Chapter 178: Daisova's Growth [Two-in-One]

Chapter 178: Daisova's Growth [Two-in-One]

Over a year after the war, the border city of Twit Town in Keville no longer resembled the chaotic haven for adventurers it once was.

Under the governance of Stanford, the Thunder Archmage and Pastoral Mage, Twit Town had weathered waves of refugees and the siege of the God of Death. Now, the city had expanded, its population surpassing half a million!

Truly, adversity strengthens a nation!

Here, adventurers from all corners of the Empire gathered—even fugitives from other lands.

The primordial forest stretching thousands of miles around Twit Town, teeming with countless magical beasts, held a deadly allure for adventurers.

Especially after the spread of the Internet across the Empire, the rise of wild mages had caused demand for magical materials in the market to skyrocket, further fueling Twit Town’s prosperity.

Daisova was one among these countless adventurers.

He lived at No. 11, Bone Street—a newly expanded road in Twit Town.

Back when the God of Death besieged the town, the Internet God had uttered a single word: "Die." With that, the undead legion was annihilated!

The aftermath left the area buried under a blizzard of bone dust, turning it into a white wasteland that lingered for half a year. Thus, it was first called the Land of Bones, later renamed Bone Street.

Creak!

Daisova pushed open his door. The tail end of spring still carried a lingering chill, and a gust of wind made him instinctively tighten his collar before shoving his hands into his frayed pockets as he stepped outside.

He had grown out his beard and let his hair become unkempt, making him appear far older than his actual age.

This was deliberate—to appear more weathered, earning the trust of mercenaries and deterring petty thieves who targeted the naive-looking.

Since voluntarily dropping out of Felix Magic Academy, he had wandered many places before finally settling in Twit Town.

On one hand, magical raw materials here were far cheaper than in other cities, aiding his cultivation.

On the other, when funds ran low, he could temporarily join a mercenary group, venturing into the forest to hunt magical beasts, gather herbs, or even magic plants to earn his keep.

After leaving home, Daisova made his habitual stop at the East Gate Morning Market, hoping to stumble upon a bargain.

Passing by a pancake stall, he bought one and took a bite as he walked.

The East Gate Morning Market was as bustling as ever.

Stalls crammed both sides of the street, their owners either meditating with closed eyes or scrolling through forums on their Virtual Screens.

Along the way, lowbrow mercenaries blared vulgar music from their devices, swaying and jerking to the rhythm.

In the past, Daisova would have frowned and left before even entering.

Now, he was used to it.

After a round of browsing with little to show for it, he wasn’t discouraged. He turned a corner and headed to Mercenary House to drop off the magic artifacts he had crafted for consignment before returning home.

At exactly nine in the morning, a knock sounded at his door.

It was Ron, his self-proclaimed apprentice.

Ron was an orphan. A year ago, during the God of Death’s invasion, his village had been slaughtered by the undead army, leaving him as the sole survivor who stumbled into Twit Town.

After the battle, the Mithril Ring he carried drew the attention of local thugs who tried to extort him—until Daisova happened by and intervened.

From then on, Ron clung to him like a shadow.

Of course, it was mainly to beg him for magic lessons.

Although the Keville Empire’s internet was now widespread, and Ron had learned to read and write from Grandpa Momu in the village, magic wasn’t something you could master just by reading a book.

Going from zero to one often tested a person’s innate talent.

Some people grasped it instantly just by reading;

Others could achieve enlightenment by listening to online classes;

But there were also those who, no matter how much you explained, would only stare blankly in confusion.

Ron was the latter. He had some talent in Battle Aura, yet he stubbornly insisted on learning magic. Daisova didn’t understand why.

He guessed it might be for revenge—to avenge the village.

In any case, Ron’s tragic story moved Daisova, and in the end, he decided to become Ron’s Magic Mentor.

Even though he didn’t even have the qualifications of a magic apprentice himself.

"Mentor Daisova, did you see? The internet got an update! Now we don’t need magic artifacts to record and upload images anymore! The internet also launched a massive e-commerce platform—they even sell firearms there! Too bad they only sell in bulk, with a minimum order of ten thousand. Otherwise, I’d save up to buy one just for fun."

The moment the door opened, Ron burst in, chattering excitedly.

"Can you extend Burning Hands to six feet yet?" Daisova smiled faintly and countered.

At those words, Ron’s excited expression instantly crumbled.

"Mentor Daisova, I think you’re lying to me! The internet says most magic apprentices only need to reach three feet to pass. I can already do five feet—lots of people online don’t even believe that! Six feet is just impossible."

"Is that so?" Daisova’s expression was inscrutable.

"Alright, alright, I know you’re a genius, but… but… fine, I’ll keep practicing, okay?"

Ron had probably already guessed what Daisova was about to say next, so he surrendered immediately, hanging his head as he trudged inside.

Daisova watched Ron’s somewhat dejected back and shook his head lightly, a trace of nostalgia flashing in his eyes.

To be honest, he regretted it now—the decision to drop out of Felix because they withheld some advanced magical knowledge.

He truly regretted it.

Because of his withdrawal, not only did his family rage, but his father flew into a fury, even threatening to sever their relationship.

He had also lost his chance to step into the Keville Empire’s circles of power.

He could no longer rely on his family’s resources, and his pride wouldn’t allow him to, so he was left to drift in society.

He was clever—though he had never set foot in society before, he adapted quickly.

Still, even so, he often missed his days studying at Felix.

Back then, the Magic Mentors were always patient and answered every question he had.

There was always a group of peers who followed his lead.

Looking back, he realized he had been too arrogant back then—even viewing the Magic Mentors as nothing more than "human-shaped Magic Books."

It wasn’t until he started teaching Ron that he gradually understood the mentors’ good intentions in withholding certain advanced magical knowledge.

Every time he thought about it, a pang of shame rose in his heart.

Because not everyone was as smart as him, able to grasp things in an instant.

In his view, it was as simple as one plus one equals two—completely self-evident, requiring no derivation. He didn’t even know how to explain the process; the answer was obvious at a glance. Yet, Ron just couldn’t grasp it.

He was even forced to revisit basic magical knowledge and scour the magic forums for teaching methods.

To be honest, the process was agonizing at first, sustained only by sheer stubbornness and refusal to admit defeat.

But gradually, he realized that Ron was his true Magic Mentor.

He was too clever, often overlooking fundamental concepts. Teaching Ron became a way to fill in his own gaps.

Now, he could already cast fourth-level spells and had even begun attempting to analyze fifth-level ones.

By the Keville Empire’s mage ranking system, he was already worthy of the title Grand Magus.

Once he could cast fifth-level spells, he would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Twit Town’s Pastoral Mage, Stanford, as a formidable Archmage.

All of this was tied to his talent, to teaching Ron, and—most of all—to the internet.

The one thing Daisova was most grateful for now was that the internet had not failed his expectations.

His current magical prowess owed everything to the internet.

Especially online classes and the Q&A community, which had been immensely helpful.

Without the internet, even if he had been given magic books, relying solely on a closed-door policy would have delayed his progress by at least three to five years.

It was even possible he could have been stuck on a single obstacle for a lifetime.

It was the online classes and the Q&A community that had helped him—particularly the teachings of the online instructor "Nian Shao."

Unfortunately, Nian Shao hadn’t taught any classes in a year. Many speculated he was in seclusion, attempting to break through to the Saint Magus realm.

If that’s the case, I hope you achieve it soon!

Daisova thought to himself.

"Archmage Daisova, are we continuing with Earth Magic today?"

"Mhm, same as usual. Watch the online class first, and pause to ask me if you don’t understand."

Daisova sprawled lazily in his chair as he spoke, simultaneously opening the internet to check for updates.

He had spent the entire night studying fifth-level spells, so he hadn’t noticed any updates.

"Okay!"

Ron obediently nodded, deftly opening the internet, clicking into the online classes, and selecting a public lecture from Felix to watch.

It had to be admitted—the major Magic Academies of the Keville Empire had profound foundations!

At first, most online classes were taught by disorganized, self-taught mages.

But once the Magic Academies began uploading public lectures—especially after incorporating magic artifacts to record and share video—audio-only classes completely lost their market.

Now, online classes had become the primary battleground for Magic Academies to expand their influence.

Of course, there were still a few exceptionally skilled unofficial mages who taught there as well.

Daisova glanced at the Virtual Screen in front of Ron, watching the familiar Magic Mentor Brad on the public lecture.

Once I break through to the Archmage realm, I’ll go and apologize to him properly!

While Ron watched the online class, Daisova also browsed the internet.

As one of the first users to access the internet, he had practically witnessed its gradual refinement firsthand.

In a way, the internet had grown alongside him!

The latest update to the Internet was indeed explosive, no wonder Ron was so excited.

Opening the forum, he noticed a surge in images—something rarely seen in posts before. Most were just random snapshots of street scenes. The local forum of Twit Town, which he frequented the most, was practically boiling over.

In the past, only a few established merchants would use magic artifacts to record and upload images of magical items, hawking their wares on the forum. But now, the place was flooded with pictures taken by adventurers, dazzling to the eye.

Well, looks like I won’t even need to visit the morning market anymore, Daisova thought to himself.

Just as he was about to open the e-commerce platform, a crisp voice call ringtone chimed in his ear. A small call notification popped up on the Virtual Screen.

Seeing the label "Mother," Daisova froze for a moment. After a brief hesitation, he quickly stood up, left the room, and answered the call in the living room. His mother was practically his only remaining connection to his family.

The moment the call connected, Daisova’s pupils dilated in shock. On the massive Virtual Screen, the image of a middle-aged woman appeared—so familiar, yet somehow distant.

"Daisova! Daisova! It’s really you…" His mother gasped, covering her mouth as tears instantly streamed down her face.

Daisova was stunned.

He suddenly realized—she could see him. Indeed, in the top-right corner of her video feed, there was a small picture-in-picture showing his own face at that very moment.

This was clearly the newly introduced video call feature, which shared the same ringtone as voice calls, differentiated only by a small line of text. Out of habit, Daisova had overlooked it.

Ding!

Flustered, he quickly ended the video call, his heart pounding wildly.

The room fell silent.

Unconsciously, he looked up, his eyes burning, his nose stinging fiercely as if something wet was about to spill out.

Damn Internet God! Why did they have to update this feature?! he cursed inwardly.

"Teacher Daisova… you’re crying," Ron said softly from the doorway, staring blankly.

"Shut up!" Daisova snapped, turning around with bloodshot eyes.

Ron shrank back but, after a moment, timidly added, "Was that… your mom?"

"Will you turn mute if you stop talking?!" Daisova’s eyes flared red.

Ron grew even more fearful, but after hesitating, he mumbled, "Teacher… I miss my mom."

"You—!"

Daisova suddenly flashed in front of Ron, grabbing him by the collar. But as he stared into Ron’s wide, round eyes, his own gaze flickered before he abruptly let go. With a loud bang, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Out on the street, Daisova charged around like an enraged lion. He desperately wished some reckless mercenary would cross his path, giving him an outlet for his fury.

Unfortunately, the usually rowdy adventurers—who’d even risk electrocution for a brawl—seemed to have all vanished today, as if they’d collectively dropped dead.

Ding!

A message notification sounded.

Gritting his teeth, Daisova opened the Internet with reddened eyes. It was a text from his mother.

"Thank the Internet God for blessing me, allowing me to see you with my own eyes! Do you know? Every time we talk, I always feel like it's unreal. I fear something terrible has happened to you. Now that I've seen you, I can finally rest easy. Even though you've grown a beard and look so different, I know it's really you."

"Just now, your father glanced at you with reddened eyes before walking away. The truth is, he forgave you long ago. Really, every time I talk to you, he finds excuses to linger nearby and listen for a long time. If you just come back, he won’t blame you. Truly."

"The family has been under great pressure these past two years. The Empire is changing too much, and your father is struggling to hold everything together. You’re so clever, Daisova—come back and help him!"

Along with these words came a photograph.

In the picture, a red-robed mage stood by the garden, gazing up at the sky, his figure solitary.

Against the crimson magic robe was his head of gray-white hair.

This image shattered Daisova’s defenses completely. The senseless anger he had harbored vanished in an instant.

Daisova stared blankly at the internet for a long time before replying with a trembling, unfocused mental message: "Wait until I break through to the Archmage realm."

After sending it, he thought for a moment and added: "It won’t be long now."