spellbook's cover, and seeing Jet's somewhat bewildered face, he explained, "A precious alchemy tome from within the guild's collection. The author was an alchemist skilled in creating various potions."
"I'm not sure if you have a talent for alchemy, but some of the alchemical potions in it would pair well with your God's Ankle Magic."
"For example, it contains methods for making highly poisonous potions. Successfully consuming such a potion can imbue a Mage's magic with potent toxins."
"There's also the Frenzy Potion, which temporarily boosts one's overall strength."
Jet looked at the spellbook, a bit hesitant, "Alchemy, such profound stuff, can I really…"
As Jet spoke, he looked up at Ezreal, hoping to hear something from his companion.
But Ezreal said nothing, withdrawing his fingers. Behind the ancient bronze goggles, his eyes held nothing but gentleness.
"I understand…" Taking a deep breath, Jet picked up the spellbook, his fingers trembling slightly. He stood up and bowed earnestly to Ezreal, "Thank you, EZ. I will definitely train hard and never let Levy get hurt again."
Ezreal looked at his serious expression and suddenly smiled, giving a thumbs-up, "Go for it!"
Standing up and returning the chair to its original place, Jet nodded and turned to leave. As his hand reached the doorknob, Ezreal's gentle voice came from behind him again.
"For whatever reason, don't be chased by regret, Jet!" Ezreal smiled, leaned back, his chair tilting slightly backward, his hands crossed over his chest, with moonlight falling on his golden hair from the window.
"Ah~"
"I definitely won't!" Jet gritted his teeth, the muscles on both sides of his cheeks trembling. Clutching the spellbook tightly, he turned and left the room.
After Jet left, the room fell into a brief silence. Ezreal stared blankly at the closed wooden door for a while, then once again bent over his desk, writing furiously.
Not long after, the door was knocked on again. Ezreal looked up, a smile playing on his lips.
"Come in."
Droy pushed open the door, a hint of awkwardness and hesitation on his face.
He walked into the room and stood before Ezreal, head down, seemingly unsure how to begin.
Ezreal directly tossed the spellbook from his side over to him.
Droy instinctively raised his hand to catch it. As the heavy spellbook landed in his hands, a vibrant energy resonated with the magic within his body through the book.
The spellbook began to emit a faint green light, and the life-giving energy diffused with the glow.
Holding the spellbook, Droy felt his breathing steady, and his previously anxious mood instantly calmed down.
"This spellbook…" Droy looked at the spellbook in his hands with some surprise.
"It's tiring to look up at you; sit down and talk." Ezreal said with a smile.
Droy scratched his head, pulled out a chair, and sat down, "My apologies."
Ezreal took a sip of water, pointed around, and said earnestly, "I really recommend you all read more when you have time. The guild library's collection is very valuable, much better than what's outside."
"Even a Super Magic like Fairy Sphere is here."
Droy gave an awkward laugh, "The magic here is quite difficult to learn, and the magic I know now is enough for quests."
Ezreal glanced at him, then fell silent for a moment. He really couldn't refute that statement.
Droy's answer was the reality for most people in the guild, and even for all Mages across the continent.
Except for outsiders like Ezreal, who were very interested in magic.
Most native Mages learn an easy-to-grasp magic, then go on to take quests.
A typical example would be someone like Laki, who relies on Wood-Make to do furniture wholesale.
The magic system in the world of Earth-land cannot, like cultivation, grant longevity or immortality, or reach some terrifying level of shattering the void, simply by diligent practice.
Most magic in this world, with the exception of some life-attribute magic, does not extend life; it merely enhances one's physique.
Therefore, Mages' understanding of magic is mostly as a tool that allows them to earn money easily after learning it.
The status of a Mage is noble, but that's about it; they still die when their lifespan ends, at most living a few years longer than ordinary people with better health.
And many profound magic spells are difficult and dangerous, so most Mages don't consider them.
Ezreal was silent for a moment, then explained the origin of the spellbook, "This is 'Wild Thorns,' a high-level plant magic. You don't need to learn this magic; I just think many of the magic skills within it should be very useful to you."
Droy held the spellbook, his eyes full of gratitude.
"Thank you, EZ. I will definitely train hard."
Ezreal nodded, watching Droy leave the room.
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