Chapter 10: Asceticism

The dimly glowing crystal lay on the rough wooden table, emitting a strange, cool light through the sunlight streaming in from the window. Komer stared at the crystal that had brought so much unpredictability into his life. Without it, he might have already perished at the hands of magical beasts or fallen to the swords of fallen knights. Although in emergencies he could rely on his suddenly enhanced instincts to unleash the power of the crystal and escape danger, he had never truly understood its true nature.

Sighing softly, Komer stroked the parchment scroll placed beside it. Perhaps the contents of this scroll could help him understand and master the crystal. Unfortunately, the cuneiform script on it seemed to be an ancient Pradessian script he had never seen before—a script from the island of Harod near the Babylonian Sea in the distant west. Yet this script seemed to have been erased by the passage of time on the continent. As far as he knew, no race or nation still used it, making it difficult to find someone familiar with it. At the moment, Komer didn’t have the energy or time to focus on this; there were many more urgent matters ahead of him.

Yet Komer wasn’t discouraged. He had already discovered the crystal’s characteristics: as long as it was kept close to the body, in emergencies when one’s own abilities or magic power changed drastically, the magic contained within the crystal would naturally merge with the body, as if drawn together. This effect had proven reliable time and again, delivering miracles in several critical situations. Therefore, Komer consciously integrated this power with his own. His performance in front of Hes was one such successful attempt.

Compared to the magical energy in the crystal, Komer was more interested in its unique memory-keeping ability. Every time the crystal merged with him after a battle, he would experience various scenes in his dreams while sleeping—scenes he had never seen or even heard of before. This made him even more convinced that the crystal might contain the memories of a powerful being from an ancient era, stored within it in some special form, and accidentally acquired by him. If he could fully unlock this potential, he might gain unforeseen benefits, which could greatly enhance his abilities in every aspect.

A week of continuous effort did not go without progress. At least Komer had initially figured out that there were many things in the crystal that could enhance his abilities—whether it was knowledge and fragments of scenes from his memories or the integration and growth of his powers. Komer also gradually began to recall what his former teacher had taught him. Many pieces of knowledge that he had once thought were of little use were connected by the information transmitted from the crystal, gradually forming a more systematic body of magical knowledge.

Komer knew that it was utterly impossible for a magician or even a sorcerer to succeed without at least a decade of systematic study and cultivation of magical knowledge. He had merely absorbed his teacher’s teachings in a cramming-style manner during his three years in exile, failing to truly understand much of it, only storing it deep in his memory. Now, stimulated by the crystal, this knowledge was suddenly brought to life, merging with many elements within the crystal and slowly being assimilated by Komer, eventually becoming his own rather than just a temporary means to tap into his potential as he traveled south.

For a month, Komer practiced in seclusion. Aside from food being brought to him during meals, he hardly left his cabin, and even when he did go out, it was only for walks near the birch forest, never more than ten steps away from the cabin. This worried Puber and the others, who were only relieved on the day Komer left the cabin. From his somewhat tired but increasingly confident expression, it seemed as though he had become a different person, especially those dark, shiny eyes, which now carried an enchanting, mesmerizing aura. Other than that, Puber and the others could not pinpoint any other changes in their leader.

After his period of seclusion, Komer found that his mind seemed much broader and more open. The bold and unrestrained spirit he had before his exile seemed to have returned. Even the already blue sky and the branches swaying in the wind appeared more vibrant. This was a feeling he had never experienced before. Naturally, he was unaware that the immense energy from the crystal, combined with his own magical cultivation, had elevated him to a completely new realm—one vastly different from before. Everything around him now seemed easier to accept and utilize in his eyes. This was the realm referred to by the masters of magic as “great freedom,” though with his current understanding, Komer could not yet grasp the true essence of this realm.

Amidst the surprised gazes of those around him, Komer didn’t sense anything wrong. It was only Komer’s somewhat unsteady steps that made Ilot realize his boss seemed somewhat unaccustomed to the sunlight and air outside—perhaps too much darkness and gloom had temporarily affected his vision.

Taking a greedy breath of air, as if just released from a basement, Komer suddenly felt that the month he’d spent in the cabin seemed longer than his three years in exile. Was this what it felt like to lose freedom? Even when trying to control himself with sheer willpower?

“Oh, my friends, why are you looking at me like that? Ilot, your gaze is like that of a wolf—am I some kind of half-orc beauty? Pupber, don’t stare at me with the eyes of a greedy merchant who’s seen gold; I don’t even have half a gold shield on me!” Komer laughed and joked. “Fran, it seems you’re in great shape. Well, my guards must have improved a lot under your and Bauling’s training. I hope they don’t disappoint me.”

Exchanging surprised glances with Pupber, Ilot felt that their once wild and bold boss had returned. This filled them with excitement. Although they had been pleased by Komer’s dramatic changes, especially his remarkable magical abilities, they also harbored concerns—his personality had become increasingly gloomy and cold, with every word seeming carefully considered and devoid of emotion. Even someone as pragmatic as Pupber felt that their boss had surpassed him in these aspects. Now, just a few words from Komer made them realize their old Komer was back!

As for Fran, he didn’t share their enthusiasm. He simply felt that their lord seemed to have undergone some indescribable change—becoming more cheerful and approachable, with a much lighter tone in his speech.

“Boss, have you been okay these past days?” Ilot smiled as he stepped forward and punched Komer hard, his concern evident. This made Komer feel his friend’s care once again, just as Pupber’s worried gaze brought him a sense of warmth.

“Hehe, what could possibly be the problem? Just staying in this little hut, with no women or fine wine—so boring it’s unbearable. Well, I’ve never tried this kind of ascetic life before; I don’t even know how those ascetics manage to stick to it their whole lives. It’s simply some kind of twisted self-punishment. It’s better to commit suicide sooner than endure that.” Even Koemer, who had gone through seclusion training, noticed changes in his mood and personality. His speech became much more reckless than before; he would blurt out things without thinking, regardless of whether they might cause misunderstandings.

“Haha, the boss wants women too. It’s a shame there’s no such supply in our town of Ugru. That’s your responsibility as the lord. So many single men stuck in this hellhole, not even a single woman around. In the tavern, aside from two waitress girls, there are no other women. Well, there are some women among the adventurers, but they seem to be thorny types and already have partners. Troublesome. You kept telling us to avoid trouble, but still, we just hide in this crappy farm, avoiding conflict. If you don’t show up soon, someone might really die from frustration.” Ilot spat angrily. “If I had known, I would have spent more money to buy a slave woman in Cyprus. At least that would be better than nothing to relieve my anger.”

“Enough! You’re human, not an animal. Can’t you control your own body? Don’t you remember why we came here? If you really want to indulge, go back to Cyprus right away. Who was it who vowed to die with the boss back then? Now you’re complaining again.” Pube interrupted him irritably.

Ilot, enraged, snapped back, “Hey, Pube, why do you always target me? I’m just complaining here. When am I going back to Cyprus? If I wanted to go, I wouldn’t have come!”

“Alright, can’t you two keep it down? Pube, what’s happened these past days?” Koemer stopped their argument with a mix of laughter and scolding, shifting the topic back to important matters.