The First Order

When Ren Xiaosu and Melgor returned from their shopping, Qian Weining was sitting in the lobby of the relay station, humming about how it was a great day today and having a little drink.

This time, Ren Xiaosu was even more sure the trade caravan would not continue heading north anymore. Otherwise, Qian Weining would definitely not be drinking.

He had observed that no matter how cheerful the atmosphere was whenever they stopped to set up camp, Qian Weining would not touch a single drop of alcohol. After all, how could a soldier drink while they were on a mission?

Now that he no longer had to lead his comrades to their deaths, he was in high spirits.

Moreover, when Qian Weining saw Melgor, he no longer thought about trying to get rid of that jinx. Instead, he greeted him enthusiastically and even invited Ren Xiaosu to join him for a drink.

Qian Weining did not dare to invite Melgor due to the difference in their statuses. As a knight, he was not qualified to dine at the same table as a sorcerer.

If he did that and got discovered, he would get reported to the higher-ups and be punished. This was where it could be seen that a strict hierarchy existed in the Kingdom of Sorcerers.

Of course, Ren Xiaosu would not drink with Qian Weining for no reason. He knew he had to keep a clear head at all times. If there came a day where he could drink freely, it would be when Yang Xiaojin and the others were protecting him by his side.

"Eh, Ren Xiaosu, you went shopping for so many things?" Qian Weining asked curiously, "You even bought blankets?"

"We'll be staying here for quite a while, y'know. The blankets at the relay station have a few holes in them. They're way too shabby," Ren Xiaosu replied happily.

Not only did he buy blankets, but he also bought some rat poison. Otherwise, he would constantly hear the sound of rats crawling around in the ceiling during the night.

Melgor followed Ren Xiaosu into his room. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "Are you in possession of the third black Eye of True Sight?"

Ren Xiaosu looked at Melgor and said, "Since you've already guessed it, I don't really have to hide it anymore. On the day White Mask appeared and you and the servants were trapped by the Liquefy Ground spell, that was not a sneak attack. I just fired off a spell accidentally. Besides, White Mask has never sought to harm you. I purely used it to get the attention off me."

Ren Xiaosu felt that there was a need to explain this so that Melgor would not have to worry every time he saw White Mask.

Melgor asked, "Even if Liquefy Ground is only an elementary spell, you still hadn't mastered the language of the Magi at that time, right? So how did you cast it?"

"I randomly blurted out an incantation." Ren Xiaosu said, "Maybe it just sounded correct."

Melgor did not believe Ren Xiaosu's answer at all, but he did not know how to refute it.

"Can you let me have a look at the black Eye of True Sight?" Melgor asked.

"Here." Ren Xiaosu casually took out the black Eye of True Sight from his storage space and handed it to Melgor. "I've looked into it. The black Eye of True Sight can indeed increase the power of spells greatly. For example, using it directly saves you from having to practice casting a spell a 1,000 times."

Melgor held the black Eye of True Sight in his hand and remained speechless for a while. After a long time, he said in surprise, "Do you know how precious this thing is?"

"I do," Ren Xiaosu said matter-of-factly.

"Then by handing it directly to me, aren't you afraid I'll steal it from you?" Melgor said in shock.

"You're speaking like you can steal it from me." Ren Xiaosu did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Alright, don't overthink things."

Melgor pushed the Eye of True Sight back into Ren Xiaosu's hands. "You'd better keep it safe yourself. Anyway, since you already have an Eye of True Sight, you should work hard and learn the language of the Magi from me. That way, you'll be able to become a true sorcerer sooner."

These words reminded Ren Xiaosu it was time to continue exploring the Chinese incantations for casting spells.

Although he now had another spell called "I Wish You Happiness," he couldn't possibly spend all 90,000 Proficiency Stones on it, right?

What effect would 90,000 Proficiency Stones have on "I Wish You Happiness"? Maybe it could make tens of thousands of people cry together at once, or it could make them cry to death? It was very exciting to think about it, but that would be really strange.

The spell Ren Xiaosu was looking for had to be stronger than this. At the very least, it would have to be a spell worthy of the Northwest's future commander. It should be a more proper spell.

Ren Xiaosu said to Melgor, "You must be tired. Why don't you go back to your room and get some rest first? I won't be learning the language of the Magi for now. We'll talk about that when I have free time."

After that, he pushed Melgor out.

Melgor stood outside the room in a daze and looked at the shut door. "If you don't want to learn the language of the Magi, so be it. Why did you have to chase me away?!"

This left Melgor a little puzzled. Ren Xiaosu clearly had an Eye of True Sight already, so why was he unwilling to learn the language of the Magi? Could it be that he did not want to become a sorcerer?

While he was pondering, the two sheeple came over holding their notebooks to ask him questions about the language of the Magi. Melgor could not help but sigh. Those who had an Eye of True Sight were not in a hurry to learn, but these two who did not have an Eye of True Sight were especially enthusiastic about learning.

Inside the room, Ren Xiaosu held the black Eye of True Sight in his hand and thought silently, 'What incantation should I try this time?'

The incantations he wanted to try for this round would have to carry some special significance. This was so that, when he recited them in front of his subordinates, he could still sound very imposing!

Suddenly, Ren Xiaosu probed, "Prosperous Northwest?"

In an instant, the violet sigil on the black Eye of True Sight suddenly pulsed. Ren Xiaosu felt like he was linked to it, and even his breathing was at the same frequency.

A hint of starlight appeared in front of Ren Xiaosu, spinning rapidly in the shape of a ring like a doorway that stood in front of him.

The circular ring was growing larger, and the starlight around it spun faster and faster. Ren Xiaosu looked over in surprise and saw that there really seemed to be a dimensional portal behind it. Through the "door," he saw that the other side no longer resembled his room at the relay station. Instead, it looked like a desolate place.

A second later, a thunderous roar abruptly came through the doorway. Immediately after, a heatwave burst out, and the damp room in the relay station suddenly became extremely arid.

In the blink of an eye, the entire room was filled with a freshness that reminded him of damp linens line-dried in the sun.

Due to Ren Xiaosu's seeming lack of practice of this spell, the "stellar gate" stopped expanding when it reached about half a meter in diameter. Then it poofed back into starlight and dissipated.

The stellar gate collapsed.

Ren Xiaosu examined himself. The heatwave did not hurt him at all, and his clothes did not look like they had been burnt either.

For some reason, there was no tinge of fear in him. Ren Xiaosu even felt he had heard a hint of joy in the roar of the strange creature behind the stellar gate.

There was no reason for him to feel this way, but Ren Xiaosu was very sure of it.

"What kind of sorcery is this? It's so bizarre." Ren Xiaosu muttered, "Why haven't I come across this spell in the Introduction to Sorcery before?"