NOVEL NEXT Chapter 110: Talismans
Completely absorbed in his training, Ethan spent the rest of the day moving one speck of dust after another out the window. It was slow, tedious work, but every tiny success made his heart race with excitement. He was getting better, little by little, learning how to guide his mana, how to shape it, how to make it obey his will.
At first, it was exhausting. His mana ran out quickly, leaving him feeling drained and dizzy. But he was too stubborn to stop. He would wait, letting his mana slowly refill, and then he'd try again. Over and over, he repeated the process, pushing his limits, testing his endurance, and building his control.
Four times an hour. That's how often he could do it before his mana ran dry. But with each cycle, he could feel himself getting stronger, more efficient, more confident. He was learning to move the dust with less effort, to guide his mana more smoothly, to waste less energy.
After a few hours, he was able to do it five times an hour. It wasn't a huge improvement, but it was progress, and that was all that mattered.
Ethan's body ached, his head throbbed, and his eyes were heavy with exhaustion, but he didn't care. He was learning, growing, getting stronger. With every speck of dust that floated out the window, his confidence grew, his control improved, and his power became more his own.
"That old hag was not wrong. She is guiding me in the right way. Tch. I was too hasty and scolded her a little too much in my head." Ethan shook his head, feeling bad for his new teacher. She might be grouchy but she was actually teaching him things.
To show such kindness to a stranger, she was truly a...
The door banged open, cutting off his thoughts, and Ethan almost jumped out of his skin. Miss Agnes stood in the doorway, her scowl as fierce as ever, her bony fingers gripping her cane like she wanted to beat someone with it. "What the hell are you doing?" she barked, her voice sharp and grating.
Ethan's heart raced, his body tensing instinctively. "I… uh…" he stammered, "Cleaning the dust from the bookshelf?"
"Sure, I am paying you to sit on your ass all day and do nothing. Yes, that is exactly why I placed the apprentice needed sign board. Get off your ass, you lazy imp. I have some customers coming in this evening and I need your lazy butt to do some actual work. Follow me." She barked and started walking out.
Ethan scrambled to catch up to her and the two of them went to the underground work station. 'Customers huh?' He thought to himself. Now that he noticed he actually did not know what the old hag did for work.
Alchemy? Potions? Had to be something like that. He had seen the cauldron and the herbs and everything. Definitely something related to potions. It would be cool to learn alchemy. Ethan was silently looking around.
Ethan hurried to her side when his eyes widened in surprise. The old hag pointed to a pile of parchment paper, ink bottles, and strange-looking brushes on the far table. "Bring those here. And be quick about it. I don't have all day," she barked, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Ethan hurried over, grabbing the papers, ink, and brushes. His curiosity was through the roof. What was she planning to do with all this stuff? Balancing the supplies in his arms, he made his way back, trying not to drop anything.
The old hag had already cleared the floor, her fingers tracing invisible patterns in the air as she muttered something under her breath.
Without wasting any time, she dipped one of the brushes into the ink and started drawing on the floor. Her movements were smooth and confident, each stroke forming strange symbols and patterns that seemed to glow as she worked.
The lines of ink pulsed with a faint light, connecting in intricate patterns. Ethan's jaw dropped as he watched. This wasn't just drawing. It was magic. Real, actual magic. He couldn't believe his eyes.
The old hag moved to the center of the circle and sat down, her back straight, her eyes closed. She started chanting, her voice low and rhythmic, echoing off the stone walls. The symbols around her lit up, the glow getting brighter and swirling around her like a mini tornado of light.
Ethan stood frozen, his heart pounding. He watched as the old hag took out one parchment after another and started drawing on them. He couldn't see what exactly she was drawing, but when she was done the parchment burned until only a small piece of it remained.
The old woman carefully kept the small piece aside. She repeated the same thing a few times and sometimes she cursed loudly, shooting a glare at Ethan while the other times she seemed to be happy with the results and placed the finished piece of parchment on the side.
Her movements were precise, and fluid, like she'd done this a thousand times before. Each symbol she drew glowed for a moment before settling into the parchment. It was mesmerizing.
She finished one more talisman, the parchment glowing bright before burning down to a small, neat piece. She held it up, squinting at it, then gave a satisfied grunt. "This one's good," she muttered, placing it with the others.
Ethan's eyes flicked to the growing pile of finished talismans. They were small and the symbols still glowing faintly. They looked ordinary enough, but the power radiating off them said otherwise.
She then stretched, her joints cracking. She stood up slowly, her face pale, her shoulders slumping.
It was the first time Ethan had seen her look tired. She glanced at him, her eyes sharp. "Still standing there like an idiot? Clean up this mess. And don't touch the talismans, unless you feel like losing a finger."
Ethan snapped out of his daze and nodded. This was awesome. He wanted to learn it so badly!