Ren, Aveline, and Elara were currently on their way to the library. The library was located outside the village and hidden inside a hill.
Once they reached their destination, Ren headed to the Elemental Path section and scanned the bookshelves.
A moment later, he finally found the lightning magic area.
'There is only one spell book?'
He grabbed the manual and opened it.
Lightning Chain!
Lightning Chain was a basic rank and a restraint-type magic. Two lightning chains would burst forth from the magic circle and bind the target's hands.
Even though it only had a weak lightning attack, it could immobilize the target and make them an easy target.
After scanning it, Ren closed the spell book and looked for Aveline. Once he found her, he expressed his desire to borrow the manual.
Aveline smiled and agreed immediately.
She said he could study it during his stay in her village. She only asked him not to damage the spell book because they had no copy of it.
After their business was done, they left the library and returned to her home.
----
Aveline's House, Front Yard.
"The formation isn't as complicated as I thought," Ren murmured.
Ren was currently sitting on the swing alone.
He previously studied the Lightning Chain magic in his room, but decided to move to the front yard because the atmosphere there was better.
After learning the spell book for several hours, he finally understood everything.
'Let me try it.'
He rose to his feet and placed the manual on the swing.
'What should I choose as my target?'
The moment his gaze fell on the standing log four meters away from him, he decided to use it as the target.
"Lightning Chain." Right after he raised his hand forward, a blue magic circle appeared beneath the log.
In an instant, two lightning chains shot out from it and bound the log.
Not only that, but crackling lightning also spread from the chains, dancing across the log and burning its surface.
Ren's lips curled up into a smile as his eyes were fixed on it. This was his first time using magic, so his heart throbbed with happiness.
'Great! With this spell, I can defeat my opponent easier.'
He sat back on the swing and read the manual again.
When dinner time came, Ren returned the spell book to Aveline.
"What's wrong? Is the spell hard to master?" At this moment, Aveline thought he had given up on learning the magic.
"No," he shook his head. "I returned it because I've mastered it."
"What?!" Aveline widened her eyes in shock.
Not only her, but Elara was also surprised.
He borrowed the spell book this morning, yet by the evening, he claimed he had already mastered it.
Sure, it was only basic rank magic, but mastering it in just half a day was still too fast because normally, it took weeks or months to master it.
Since Aveline wanted to know if he was telling the truth, she immediately said, "Prove it! Show me that you are not lying."
"I don't mind it, but it's already evening, and we are in the dining room right now." He could not find a target there.
Aveline rose to her feet and stood three meters away from the dining table. "Use me as your target."
He was stunned by her crazy idea. "I refuse."
"Why?" Aveline asked.
"Even though it's a restraint-type magic, the lightning will attack you once you are bound." He explained.
"It's fine." She didn't mind it. "I'm a 2-star mage, and I'm also a healer, so just bind me with your magic."
Ren was still hesitant because he didn't want to hurt her. But since she insisted, he had no choice but to agree.
"Lightning Chain." his voice was low, but the moment the words left his mouth, two lightning chains shot out from the magic circle beneath her feet and entangled her hands.
*Szzzt…Szzzt…
The blue lightning surged onto her arms before spreading throughout her body.
Even though she felt pain, Aveline didn't tell him to stop.
Instead, she looked at his magic in surprise because he really mastered the Lightning Chain magic in just half a day.
'He wasn't lying!'
She finally knew he was telling the truth.
On the other side, Elara looked at him while covering her mouth in shock.
She knew Ren was special, but it seemed like he was more amazing than she thought.
'He…he is a monster!'
Those were the words that came to her mind because the word 'incredible' alone was not enough to describe him.
When he saw the blue lightning attacking her, Ren immediately deactivated his spell.
Once his magic disappeared, Aveline walked closer to him and said, "You are so amazing, Ren. It makes me want to take you as one of my people."
His lips curled up into a smile. "I will always be there for you, Mrs Aveline."
"I will remember that." She returned to her seat.
Once they cleaned the table, they chatted in the front yard again.
At 10:00 pm, they headed to their rooms and slept.
----
Ren was currently sitting on the swing alone. He was enjoying the morning atmosphere while thinking about what he should do that day.
As he was considering training his innate abilities, Aveline stepped into the front yard and approached him.
"Ren, do you know where Elara is?" She had looked for her daughter in the house but didn't find her.
He turned to her and replied, "She went somewhere with her friends earlier. Do you need something, Mrs Aveline?"
"I looked for her because I needed her help picking Luminara fruit with me." She couldn't carry the fruit alone, so she needed someone to assist her.
"How about I help you?" he had free time, so he offered to help.
"Then I will take your offer." She agreed right away.
Just as they were about to walk through the gate, Daniel and Sean caught sight of them.
"Village head, where are you going?" Daniel asked politely.
"I want to pick the Luminara fruit," she gave an honest answer.
"Ah, right! There will be a village celebration in two days." Daniel remembered it. "Do you need our help as well?"
"No," she refused. "Two people are already enough. Just guard the village."
"Then, please be careful," Sean said with a smile.
Both Ren and Aveline nodded in unison.
"Mrs. Aveline, what celebration is it?" he asked curiously.
"Village Feast." She responded. "It's a party we hold every six months to strengthen our bonds as villagers."
"No wonder you guys are like a family." He finally knew the reason why they were close to each other.
"We live deep in the forest, so we must unite as one." She told him they valued their bonds deeply because no one could survive alone in a cruel world.
The duo kept chatting as they headed toward the Luminara trees.
Thirty minutes later, they reached their destination.
Luminara trees had trunks about two to three meters tall, with wide, spreading leaves. Their fruit was medium-sized and shaped like pears.
After picking up many Luminara fruits, they stopped and rested on a wooden gazebo. The gazebo was quite large, with a one-meter-high railing.
"Ren, have you eaten this fruit before?" she asked.
"No," he shook his head.
She handed him a knife and said, "Try it."
He took the knife and one of the fruits. "Delicious!"
"It tastes sweet, right?" She was not surprised by his answer because everyone who ate it always liked it.
"Yes," he answered.
As they were chatting warmly, Alaric and Hayden approached them with happy faces.
"Village head, Ren…" Hayden shouted as he waved his hand.
Ren and Aveline turned to them in surprise because they didn't expect to meet Alaric and Hayden in that place.
After they stepped into the gazebo, Alaric and Hayden put their stackable food containers on the wooden floor.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I'm helping him find a magical herb for his family," Alaric responded.
"My parents have been feeling hot and cold since last night, so I want to find the Crysalyn herb," Hayden explained.
"Go west for about two kilometers, and you will find it there." She knew its location because she had seen it a few days ago.
"Great!" Alaric stated. "Hayden, how about we eat first? I'm hungry."
"Sure." Hayden agreed instantly because he was also starving.
Then, they separated the stacked containers and opened the lids.
"Village head, here. Eat with us." Alaric offered her half of his food.
"Ren, you eat too." Hayden did the same.
"You don't need to." She shook her head slightly.
"Yes. We already ate some Luminara fruits, so we're not hungry," Ren added.
"No. You two must join us. Food always tastes better when eaten together." After saying that, Alaric turned to Hayden. "Isn't that right, Hayden?"
"That's right," Hayden replied. "So, please don't refuse and eat with us."
Since they insisted, Ren and Aveline agreed.
She grabbed the spoon and consumed it right away.
Alaric's lips curled up into a smile when he saw her happy expression. "How is it, village head?"
"It's delici-" before she had finished her words, her lunch box fell from her hand, and she collapsed to the ground.
In the next second, the same thing happened to Ren.