It Turns Out Being a Mage Isn’t Like Having Cabbage Everywhere

Ryan didn't know how long he had been unconscious. Slowly, he stood up, looking at Niu Niu, who was sleeping at the top of the cave. A faint smile spread across Ryan's face. Niu Niu, for some reason, had set up a small hammock above her. Honestly, Ryan liked Niu Niu a lot. She reminded him of a Barbie doll from Earth, though with green hair and wings, which made her very different. Ryan still hadn't fully accepted that he had now become a mage in this world—a profession he had only known from games.

A fireball appeared silently at his fingertips. Seeing the red glow of the fireball, Ryan finally realized it was real. He let the fireball dissipate, reflecting on the fact that he wasn't as foolish as he thought. Niu Niu was quite different from the grass spirits described in the magical beast guide. Though he had never seen one himself, the book's descriptions made it clear there was a significant difference. But Ryan still liked Niu Niu—if it weren't for her, he probably would have ended up alone on this mountain, and who knows, he might have ended his life by now.

Ryan slowly walked toward the cave entrance. The scene outside was completely different from Earth. The snow outside was already over two meters deep. Fortunately, the cave and the stable were situated on higher ground. Ryan also understood why the creek bed nearby was so wide.

He made his way toward the stable, knowing that while Niu Niu had warned him that leveling up as a mage would be far harder for him than for others, he couldn't avoid practicing. After all, life on this planet would continue without him, and there was no harm in trying. Plus, it was probably his only chance to make a mark in this world. He realized that one couldn't just rise up or reform a society that had lasted for thousands of years. For such a society to endure, it had to have its reasons. If he wanted to thrive, he had to follow the established rules, or else he would be eliminated by them. Although he was currently at the bottom of this system, everything was still possible, and being a mage wasn't out of his reach.

Though Ryan was still wearing his thin clothes, the biting cold of the wind didn't affect him much. In fact, he felt warm. Walking through the knee-high snow, he noticed his strength and endurance had increased significantly. Perhaps his body had changed from the energy techniques he practiced back on Earth.

He carefully took care of the stable—sweeping up manure, adding water for the horses, and doing other chores. Just because he was a mage didn't mean he was exempt from work. Two hours later, after finishing his tasks, Ryan locked up the stable.

"Dammit! How did I forget to use the snowboard? I've read too many books." Ryan cursed to himself, stomping his foot as he looked at the vast snowy plains ahead.

He hurried back to the stable, grabbed a wooden board, and examined it. "This board is too thick. What should I do?" he muttered to himself, looking at the palm-thick board in his hand, helpless.

"Hmm… maybe Wind Blade will work better." Sitting on the haystack in the stable, Ryan thought for a while. All his tools were in the cave not far away. In the end, he decided to try Wind Blade, a first-level wind magic.

With a "whoosh!" Ryan cast the spell, but the Wind Blade came out too quickly and split the board in half.

"Whoa! This is like a mini crossbow," Ryan exclaimed, astonished by the force of the spell.

"Slow down, slow down..." Ryan tried to control his magic output. He was trying to find the same feeling he had when casting the Fireball spell, since he wanted to hold the Wind Blade in his hand. This required perfect control over his magic and mental focus. But every time he cast the spell, the Wind Blade shot off immediately as soon as the incantation was finished.

However, Ryan didn't give up. He knew the saying, "Practice makes perfect." Only through repeated practice would he achieve the results he wanted.

"Aha! A good sign!" Ryan realized that for the first time, he managed to keep the Wind Blade in his hand for a full second. Excited, he continued practicing, seizing that small breakthrough. After an hour of effort, he finally found the feeling he was looking for.

"If anyone knew a mage kept casting Wind Blade just to cut a wooden board, they'd probably think he's crazy. But I think it's working," Niu Niu muttered from nearby. She had followed Ryan out of the cave, fearing that he might do something drastic, but it turned out he wasn't trying to harm himself.

One day, Niu Niu asked Ryan about his thoughts on suicide. Ryan responded seriously, "If you die instantly, it's fine. But what if you end up half-dead, or groaning in pain for hours before you die? How could I stand that? Besides, I'm afraid of dying. Why would I want to commit suicide?"

Bang! Niu Niu threw a fruit pit at Ryan's head. "Why didn't you say that earlier? I froze outside for hours!"

"Well, it's just about good enough," Ryan chuckled, looking at the wooden board in his hands. Now, the board had slightly curved ends, and its underside was smooth, like a skateboard.

"Ugh! This damn thing, what do I do if I need to go uphill?" Ryan suddenly realized a key issue: How could he get the board to go uphill? He considered tossing it aside, but after all the hard work, he decided to carry it with him.

"After we eat, read that book on the continent. Tomorrow, we start learning alchemy. In about half a month, you should have made an alchemical product. I've got the tools in the bag," Niu Niu said, biting into some fruit as she issued her orders.

Ryan didn't ask where the tools came from. He could guess they were part of Niu Niu's mysterious resources. He mentally grumbled, "Adult grass spirits have the wisdom of children. This little one is even smarter than me. Probably a fake too."

Bang! Niu Niu, sensing Ryan's thoughts, threw another fruit pit at him, aiming for his head.

Ryan quickly ate some dried meat and drank some hot water. Then, he lit a candle—one made of premium beef tallow. As for where it came from, he never asked.

"A mage is a very rare and noble profession. You might not even find one official mage among a thousand people..." Ryan began reading. He realized that this book had been provided by the Mage Guild, so it was obviously an introduction to the profession.

"Huh? So being a mage isn't like having cabbage everywhere!" Ryan was surprised to discover that being a mage seemed to be a prestigious profession after all.