A day ended in meditation.
After dinner,
Xu Xi escorted Krisha back to her room.
Then, he walked alone through the silent corridor, entering the study located on the outer side of the courtyard. He twisted a knob, and several glass lamps embedded with light crystals emitted a soft glow, illuminating the previously dark room.
"That child's situation is quite complicated..."
"The emotional loss caused by such extreme past experiences is almost impossible to recover. We can only do our best."
The voice echoed in the spacious study.
Xu Xi walked to the desk, pulled out a chair, and sat down, taking out a stack of densely written papers.
They recorded Xu Xi's research on new magic, covering almost every attribute.
All-encompassing and creatively original.
This was Xu Xi's unique foundation, created based on the red trait, "The Wisdom of Mortals." Even if there were no reward options related to these new magics after the simulation concluded,
Xu Xi could still replicate them in the real world through memory.
However, tonight,
Xu Xi had no intention of delving into new magic.
After briefly glancing at the research on new magic, he placed the papers into a cabinet and instead took out a blank sheet. He paused occasionally to think, then continued writing.
"Building Krisha's personality must not be rushed."
"The child is still in a sensitive period. Exposing her to too many things too quickly will only make her fearful and cause her to retreat further into her painful past."
"Hmm, let's stick to the current pace and start by gradually teaching her magic."
"Possessing extraordinary power is the first step in building her confidence. After that, we'll take the second and third steps, slowly filling the void in her heart until she can survive independently without me."
Hot steam flowed through the room's pipes,
providing Xu Xi with ample warmth.
His wrist moved,
the tip of the pen lightly touching the paper, like drizzle sliding across a window. The continuous rustling sound was particularly clear in the night, carrying a unique sense of tranquility.
It wasn't until late at night that Xu Xi finally put down the pen.
The paper was filled with his plans for Krisha's future.
Toot—
Toot—
Outside, a sharp, prolonged whistle caught Xu Xi's attention.
He instinctively looked out the window and saw dark clouds obscuring the bright moon, plunging the entire Allenson City into darkness.
The buildings constructed with magical bricks still stood tall.
The steam-powered mist continued to fill the sky.
But under the cover of night, the entire city seemed to transform into a twisted, menacing dark forest in an instant, and the steam from the machines turned into a nightmarish fog.
Occasionally, a few windows in the houses emitted faint light, making the silence and eeriness even more pronounced.
"Steam, magic, deities, elements, demons."
"This world has quite a lot of elements..."
Gazing at the darkness outside the window,
Xu Xi clicked his tongue softly.
He felt that this magical simulation world was just like Allenson City before his eyes, hiding many mysterious unknowns in the darkness.
The previous cultivation simulation world was quite similar.
But Xu Xi had died too early, his cultivation stopping at the Golden Core Realm, never even reaching the legendary immortal realm.
He hoped this second simulation would bring some breakthroughs.
At the very least, he shouldn't die so quickly this time.
Hmm, he needed to at least wait until Krisha could protect herself before he could leave with peace of mind.
...
[Your training of Krisha has officially begun.]
[In the magic system, meditation is only the first step in establishing a connection with the world. The true key lies in how to communicate with the elements and control the corresponding magic.]
[The girl wants to be like you, a near-omnipotent magic master, but she clearly doesn't have your talent.]
[You smiled and had the girl start with the basics: earth, wind, water, and fire.]
[The first thing you taught her was earth magic.]
"Krisha, empty your mind and feel the earth beneath your feet."
"Perceive, communicate, release."
"Follow the steps slowly."
In the courtyard where the autumn wind howled, the little girl in a magic apprentice robe struggled to channel her mana, forming a small pile of dirt after a minute.
The pile was small and scattered.
It was a 0th-level magic spell, Earth Gathering, used by magic apprentices for practice.
To be honest, Krisha performed very well. It was her first attempt, and she managed to successfully cast the spell. Although it wasn't perfect, Xu Xi didn't hesitate to praise her.
"You did well, Krisha."
"Remember, the key to earth magic is steadiness, slow and heavy."
Xu Xi spoke gently.
He crouched down and helped the girl dust off her clothes.
The Earth Gathering spell had not only formed a small pile of dirt but also left the girl covered in soil, making her look a bit disheveled.
"I understand, Mentor."
She replied obediently.
...
[The second thing you taught her was wind magic.]
Once Krisha became proficient in earth magic, able to gather dirt without getting herself dirty, Xu Xi began teaching her a 0th-level wind magic spell.
Wind Blade.
This was the simplest and most widely known wind magic spell.
Its lethality was limited, and its attack range wasn't too far.
But many famous wind magic spells evolved from this Wind Blade technique, making it a foundational skill that every wind mage must master.
"Compress, stabilize, and then release."
Xu Xi slowed down his movements, demonstrating the entire process of casting Wind Blade to Krisha.
The girl looked confused.
She seemed to understand but not fully.
After struggling to channel wind elements for a while, she finally managed to compress a decent Wind Blade. She tried to shoot it at a tree, but the blade dissipated mid-air.
"Keep practicing," Xu Xi said tactfully.
...
[The third thing you taught her was water magic.]
Among the four natural elements,
Krisha seemed to have the most affinity for water.
Xu Xi taught her a 0th-level spell, Water Creation.
Within just ten minutes, Krisha mastered the use of Water Creation and even figured out another 0th-level water spell, Water Arrow, on her own.
Xu Xi couldn't help but exclaim, "My disciple Krisha has the potential to become a Water Saint Magus."
As soon as he finished speaking,
the girl lost control of the water she had just created due to mana depletion, and it splashed all over her.
That day, Xu Xi lightly tapped her head,
admonishing her not to be careless.
...
[The last thing you taught her was the volatile and dangerous fire element.]
Among the many magical elements,
fire was one of the more dangerous ones.
Because flames were highly unstable, the caster could easily get burned if they weren't careful.
Therefore, Xu Xi first ensured Krisha was proficient in the other three elements, able to use them with ease, before teaching her the basics of fire magic.
0th-level spell, Fire Bullet.
This was the precursor to the 1st-level spell, Fireball.
It had the advantages of fast casting, strong power, and a certain degree of impact penetration.
The downside was also obvious: only magic apprentices could cast 0th-level spells, and magic apprentices often couldn't control their mana well, leading to the Fire Bullet harming themselves.
Fortunately,
thanks to Xu Xi's careful guidance,
Krisha eventually mastered the Fire Bullet.
With that, the witch's journey in elemental magic had taken its first solid step.
From here on, the goal was to continuously improve on this foundation, allowing the weak sapling to grow into a towering tree. Until that day arrived, Xu Xi would keep watching over the girl.