"What the hell are you even saying?" Julius asked Zhou Rui, his brows furrowing in confusion.
Zhou Rui extended his right hand forward, palm open, as if touching something invisible. His gaze was steady, locked onto a point that Julius couldn't see.
He then turned his neck slightly toward Julius and said,
"Can't you feel it?"
"Feel what?" Julius asked, baffled.
Zhou Rui sighed, glanced at his own open palm, and muttered,
"So you can't."
"What are you even talking about?" Julius repeated, now more confused than ever.
Zhou Rui calmly replied,
"Nature's energy. It is the most important thing for a mage—and I'm surprised that you, being one, don't even know about it."
Julius scratched his head and responded,
"But I never programmed anything like that—nor did the others. There was no such thing as nature's energy in any of the games I ever played."
Zhou Rui's expression turned thoughtful.
"So it is indeed a part of the Cloud," he murmured.
"What is nature's energy?" Julius asked.
Zhou Rui began to explain,
"We have a grand mage in Lord Vermillion's palace. He is very experienced and powerful. I've heard that he's been serving the Vermillion family for over 150 years—he's a dwarf."
Zhou Rui then brought his hand back to rest on his waist and continued,
"He once told me that for a mage, conserving mana is essential. When a mage exhausts all of their mana, it takes a long time to recover. But if they leave even 1% of their mana intact, the regeneration speeds up significantly. Still, there's a better way—one that works even if all mana is depleted. That method is utilizing nature's energy."
He paused to let the words sink in, then continued,
"Nature's energy is a part of life itself. It supports mana and dramatically boosts regeneration speed. It also amplifies the strength of one's magic."
"But how do you feel nature's energy?" Julius asked, intrigued.
"I'm sorry," Zhou Rui replied, "but I cannot teach you that. Only the grand mage—Mr. Thargrim Ella—can. Why don't you ask him?"
"Will he even help me?" Julius asked.
Zhou Rui smiled. The evening wind brushed his hair to the side.
"If Lord Vermillion IV commands him, he will devote his life to you."
"Well, I'll ask Vermillion then," Julius said with a grin.
Zhou Rui turned around and began walking back toward the palace.
"Well then, let's go back."
He had only taken a few steps when Julius, with his left hand tucked into his pocket and his right hand rubbing the back of his neck, called out,
"You're not a bad guy after all."
Zhou Rui paused for a second, smiled subtly, then resumed walking.
By now, the air was turning chillier as evening settled in. The wind had picked up slightly, rustling the leaves of the surrounding trees. Strange birds flew across the sky—some large, some small—shapes unfamiliar to Julius.
They soon arrived back at the palace courtyard, where Lord Vermillion IV and Marcus were still outside, engaged in conversation. As they approached, Vermillion noticed them and nodded.
"They're back," he said to Marcus.
Marcus stopped mid-sentence and turned to face them.
Vermillion IV stepped forward, walking toward them.
"How was the walk, Mr. Airu?"
Zhou Rui smiled, the wind still teasing his hair.
"It was nice," Julius replied.
Then he added,
"I have a favor to ask you, Vermillion."
Vermillion IV raised a curious brow.
"Sure, go ahead."
"Can you ask the grand mage to teach me about nature's energy and how to use it?" Julius asked.
Vermillion looked genuinely surprised.
"Wait—you know about nature's energy?"
Before Julius could answer, Zhou Rui stepped in,
"No, he doesn't. Nature's energy wasn't created by him or his team. It's a part of the Cloud."
"Oh, I see," Vermillion IV said, processing the information.
Then he smiled and nodded.
"Sure. I'll ask the grand mage to teach you about nature's energy."
"Thank you," Julius said, visibly grateful.
Marcus added,
"Airu, Lord Vermillion IV will send the grand mage outside, so wait here. Meanwhile, Zhou Rui, come with us to the throne room—we have matters to discuss."
Zhou Rui bowed respectfully.
"Sure, my lord."
With that, the three—Vermillion IV, Zhou Rui, and Marcus—walked inside.
Julius remained outside, enjoying the cold breeze. His hands were buried in his pockets, and he looked up at the darkening sky. The cool air brushed against his face.
He muttered to himself,
"It's been a while since I let Saya and Serena out…"
Lost in thought, a couple of minutes passed. Then a voice called out from the direction of the palace gate.
"Hello, kid."
Julius turned around to see the grand mage approaching, walking steadily with his staff in his right hand. His long beard swayed as he walked, and with his left hand, he stroked it thoughtfully.
"Good evening, Grand Mage," Julius greeted.
"Good evening, Airu," the dwarf mage replied warmly.
"I'll be really grateful if you could teach me about nature's energy," Julius said sincerely.
The old mage nodded, his staff tapping lightly against the ground.
"Well then, let's begin your training."