Chapter 55

"Me... Let me think about it some more." Zhao Mai still didn't dare to fully trust the elf Selene, so he said, "The spells in our world seem different from what you use here. Please give me time to practice."

The elf nodded, showing understanding. "Mike, remember one thing: you are just a part of the world. Whatever you do, you need the help of this world. The primal forces of nature are right beside you, and they are also waiting and hoping to communicate with you, just as you hope to communicate with them."

Zhao Mai pondered all the way back to where he was staying. He didn't have a fixed residence, just a hammock tied about a meter above the ground. Reserve was lying by the hammock, gnawing on a bone from some unknown animal. Seeing Zhao Mai return, Reserve wagged his tail and pounced up, circling around his feet.

Zhao Mai squatted down and petted the dog. The dog's perpetual goofy smile improved Zhao Mai's mood significantly. He looked at the sky; it was still early, and he wasn't hungry, so he decided to practice some more. The best place to practice was the Insight Tree, where Zhao Mai had achieved his first success.

He wanted to try to enter the state of enlightenment to communicate with the skulls formed from the druidic runes. Many of the details from that time had already been forgotten, and the words that had shot into his eyes were completely blurred. Many people had this situation, but few were like him, unable to cast any spells after enlightenment.

If there were a system to assist him, it would be great. Then he could see someone casting a fireball, analyze its hundreds of models, optimize it, and learn it. Zhao Mai smiled self-deprecatingly; he didn't have that kind of luck, no thick golden finger to rely on. Moreover, that idea was really far-fetched! Who said that seeing the result could reverse-engineer the process? Isn't that like seeing a person and analyzing the position their parents were in when they conceived them, and even optimizing it? Learning isn't that simple. His foundation wasn't as strong as the locals, and his understanding of the world was insufficient, so there was only one way: more practice.

After all, if the spell wasn't cast, it only consumed a bit of saliva and some physical energy. Zhao Mai was a young man in his twenties; this consumption was negligible.

Of course, practice shouldn't be done blindly. He needed to calm down, feel, and summarize, striving for every bit of progress. Zhao Mai sat cross-legged under a big tree, holding a poisonous mushroom, and repeatedly cast the spell.

He sat there for half a day. By the time the sky was filled with stars and the night had fallen, Zhao Mai still hadn't left. Reserve, bored, had fallen asleep. He had long been tired of watching. As a dog that could teleport, he felt helpless about his owner's inability to use even basic spells. If he could speak, he might have given guidance long ago. Unfortunately, the dog could only bark, which only caused interference and provided no help.

"If you can't cast a certain spell, it might be due to problems with the movements, words, or other external factors, or simply because the primal force isn't at the right level." A parrot landed beside Zhao Mai, began to transform, and eventually took the form of the elf teacher Selene. "Mike, is there something on your mind that's holding you back? If it's not resolved, the primal forces of nature will find it hard to help you."

"I can't figure out why the energy of the primal forces can enter the mushroom and purify the toxins inside."

"Is that what you're thinking about?" Selene sat down beside Zhao Mai, tilting her head to look at him. "Actually, I don't know why either. Few druids can explain it. There are a few theories that have formed different schools, but because no one can convince the others, they have developed rifts."

"Isn't this a very important question?" Zhao Mai asked curiously. "Shouldn't we investigate the cause, understand the rules, and then guide and change things accordingly?"

"Your thinking is very rigorous, but the focus of druids is not on that, at least not for us, the Unbound Walkers." Selene explained, "It's like eating. You don't command your stomach and intestines to digest, nor do you command your body to absorb nutrients. You trust that they will do their job. When you eat, they know and prepare; if there's a problem, they will promptly inform you. Druidic spells are the same. I don't influence how the primal forces work; they have their own methods and tricks. What you need to do is use your own primal force to convey your thoughts, like putting food in your mouth. The rest, you must trust nature, which has its own wisdom."

"In other words, I'm overthinking and over-managing, and my thoughts are interfering with the work of the primal forces?"

"I'm not you, so I can't definitively say that this is the only reason," Selene said gently. "I see you practicing here again and again, more diligently than others, and I know you are a good student. But I think you still have doubts about the spells, deep in your heart. There is a way to eliminate these doubts, and that is to personally experience the feeling of casting a spell."

"How can I do that?"

The elf placed her fingers together and pressed them against Zhao Mai's temple. "Relax your breathing, focus your mind, and I will transmit my senses to you."

Zhao Mai swallowed and then followed her instructions, slowing his breathing. The elf's fingers lightly tapped, first casting the Owl's Wisdom spell to enhance Zhao Mai's perception of the surrounding environment. Whether it was divine power or the primal forces of nature, the first condition for casting magic was to feel the presence of these forces. Under the spell's effect, Zhao Mai became more perceptive, and the sensation of the elf teacher's wet and cool fingers on his skin was exceptionally clear.

Not just the fingers, but the entire arm was now mapped into his mind. Zhao Mai frowned; this shouldn't be the effect of the Owl's Wisdom spell, right? Selene noticed Zhao Mai's change and gently said, "Don't overthink it; focus on the experience."

After the arm came the torso, then the other limbs and the head. Zhao Mai found himself inside the female elf, seeing through her eyes and hearing with her ears. His heartbeat was slow, his chest felt a bit itchy, and his long hair felt heavy. Was this how Selene felt every day?

"Pay attention to the interaction between my primal force and the surrounding primal forces."

Selene cast a series of spells, from ordinary prayers to higher-level ones, demonstrating them for Zhao Mai. Zhao Mai didn't focus on the sensations from the elf's body but instead concentrated on the primal forces of nature. The fresh first-person perspective gave him insights that thousands of third-person observations couldn't match. In the repeated casting of spells, he finally understood where his mistake lay.

Exiting the elf's body, both were drenched in sweat. Selene, clearly more exhausted, instructed Zhao Mai to take care of himself and then left, slightly swaying. Zhao Mai closed his eyes and carefully replayed the sensations he had experienced in his mind, then picked up the poisonous mushroom from the ground.

"It's neither a command nor a plea, nor is it imposing my will." Zhao Mai thought, "I am just a part of nature, the only difference being that I have more initiative. I need to maintain harmony with nature, but harmony is not equality. Equality is still two independent static entities, while harmony is dynamic, mutually beneficial, and complementary."

So, the key lies in the balance and the method. Zhao Mai closed his eyes, following his feelings, and resonated with the surrounding primal forces. All living beings are primal forces, with no distinction between you, me, or it. Zhao Mai felt he had found the right feeling, so he recited the spell to purify the food, entrusting his trust to the power of nature for the first time. After casting the spell, he didn't even open his eyes and ate the mushroom in one bite.

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**End of Chapter**