Book 02, Growing Up

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  Book 2, Growing Up, Chapter 1 – Magical Beast, Shadowmouse

  “Magical beast ‘Shadowmouse’? Grandpa Doehring, what special qualities does a Shadowmouse possess, and what rank does it have amongst magical beasts?” Linley and Doehring Cowart were mentally communicating, but at the same time, Linley was staring excitedly at him.

  Doehring Cowart smiled. He pretended to hem and haw for a few seconds, then slowly said, “The magical beast ‘Shadowmouse’ cannot easily be hemmed into a particular rank. This is because it represents an entire race of mice. Amongst rat-type creatures, there’s two major types; the Stoneater Rat, and the Shadowmouse. But both the Stoneater Rat and the Shadowmouse are omnivores. They can eat anything, whether it is stones, bones, or even meat.”

  Linley mentally nodded.

  Just now, he had seen that black Shadowmouse nibbling on a rock.

  “Magical beasts are divided into nine ranks. Magical beasts of the first rank are the weakest. And of course, above the ninth rank are magical beasts at the Saint-level!” Doehring Cowart smiled at Linley. “Linley, the weakest type of Stoneater Rat is the Grey Stoneater Rat. Stoneater Rats of the first to third ranks are all grey in color, with some minor shading differences. A Stoneater Rat, upon reaching the fourth rank, will see its fur turn pure silver. Upon reaching the seventh rank, its fur will turn gold! A gold-colored Stoneater Rat will at least be a magical beast of the seventh rank, and at most a magical beast of the eighth rank.”

  “Linley, the Stoneater Rat race is an extremely terrifying race, primarily because they have huge numbers, and extremely sharp teeth, far sharper than the Shadowmouse race. When large numbers of Stoneater Rats appear, even an army of a hundred thousand people cannot hope to withstand them.” Doehring Cowart sighed as he spoke.

  Doehring Cowart was recalling a catastrophe he had witnessed long ago.

  The Stoneater Rat was not as fast as the Shadowmouse, but its body was as tough and durable as steel. The higher ranked a Stoneater Rat was, the tougher its body would become, and the sharper its teeth would become. Its body seemed small, but that was deceptive; in large numbers, they were absolutely terrifying.

  “The weapons used by most armies cannot kill a Stoneater Rat, but a Stoneater Rat can easily kill and devour a soldier.” Doehring Cowart sighed again.

  In Linley’s imagination, there appeared the image of a vast, endless flood of Stoneater Rats descending from the wilderness or mountains and attacking an army of men. Imagining that flood of Stoneater Rats devouring the entire army, Linley’s heart shivered.

  Absolutely terrifying.

  “Amongst the two races of rat-type creatures, the Stoneater Rat has an extremely tough defense, sharp teeth, and huge numbers. But Shadowmice? There are quite a large number of Shadowmice as well, but their numbers are far less than Stoneater Rats.” Doehring Cowart seemed like an encyclopedia, all-wise and all-knowing.

  “And Shadowmice? How powerful is a Shadowmouse?” Linley asked.

  There was a Shadowmouse not too far from him. Naturally, Linley wanted to know more about how powerful they were.

  “The weakest Stoneater Rat is a beast of the first rank. But the Shadowmouse is different! The weakest Shadowmouse is a magical beast of the third rank, with jet black fur. When its entire body turns blue in color, that is a sign that it has reached the fifth rank. And when all of its fur has turned violet, that means it has at least reached the seventh rank, and at most the eighth rank.” Doehring Cowart’s words were clear and precise.

  Linley nodded inwardly.

  Based on potential power, a Shadowmouse was not inferior at all to a Stoneater Rat.

  “Grandpa Doehring, based on what you just said, a Shadowmouse of the third or fourth rank would have pure black fur. Only upon reaching the fifth rank would its fur turn blue. So are you saying that little guy there is a magical beast of the third or fourth rank?” Linley followed up with more questions.

  “This black colored Shadowmouse is not ordinary.”

  Doehring Cowart frowned as he spoke. “The Stoneater Rat is famed for its toughness and its sharp teeth, while the Shadowmouse is famed for its speed and its sharp teeth! Speed is thus a very good way to determine the strength of any particular Shadowmouse.”

  “It moved really fast, tens of meters in the blink of an eye. But since it is a Shadowmouse, I guess that isn’t out of the ordinary.” Linley still remembered its earlier movements clearly.

  Doehring Cowart nodded. “Shadowmice are indeed very fast, but for an infant Shadowmouse to already have reached the speed of an adult Shadowmouse is definitely out of the ordinary.” A hint of a smile was on Doehring Cowart’s face.

  “Out of the ordinary?” Linley looked at Doehring Cowart.

  Doehring Cowart continued, “Right. For an infant Shadowmouse to have reached the speed of an adult Shadowmouse of the fourth rank means that when it grows up, it has the possibility of becoming a violet-colored Shadowmouse of the seventh rank. I suspect… that it is the child of a Violet Shadowmouse.”

  “The child of a Violet Shadowmouse?” Linley said questioningly. “But its fur is black.”

  Doehring Cowart laughed. “Linley, Violet Shadowmice and Blue Shadowmice, when born, all start off with black fur. Only as their strength grows will the color of their fur slowly change! The color of their fur is proof of their power!”

  Linley suddenly understood. “So that is how it is!”

  “Grandpa Doehring, then based on your words, this Shadowmouse is really amazingly fast. The Shadowmouse in front of me is slightly faster than even Uncle Hillman, but you are telling me that it is comparable to a Shadowmouse of the fourth rank. For a magical beast of the fourth rank to be faster than a warrior of the sixth rank… ” Linley couldn’t help but sigh in amazement.

  Doehring Cowart laughed. “Linley, if they weren’t so fast, why would they be called Shadowmice?”

  At the same rank of power, a Shadowmouse, when running, was far, far faster than a human warrior.

  “A Shadowmouse is a rare prize as magical beasts go, especially the seventh-ranked Violet Shadowmouse. Many a magus would want a Violet Shadowmouse, but they are simply too fast. An adult Violet Shadowmouse is valuable, but extremely hard to catch and tame. It is much easier to catch and tame an infant Violet Shadowmouse, but it is extremely rare for one to be able to meet an infant Violet Shadowmouse by itself.” Doehring Cowart smiled as he looked at Linley.

  Linley could imagine it as well.

  A Violet Shadowmouse was a magical beast of the seventh rank at least, which meant that at the very least, they had a Velocidragon’s level of power.

  “Linley, a Violet Shadowmouse is considered a king amongst rats, and can command a large swarm of Shadowmice. Although Shadowmice are not as numerous as Stoneater Rats, they are still quite numerous. An infant Violet Shadowmouse would therefore be protected by many adult Shadowmice.”

  Doehring Cowart glanced sideways at that distant black Shadowmouse, still chewing some rocks.

  “To be so powerful when still so young, eight or nine times out of ten, means that it is the infant of a Violet Shadowmouse. I really wonder how he managed to make his way to your clan’s manor, without a single adult Shadowmouse guard.” Doehring Cowart said with an air of amazement.

  Linley also agreed with Doehring Cowart’s words.

  “Linley.” Doehring Cowart suddenly looked at Linley with a strange look in his eyes. His voice carrying a hint of enticement he said, “Regardless of why the the infant Violet Shadowmouse is here… would you want to collect it as a companion? Shadowmice grow very rapidly, especially Violet Shadowmice. In ten years or so, it will finish its growth cycle. By that time, you would have a magical beast companion of at least the seven
th, and possibly even the eighth rank.”

  Hearing his words, Linley’s heart fluttered.

  Taming a magical beast of the seventh or eighth rank is extremely difficult. But taming them when they are in the infant stage is far easier.

  In addition, not all infant magical beasts are the same. Some grow up very quickly, while some grow up very slowly. Amongst the ‘dragon’ type magical beasts, some can take a thousand years to mature. Most humans simply don’t have the ability to wait so long. Shadowmice were one of the types of magical beasts that grow up fairly quickly.

  But encountering an infant Violet Shadowmouse is simply too rare of an occasion.

  After all, the more powerful a magical beast is, the more importance it attaches to protecting its young. Although it wasn’t too clear why this young Shadowmouse had appeared within his manor, it was an indisputable fact that it was indeed here, alone.

  “Linley, possessing a Violet Shadowmouse is equivalent to possessing an entire Shadowmouse army!” Doehring Cowart smiled at Linley. “This is why the Violet Shadowmouse is a far more precious magical beast than many other beasts of the seventh or eighth rank.”

  Doehring Cowart continued to try and entice Linley.

  How could a seven or eight year old Linley resist?

  “Grandpa Doehring, how would I tame this Violet Shadowmouse?” Linley looked excitedly at Doehring Cowart.

  Doehring Cowart felt very happy. “If little Linley really can tame this Shadowmouse, in the future, I can be a bit more at ease.” Doehring Cowart knew very well that as a spirit, he had no mageforce of his own at all. A Saint-level Grand Magus without mageforce really didn’t have many attacking abilities.

  There was no way for him to protect Linley.

  But after the past half year, he had already begun to consider this pure, hard-working child as his own grandson. Naturally, he wanted to come up with ways to improve Linley’s strength.

  “Linley, you must be calm.” Doehring Cowart said solemnly. “Even if this is just a Violet Shadowmouse infant, his speed is comparable to a mature Shadowmouse of the fourth rank. Even your Uncle Hillman won’t be able to catch him. You simply don’t have the ability to forcibly subdue him, and you also are not able to utilize a soulbinding magical formation.

  Linley was startled.

  His overheated mind suddenly calmed down. Laughing bitterly, he said, “Now I remember. To tame a magical beast, the first way is to forcibly subdue him, and the second way is to use a soulbinding magical formation, which can only be utilized by a magus of the seventh rank, at least.

  Linley couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.

  Alas, he was too weak. Even though he had the good fortune to encounter a Violet Shadowmouse infant, he didn’t have the ability to tame it.

  *

  Book 2, Growing Up, Chapter 2 – A Clumsy Method (Part 1)

  “Linley, don’t be discouraged. I only meant to say that there is no way for you to forcibly subdue him, I didn’t say that it is impossible to tame him at all.” Doehring Cowart laughed self-indulgently. “If he was an adult Shadowmouse, I probably wouldn’t be able to help, but… he’s just a baby Shadowmouse. As a Saint-level Grand Magus, I have some methods which can be effective in dealing with a baby Shadowmouse. In addition, there is no need for a soulbinding magical formation.”

  Linley’s calm mind immediately grew agitated again, and he turned to look at Doehring Cowart with shining eyes.

  “Grandpa Doehring, quick, tell me, what’s your plan?” Linley excitedly spoke to him mentally.

  Doehring Cowart said with a self-satisfied smile, “It’s simple. The ‘soulbinding’ technique used by the soulbinding magical formation creates a master-servant bond. And naturally, if one can subdue a magical beast, one is qualified to become its master. Right now, there’s no way for us to initiate a ‘master-servant bond’, so we can only take a step back… and initiate a ‘bond of equals’ with the Shadowmouse.”

  “Bond of equals?” Linley said curiously. “What is that? I’ve never heard of it.”

  “It’s normal for you not to have heard of it. Even five thousand years ago, during the era in which I lived, very few people know about the ‘bond of equals’.” Doehring Cowart’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. “A bond of equals represents that you and the magical beast share the same status in the relationship, with no one being the master or being the servant. As a matter of fact, a ‘bond of equals’ will give you a more intimate relationship with your magical beast, and your magical beast will more whole-heartedly assist you, giving the two of you superior teamwork.”

  Linley now understood.

  “Oh? Grandpa Doehring, from your words, it sounds like there’s a lot of advantages to this ‘bond of equals’. Why don’t most people use it?” Linley queried.

  Doehring Cowart laughed loudly. “Because, the ‘bond of equals’ is not initiated by people. Rather, it is initiated by the magical beast.”

  “Initiated by the magical beast?!” Linley was stunned.

  No wonder there was no need for setting up a soulbinding magical formation. This bond was initiated by the magical beast itself. Doehring Cowart continued, “Every single magical beast, upon birth, has the ability to initiate a ‘bond of equals’, but in their entire life, a magical beast may only enter this bond a single time. It isn’t like the soulbinding master-servant relationship, where once the master dissolves the relationship, someone else can use another soulbinding technique to tame the beast again.”

  Linley nodded.

  “But it is extremely difficult to convince a magical beast to willingly initiate the ‘bond of equals’,” Doehring Cowart continued more seriously. “You need to convince a magical beast that you are like family and make it decide that it cannot bear to part from you. Only then would it willingly enter a ‘bond of equals’ with you.”

  Linley slightly nodded.

  “Adult magical beasts have very high intelligence, so if you want to move the heart of an adult magical beast and make it view you as family, it is almost impossible.” Doehring Cowart sighed. “But juveniles are different. It is much like how human babies have low intelligence and can easily be tricked into liking you by, say, giving them some tasty food. The intelligence of magical beast babies is even lower. As long as you often feed him, he will like you. Then, spend some time playing with him. In a short period of time, this magical beast will come to adore you. This is especially true for an infant magical beast who has been separated from his community. Those are even easier to tame.”

  Hearing Doehring Cowart’s words, Linley felt as though a great weight had been lifted from him.

  “So it’s just a matter of coaxing a little kid.” Linley laughed.

  He was extremely experienced in this. Ever since he was young, he accompanied his younger brother, Wharton, playing with him and coaxing him. Linley was very much a master in the art.

  “Linley, don’t be too cocky. If you want to coax an infant magical beast, you have to pay attention to many details. If you aren’t careful, this little Shadowmouse might just give you a bite.” Doehring Cowart reminded.

  “Give me a bite?”

  Linley looked at the far-off Shadowmouse. The sound of it crunching through rocks could be heard from afar. The Shadowmouse was chewing through it as easily as he normally would’ve chewn through bread. Linley didn’t question the sharpness of the teeth of this Shadowmouse in the slightest.

  “Then what should I do?” Linley immediately lost his confidence.

  “Relax. Based on my method, you won’t have any problems at all. Based on this ‘clumsy idea’ that I have, all you need is time and patience. Don’t get agitated or impatient.” Doehring Cowart slowly began to explain his ‘clumsy idea’. “Linley, a Shadowmouse is an omnivore; it will eat anything. Bones, rocks, meat. But its favorite food is still meat, especially roasted meat. This is based on the experience of elders.”

  “Therefore, just go up Mt. Wushan to kill some beasts, then place
the cooked meat far away from him on the ground. Remember. Do not try to get near him. Each time he eats, wait for him to approach you.” Doehring Cowart laughed. “If you try to approach him, it might cause him to attack you out of fear! But if he approaches you, then there won’t be any danger at all.”

  “This method is clumsy, but very safe.” Doehring Cowart said with a smile.

  Linley understood.

  This method really was a bit clumsy, but it was also simple and direct.

  “Grandpa Doehring, won’t this Shadowmouse run all over the place?” Linley was worried that if he went and got some roasted meat, he might come back to find the Shadowmouse had gone. There would be nothing he could do then.

  “Who can say? It all comes down to your luck. But I believe that in a short period of time, it won’t go anywhere.” Doehring Cowart said.

  “Fine, I’ll go kill some wild beasts.” Linley nodded, then quickly ran towards Mt. Wushan. His footsteps were very sure, but strangely made no sound at all. This was the proof of one’s ability as a earth-style magus.

  After departing from the back gate of the manor, Linley began to run at a normal pace, and his footsteps began to sound again.

  “Young master Linley, headed to the back mountain again?” Uncle Hiri, broom in hand, was dusting the floor. He saw Linley and smiled at him.

  “Yup.” Linley assented as he sped up his pace.

  Over the past half year, Linley had been going to Mt. Wushan to train in magecraft almost every afternoon. No one else knew that he was training in magecraft, of course. But they all knew that in the afternoons, Linley liked to spend his spare time playing in the mountains.

  … ..

  Autumn. Most of the trees on Mt. Wushan had shed their leaves, but there were still many evergreen trees, as well as some maple trees covered in deep red leaves.

  A vigorous, nimble shadow could be seen piercing through the mountain forests. Linley ran silently but nimbly and fast. After having absorbed earth essence for half a year, Linley didn’t just possess mageforce; his physical strength had been raised as well.

  By this point in time, Linley’s body was comparable to the average 15-16 year old in Wushan township, and possessed the strength of a warrior of the first rank.