A few weeks had passed since Mia's fifth birthday, and as always, a celebration had taken place. While more and more people in the town were hosting birthday parties, Mia still felt the specialness of her own day. It was a time when everyone gathered to honor her existence.
But lately, Mia had noticed a change in how people referred to her. They called her "Huang's little devil," a name she couldn't quite comprehend. She pondered if she had ever done something so terrible to deserve such a title, but no specific incidents came to mind. In her recollection, the incidents that got her a little fame(the ones her father had shared with Roy in the last chapter) were seen from her perspective, and she firmly believed she was always in the right. Whether it was confronting a bully or stopping a robbery, she saw herself as the defender of justice.
Mia also couldn't help but think that those who tried to bet money with her in the card game her father had shown her were mere pawns in a prank orchestrated by her father. She believed he had convinced them to challenge her, thinking it was a harmless joke or maybe to just give her coins in a way that she would feel like she did something. And as for the incident at the guard house, she believed it was part of her father's plan to invite more people to her birthday, ensuring she wouldn't feel alone. In her mind, if her father had wanted to invite more people, he could have simply asked her.
Amidst her thoughts about the past, Mia's attention turned to her faithful companion, Onyx. She found it strange that everyone was initially afraid of him. To her, he was just a big, fluffy, and shiny dog. Strong too, as she could ride him like a horse, and he loved it. He was also incredibly intelligent, understanding her commands with ease. All it took was a few bones and a little playtime with her and her brothers for Onyx to become loyal and obedient.
Unbeknownst to Mia, her actions were often clouded by her child's mind, preventing her from seeing any wrongdoing in what she did. The adult soul within her failed to recognize the potential consequences of her actions.
Lost in her reflections, Mia decided to venture out into the town on the back of Onyx, as she often did when she couldn't find someone to play with. After wandering for several minutes and greeting the townspeople, she spotted her father and two brothers entering a building. Curiosity piqued, she decided to follow them.
Inside the building, she noticed a crowd of people but no guards by the main door. With that in mind, she confidently entered the place with Onyx by her side. The interior resembled a theater, but without the seats for the audience. It seemed like some kind of presentation was about to take place, though Mia couldn't discern the nature of it.
As she discreetly scouted the area, her eyes caught sight of her father and brothers. Drawing nearer, she eagerly asked a question. ”Father, what is going on?” Her father, taken aback by her sudden appearance, struggled to answer immediately. After a moment of silence he pointed to the stage and talked .”Be silent and pay attention. It's better for you to see it for yourself.”
Less than a minute later, an old man dressed in what Mia recognized as traditional kung fu attire appeared on the stage. His entire outfit was purple, and he had brown hair. From her distance, Mia couldn't make out any more details about the man.
As the old man began to speak, he utilized magic to draw in the air, explaining various points. Mia became completely absorbed in his words. The man introduced himself as Dimitri, someone tasked by the Kingdom, magical schools, martial schools, and sects to travel across the continent and teach people about the intricacies of a life dedicated to fighting. He was also scouting for potential students to recommend to the sponsoring institutions.
Dimitri's teachings encompassed essential skills such as camping, finding food, basic survival—knowledge that anyone considering themselves a monster hunter, adventurer, hero, wanderer or anything similar should possess. Among the topics covered was the importance of being able to explain one's fighting style to others.
According to Dimitri, people were divided into categories based on their mana usage and fighting style. These categories were known as "holes." They paralleled the classes seen in RPGs, such as Monks, Warriors, Knights, Rogues, Mages, and more. While some used elaborate descriptions for their holes, the most basic explanation was often sufficient. Extreme specialization was rare among fighters, as it left them vulnerable to adversaries who exploited their weaknesses. For instance, a mage who could only wield a single element had to be exceptionally skilled in that element, or they would be rendered ineffective against certain foes.
In terms of mana usage, there were three classifications: Emitters, Controllers, and Cultivators. Emitters utilized their mana and the mana in their surroundings to launch attacks—like a mage casting a fireball or a warrior slashing through the air, with the slash traveling and cutting something.
Controllers, on the other hand, used their mana to envelop something, empowering it with magical properties. This category included enchanters who temporarily imbued weapons with elemental attributes or knights who projected energy shields.
Cultivators were individuals who fortified something, be it their own bodies or weapons, by channeling mana from their surroundings. Mia's father served as an example of a body cultivator. He drew mana from the environment to enhance his physical strength, a technique he could also apply to the weapons he crafted.
While most people fell into a single category, there was no restriction on using mana in other areas. However, individuals usually focused on one aspect to expedite their growth. Mia found solace in this information, as she realized that despite being an Emitter, she could still pursue cultivation like her father and brothers.
After further explanations about finding water, identifying poisonous substances, and the vulnerabilities of opponents (with a humorous emphasis on aiming for their heads or genitalia), Dimitri asked for a volunteer to demonstrate a vital piece of equipment that every wanderer should possess for protection.
Eager to participate, Mia raised her hand along with a few others. Standing out like a clown among warriors, Dimitri chose her as his volunteer. Together, they ascended the stage, exchanging greetings. “Hello, I am Mia and this is Onyx. He is a very good dog. He is smart, strong and shiny.” Dimitri was briefly perplexed by the fact that a young girl had a magnificent wolf as a pet, but he chose to disregard it, as it ranked low on his list of peculiarities. “Hello dear Mia. Thanks for helping me.”
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Dimitri proceeded to introduce the companion badge, a magical device widely produced throughout the world. These badges could nullify damage from anyone whose badge was calibrated to the same frequency as yours. By imbuing mana into the badge, individuals could establish a connection, rendering each other unable to harm one another unless an immense amount of mana was employed in an attack. Healing magic or other beneficial types of use of mana, however, remained effective.
After calibrating two badges with Mia, Dimitri began to talk with Mia again.”Dear lady, to show how this badge works I would ask that you hit me with the strongest attack you can use.” Hearing that Mia gave a concerned look and responded.”My dad told me to not use all my mana on anything or I could hurt me or someone else.” Taken a little by surprise by what the little girl was saying he started to reassure the girl.”Do not worry little lady. I am very strong, I also have a stock of health and mana potions for the both of us as well various other items like pills and herbs.” Little did he know that he would soon deplete his supply, courtesy of Mia.
Driven by her adult soul's theoretical knowledge, Mia intended to conjure a controlled explosion by compressing air and igniting it with fire. However, her child's mind struggled to comprehend the concept of restraint. As Dimitri anticipated a modest air-based attack, Mia's concentration unleashed a spark of fire within the compressed air. In an instant, a devastating explosion erupted, bypassing the protection of the companion badge and engulfing Dimitri, sending him hurtling towards a wall. The blast burned him severely, leaving him in agonizing pain.
Stunned by the aftermath, Mia sprinted toward Dimitri in a panic, desperate to check his condition. Her hands, however, had suffered burns upon contact with his scorching skin. Filled with remorse, Mia believed she had taken an innocent life. Overwhelmed with guilt, she cried out for her father, confessing her fear of going to jail and pleading that it was all an accident. In her young mind, she had committed an irreparable act of violence. She berated herself for not holding back, thinking that wind or water manipulation would have been safer choices.
Minutes passed in anguished silence as Mia's tears flowed uncontrollably. Her father, along with the concerned onlookers, attempted to calm her, but to no avail. Then, to everyone's surprise, Dimitri slowly rose to his feet. “I am sorry little lady, it seems I made a terrible mistake and made you cry.” He said in a hoarse voice. His unexpected revival intensified her emotions, and she cried even harder, this time out of relief that he was alive but still gravely wounded.
Dimitri resorted to various potions, liquids, and sustenance to facilitate his own healing. Eventually, his skin began to regenerate, but not before he covertly administered a healing potion to Mia's burned hand, an injury she had not yet noticed. In an effort to diffuse the situation, he explained to those present that even the most reliable tools could fail, emphasizing the importance of always having alternative measures in place. Mia's panic gradually subsided, exhaustion overtaking her as the emotional roller-coaster took its toll on her young body and mind. She drifted into a deep sleep, shielded by her family's watchful eyes.
Less than an hour later, Huang found himself in the living room with his two wives and Dimitri. Mia was tucked safely in bed, her family keeping a vigilant presence. The boys, especially concerned by Mia's uncharacteristic display of devastation, were in shock from witnessing her distress. Onyx stood guard, ensuring no one disturbed the household, while Liza prepared a meal that Mia could enjoy later, considering she would likely miss dinner.
Marry attempted to apologize on behalf of her daughter. “ I am sorry mister Dimitri. My daughter hurt you and made you use expensive medicine on yourself and her. Even if it takes a while we are willing to...” Before she could finish Dimitri cut her off. “No need. This was entirely my fault. My failure in heeding the warnings of the little lady and checking what she could do quite literally exploded in my face.”
Taken aback by what the older man said, there was a minute of silence before Mia's family started to talk about the future. “I am not sure what should I do with my daughter. We never once thought her anything relate to magic besides that mana exist and can do almost anything and look what she can do. I am afraid that the only thing I can do is give her a sturdier body that she can find better ways to hurt.” Huang said in a worrying tone.
Lin didn't have much experience fighting anything bigger than a rat so she couldn't add much.”Well, there is bound to be someone who can help us in the areas we lack in this town or the neighboring ones. If turns out she can't be trained we can at least know that she is naturally powerful and so she will probably find himself a good man in future.” She said in a reassuring tone.
Marry was worried about the immediate future of her daughter.”I hope she is not too damaged by what happened. I don't want my daughter to be depressed and lose that smile she gives to everyone and everything.” Her worry was palpable. Mia might be a genius by any metric but she still is a child. She grasped that what she thought she had done was bad and the consequences of such a thing are not something a child should ever have to think about.
After a few more minutes of silence where all of them drank some tea and pondered about what to do, Dimitri spoke up.”I believe that the little lady should be trained exclusively in cultivation until at least she is a fully grown adult.” The other people there were a little lost on what he was trying to imply so he continued. ”That girl is a natural high-level Emitter and controller. She created and controlled that explosion in a way that wouldn't harm her in any way. It's not something I like to say but if her skills as a Controller or Emitter were any lower than they were I can guarantee that you wouldn't have a daughter anymore.” Those words hurt like more than anything any of the adults there wanted to acknowledge. Huang especially almost went in a depressive spiral of thoughts of what he would have done should the worse had happened.
After he said sunk to the people there, Dimitri continued. “Under normal circumstances I would try to convince you to leave your daughter to me so I could find somewhere for her to train and reach her full potential but I fear what will happen to her if I separate her from her family at such young age, especially after the trauma she suffered. Worse yet is that even the best places I know would soon treat her like a weapon than a child who needs guidance once they find about how powerful she is.” He really didn't want to continue to say things that were hurting those people but as a warrior and a gentleman he had the duty to explain the situation they found themselves into because of his blunder.”I will stay in town for a few days so you can help the little lady recover and then we can talk about your daughter's future. If you excuse me, I shall take my leave.”
As he was leaving, Dimitri thought to himself that he wouldn't forgive himself if that girl closed herself off because of his stupidity. Many would say that the girl was at fault and that many people would find themselves on the other end of his blade if they said it to the girl. He didn't want to make the girl into a warrior. If it turned out she wants to be a housewife he wouldn't mind a bit but if she chooses another path in life just because she is traumatized by what happened today Dimitri can't begin to imagine what he would do to himself.
As the door closed behind Dimitri, Huang reached out for his wives hands, squeezing it gently. They shared a moment of silent understanding, knowing that their lives were about to change irrevocably. Their innocent daughter, oblivious to the challenges that awaited her, slumbered peacefully in the room nearby. And in that moment, Huang, Lin and Marry made a solemn promise to protect her, nurture her, and guide her through the treacherous path she was destined to tread.
Little did they know that their daughter's journey had only just begun and that the world outside their small town held mysteries, dangers, and adventures beyond their wildest imagination.