22: Chapter 22 New Magic

The two stared at each other amidst the bustling crowd.

After a long while, Potter turned and walked toward his home. "Follow me."

Zhang Mu tightened his hold on the Little Cat Girl in his arms and followed in silence.

Once home, Potter first took the blonde Little Cat Girl and used magic to check her injuries. Having a general idea of her condition, he fed her a few bottles of potions.

Then he called Avril over and asked her to take the Cat Girl to the first-floor bathroom to wash up.

As she walked toward the bathroom, she glanced at Zhang Mu, feeling it a bit strange that her junior seemed so quiet today; usually, he never stopped talking.

Potter led Zhang Mu to the room on the second floor where potions were brewed and stared intently at him.

He stared so hard that Zhang Mu even remembered peeking at the older girl next door to the orphanage taking a bath when he was a child. Only then did Potter ask:

"How did you do it?"

"I've read the spellbook for the Fireball Spell, and the techniques you just used weren't in it."

As expected of a High-level mage, he had noticed even though Zhang Mu had only shown a hint of his skill.

Zhang Mu fell silent for a moment before explaining, "Mr. Potter, I wanted to increase the power of the fireball, so I experimented, and then I succeeded."

It was a somewhat mystical explanation, but Potter accepted it easily.

Magic was inherently something whose essence humans had yet to understand, so no unknown phenomenon was surprising.

It was just that in the hundreds of years Potter had lived, he had never seen a mage capable of causing unknown phenomena—or rather, a genius.

"Hehe, hahaha..." Potter began to laugh, only stopping when Zhang Mu was about to lose his composure. "Countless geniuses have emerged on the Saul Continent."

"The gods bestowed the great mountain known as magic. Geniuses climb to the peak at a speed that mediocre people can never hope to match, only to wait for death's arrival at the lonely summit."

"Because this mountain belongs to the gods, and they limit its height. Mortals can only climb as high as the gods allow."

"But you!" Potter gazed at him with a fervor like a believer seeing the god they worshiped. "You chose to create a mountain of your own."

Although it could only be called a small mound for now, its significance was immense; it represented new possibilities.

Potter looked very excited, his chest heaving violently, and bloodshot streaks even appeared in his eyes.

Although his emotions were clear enough, Zhang Mu felt nothing, having never experienced the despair of reaching an impasse. "Uh, Mr. Potter, I can teach you."

Potter ignored his generosity and muttered to himself, "I thought I had seen enough geniuses..."

"But it seems my definition of a genius was wrong."

"Or rather, you have shattered my understanding."

As he spoke, he chuckled to himself. "That's right, what kind of genius doesn't shatter one's understanding?"

"Mr. Pot—"

Before he could finish, Potter guessed what he was going to say and shook his head in refusal. "No matter how many improvements are made to low-level magic, it is still of zero help to a High-level mage."

"When you reach the high level, I will sincerely ask you to teach me—if I still have ti—"

Cutting himself off, Potter warned with a serious expression, "Until you have the ability to protect yourself, you must never reveal your ability to improve magic!"

"Otherwise, you will face the malice of every mage on the continent."

"I understand," Zhang Mu nodded.

Seeing that he understood the importance of the matter, Potter relaxed. He stepped out of the room and returned shortly with a staff in his hand.

It wasn't ornate; in fact, it looked a bit shabby.

It was made entirely of wood, looking like a dead branch, with a hexagonal gem embedded at the tip that emitted a dim light.

Potter extended the hand holding the staff. "Since you haven't advanced to a Magic Apprentice yet, your mana attribute is still uncertain, so use this Attribute-less staff for now."

Taking it and examining it curiously, Zhang Mu muttered, "It looks pretty ordinary."

Potter ignored him and pulled a Badge from under his robes, which had his portrait carved on the front. "Pin this on your right chest."

Zhang Mu did as he was told. Just as he was about to ask what it was, Potter's face turned solemn. "Stand straight and bow."

"From today on, call me Teacher Potter."

Zhang Mu, who had instinctively stood at attention and bowed, looked up blankly. "Mr. Pot... Teacher Potter."

Having corrected his address in time, Potter's expression brightened. He stroked his beard and opened his mouth, prepared to give a short induction speech.

"Teacher, Jun... Junior."

Avril suddenly pushed the door open and entered, holding the now-clean Little Cat Girl in a pure white nightgown. Her gaze paused for a moment when it fell on the Badge on Zhang Mu's chest.

"What is it?"

"She's awake."

The master and apprentice both looked at the blonde Little Cat Girl.

She seemed a bit scared, her head buried deep in Avril's cleavage, remaining motionless as if she hadn't woken up yet.

But a pair of golden cat ears twitched slightly, proving she was indeed awake.

Worried about scaring her, Zhang Mu stopped about a meter away, his eyes shining as he stared at the cat ears. "A real, live Cat Girl!"

"No, please don't hit Lia. Lia knows she was wrong. Lia won't dare to secretly worship the gods anymore."

Zhang Mu's voice was a bit loud, and she was startled. Her muffled voice came from the soft cleavage as her whole body shook uncontrollably.

"Don't be afraid. No one will hurt you here."

"Hmm?" Lia lifted her head, her delicate nose sniffing toward Zhang Mu. She seemed to recognize his scent, and her trembling stopped. "I remember your scent."

"You were the one who saved me from under the Guard's feet."

Lia opened her arms and leaned her upper body toward Zhang Mu. He quickly caught her and held her in his arms.

She was so light.

Perhaps because her usual diet was so poor, the Cat Girl, who reached Zhang Mu's stomach in height, felt weightless in his arms.

Restraining the urge to touch her cat ears, he secretly studied her face.

Avril had washed her very thoroughly, scrubbing away all the black mud from before. Her skin wasn't dry despite her low quality of life; it was as white and tender as tofu.

Her features were as adorable as a doll's.

After a moment of thought, Zhang Mu asked in a low voice, "How old are you this year?"

"Lia is fifteen."

That's a very 'criminal' age.

Just as he was about to ask more, there was a sudden knock at the door downstairs.

The three of them glanced at each other. They had no acquaintances here, so whoever was visiting at this time was likely Lia's parents.

They went downstairs together to open the door, and sure enough, a middle-aged couple in rags was standing there.

Zhang Mu felt a bit confused; the couple was human, not Demi-humans.

After a few questions, they learned that they had found Lia in the wild. Seeing how pitiful the Little Cat Girl was, they had taken her home to raise her.

Although the couple was poor, they were very good to Lia, saving all the nutritious food for her.

Recently, because the wife fell ill and they had no money for treatment, Lia had secretly run to the church to pray for her foster mother, only to be discovered and caught by the Guard.

If Zhang Mu hadn't happened to pass by, she would likely have been trampled to death.

The three of them handed the Little Cat Girl over to the couple. Avril took out a Silver coin and, despite the couple's protests, forced it into Lia's hand.

One Silver coin was just right; any more might bring them harm.

As the couple led Lia away, Zhang Mu waved goodbye reluctantly.

Potter looked up at the sky; it was already past three in the afternoon. "Zhang Mu, head back for today. Come early tomorrow to begin your magic studies."

"Alright, Teacher Potter."