Basil remained silent for a long time, not responding to Anmar's initial question. She then asked him again, “Don't tell me you still haven't learned anything?” Anmar wondered aloud as Basil stood motionless, not saying a word. With a mocking laugh, she continued, “Foofoofoo, with all the books you've been reading and the teacher you were waiting for—together, and still, you haven't learned any magic? I'm honestly surprised.”

Finally, Basil spoke, “Don’t talk as if you know everything. And besides, my teacher said learning magic isn’t easy. Some people spend years before they even reach the first level.”

Anmar looked toward the teacher, who nodded, affirming Basil's words. Then, she turned her gaze back to Basil and said, “Still, I thought you might’ve made a little progress. But seeing your silence earlier, it seems like you haven't advanced even a bit.”

Annoyed, Basil replied, “It’s not like it’s up to me! My teacher said I wasn’t ready yet to start learning magic, so I’ve been training all this time to strengthen my body.” After some time, Basil understood that his teacher meant he wasn’t physically ready, though he still didn’t know exactly why.

Anmar raised an eyebrow, “Strengthen your body? Why would you need to do that?”

“Well…” Basil trailed off, remaining silent. When she saw him like this, Anmar turned to the teacher, contemplating. “This teacher used magic when he saved me, so he’s clearly a magician. But why is he training Basil’s body? Training… training… could it be that Basil’s body can’t handle magic yet, which is why he’s training it? Is that what he meant by ‘not ready’? But why is he not ready? Is Basil different from others?” Anmar pondered for a while, her gaze fixed on the teacher. Finally, she asked, “Teacher, can I learn magic?”

The teacher responded, “Not everyone can learn magic. As you heard, some spend years to reach the first level, while others manage to break through in days. Some never succeed. It depends on how long it takes you to enter the state of ‘mental and spiritual serenity’ and decipher the unique language of your body. Some achieve this in days, while others take years. The potential to achieve this varies among individuals, and people with high intelligence are often quicker to reach the state of ‘mental and spiritual serenity.’ I believe anyone can learn magic, even if they don’t reach this state quickly. They just have to work and strive multiple times harder than someone who can access it quickly.”

Satisfied with the explanation, Anmar said, “Hmm, so even I could learn magic. That’s all I wanted to know.” She bowed respectfully, then asked, “Teacher, please teach me magic.”

The teacher didn’t answer immediately; instead, he placed his hand on his chin, staring at Anmar for a while. After a few minutes, he finally said, “Hmm, alright. Why not?”

“Yay!” Anmar cheered, leaping in joy, while Basil cried out, “Haaaaaah! Teacher, is that all it takes? If so, why did you place all those conditions and rules on me? You made it seem sacred back then, but you’re agreeing to her request so easily now. What’s going on?”

The teacher chuckled, “Hohoho, this and that are different things. There will come a time when you’ll understand why I agreed to her request and why I put all those conditions on you before training you, even though I plan to tell her the same thing.”

Boom, Boom!

Basil was fighting a massive number of large blue monkeys while Anmar and the teacher sat alone, away from him.

“Teacher, why place all these conditions on us?” Anmar asked, seated across from him. “You make it seem as if it would be bad for anyone to know about you.”

The teacher looked at her, then said, “You’re truly sharp, young one. You’re correct. But this isn’t the time for you to know why. Now, let’s discuss magic and how you can become a magician.”

(Around eight months later)

Basil was heading toward the forest, excitement lighting up his face as he hummed. He arrived at the Deep Dark Valley, and after a few minutes, his teacher and Anmar emerged from the depths.

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“Oh, you’re finally out. So, how was it, Anmar?” Basil asked eagerly about her experience in the valley.

Looking bored, Anmar lifted her arms slightly and replied, “Hmm, it was easier than you said.”

A bit annoyed, Basil shrugged it off and turned to his teacher, saying, “Teacher, today is the awaited day. It’s time for me to begin real magic training.”

The teacher laughed, “Hohoho, you’re certainly eager. That’s good. Let’s go to the cabin. Anmar, you can go home if you like.”

Anmar nodded respectfully and left. Basil and his teacher made their way to the cabin, where Basil sat on a large rock the teacher had previously prepared for Anmar during her training.

Sitting cross-legged, Basil placed his hands on his knees, focusing on his teacher’s words.

“Listen well, Basil. The state of ‘mental and spiritual serenity’ consists of three stages. Each stage is connected to the next, and you cannot progress without mastering each one fully. These stages are:

* The first stage, known as the ‘Rooting of Thoughts,’ involves gathering and unifying your thoughts to stabilize and control them. By doing this, you’ll be able to silence them completely.

* The second stage, called ‘Understanding and Solving the Puzzle,’ requires you to grasp the enigma of your body’s language. This is the most challenging stage, a barrier for many trainees. You must dive deeply into your mind, now void of thoughts, control your emotions, reach the depths of your spirit, confront your fears, and synchronize your breathing cycle to connect with your ‘origin points.’

* The third and final stage, referred to as the ‘Mind and Origin Points,’ is where you begin to feel these origin points within your body and connect them with your mind. This will allow you to link them, creating a pathway for magical energy.

Additionally, there is a stage not counted among the primary three, as it’s not performed by the trainee but rather by an experienced magician with moderate control over magical energy. This person provides the initial magical push I mentioned earlier, stirring the magical energy into action.”

“These are the three fundamental stages marking the beginning of your magical journey. But before you start training, we must discuss something important.”

Confused, Basil thought to himself, What's more important now than learning magic? He had waited over a year and endured grueling training for this moment, which had finally arrived.

The teacher continued, “You mentioned one of your reasons for wanting to learn magic is to kill demons. Why do you want to do this, Basil?”

Basil paused briefly, then answered, “Because they were the reason I lost a father I never knew, and I see that sad look on my mother’s face whenever I mention him.”

The teacher stared at him for a long time before continuing, “As you know, Basil, it has been thirteen years since the demon invasion. Do you know why they attacked this world and suddenly stopped? And why haven’t they attacked again?”

Shocked, Basil replied, “Why hadn’t I thought about this before? You’re right, Teacher. Regardless of why they attacked, their lack of a follow-up attack for a full thirteen years is indeed strange. Teacher, you know the answer. Please, tell me.”

The teacher said, “Alright, I intended to tell you from the start. Let’s begin with discussing the worlds and where the demons came from.”

Basil, listening intently, swallowed as he prepared to learn the hidden truth unknown to anyone else in this world.

“Basil, this world you live in is just one among many, known as the ‘Feeble World’ because it’s the weakest one. There are fourteen primary worlds and numerous secondary ones, and among the primary worlds is the Demon World, where demons reside, as the name suggests. Thirteen years ago, the Demon King ordered his followers to conquer this world, subjugate its inhabitants, and make them his combat slaves.”

Basil listened, shocked by each word his teacher said.

“When the Original King learned of this, he swiftly ordered his forces to invade the Demon World. A fierce war erupted between them, to the point where the Demon King ordered his followers to return from the ‘Feeble World’ to join him in the fight. Thus, the Original King’s plan succeeded in forcing them to retreat from here.”

Before his teacher could continue, Basil asked, “Who is this Original King you mentioned, Teacher?”

The teacher answered, “He is the ruler of the Original World, said to be the strongest world. The Original World and its king protect all worlds from demonic invasion to prevent the demons from growing stronger. Despite this protection, two worlds fell to the Demon King a thousand years ago, and another has since allied with him.”

Finally, Basil understood the reason behind the demons' attack and retreat, but he was still troubled by one question. So he asked, “But why haven’t they attacked again?”

The teacher answered, “That’s because the war continues even as we speak, Basil. The Demon King needs his entire army to repel the Original King's assault.”

Basil was satisfied with his teacher’s explanation, though he continued pondering for a while. Suddenly, he stood up and asked, “Teacher, why do you know all this? And why are you telling me?”

The teacher replied solemnly, “Because I am your master, and you are my disciple. It’s only natural that you know.”