Cyril began to enjoy exploring Rose Manor, becoming more enthusiastic about his nighttime excursions. Guided by the system, he stumbled upon an old, thick-skinned book inside a hollow in a massive tree – "Strange Creatures' Cookbook."
Cyril briefly flipped through the book under the faint light of an oil lamp, then closed it with an expressionless face. The book started with ten ways to cook round-faced, plump chickens, but the illustrations on the pages clearly depicted owls!
How could anyone eat owls when they were so adorable?
Nevertheless, apart from the cooking-related sections, the book also provided insights into the characteristics and habits of various creatures (although the original author's intention was to instruct readers on capturing these creatures for food). It was worth noting and learning from.
Cyril tucked the book under his arm and let the system continue guiding him. He proceeded deeper into the forest behind Rose Manor.
After passing through a small dense forest, Cyril finally spotted an old-fashioned cottage. The moon was high in the sky, casting a dense night over everything. The small cottage, surrounded by tall trees, appeared eerie in this moonlit darkness.
Cyril circled around the cottage but found no clues. Finally, he approached a window, raised his oil lamp, and peered inside.
However, the interior of the cottage seemed like a typical hunter's simple resting place: a small bed, a basic stove, not even a chair.
"The thing is inside there!" the system asserted confidently.
Cyril pushed open the wooden door, entered the room, and then closed the door behind him. Since the cottage had no hidden places to stash items, Cyril quickly found a tarot deck inside the teapot on the stove.
"Name: Tarot Cards of the Diviner
Usage: Increases divination accuracy by 10%
How to Use: Perhaps you'll need to take a divination course after entering the Wizard's Academy (divination is the marvelous art of resolving uncertainty!)
Note: Of course, it's recommended for those without any divination talent and no money to sell it for some wizard crystals."
Seeing the system's more polite wording, Cyril felt a touch of relief. He continued to thoroughly search the entire cottage and found two sparkling thin pieces of wizard crystals – "Witch Crystals."
"Name: Ordinary Wizard Crystals
Quantity: 2
Usage: Universal currency in the Wizard Continent
How to Use: 1 Wizard Crystal = 10 Gold Coins
Note: As you can see, these are probably just two ordinary wizard crystals that some stingy wizard forgot."
Cyril realized he only had five gold coins on him. He couldn't even exchange them for one wizard crystal!
He suddenly felt the weight of poverty. He picked up the two wizard crystals, about to put them in his pocket, when he heard a creaking sound as someone pushed open the wooden door.
Cyril had been facing the cottage's small door the whole time, so he immediately turned to look at the entrance with caution.
"Hey, I've got my eyes on that thing too," a baby-faced teenager with a dagger said when he saw Cyril hadn't yet put away the wizard crystals. His eyes lit up. He didn't know what it was, but grabbing it first was definitely the right move!
The teenager waved his dagger menacingly, making a threatening gesture of slicing a throat.
Cyril felt somewhat annoyed. Was he really that easy to bully?
He calmly glanced at the teenager and muttered a spell under his breath, "Blazing Inferno."
This was one of the magic spells recorded on that old tapestry – "Fireball," and Cyril had been practicing it.
As he completed the magic rune for "Fireball," a head-sized ball of fire appeared in Cyril's right palm. The fireball resembled a miniature sun and instantly outshone the dim light of the oil lamps held by both of them, bathing the entire cottage in brilliance.
Everyone was armed with melee weapons, and here he was using magic???
The baby-faced teenager's pupils trembled.
"Sorry, never mind. I'm leaving," he stammered, looking at Cyril with panic in his eyes. He turned and ran, afraid that if he didn't hurry, the newcomer who could use magic might catch up and snatch his belongings.
Once the teenager left, Cyril quickly dispersed the magical energy that had formed the fireball, causing the bright fireball to vanish. He then shook his right hand vigorously.
"Ouch, that burned me!"
It seemed he wasn't ready to handle a fireball without scorching himself. Cyril sighed, feeling that he was far from being a skilled mage.
He was about to leave when he reached the cottage's door and found he couldn't step past it. He had moved forward, but the door appeared farther away.
A trap, perhaps?
Cyril frowned, sensing that something was amiss. However, the teenager had exited the cottage effortlessly.
What was the difference between him and the teenager?
Suddenly, Cyril had an idea. He took out the two wizard crystals and the tarot cards from his pocket and placed them on the bed. Then, he tried walking out again.
Sure enough, this time he successfully stepped out of the cottage.
Well, that was interesting – it seemed that either the items or himself could exit, but not both.
Cyril picked up the wizard crystals and tarot cards from the window sill, shook his head, and muttered, "It's quite a cruel trick to force people to leave through the window."
For some reason, he suddenly thought of Mr. Scott's cunning and wicked smile.
Cyril shook his head, banishing the unkind smile of the handsome wizard from his mind, and continued on his way.
However, as he walked further, he didn't sense any significant magical fluctuations in the vicinity. During this time, he encountered some individuals who, like him, were traveling alone. Everyone cast cautious glances at each other before hurriedly heading in different directions.
The night grew deeper, and Cyril had covered quite a distance, feeling a hint of weariness. "I should rest for the night and continue tomorrow," he thought to himself.
Tomorrow, he could exchange information with Miss Weber and the blond boy. With that in mind, he made his way back to Rose Manor's main building.
On his way back, Cyril realized just how far he had ventured. He hadn't expected the depths of Rose Manor's estate to be so vast, seemingly endless.
He walked for nearly an hour before returning to the grand main house. Stepping into the familiar hall, Cyril felt an overwhelming urge to collapse onto his room's soft, inviting bed.
However, when he reached the staircase, he noticed that four teenagers, who had been sitting on the stairs before, had now risen, brandishing gleaming weapons in their hands.
The four robust teenagers formed a solid line, effectively blocking any ascent up the stairs.
Cyril glanced at them and remembered one of the girls mentioning the "Ales gang" during dinner. It appeared they were truly shameless, actually guarding the staircase to rob newcomers.
"Do you know who I am?" a central, bronze-skinned youth in the group asked menacingly, his voice dripping with hostility.
Cyril sarcastically thought, "I bet you're Jenny Masto, Aristotle's second aunt."
He raised his head and gave the individuals before him a cold, disdainful look, his normally clear and warm hazel eyes now radiating impatience.
Seeing that Cyril was not easily intimidated, the leader of the Ales gang scowled. It seemed the newcomer needed a lesson.
He raised his hand, and the three other teenagers at his side charged straight at Cyril.
"System! Give me directions!" Cyril was prepared for this. He had done more than just improve his mental abilities during his time in the Misty Moon Forest.
"Alright! Here they come! Finally, some real combat practice, how exciting!" the system enthusiastically rubbed its hands together.
"To your right, one o'clock direction, sidestep!" the system directed.
Cyril swiftly sidestepped, avoiding the first attack, then lifted his leg and delivered a kick to the attacker's knee.
At that moment, he felt a warm surge of power coursing through his body.
The assailant stumbled and fell to the ground.
"Watch your back! Lower your head by ten centimeters!" the system warned.
The person who had initially planned to attack Cyril from behind suddenly realized that the young man seemed to have eyes in the back of his head and skillfully dodged his attack.
Cyril could almost hear the short dagger whizzing through the air above his head.
Taking advantage of his opponent's unsteady footing, Cyril raised his leg and delivered a swift kick to the assailant's lower abdomen.
"Left, eight o'clock direction!" the system directed.
With no time to admire the image of his fallen adversary clutching his groin, Cyril picked up the fallen attacker's short dagger and hurled it toward the person on his left.
The dagger narrowly missed, slicing a strand of hair from the right side of his head.
Finally, Cyril turned his gaze toward the grim-faced Ales, who was watching the whole scene.
He was slightly out of breath but managed to utter the incantation for "Blazing Inferno." A palm-sized fireball, burning fiercely, hurtled toward Ales' head.
Ales' pupils contracted, and with remarkable agility, he ducked to evade the fiery projectile.
The fireball crashed into the wall behind him, bursting into numerous bright sparks before being absorbed by the magical barrier.
Cyril, his expression calm and collected, ascended the staircase without further hindrance.
Not once did he encounter any more "bandits" until he returned to his room.
Indeed, in this world, strength was paramount.
With the rich concentration of elements in Rose Manor, Cyril knew he needed to meditate and enhance his mental and magical abilities.
He buried himself in the soft and plush beddings, contemplating this before drifting off to sleep.