Chapter 4: Your Task is to Live Well
"This stone slab is inscribed with several simple magical runes, forming a rudimentary magic matrix. This matrix can absorb the fire element from the air and generate flames... How remarkable!" In the kitchen, Stephen couldn't help but exclaim as he observed the red flames emanating from the stove.
What was referred to as a stove was, in fact, merely a stone slab placed on a platform. On this slab were rows of magical runes that formed a basic magic matrix, akin to a program, continuously absorbing the fire element from the air. Of course, the magic matrix could not function simply by being engraved; it required activation through the infusion of magical energy.
Magical energy is an essential factor in becoming a magician. It is a wondrous form of energy. According to Stephen's understanding, if the stone slab with the magic matrix were a machine, then the magic matrix would be its program or circuit board, and the magical energy would serve as electricity. The machine would only start functioning once powered.
On one side of the stove's stone slab, there was a small blue crystal embedded. This crystal contained magical energy sufficient to sustain the flames on the stove for several months. By controlling the output of magical energy, the intensity of the flames could be regulated, making it as convenient to use as an induction cooker.
Magical energy is a remarkable form of energy that everyone can produce within their bodies. Its content varies depending on individual constitution, and its name differs based on the chosen profession—magicians call it magical energy (the common term), swordsmen refer to it as sword energy, believers call it faith power, and knights label it as oath energy. People in this world have also discovered various types of crystals capable of storing magical energy for later use.
"In this world, the application of magic has reached an extensive level. Almost all daily utensils are powered by magic... No wonder this is a world dominated by magic." Stephen's gaze shifted from the stove to the other utensils in the kitchen: the ceiling pendant was formed by combining the flame matrix with some glassware, and on one side of the kitchen, there was a device utilizing the wind matrix to generate a gentle breeze, functioning like an electric fan. There was even a simple box for storing food, cooled by the ice-cold matrix, completely analogous to an electric refrigerator.
Anthony's magic shop primarily traded in these magical household items. Stephen felt amazed and found it intriguing because, by examining the magic matrices in these items, he was able to comprehend the 32 magical runes using his programming knowledge—though this was limited to simple magic matrices. This was thanks to Stephen's exceptional hacking experience, which had endowed him with a powerful and almost intuitive ability to parse various strings.
"I never expected my hacking skills to be applicable to magic..."
As Stephen gazed at the various marvelous facilities in the kitchen, he couldn't help but express his admiration. A faint expression of anticipation appeared on his face.
"According to the memories of that hammerhead, the more advanced spells in this world are constructed and combined using those 32 magical runes. The difference lies in the fact that simple spells possess shorter magic templates, while advanced spells feature more complex arrays of magic templates. One significant method to assess the level of a magician is the depth of their mental power. The greater the mental power, the more intricate the magic templates they can memorize and release with extremely potent spells."
The magic spell Stephen used earlier, "Lightning," required only 12 lines of magical runes in the magic matrix. However, the highest-level magic template was said to require thousands or even hundreds of millions of lines of magical runes—this spell possessed the power to destroy the world. Not to mention the quantity of magical energy required, engraving so many magical runes into memory is undoubtedly beyond the capabilities of ordinary individuals. Only the extraordinary mental strength possessed by a mage can handle such complexity.
"Moreover, these magical runes are far more profound and mysterious than the programming languages I learned in my previous life. Programming these magical runes can create numerous wondrous effects..." Stephen continued to reflect carefully, his eyes becoming even brighter. He had already developed a strong interest in this magical world.
Of course, Stephen's top priority was to enhance his own strength. He was merely a second-level mage. The levels of mages could be roughly divided into novice mages, intermediate mages, and advanced mages. Levels one to three corresponded to novices, four to six to intermediates, and seven to nine to advanced mages. However, reaching the level of an advanced mage did not signify the end of a mage's journey. On the contrary, it could be said that this was just the beginning. At this point, mages needed to delve deeper into their specialized fields and study even more advanced magical elements. It was rumored that there were even higher sacred domains above the specialized domains.
Of course, these were not concerns for Stephen at present. In the town of Stan City where Stephen resided, the highest-level mage was only a seventh-level mage. Even in the MaTan Empire to which Stan City belonged, there were only eight specialized mages above the ninth level.
While Stephen was experiencing the beauty of the magical world, he used the magic stove to cook a pot of noodles. After the noodles were cooked, Stephen went outside to call Debby for dinner. As soon as he left the kitchen, he saw Debby practicing her sword swings in the yard, wielding a massive sword larger and heavier than her body. Despite the apparent difficulty, her tiny figure stood firm like a mountain, truly astonishing.
On the Eldendas continent, people could choose from four professions: Mage, Warrior, Priest, and Knight. Among them, a Mage required strong mental power and magical ability to excel. Due to the stringent requirements, although this was a world dominated by magic, very few people could become Mages. The other three professions had more relaxed restrictions. For example, to become a Warrior, one only needed to trigger the sword energy within their body—as mentioned earlier, almost everyone possessed this type of energy, similar to magic, but varying based on individual constitution. Debby's sword energy focused on strength, so her path as a Warrior was that of a Giant Warrior...
Debby could easily wield the massive sword heavier than her body due to her sword energy. "Debby, take a break, it's time for lunch," Stephen shouted. The little girl ended her practice with a final slash, placing the enormous sword casually on the magic water pump beside the well in the yard, wiping the sweat from her forehead and walking into the kitchen to devour a large bowl of noodles greedily.
Stephen looked at the massive sword leaning against the well in the yard, his heart stirred, and he curiously walked over to see if he could lift it... But the result proved that, as a grown man, he couldn't lift it at all! Finally, he had to reluctantly give up and comfort himself that a man should rely on wisdom when fighting, on wisdom...
Looking at Debby eating noodles at the dining table in the kitchen, Stephen turned his head toward the side door of the yard. After being reborn in this world, he didn't know what the outside looked like. Why not take this opportunity to go out and explore, to see for himself? Thinking of this, Stephen decided to head toward the yard outside.
But suddenly, a figure flashed in front of him, and Debby's slender figure had already blocked his path. With a piece of noodle dangling from her mouth, she looked at Stephen: "Hamton, what are you doing?" After saying that, she sucked the noodle into her mouth.
"I'm going for a walk..."
"No!"
Debby crossed her arms: "Busca is ruthless and shameless, exceedingly shameless. You scared him away with magic this morning. If he sees you alone outside, he might secretly attack you. So from now on, you're not allowed to go out!"
"Not possible, I can already use attack spells now, why be afraid of him?" Stephen said somewhat helplessly.
"You know, your attack spells are only effective sometimes. Maybe this morning you were lucky, but if you meet him again, it might not work. So you should stay here. I'll handle the other matters. Don't worry, I'll teach them a severe lesson three days later—I was afraid of knocking over the store's things today, so I didn't use my ultimate move. If they come again, I'm not afraid of them at all!"
"Well, can't I do something?" Stephen felt that he should be able to help.
"Yes." Debby nodded.
"What?" Stephen smiled.
"Just live well." Debby's expression was very serious.
"..."
Then Debbie gave a "I'll take care of you" look and patted Stephen's shoulder. She simply couldn't believe that Stephen was now able to freely use the "Lightning" spell as he had before. Although Stephen was two years older than Debbie, as a weak-willed magician, Debbie still voluntarily took on the role of protector in daily life... In fact, Stephen seemed to really need this young apprentice's care at the moment.
Although magicians were very powerful, their physical weakness was a disadvantage, and the number of times they could cast spells was also a major limitation.
"Well, I'll live well these days..." Stephen had to nod, but in his heart, he was thinking, "Buscar promised to come again in three days. Although Debbie is very confident, relying solely on her won't suffice. Should I prepare something for this period?"