In Pernas' bedchamber, Hormit's voice pierced Pernas' mind like icicles in a wintry tempest.

At this moment, she lay in bed, swathed in a quilt, striving to conceal every part of her body, in the hope of blocking out the voice she held in such abhorrence.

Yet, the sound still reached her ears.

The next instant, she cast aside the quilt, seized a pillow, and began to flail it about the room in a fit of rage, as if seeking to vent her pent - up emotions.

Everything on the dressing table was swept to the floor, creating a cacophony of clattering sounds.

After a prolonged outburst of such frenzied activity, perhaps exhausted, she slid down the bed and slumped to the floor, leaning against the bedside.

The memories that had haunted her to this day played out unbidden in her mind.

At a bustling ball, when she was but seven years old, attired in her favorite dress, she was searching for her mother amidst the throng.

A man noticed her and, in a gentle tone, inquired about the problem she was facing.

"I'm looking for my mother," she replied.

The man promptly took her hand, offering to assist her in her search.

However, he led her to a dimly lit chamber, and a sense of dread welled up within her.

What ensued was a scene that filled her with revulsion. The man began to disrobe and attempted to tear at her garments.

Thankfully, her cries summoned the family servants, and more people rushed into the room to rescue her.

A moment later, and it would have been her descent into the abyss of horror.

This was a true shadow that had cast a pall over her life, and that man, Hormit, was a hundred times more terrifying than a demon.

At this moment, Pernas hugged her knees, on the verge of burying her head and succumbing to another bout of sobs.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a large - headed wooden carving that had fallen to the floor.

The carving had an exaggerated head - to - body ratio, was adorned in a noblewoman's gown, with hands on hips and head tilted slightly upwards, exuding an air of haughtiness that somehow rendered it incredibly endearing.

For some inexplicable reason, the sight of this carving brought a modicum of solace to Pernas' troubled heart.

Simultaneously, she thought of that commoner who had always been impertinent to her. That fellow always seemed to possess an air of nonchalance, as if he had everything firmly under control.

If only I could have a mindset like his... she couldn't help but muse.

...

The Demonfall Valley.

After painstakingly poring over his tasks for the entire morning, Glen finally managed to complete the first two assignments.

Through this process, he gained a profounder understanding of magic.

He grasped the intricacies of how to manipulate his own intervention with magical power and, with the aid of incantations and gestures, construct the magic he intended to conjure. These were the fruits of his morning's labor.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

However, theory and practice are two distinct realms. Continuous practice is essential to attain proficiency.

While in his room, he had already attempted to cast a minor object - controlling spell. At that time, he could merely make a book levitate.

It would be far easier to perform such a feat with the magic wand bestowed upon him by Mako.

After taking a brief respite at his desk, Glen felt the pangs of hunger. Thus, he stepped out of the room and inquired of Lucas when they could partake of a meal.

"It is still quite early for the next repast. However, I recall that in the outside world, people typically have their second meal around this time. I shall accompany you to the kitchen to procure some bread," Lucas said, pausing his work and leading Glen out of the laboratory.

"Do none of you have lunch?" Glen inquired curiously as they walked.

Lucas shook his head. "We have always had one meal in the morning and then another around four or five in the afternoon. Even the teacher adheres to this routine, and we have never perceived anything amiss."

So, they're so engrossed in their studies that they forget about food and rest? These research fanatics... Glen surmised and refrained from further questioning.

After sating his hunger to a reasonable extent in the kitchen, he informed Lucas that he intended to venture out to complete his assignment. Lucas seemed to have anticipated this and merely nodded in response.

Glen exited the magic house, took in the expansive vista outside, and reflected upon the details of the assignment given to him by Daof.

Daof had tasked Glen with relying on his perception of magical power to locate a plant known as withered grass, which grew in the Demonfall Valley.

This plant possessed an exceedingly pure power of decay. Thus, in theory, by sensing the so - called decay elements, he should be able to find it.

This presented a challenge of moderate difficulty for Glen at present.

After all, his sensitivity to magical power was not particularly acute.

Stepping beyond the protective formation encircling the magic house, Glen dedicated himself wholeheartedly to his search.

What he was unaware of was that a tree, hitherto concealed outside, had set its sights on him.

"Tell me, what course of action should we take? This individual appears to be one of Daof's apprentices. Should we initiate an attack?" a shrill voice whispered from within the tree trunk.

The entire tree was enveloped by a barrier, so there was no concern about any sound escaping. Nevertheless, the speaker remained cautious.

"I suspected a connection between him and Daof from the moment he arrived. Now it seems he is engaged in practicing his perception of magical power," a deep, resonant voice responded.

"Should we exercise more caution? After all, we have been lying in wait for nearly a month," a harsh - toned female voice interjected.

"This is a rare opportunity. When Daof is away, those apprentices never stray beyond the formation outside the magic house. Capturing them is nigh impossible. If we miss this chance, who knows how long we'll have to wait!" the shrill voice exclaimed impatiently.

"Indeed. Daof surely never anticipates that we would lurk outside his abode. We must make him pay dearly for having offended us!"

The three reached a decision, and then a remarkable sight unfolded. A tree, hitherto lush with foliage, suddenly uprooted itself, and like an octopus, its roots extended as it trailed Glen from a distance.

Meanwhile, in the distance, Glen was scratching his head, his brow furrowed in concentration as he searched for his target.

The air was replete with countless elements, making it arduous to discern the so - called decay elements.

Fortunately, none of the magical beasts disturbed him. Perhaps it was due to the aura of the magic house that clung to him. Even if he approached those beasts, they would instinctively shy away.

At one moment, he felt as if he were being watched. He turned around, but all he saw were plants, bushes, and trees. Everything seemed normal.

Perhaps it was merely birds or beasts... he thought, dismissing the notion from his mind, and continued his search, albeit aimlessly.

However, that faint sense of being observed returned.

Glen spun around abruptly, but once again, everything appeared normal.

He regarded the forest behind him with a suspicious gaze. After a moment, he slowly turned back.

But halfway through, he suddenly spun back again, feigning a move.

Still, all seemed as it should be.

He hissed through his teeth, scratched his head, and turned back once more.

Inside the trunk of a certain tree, the deep - voiced man grumbled, "Blast it! Blast it! I nearly threw my back out! It's agony!"

"Come now! As a level - four dark mage, surely you know the simplest of healing spells?!" the harsh - toned female voice chided.

"It wasn't you who just endured the pain! You try being in my position! I'm a mage, not a brute - force laborer!"

"Cease your bickering! The target's disappeared!" the shrill voice suddenly exclaimed.

All three voices fell silent. Then, the shrill voice spoke again, "He's behind us! Adjust the perspective!"

At this moment, Glen stood stroking his chin, his eyes fixed on the seemingly ordinary tree before him, lost in thought.

Just now, he had recollected the scenes of his two previous turns and noticed a subtle shift in the position of a particular tree. Thus, he had swiftly moved over to investigate.