An Unexpected Guest

Chapter 4: An Unexpected Guest

In the Prison

"Oh no, how am I supposed to get out of this mess? I don't know anything about this place!"

Suddenly:

"Helloooooo!!!"

Hossam screamed like a startled girl:

"Ahhh! What's going on?!"

"Hello, you lying human!"

It was the elf from before, and she had come to mock Hossam.

Hossam glared at her and raised his voice.

"Damn it! You almost gave me a heart attack. Don't ever do that again!"

"Hehehe, lying human, why are you so sad?"

Hossam replied, "Haha, I'm in deep trouble. I don't know anything about this world."

The elf tilted her head and stared at him curiously.

"This world? What do you mean? Are you from another world?"

Hossam saw the intimidating look in her eyes and stammered in response:

"N-No! Who said that? Me? Another world? Haha, what kind of crazy person would say that?"

"Ha ha ha… Hmmm."

Hossam sighed and lowered his head.

"Well, the truth is, I've lost my memory, so I don't know anything about this world."

Hossam pretended to have amnesia to avoid getting into unimaginable trouble. If they found out the truth, they wouldn't leave him alone.

The elf looked at him sympathetically, her golden eyes welling up with tears.

"Oh no… That's such a sad story. Don't worry, I'll tell you everything you need to know. Just ask me!"

"Can you tell me about this place and the ruling powers of this world?" Hossam asked formally.

"That's an easy question. This is the Elf Forest, a forbidden area for humans. Beyond this forest lie many human kingdoms and villages, all belonging to various great empires. To the east is the Qin Empire, to the west is the Tian Empire, and to the north is the Sunset Empire.

These empires boast many powerful forces, such as Seven-Circle and even Eight-Circle Magicians. They also have numerous Aura Knights, with Level 7 Aura Masters who rival Level 7 Magicians in strength—or even surpass them."

The elf took a deep breath and continued:

"We're currently inside the Elf Forest. This place is sacred to our tribe, so we're forbidden from lighting fires or hunting animals. We survive solely on plants and fruits. Oh, and I forgot to mention, we're living on a continent called the Sunset Continent, named after the Sunset Empire. It's one of four continents, though the others remain largely unexplored. That's all there is to it."

The elf took a breath of relief, then looked at Hossam proudly.

"Huh?" Hossam was confused.

"Hmmm?" The elf tilted her head.

Silence filled the air until Hossam turned away and screamed internally.

"Yes! This is a fantasy world! Haha, it's just like those magical Korean manhwa worlds where sorcerers and aura masters rule everything!"

Hossam clenched his fist with excitement and turned back to the elf, asking eagerly:

"Can you tell me about the strongest power one can reach on these continents?"

The elf quickly responded, "The highest level you can achieve is a Nine-Circle Magician or a Level 9 Aura Master."

"So, what level is that ninja guy from before?" Hossam asked, curious.

"He's a Three-Circle Magician and recently joined the Black Elf Guards. He's considered a genius among the young elves of his generation," the elf answered without hesitation.

Despite his opponent being just a Three-Circle Magician, Hossam felt a huge gap in power. As an ordinary human, he could easily be killed by even a Two-Circle Magician.

Hossam thought hard about how to survive this predicament and suddenly remembered the reward he had received.

"Oh! That reward from the system! What was it again?"

Hossam pondered to himself.

"Ah! The Iron Fist Technique manual and the medium-grade spirit pills… But the problem is, I don't know how to use them!"

Despite being well-versed in cultivation stories, this was Hossam's first time facing a real-life training scenario without guidance.

"Excuse me, but can you teach me how to train in this world?" Hossam asked.

"Well, it's not a secret anyway," the elf replied with a smile.

"To start training, you first need to sense mana—the spiritual energy of life or the healing force permeating the universe. Everything and everyone contains mana. Sometimes, it resides within the human body or in crystal stones. It can be strong or weak, depending on the person's constitution. Other times, plants can also serve as a source of energy.

In short, you need to feel this energy to break through to the first magical circle and become a beginner magician. So, would you like to start your training now?"

The elf looked at Hossam eagerly.

To Hossam, all this information was familiar, as similar concepts had appeared in the fantasy worlds he loved.

"Alright, let's begin!" Hossam answered.

The elf smiled joyfully and said, "Okay, but beware—I'm a very strict teacher, hehe!"

"No problem," Hossam replied indifferently.

"Alright! Sit cross-legged, close your eyes, and start concentrating. Forget the world and begin absorbing mana."

"Imagine yourself drinking a cup of blue silk."

After hearing her odd analogy, Hossam realized it was terrible but understood what she was trying to convey. Similar bad examples were often used in the stories he had read.

After some incense time, Hossam finally sensed the mana.

Boom!

"Finally! I've reached it!" Hossam exclaimed in excitement.

Now that he could sense mana and his body had transformed into a magical one, the next step was learning how to absorb mana from stones and refine it.

"How do I absorb mana from magic stones now?" Hossam asked eagerly.

"Wait a moment," the elf replied.

She pulled out a small, low-quality magic stone from her pocket and said, "This is a low-grade magic stone. Take it. All you need to do is hold it in your right hand, crush it, and imagine yourself inhaling the dust it releases."

"But I'm still physically weak. I don't think my body can crush a stone yet!" Hossam replied, embarrassed.

"Don't worry. Once you've sensed mana, your body will be enhanced with a certain level of strength. It will become as strong as the mightiest ordinary human. Just try it—you'll see," the elf reassured him with a smile.

"Alright, if you say so."

Hossam took the stone from her, sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and squeezed the mana stone with all his might.

Crack!

The stone shattered under his grip, turning into fine dust. The magical energy emanating from it was visible, though only to those who had awakened their magical powers.

"So this is what mana looks like. Alright, let's start training!" Hossam said confidently.

He began imagining himself inhaling and exhaling the magical energy, following the elf's instructions.

Inhale… Exhale…

Gradually, the mana seeped into Hossam's body, causing his veins to burn and pulse as if filled with tiny hearts.

After some time, his body calmed down, and he realized he had become physically stronger, with a greater reservoir of magical energy within him.

"Awesome!" Hossam exclaimed with excitement.

To be continued…