NOVEL WEB Chapter 21 - Episode 5: Three Visits (5)
Chapter 21 – Episode 5: Three Visits (5)
“Is this the place?”
Sima Lin tilted her head as she stood at the entrance of the village.
No matter how she looked at it, it seemed like an ordinary village. Though quite large in scale, it didn’t appear particularly maze-like from the outside. A systematic search should have easily located the target.
‘But if it were really that simple, everyone else wouldn’t have failed.’
That’s why she’d come all this way in the first place.
In truth, Sima Lin wasn’t feeling well today either, but her curiosity overcame her physical condition. She wondered just how grand a secret could be hidden here.
Sima Lin furrowed her brow and began to observe quietly.
And then she realized.
‘The air…’
An ordinary person might have taken much longer to notice, but Sima Lin, prone to frequent coughing fits, could tell right away.
The air was strangely clear and refreshing.
It felt less like a village and more like being deep in some mountain forest.
Perhaps because of this, her cough had stopped at some point without her noticing.
“Is there anything wrong, Young Lady?”
“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”
As Sima Lin entered the village, Seo Ryeonghwa, watching from the side, was surprised.
‘She seems to be finding her way quite well?’
From what she had heard, many people had tried yesterday but all had failed. They said that while it looked like an ordinary village on the surface, it felt like a maze where they kept wandering around the same places.
But Sima Lin was moving forward as if she knew the way.
And it wasn’t just her imagination.
Seo Ryeonghwa truly felt that they were making progress rather than circling the same spots.
Unable to contain her surprise, she spoke.
“You’re truly remarkable, Young Lady.”
“How so?”
“It’s like you know the way, even though it’s your first time here.”
“Huh…?”
Sima Lin realized it belatedly.
The Sima Noble Family prided their intelligence second to none at anyone else, and Sima Lin was considered a prodigy even among the youngsters of the Sima Noble Family. Yet here she was, the genius of the Sima Noble Family, being led around without even herself noticing it,
She had simply been moving forward on instinct.
‘It feels like my body is being drawn naturally.’
Like a dog drawn to a delicious scent, Sima Lin was being pulled along by the fresh, clean air.
Sima Lin’s face scrunched up as that thought finished forming in her mind.
‘Of all things to compare myself to, a dog?’
“Ah, look! I can see bamboo!”
“Indeed. Hmm.”
Sima Lin’s frown deepened.
She had thought she would surely be the first to arrive, but someone else was already there.
It was none other than Zhuge Jun.
The only difference was that instead of his usual martial attire resembling scholar’s robes, he was wearing actual scholar’s robes.
“Isn’t this Lady Sima?”
“So Master Zhuge arrived first.”
Sima Lin clicked her tongue inwardly.
She had just become curious about the man called the Reincarnation of Zhuge Liang and wanted to meet him alone if possible. But with Zhuge Jun already here, that was probably out the window.
“The bet is your victory, Master Zhuge.”
Sima Lin said, pulling out the box containing the Clear Spirit Pill and handing it to Zhuge Jun.
Zhuge Jun stared at it for a moment, then nodded.
“Thank you. I’ll accept this.”
“But why aren’t you going in?”
“I was waiting for the host’s permission. Judging by the sounds, he seems to be enjoying his midday nap. Would you care to wait with me, Lady Sima?”
‘Why wait? Just wake him up… Wait a minute…’
Sima Lin was about to call him out for being ridiculous, but then she realized what Zhuge Jun was thinking.
Zhuge Jun was emulating the old tale from the Three Kingdoms where Liu Bei waits patiently for hours until Zhuge Liang wakes up.
‘He’s more considerate than I expected. Perhaps I’ve underestimated him.’
While Zhuge Jun was known for his good manners, this was beyond expectations.
Judging by his tone, he seemed to hold the host in quite high regard.
‘My plans might have gone awry… Either way, there’s no benefit in me being here.’
Her presence would only complicate things.
Her trying to stir up trouble between them was just a bit of amusement for her anyway. There was no need to actively intervene.
‘It’s time to retreat for now.’
Maybe it was thanks to the clean air that her thoughts cleared up more organized than usual.
‘I can always meet him later.’
Indeed, if the conflict deepened later, Sima Lin might have a chance to make covert contact.
“Since Master Zhuge is the winner of the bet, I shall take my leave now.”
“Very well.”
Zhuge Jun didn’t try to stop her either.
This could be a chance to talk about some family secrets, after all.
Zhuge Jun also wanted to have a private audience if possible.
As Sima Lin departed, Zhuge Jun exhaled a tense breath.
***
‘Is this a dream? It’s been a while.’
This lucid dream, unlike other dreams, allowed him to recognize it as a dream instantly.
Soaring through the dream world as an eagle, Zhuge Hyeonmong immediately thought back to what had happened recently.
‘Still can’t believe Allen did something that insane.’
He never expected fists to fly in a magic duel.
And it seemed this wasn’t just Zhuge Hyeonmong’s sentiment.
“Hey, it’s him.”
“That lunatic who threw punches in the magic duel, right?”
Whispers followed Allen wherever he went.
“I heard he got detention for that.”
“Apparently, he claimed it was a legitimate duel since he cast support spells before punching.”
“The really crazy part is that it actually worked.”
“I heard he beat up a bunch of people after getting out of detention too.”
Zhuge Hyeonmong was even more dumbfounded.
‘He’s been doing it even more?’
He felt a pang of sympathy.
Zhuge Hyeonmong knew it too.
Allen’s innate nature simply didn’t mesh well with magic.
If he had been born in the Central Plains and learned martial arts instead, he might have lived a life of admiration rather than facing such scrutiny.
Of course, the same could be said for Zhuge Hyeonmong.
He too wished he could freely use magic in a place abundant with mana, like in Allen’s world.
‘Well, at least he’s more confident now.’
Previously, Allen seemed to lack confidence, perhaps aware that he lagged behind.
Now, even alone, he carried himself with confidence.
“Today, I’ll introduce you to the study of alchemy. I’m not sure how much you know about this field. Some uncultured swine think alchemy is just about making gold. Others say it’s all about brewing healing potions. I sincerely hope none of you fall into that category of imbeciles.”
The clearly eccentric wizard said this while scanning the students, fixing his gaze on one side.
“Unfortunately, that hope always falls short of my expectations.”
The professor’s gaze landed squarely on Allen.
He clearly didn’t seem fond of Allen.
“After class, I’ll ask the most outstanding student what alchemy truly is. Keep in mind that everyone who has given me a satisfactory answer to my question has gained quite a lot from my class so far.”
With those words, the class began.
‘Alchemy, huh.’
Zhuge Hyeonmong, listening to the lecture beside Allen, stroked his chin.
Since it was a new field he hadn’t encountered before, the professor’s lecture was full of new experiences.
‘Using mana as a medium to manipulate matter.’
Simply put, alchemy was about unlocking hidden potential.
It was about forcing open possibilities that normally wouldn’t bloom, using mana, reagents, and various principles to even change the properties of matter.
On top of that, the goal of alchemy was to synthesize substances that wouldn’t naturally exist using these created materials.
Unsurprisingly, it demanded an insane level of skill and talent.
It was like trying to build a tower perfectly, knocking it down, and then building it again, just as perfectly.
Delicate handiwork, precise measurements, meticulous mana control. Alchemy demanded every ounce of a mage’s talent.
BOOM!
“It exploded! Bring water, water!”
“And you call yourself a mage?! Water! Gather and pour! Why isn’t it working?!”
“Everyone’s using the same spell! We’re running out of water element!”
‘What a mess.’
Zhuge Hyeonmong thought this while observing Allen.
He had a general idea of how to proceed, so he planned to offer insights if Allen got stuck.
But there was no need.
“…This is surprising.”
At the end of class, the one who produced the highest quality reagent was none other than Allen.
Everyone was shocked by this result, and Zhuge Hyeonmong was no exception.
‘Did he do it purely using just his senses?’
Zhuge Hyeonmong’s guess was correct.
Amazingly, Allen had abandoned intricate mana control, relying instead on his incredibly honed senses to achieve a perfect mixture.
That required superhuman sensitivity that able to discern the weight of a single grain of sand!
“You… How on earth did you…”
Even the professor, who clearly wasn’t fond of Allen to begin with, looked bewildered.
But only for a moment.
Composing himself, the professor asked, “Then let me ask you. What do you think alchemy is?”
Allen hesitated at the professor’s question.
But Zhuge Hyeonmong answered in his stead.
‘To make the impossible possible..’
“…I believe it’s about making the impossible possible, sir.”
The professor grinned.
“It seems I’ve misjudged you! To think I misunderstood such a brilliant student based on mere rumors… Ah, my apologies. I shall teach you many things from now on!”
‘He’s not as difficult as I thought.’
The professor said this and kept his word.
As they progressed through alchemy, he taught Allen various things.
How to maximize the effects of reagents, how to mix natural ingredients for optimal results, and even how to combine ingredients to create completely new substances.
Though the alchemy the professor taught was just the basics, every bit was practical and invaluable.
Zhuge Hyeonmong also found it suited his aptitude and absorbed the teachings like a sponge soaking up water.
And then…
When he woke up, it was already noon.
“…”
Sensing a presence the moment he opened his eyes, Zhuge Hyeonmong heaved a deep sigh.
‘I overslept.’