Kind-hearted Grim Reaper

Goris stared blankly at Ah Dai. For a moment, his eyes flickered with intent to kill. He had never expected that this seemingly naive boy would possess such incredible magic talent. Goris' initial experience chanting the Fireball Technique spell had only resulted in a warmth in his palm. Despite this, his master had been highly impressed. Yet this unassuming and seemingly foolish boy had managed to conjure a small fireball. The thought was simply astounding.

Ah Dai did not understand why a small fireball had appeared in his hand. He stared blankly at his palm. The two of them stood frozen, idle in the room.

After a long while, Goris extinguished the little fireball in his hand, saying, "That'll do for the day. I need some rest. Make sure you remember that spell. The fireball you've cast floats on your hand and won't harm you. When you have free time, sit on the bed and visualize those red orbs, alright?"

Ah Dai nodded, trying his best to recall the so-called spell. He had no time to look at the sea; to him, a mere eleven-year-old child, the curiosity stirred by the Fireball Technique was far greater than what the sea could offer.

Goris ignored him, lying down on the bed and closing his eyes to recharge. Luckily, the weather was serene, the sea was calm and the ship hardly rocked. His seasickness was almost undetectable. He thought to himself that if another mage saw Ah Dai's performance, they would surely be overjoyed to accept him as a student. The kid indeed has potential. Perhaps it was time for Goris to contemplate letting him learn his skills. He shook his head forcefully. No, how could he break his plan just because the boy is talented? This child would inevitably die after the final experiment, no matter how much he learns, what would it avail?

One day later.

Ah Dai was sitting on the bed, eyes closed, merrily playing with the red 'steamed buns,' when Goris abruptly woke him. "Master," he said.

"Hmm, try the spell I taught you yesterday again."

"Ok, fire element that fills the heavens and the earth, please bestow, please bestow. Ouch!" Ah Dai could only remember the first sentence.

Goris withdrew the hand that had just slapped Ah Dai. This idiot's memory was appalling, "I'll tell you one last time. If you still can't remember, you won't eat until we disembark the ship. Fire element that fills the heavens and the earth! Please bestow me your warm power, condense it into a ball, appear in my hand."

Threatening to withhold meals was the most effective for Ah Dai. He strived to remember every word,"Warm power... Condense into a ball... Appear in my hand." He struggled to memorize the unfamiliar parts, sitting on the bed, muttering on repeat. This simple spell would only take an ordinary person a short while to memorize, but it took Ah Dai half a day to barely remember it.

"Master, master, I... I remember." Ah Dai woke the just-fallen-asleep Goris without considering the timing.

The waves were bigger today than yesterday. Goris planned to counteract his seasickness through sleep, just as he was about to fall asleep he was abruptly awakened, infuriated, he asked, "What is it?"

Ah Dai stepped back, stammered, "I... I've remembered the spell."

Goris snorted and said, "You're the dumbest person I've ever seen. It took you a day and a half to remember a simple spell. What's there to brag about? Say it again, let me hear it."

Ah Dai's hard-earned self-confidence was instantly shattered by Goris. He hung his head and extended his right hand, whispering, "Elements of fire that fills the heavens and the earth! Please bestow upon me your warm power, form into a sphere, and appear in my hand." Upon finishing the spell, he felt that unknown power congealing again. And this time, it was even stronger than before. With a whoosh, a small fireball with a diameter of three centimeters instantly appeared in his palm. Having experienced it once, Ah Dai wasn't startled this time. He carefully observed the red flame, which felt warm, not hot, to his hand. He held the fireball up in front of him. Being careless, he singed some hair on his forehead. "Ah!" At his startled cry, Ah Dai lost control and the fireball in his hand went out. A pungent smell of burning quickly filled the cabin. Ah Dai was desperately patting his own hair. The small flame finally went out, costing him a chunk of his unevenly grown hair.

Seeing Ah Dai's distraught state, Goris couldn't help but smile, "Water and fire are ruthless. Just because it doesn't hurt your hand doesn't mean it's safe to do other things. It's a genuine fireball, you were literally playing with fire. Be careful next time. Open the door, the smell is unbearable."

Ah Dai was gasping for breath. Even though the recent ordeal had left him embarrassed, the appearance of the fireball had filled his young heart with joy. For the first time, he found himself respecting Goris. "Ma.. Master, I'm sorry. I'm too stupid. I can't even handle a simple magic."

Goris thought to himself, then I must be even dumber than you. He had never seen anyone capable of casting a fireball to this extent after only two days' practice. "Alright, stop talking. Be more careful next time. Don't forget the spell."

Ah Dai nodded firmly, "I, I will definitely remember it, Master." The Fireball Technique was the first spell Ah Dai had learned, and he already had a fondness for that red fireball. He sat aside and continued reciting the familiar spell.

Another two days went by, and they were getting closer to the end of the journey. Afraid to go outside as the sight of the boundless sea would make him vomit, Goris had been staying in the room these few days. Food was brought to him by the server called upon by Ah Dai. Almost ninety percent of every meal ended up in Ah Dai's stomach. Ah Dai was a good kid. For the past three days, apart from reciting the Fireball Technique spell, he had been meditating and practicing on his bed. As he dedicated himself in his practice, after merely three days, he has managed to control the Fireball Technique pretty well, casting a fireball of about five centimeters in diameter. Occasionally, Goris would show Ah Dai some applications of the fireball such as how to increase its temperature, how to enlarge its size, and how to make it fly in the air. Unexpectedly, the usually slow-witted Ah Dai seemed to learn these applications quite easily and got the hang of it fast.

Ah Dai, making his fireball circle about his body, secretly thought to himself, even if his master died in the future, he wouldn't have to fear the cold anymore as the warmth provided by the fireball felt so good. Fortunately, Goris had no Mind Reading Technique among his spells. Otherwise, Ah Dai would downright piss him off.

Master, I want to go outside for some fresh air." Spending a few days together, Ah Dai wasn't as afraid of Goris any longer. After all, Goris never hit him, and always made sure he was well-fed.

Goris glanced at him, saying, "Put away your fireball. You can stay by the door, just don't go far."

Ah Dai excitedly replied, "Yes, master." With that, he waved his hand, extinguishing the fireball in the air, and cheerfully walked out of the room. Standing in the hallway outside the cabin, Ah Dai gripped the railing. The warm sunlight felt indescribably comfortable. He took a deep breath of the salty sea air and stared into the joint of sea and sky, lost in his appreciation.

Eh? What's that?" Ah Dai, fully enchanted, suddenly noticed a dark spot on the sea surface, moving toward their passenger ship from an angle up front. It seemed to be moving quickly, steadily growing larger.

After a little while, the shape of the dark spot became clearer. It was another ship, painted in black, roughly the same size as the passenger ship, with only one deck. A giant white skull was painted on the huge black sail, crossed bones right under the skull. Ah Dai wondered why their ship was a different color.

Before long, the black ship was drawing near. The other passengers on the ship seemed to notice this too. Fearful cries filled with dread resounded, "Pirates, ah! It's pirates."