"Why don't you take off your pants when you bathe?" Rody found Chris a bit suspicious.

"I'm afraid I'll feel inferior compared to you!" Chris glanced at Rody and chuckled, "I'm envious of your muscular build; I can never seem to develop muscles like that! I heard Stan and the others calling you 'Bean Sprout', but I think that title suits me better now!"

"Really?" Rody took another look. Although Chris's waist was slender like a woman's, his chest was undoubtedly masculine. A woman, no matter how well disguised, couldn't hide her chest. Even a grown woman, no matter how flat-chested, would have some slight protrusion, impossible to conceal completely. Even a girl like Jill, only fourteen or fifteen, would have small buds on her chest. If Chris were a woman, she wouldn't dare to undress in front of Rody, unless he was a man.

"Do you seek women to vent your desires?" Chris suddenly asked, almost causing Rody to fall over.

"None of your business!" Rody was furious.

"I bet you're still a virgin, never having tasted a woman. You should try it; there's a difference between a boy and a man. Without undergoing that transformation, you'll never know what it means to be a man! Ha ha!" Chris sounded like an experienced playboy.

"Go to hell..." Rody turned and left, no longer wanting to speak with him.

Watching Rody leave angrily, Chris couldn't help but giggle. After bathing, Chris returned to find Rody deep asleep and climbed onto his own bunk with a grin.

Soon, he began to sing softly.

The song, gentle and melodious, perfectly suited Chris's voice - simple, long, and beautifully pleasing. Although Rody couldn't understand the lyrics, he was captivated, feeling as if his soul had entered a serene realm. The song painted a picture of a quiet valley in a forest, undisturbed by humans, with deer drinking from a brook, squirrels jumping among the branches, birds returning to the green foliage, and a gentle breeze caressing the grass...

"How was it?" Chris asked Rody after finishing the song.

"It's like a duck quacking!" Rody sneered. "If you're not talented, don't sing. But it's good for one thing; if we catch any beastmen soldiers who refuse to surrender, your singing will guarantee their submission."

"You're just jealous!" Chris laughed proudly.

"Don't talk to me! I'm annoyed!" Rody turned over and went back to sleep, ignoring this naturally contrarian individual.

"I sang in an ancient Elven language. This language is associated with a unique 'natural magic,' accessible only to those who master it. This 'natural magic' is a miraculous form of magic beyond elemental control. Even a magic apprentice who can't cast a small fireball can wield great power with it!" Chris chuckled.

"What?" Rody was shocked. If such magic truly existed, what was the point of the Forbidden Magic of War?

"You don't believe it?" Chris's eyes sparkled mysteriously as he looked at Rody, asking, "Would you like to see this novice magic apprentice, who has only learned a bit of magic, demonstrate it for you?"

"I just want to know, why are you telling me all this?" Rody stared intently at Chris.

"Because I want you to understand that even if you can't cast any elemental magic, you can still achieve great things and not be a miserable, useless waste," Chris said earnestly, losing his smile. "There's not just one path to becoming a great mage in this world, but countless. Millions of ways can lead to it, as long as one has enough effort!"

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"If you had told me this when I was five, I would have been grateful to you for a lifetime!" Rody grabbed Chris by the collar, angrily saying, "But now, it's just nonsense!"

"It's not too late now." Chris chuckled. "I know you needed encouragement when you were five, but I hadn't understood these things back then."

"You better stay away from me. I may be a failure, but I don't need your sympathy." Rody, holding back his anger, let go of Chris, withdrawing his gaze and lying back down. He didn't know Chris's background or why he was talking about ancient Elven natural magic. He might be trying to test Rody, use him, or have some other motive. Otherwise, he wouldn't speak like this.

"I've also drunk the Forbidden Magic of War..." Chris's words startled Rody.

Rody desperately wanted to use the Obsidian Magic Mirror to check this mysterious Chris's identity. But he feared it was a test by his opponent. Revealing his true strength could bring endless trouble. The cold arrow from before made him cautious. This was Norren, not Filiac. Even in Filiac, there were traitors, like when Priest Sine sent him and Jill to the Land of Evil in front of Dean Buck.

Teacher Margaret had warned: "Never tell anyone about your potential exceeding five stars, or you'll be killed instantly. Even a god would kill a human with such potential!" This meant Rody couldn't reveal his strength, especially not to the mysterious mastermind. If they knew about his mastery of spirit and soul magic, they'd likely use their greatest strength to eliminate him.

"As a child, I was heartbroken, feeling ruined. A genius turned into a waste," Chris spoke softly. "My father consoled me, saying I should learn from you, calling you a strong man, especially strong."

"Who is your father?" Rody had never heard of another magic genius from Mesnotania. Could Chris truly be sent by the mastermind to test him?

"Simbak, perhaps you haven't heard this name," Chris said softly.

"No, I haven't. Is your natural magic from an old sage who noticed your extraordinary talent and sold you the 'Natural Magic' tome for ten copper coins, also advising you to uphold world peace?" Rody asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"You're funny, but completely wrong," Chris laughed. "The tome of natural magic is passed down in my family, and I have elven blood."

"Is that so? Congratulations!" Rody said, picking up an alchemy book, flipping it open, and covering his face with it.

"I know you're jealous. You think after struggling under the shadow of the Forbidden Magic of War, and considering yourself a genius, you've become a strong person without elemental magic. Now seeing me do the same, you feel unbalanced," Chris, lying on his bed, peered down and said: "Am I wrong?"

"Right, you're absolutely right. You're the smartest in the world, okay?" Rody admitted, feeling a bit jealous.

"I've shared my secret with you. How about you tell me how you managed to overcome the seal of the Forbidden Magic of War? I'm really curious! You don't use natural magic, so what method did you use?" Chris glanced at Rody, who seemed to be asleep, sighed softly, and lay back down.

Both of them were actually awake, their minds filled with chaotic thoughts. Although their conversation contained probing elements, they concealed their intentions well, not letting the other discern anything beyond their expressed words, each keen on uncovering the other's secrets. Ultimately, they both fell into a relatively silent state.

During the sparring training, Rody got to experience the formidable nature of Chris's natural magic. After chanting, Chris's strength and speed increased more than tenfold. What truly alarmed Rody was that although Chris lacked expertise in martial skills, he could simulate them with magic. For example, when he aimed a punch at Rody, what was launched was not his fist, but a magical fist just like his, coordinated with his movement.

Chris's ability to use magic to simulate aura attacks was flawless, and Rody, not adept at mental magic, would have been unable to distinguish it.

"My god, this effeminate guy is specialized in all kinds of weapons!" Stanley exclaimed as he saw Chris wielding a sword in one hand and a spear in the other. While attacking Rody, Chris was also able to draw the bow from his back for shooting, and sometimes, he even hooked up axes or chain hammers from the ground with his feet for powerful attacks. The flashes of silver fighting spirit made them think Chris was a sixth-order swordsman.

"This freak Rody, he never put in his full effort in the previous trainings. I want to duel with him. He didn't even use half of his strength when sparring with me before, which is the greatest insult. I'm going to kill him!" Lopeck roared in anger.

"Except for you, there's no one here who doesn't know that," Jesse sneered. "Congratulations, your stone head has finally got it."

Rody obviously wasn't a swordsman. He didn't know how to fight with spirit, nor did he know a bit of magic.

But what he used to counter Chris' fierce attacks was a remarkably magical vine. Everyone had seen him use it before, but didn't pay much attention. In everyone's mind, Rody was always known for his wisdom, not for his strength or skill. But now, everyone realized they were mistaken. Although Rody was at a disadvantage in his confrontation with Chris, he defended flawlessly without any leakage.

Constantly dodging, the vine in his hands kept transforming - into a vine shield, a vine spear, vine armor, a vine whip. In the most critical moments, the vine would turn into vine claws, pulling Rody out of the battlefield, or flicking, pulling, rolling, whipping, drilling, sweeping, attacking, defending. The long vine in Rody's hands was used so masterfully that it far exceeded everyone's imagination.

When Instructor Wood saw Rody's vine weave into a spider web, or a beast trap for attack and defense, he was extremely surprised.

He had seen many summoner magicians, but even the great Magic King, he believed, couldn't possibly make summoned vines transform to attack or defend enemies. Frankly speaking, no one had ever thought of doing such a thing. People might teach a battle beast like the Flame Lion or the Holy Light Tiger how to attack, but no one would bother teaching a summoned battle beast, because it simply wouldn't work.

The Rody who stood before them, cultivating a man-eating vine into a transforming weapon, his creativity, his hands, were simply miraculous.