After picking up the book, Zhang Wei turned right around the corner, eager to begin practicing as soon as possible.
Feeling the rough texture of the book in his hands, he couldn't help but smile. He carried Ethan's memories now, and in this world, magic was considered normal.
But to him, it was something far beyond ordinary—it was magical, breathtaking, and wonderful.
His heart thumped against his chest in excitement. When in his past life had he ever dreamed of casually summoning wind or fire into his hand?
This world truly felt like home.
He walked in a good mood, lost in his thoughts—until suddenly…
"Ethan!" A voice called out from behind.
Zhang Wei frowned the moment he recognized it. The voice belonged to someone he didn't like.
Turning his head, he saw Justin walking toward him, smiling.
"What does this guy want now?" Zhang Wei thought with irritation.
"Brother Ethan! Did you just return from the library?" Justin asked warmly, his tone far friendlier than usual.
Zhang Wei raised an eyebrow in surprise. He wanted to see what kind of scheme this bastard was planning.
"First time you've ever called me brother, isn't it?" Zhang Wei asked coldly.
Justin only smiled, unfazed. "Don't be so harsh, my brother. I may have been strict before and said hurtful things, but I only wanted you to be motivated enough to awaken your power!"
He placed a hand on Zhang Wei's shoulder, pretending to explain his struggles. He claimed everything he had done was for Zhang Wei's own good.
But in truth, when Justin first heard that Ethan had awakened, he was shocked. How could someone like him awaken without showing any signs beforehand?
His mother then advised him to forget about the earlier slap in the face and make peace. Since Ethan had awakened magic, they could no longer treat him the same way as before.
So now Justin was here, trying to smooth things over. "I just want to invite you to dinner tonight, so we can put the past behind us."
Zhang Wei slapped Justin's hand away with force. "Do you think I'm three years old? You want to fool me with that? Just say what you really want."
"Okay, okay… I only want to invite you to a gathering in the city. Your childhood sweetheart Lyla will also be there. I'm sure she misses you."
Justin's smile twitched as he looked at his rejected hand. "It's fine. I'll just invite him once. If not for my mother's orders, why would I waste time on this guy?" he thought bitterly, gritting his teeth.
"Lyla…?" Zhang Wei blinked, feeling a strange stir in his chest. Memories he had ignored before suddenly resurfaced—memories of laughter, warmth, and a boy who woke up every day just to see one girl.
"Damn it, Ethan… you've still been hiding things from me," Zhang Wei thought, frowning as he suppressed the feeling. Without hesitation, he shook his head.
"No. I don't want to go. And don't bother me again."
He said bluntly, not bothering to be polite, and continued down the
"Tsk." Justin clicked his tongue, glaring at his back with gloom in his eyes.
...
Tat. Tat. Tat.
The sound of footsteps echoed through the forest.
Zhang Wei lifted his head. He was almost at his destination.
The tall trees around him grew fewer, and the forest slowly opened into a wide grassland. Clear skies stretched above, and fierce winds swept across the land.
"Almost there," he muttered.
Stepping out from the shadow of the trees, Zhang Wei stood on the edge of the grassland. The wind hit his face like waves, tugging at his clothes and forcing him to squint.
"This is the same path I took while hunting beasts of equal strength a few days ago," he reminded himself.
But today, the wind was stronger. Dust stung his eyes, making them water. Narrowing his gaze, he looked at the distant horizon. The sky was a mix of gray and blue, but it didn't look like rain was coming.
"Should I still practice here?" he wondered, stroking his chin.
He had two reasons for coming: one was to train in the magic spell Azure Wind in a wide, open space; the other was to complete the second requirement of his intermediate swordsmanship training.
If he delayed until after advancing, enemies would only grow stronger, making it harder. Of course, as a noble, he had training grounds available at home—even fields suited for wind magic practice.
But still, he decided, "Since I've already come this far, it'd be a shame to waste the trip."
Determined, Zhang Wei clenched his fists. "I'll complete this today. Not even the gods can stop me, haha!"
His laughter rang across the empty grassland, eerie and childlike.
Then—
From the eastern side, he spotted a large beast. It looked like a buffalo, its massive frame covered in muscle. The creature had already noticed him.
"Huff!"
It snorted, blowing out hot air from its nostrils.
Crack!
The ground trembled as its hooves struck, leaving cracks in the soil.
Boom!
Its body was like a tank, thick muscles rippling, massive horns sharp and deadly. At first glance, It was the kind of beast that made one thing instantly clear:
You can't face this barehanded.
Crick-crick!
Its heavy steps shook the ground, scattering small animals hiding in the tall grass.
Then it charged forward like a tank, straight at Zhang Wei.
Any normal person would have given up and prepared their last words.
But was Zhang Wei normal?
Of course not.
Stomp!
Both feet pressed into the ground, then recoiled with explosive force.
Clang!
Drawing his sword, Zhang Wei leapt two and a half meters into the air. In front of him charged an unstoppable beast.
Yet he wasn't nervous. With his sword in hand, his heart was steady.
The blade gleamed in the wind.
Slash!
The air split apart as the blade descended.
"Moo!"
The beast bellowed, lowering its horn to clash with the descending blade.
Cut!
A flash of steel—then silence.
Tat.
Zhang Wei landed lightly on the grass, sword still in hand.
Tick.
A single drop of blood fell to the ground.
"First kill today. Five more to go."
His calm voice drifted across the field as he walked away, leaving behind the fallen beast.
At first, only small drops of blood trickled down its neck.
Then suddenly—
Whoosh!
The wound burst open, spilling blood in a violent stream, soaking the grass beneath it.