A Sorcerer’s Journey

Inside Grimm’s study within Moth Frog Town governor’s mansion…

“Muyi!”

Muyi, the training Knight who was by the door, responded to Grimm’s call and ran into the study with sweat covering his forehead. This was a diligent and hardworking child; a Legendary Knight that was not born from constitution but from hard work and determination.

“My Lord.”

Muyi kneeled and looked at Grimm.

With a sigh, Grimm stated, “Go to the orphanage and accompany your Grandma Vivian. Try to make her happier these days. As you know, she is my apprentice-sister and you are her favorite child.”

Muyi flinched, but he eventually nodded.

“Yes.”

Along with Muyi’s departure, Grimm put down Moth Frog Town’s development plan notes in frustration. After that, he slowly walked toward the window of the study and stared into the horizon.

***

“Grandma Vivian.”

Muyi helped Vivian to start a fire and washed some vegetables. The two other middle-aged women present stared at Muyi in confusion. What was the personal Knight guard of the governor doing here at the orphanage again?

There were no abnormalities on Vivian’s wrinkled face as she continued to cook for the children. After this, all that was left was to wait for the children of the orphanage to return from the Knights Teaching Academy. It would not be long until the children return like a pack of hungry wolves after class.

“Governor Grimm let you come back?”

After cleaning everything, Vivian wiped her hands as she asked Muyi.

“Hmm.”

Muyi nodded.

As a Legendary Knight, Muyi could not sense the dissipation of Vivian’s soul. However, he could feel that Vivian’s body had started to weaken. This was a clear sign that the body was withering to its limit.

Vivian shook her head. Before she could say anything, the main door opened with a loud creaking sound. A huge group of children aged between a few years old to that of teenagers ran happily into the kitchen shouting.

“Grandma Vivian, what are we having today?”

“Grandma Vivian, I’m hungry!”

“Grandma Vivian, why did you give him food first? That’s not fair!”

The children surrounded Vivian. Vivian had a smile on her face as she helped to maintain order with Muyi and the two other plump women.

“Don’t squeeze, one at a time!”

Muyi peeked at Vivian. Seeing that she had a kind smile on her face, it subconsciously reduced the sadness in his heart. As a child who was not good at expressing himself, Muyi had always seen this kind old lady as his only family.

***

Huff, huff, huff…

At night, Vivian tirelessly checked the blankets of all the orphans before she smiled at Muyi and said, “You used to be like this. You have no idea how worried you’ve made me before you finally grew up.”

Muyi had an embarrassed look on his face.

Following Vivian out of the orphans’ common bedroom, the two of them sat on the stone bench in the garden. Soon, the weather got colder.

After giving it a thought, Muyi ran back into the house and grabbed a mat. Then, he laid the mat on the stone chair beneath Vivian and said softly, “Don’t catch a cold, Grandma.”

With a soft smile on her face, Vivian stared at the starry sky of the Sorcerers World and asked, “Muyi, how big do you think the Sorcerers World is?”

Muyi gave it a thought, but he could only shake his head and said, “I don’t know. I heard that there are other Sorcerer Academies besides Hydra Wrath Sorcerer Academy. This is a world that belongs to Sorcerers.”

“Indeed, this is a world that belongs to Sorcerers. Its size is something that a Knight like you cannot imagine. Furthermore, the Sorcerers World is only a grain of sand in the Endless World. Muyi, tell Grandma, are you really satisfied with being a Legendary Knight in Moth Frog Town for the rest of your life?”

Muyi gritted his teeth and shook his head.

Vivian smiled as she touched Muyi’s face which had started to show the charms of a grown man. Watching Muyi grow every day, Vivian felt as if she was watching her young self.

“Come, follow Grandma somewhere. Grandma doesn’t have the achievements that Governor Grimm has, but there are a few things I can give you.”

At the sealed room in Vivian’s cottage, Muyi saw things that he had never seen before, one after another. From these items, Muyi felt as if he had seen a small fraction of the Sorcerers World; he saw an entirely new wondrous world through these items.

Vivian smiled and said, “These things will be my gift to you. If you want to go to the Underground Abyss Sorcerer Academy in the future, even with Governor Grimm’s modified Great Bloodfalls Lavawyvern Hematology Sorcery, traveling through the Sorcerers World is still too dangerous for you. However, with these items, your trip will be much safer.”

Muyi thanked her gratefully, “Thank you, Grandma!”

“Silly child, once Grandma is no longer here, you have to learn more from Governor Grimm. He will be a Great Sorcerer in the Sorcerers World in the future.”

Muyi shook his head.

“No, grandma. Don’t say such words…”

Vivian stopped Muyi’s words and stated, “Grandma is tired. I need to rest, so run along now. Just remember my words.”

Biting onto his lips, Muyi felt a twinge in his nose, then with his eyes wet, he nodded and left after closing the door behind him.

Vivian was lost in her thoughts for quite some time, as if she was reminiscing her entire life. Suddenly, she had a mysterious smile on her face as she took out the Eternally Projecting Crystal Ball.

Gradually, Vivian pulled out the necklace on her chest and opened it, revealing a green pill that was hidden within it.

“Let’s hope that it is as effective as how it was advertised.”

After swallowing the pill, Vivian waited patiently for the pill to take effect.

Not long after that, Vivian felt an indescribable heat and itchiness coming from the insides of her body. At the same time, she felt the insides of her body tighten.

After a short pause, Vivian stepped in front of a mirror and watched herself reverting back to her beautiful young self. Her red lips arched into a happy smile, then she ran toward the Eternally Projecting Crystal Ball as fast as she could.

At this moment, Vivian felt that her heart was pumping like a joyous little deer, red blushes soon flashed across her cheeks.

***

Two days later, the Eternally Projecting Crystal Ball appeared on Grimm’s desk.

Within the crystal ball, Vivian’s beautiful face was like when Grimm first met her, pure and cute as she watched Grimm like some kind of mature and dependable elder brother.

“Grimm apprentice-brother, before I met you, I was your shadow in master’s eyes. I remember back then; I was extremely jealous of you and was willing to do anything to surpass you. I wanted to prove to master that I am not your shadow.”

In the crystal ball, Vivian shook her head with a smile after finishing her sentence.

“However, after I met you, I found out that I was wrong. Your wisdom never fails to amaze me, I never thought that a Sorcerer’s wisdom could be as such. I can still remember clearly about the strongest sorcery you explained to me in my first class, that is something I will never forget.”

Little by little, Vivian spoke for a few minutes within the Eternally Projecting Crystal Ball. Most of the things she mentioned were her understanding of Grimm and the changes she had on her point of view.

In the end, Vivian suddenly had a smile on her face and asked bashfully, “Apprentice-brother, I really like you. Can I ask you to put this Eternally Projecting Crystal Ball together with sister Lefay?”

The Eternally Projecting Crystal Ball paused on Vivian’s pure smile for a short while before the image of the crystal ball replayed itself.

“Muyi!”

After summoning Muyi into his study, Grimm questioned with a low voice, “When did Vivian pass on?”

“Two days ago, Grandma Vivian asked me to only let you know after two days.”

Grimm closed his eyes and gestured for Muyi to take his leave. Soon after, tears gradually fell from the edges of his eyes.

After quite some time, Grimm stood up all of a sudden and ripped opened a Dimensional Gap, then he took out a gigantic sealing device. Grimm’s gaze softened as he stared at Lefay who was in the sealing device as if he had recalled the happy days he had back when he was a Sorcerer-Apprentice, the days when Lefay, Robinson, Robin, Nina York, and Chris York were still by his side.

Years went by, after he had become a real Sorcerer that he dreamt of becoming, he could no longer find the pure kind of happiness he had back then.

Perhaps this was the price that one had to pay for growing up.

Grimm placed the Eternally Projecting Crystal Ball left by Vivian on the crystal device where Lefay was sealed. This was a path of seeking for the truth of the World’s rules and turning an impossible dream into reality.

The ancestors of human beings had too many things that they could not control, that was why they eventually guided the future generations toward the path of a Sorcerer. A path to evolve into a ‘God’!

But, could Sorcerers really achieve the ideal world that the ancestors desired?

Even the Greatest Sorcerer was none other than another life under one of the rules of the Endless World. After surpassing a Level-8 Sorcerer, the theory of leaving the coverage area of the Endless World had never occurred. It was impossible to achieve the level of a ‘God’ who could split the skies and earth like how it was mentioned in the legends.

‘God’ was forever something that only existed in legends.

If….

If Sorcerers could really achieve the ancestors’ God dream, perhaps things would be better…

Grimm closed the Dimensional Gap with a heavy heart. Afterward, with his teary eyes carrying hints of emptiness, he gradually closed his eyes.