Chapter 5 : Chapter 5
Chapter 5: Two-Stage Mental Guidance?
A black military off-road vehicle, accompanied by a low rumbling engine, came to a stop at the entrance of Gloomwood on the outskirts of Jianghai City.
The door opened, and Ye Hongyu stepped out first.
She scanned the surroundings vigilantly. Only after confirming that it was safe did she open the rear door.
“Young Master, we have arrived.”
Lin Mo stretched lazily and got out of the car.
He looked at the forest before him, shrouded in mist all year round.
A chilling wind swept through, rustling the leaves, while the occasional roar of beasts echoed from deep within.
【‘Fireball’ lets out a sinister cackle: Gloomwood, I, Little Fireball, have returned! Tremble, you wild monsters! Fear me, you insects! My flames shall once again cleanse this sinful land!】
“…”
“Keep it down. You are a skill, not some final boss villain.”
Lin Mo’s lips twitched as he silently complained in his mind.
The two of them walked one after the other into the outer perimeter of the forest.
As she moved, Ye Hongyu skillfully drew two daggers that gleamed with a cold light and spoke:
“Young Master, to ensure your leveling efficiency, I will not form a party with you.”
“Forming a party would split your experience, and when a high-level accompanies a low-level, the experience gained is also reduced.”
“My plan is to lure and control the monsters, weaken them to near death, and let you deliver the final blow. That way, you will gain 100% of the experience.”
“Understood, Sister Ye. Thank you for your hard work.”
Lin Mo nodded, looking completely at ease.
Seeing his casual demeanor, Ye Hongyu sighed inwardly.
She had watched this young master grow up.
Although he had always been somewhat lazy—preferring to lie down whenever possible—he had never shown the arrogance or tyranny typical of noble heirs.
He was always polite and courteous to the servants, humble and well-mannered. Everyone in the household liked this young master.
Originally, she thought the awakening setback would leave him dispirited for a while. Yet unexpectedly, he showed such determination, even pulling an all-nighter to grind levels right after awakening.
Unfortunately… he had awakened as a Blank-Slate Mage.
A trace of regret flashed through Ye Hongyu’s eyes.
In this world, what mattered most for the mage class was “elemental affinity.”
Affinity not only determined damage and the probability of learning skills, but also determined one’s “control” over magical abilities.
A Blaze Mage with fire elemental affinity, even as a beginner, could control fireballs with ease—hitting whatever they aimed at.
A Blank-Slate Mage, however, was like wielding a gun with massive recoil. Whether it hit the target depended entirely on luck.
The further one progressed, the more apparent this gap in control became.
Although the young master had the will, this innate deficiency was simply too difficult to overcome…
Ye Hongyu pondered silently.
She would do her best to help him level up over the next few days, but getting into that legendary “Supreme Academy of Kyoto” was likely impossible.
After all, in its hundreds of years of history, that academy had never admitted a single Blank-Slate Mage.
Lost in thought, the two had already advanced deeper into the forest.
Ye Hongyu suddenly stopped, her expression turning more serious.
“Young Master, ahead is the territory of Shadow Wolves. Although they are also Level 3, they are known for their speed and agility, making them extremely troublesome.”
She turned to Lin Mo and advised:
“With your current control over Fireball, even if I weaken them, it will be difficult for you to hit such agile targets.”
“If you miss, it will not only waste mental energy but also time.”
“My suggestion is that we bypass this area and head west to find Ironhide Boars. Those creatures have thick defenses but move slowly, making them suitable for practicing accuracy.”
After listening, Lin Mo merely shrugged indifferently.
“We are already here. If we run into them, just weaken them for me. Do not waste the experience.”
“But—”
Ye Hongyu tried to persuade him further.
“Do not worry, Sister Ye. I have some confidence in my aim.”
Lin Mo grinned, his face full of confidence.
After all, Little Fireball had already swept through this place last night. Lin Mo was not worried at all.
Ye Hongyu froze for a moment, suspicion rising in her heart as she looked at his confident expression.
Where did this confidence come from?
He probably had never encountered high-agility wild monsters before.
Even a Blaze Mage with S-grade elemental affinity would find it nearly impossible to hit a Shadow Wolf on their first day after changing class.
But then she reconsidered.
That made sense. The monsters of the Verdant Grasslands were nowhere near as fast as Shadow Wolves.
It was likely because he had never seen one before that he could be so confident.
“Alright, since you insist, we will give it a try.”
Ye Hongyu said no more, tightening her grip on the daggers. “If you miss, I will finish it immediately. I will not let you be in danger.”
“Alright, Sister Ye, thank you.”
Lin Mo smiled and patted her shoulder.
As soon as his words fell—
WHOOSH—!
The dense bushes to their left suddenly exploded apart, and a gray-black blur shot out like an arrow released from a bow!
【Shadow Wolf, Level: Lv.3】
“Careful!”
Ye Hongyu’s gaze sharpened, her body moving faster than her voice.
With a powerful push of her long legs, she darted forward like a phantom. The daggers in her hands traced a chilling arc of light through the air.
“AWOO!”
The Shadow Wolf, still mid-pounce, let out a miserable cry.
Ye Hongyu precisely slashed its foreleg and abdomen, then followed up with a clean side kick, striking its waist fiercely.
BANG!
The Shadow Wolf crashed heavily to the ground. Though not dead, it was in a pitiful state.
“Young Master, now!”
Ye Hongyu shouted, stepping back at the same time to leave the finishing position open.
Although the wolf was injured, as a magical beast known for its speed, its instinctive evasive ability in a life-or-death moment could not be underestimated.
It all depended on whether the young master could seize this opportunity!
“Go, Little Fire.”
Lin Mo issued the command.
【‘Fireball’ cannot even be bothered to glance at the wolf: Hmph, a mere stray dog dares to face me? Allow me to grant you a magnificent death!】
WHOOSH—!
An orange-red fireball shot out from Lin Mo’s palm.
At the very moment the fireball was released, the Shadow Wolf—true to its agility—even in its heavily injured state, rolled sharply to the right, activating its innate skill “Shadow Flicker.”
That roll perfectly avoided the fireball’s original trajectory.
“Damn, it missed!”
Ye Hongyu’s heart sank.
As expected… it still was not possible?
A Blank-Slate Mage’s fireball traveled in a straight line, making it impossible to deal with sudden changes in direction.
She was just about to step in and finish the wolf to prevent any danger to the young master.
But in the very next second—
Ye Hongyu froze in place, her eyes widening in shock, as if she had witnessed something unbelievable.
The fireball, which had clearly missed, suddenly came to an abrupt halt after passing the wolf.
Then—
It forcibly twisted its trajectory, making a sharp U-turn, and shot straight toward the Shadow Wolf.
【‘Fireball’ scoffs: You think you can dodge? Did I allow that?! Die!】
Although Ye Hongyu could not hear Little Fireball’s thoughts, she could vaguely sense that the fireball carried a burst of furious indignation as it turned.
BOOM!
The returning fireball struck the Shadow Wolf with perfect accuracy.
Already on the brink of death, the wolf was instantly blown apart, flesh and blood scattering everywhere.
【Shadow Wolf (Lv.3) slain. Experience +20!】
After killing the Shadow Wolf, the fireball kept its promise and disappeared on the spot.
“!”
At that moment, Ye Hongyu stared fixedly at the fading flames.
“Th-this is…”
“Two-stage mental guidance?!”