Chapter 17

The first watch has arrived!

"Damn it!" Cook fell to the ground, his mouth full of mud. Just now, because Loli wasn't wearing her mage robe, her well-proportioned figure was clearly visible. Cook had merely glanced out of curiosity, but mages, with their highly developed mental powers, are all freaks, so Cook was immediately discovered. The sudden burst of mental power sent the over-a-hundred-pound Cook flying. This is the strength of a mage.

"But it seems that's the case." However, as Cook passed by several mages' tents, he didn't see any guards preparing food.

Since Loli gave the order, Cook had no choice but to carry two huge water bags, each weighing over a hundred pounds, to the mountain spring to prepare to make the giant python into jerky. Although Cook was somewhat afraid of snakes deep down, when he was hungry, it wasn't a problem anymore.

"Mi Qi, remember, a mage's food must not have any strong flavors, and drinking alcohol is strictly forbidden, as it can interfere with our mental power. So, a mage's staple food is bread, the best kind being golden milk bread. The water we drink is formed by gathering water elements with magic; we don't drink ordinary water...

Being a mage is a noble profession, so noble that the major empires all use titles to attract mages...

Today, I will teach you how to control your mental power in meditation. First, you must be calm; all emotions are the greatest enemies of meditation." When Cook returned, full and satisfied, he heard Loli teaching Mi Qi outside the tent.

While carefully heating water in a large wooden bucket for Loli, Cook listened intently to Loli's words. From Loli's many words, Cook gained some understanding of mages and a bit of knowledge about various matters on the continent.

"Hey!" Just as Cook was listening intently to Loli's lesson, a voice interrupted him. Cook saw it was the squirrel from earlier and couldn't help but be speechless. This was the heart of the mage corps, with thousands of knights distributed within a three-kilometer radius. Loli's father, Meliv, a high mage, was one of the top officials of this mage corps, so Loli's safety was not something Cook needed to worry about. Cook was just a helper.

"How did you get out?" After a few days of practice, Cook finally managed to control this useless talent of speaking with animals, but he had no choice. Anyone who had to listen to various animals chattering non-stop every day would find it unbearable.

"Hmph, they locked me in a cage, but they forgot that I'm a mutated squirrel." The squirrel answered proudly, its small front paws gesturing in a very human-like manner.

"Hehe, now that you're out, why don't you leave?" Cook had no interest in making things difficult for the little creature, which was quite cute.

"Not leaving, there's food and drink here, and don't you think following a mage is a wise decision?" The squirrel jumped onto Cook's shoulder, its fluffy tail swaying behind it, looking very pleased with itself.

"Mage? You mean Loli, the lady?" Cook asked, somewhat puzzled.

"No, the little girl, the one who is the person's student. She's a mage too, right? I think she'll like me. Don't you think I'm very cute?" The squirrel shook its head in response.

"Sure!" Cook almost burst out laughing. Mi Qi's father was a hunter, and such small creatures were common. Mi Qi had always liked these little animals, but none of them had been raised to adulthood because they would be killed for meat once they were fattened up. However, Cook definitely wouldn't remind this arrogant little creature.

"But I suddenly smelled something delicious. Is it roast meat? When adventurers used to enter the mountains, I would take some roast meat. This time, you found the prey, so shouldn't you share some with me?" The squirrel then revealed its true nature.

"Alright, here, go find your new master." Cook took a piece of dried snake head from a leather bag and gave it to the squirrel.

"So fragrant, goodbye!" The squirrel hugged the meat and disappeared into the shadows of the tent.

It was only then that Cook remembered the small creature on his collar. In the afternoon, it had been quite strange, not just in its jumping ability but also in the toughness of the spider silk it produced, which was almost as strong as steel wire.

"Click click!" Cook gave the little spider a new name. There was no other way; this little thing loved to tap its two front legs together, making a "click click" sound, which Cook could hear even though it was not very loud.

"Good!" Click click could only produce simple syllables.

"Try jumping?" Cook said with a smile.

"No, too, tiring." Click click managed to say three words, leaving Cook speechless, but he didn't give up.

"Try some spider silk?" This time, Cook wasn't disappointed. Click click released a strand of spider silk about half a meter long.

"Great job!" Cook praised Click click and began to study the silk. It was as thin as fishing line, but very strong, stretching to about two meters. Even with all his strength, Cook couldn't break it.

"Good stuff!" Cook's first reaction was that this was good material, at least for making traps. However, when he burned the silk with fire, it disappeared instantly.

"Indeed, it has a flaw." Cook wasn't disappointed; it was only natural.

"Cook, is the bath water ready?" Loli's voice came from inside the tent while Cook was thinking about how to maximize Click click's potential.

"Ready, ready, lady." Cook quickly replied.

"Help Mi Qi bring the water in, then you can rest." Loli gave a simple and clear order.

"Yes, lady." For some reason, Loli didn't have any female guards, while Cook had seen all-female guards around the other female mages.

"Mi Qi, just lift the tent flap, I'll do it myself." When Cook saw Mi Qi, he felt a bit embarrassed. Mi Qi's originally light red hair had turned a fiery red, and her skin had become whiter and smoother, her rough hands becoming fine and delicate, like an ugly duckling turning into a swan.

"Okay!" Mi Qi didn't say much, just one word, but Cook clearly felt her gaze on him.

"Then I'll leave." Cook quickly poured the hot water into the large wooden bucket and turned to leave.

"This is a memory scroll from your mentor, containing a method for wood-elemental martial arts. Just tear it open." But Mi Qi held Cook back and handed him an ancient sheepskin scroll.

"A method for wood-elemental martial arts, and a memory scroll." Cook was shocked. Wood-elemental abilities were rare among humans, so wood-elemental martial arts were also very scarce. Although Cook didn't know why Loli did this, he was deeply grateful to her.

"Um, let's work hard together." Mi Qi waved her small fist at Cook.

"Uh, work hard!" Cook was a bit speechless, but then he thought that Mi Qi was just a little girl, and they were from the same place, so he was the most familiar with her. Cook just nodded and said it to get by.

Cook tightly held the scroll, so excited he almost jumped, but the most important thing in the mage camp was to maintain silence, as many mages were in meditation. After a few steps, he heard a voice: "Damn it, where are you from?" Loli's angry voice suddenly rang out.

"Help! Help! Bang!" Then a black shadow was forcefully thrown out of Loli's tent. Cook saw it was the little squirrel, who had clearly appeared at the wrong time and place, as Loli was bathing with Mi Qi.

"Little Flower, what happened? Do you need help?" Cook asked teasingly, looking at the squirrel with half its fur burned.

"Fortunately, I reacted quickly, or I would have been roasted. This cursed place, I'll never come back. Remember, don't call me Little Flower." To Cook's surprise, the little squirrel actually shouted.

"Cook, did you put him up to it?" Cook heard this and quickly fled, and the little squirrel also grabbed Cook's clothes and disappeared into the night with him.

"Damn it, Cook, where are you?" After Cook disappeared, Loli's tent was lifted, and she walked out in a nightgown, looking around in confusion and muttering.

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