Chapter 710: Paul’s Wish

‘If only I could be like Master Merlin! Then I could eat white bread every day!’

Paul let his imagination wander, picturing himself as Master Merlin, fighting side-by-side with Oni I. He saw himself slaying countless powerful Demon Monsters and ultimately becoming a Great Noble of the Fiery Sun Empire.

After passing through a series of filthy, sewage-strewn alleys, Paul arrived in front of a small, dilapidated, and dimly lit house.

“Brother! Paul, you’re back! We can eat! We can eat!”

A little girl with a missing front tooth ran out of the house, laughing happily. Her hair was a bird’s nest, her face was filthy, and her feet were bare. She was sallow and emaciated.

“Mina, come on. Let’s go eat.”

Paul gave a small smile, walked over to ruffle the little girl’s hair, and went inside the small house.

Inside the small house, a plain-looking woman who appeared to be in her forties or fifties greeted him with a gentle smile. She had a dozen or so freckles on her face, her hands were covered in chilblains, and her eyes were filled with exhaustion. “Paul, you’re back! Let’s eat!”

This woman was Paul and Mina’s mother, Buffy.

On a small round table sat a loaf of black bread and three bowls of thin soup made with wild greens and salt.

Paul picked up a piece of the black bread, which was as hard as a block of wood. He soaked it in his soup to soften it before taking a bite.

The bread was salty and sour, with a faint spoiled taste that made Paul’s brow furrow. A surge of yearning rose in his heart. ‘I have to become a Mage Apprentice, become a Mage, and change my fate. I’ll eat white bread every day.’

‘I’ll make sure Mom and my sister can live happy lives, too.’

Paul looked at Buffy’s hands, covered in chilblains, and a glint of determination flashed in his eyes.

Buffy was a laundress. A full day of washing clothes earned her just one loaf of black bread and a single copper coin. Their family of three lived an extremely difficult life, occupying the lowest rung of the slums.

After dinner, the family went straight to sleep.

Although the impoverished family owned an oil lamp, they never lit it unless it was absolutely necessary. The cost of lamp oil, after all, was a heavy burden for them to bear.

Late that night, Paul crept out of his simple little bed, slipped quietly out of the house, and headed into the darkness.

Paul wound his way through a series of alleys until he reached a hidden, abandoned shack. Inside was an old man in ragged clothes—the very same storyteller from that afternoon who had recounted the battles of Oni I.

“Ronan, sir,” Paul asked, full of curiosity, “are you really a Mage?”

Ronan smiled faintly and snapped his fingers. A ball of light instantly materialized, bathing the abandoned shack in its glow.

A fervent light ignited in Paul’s eyes. “Magic! It’s really Magic!”

In the Gulondo World, Mages reigned supreme, dominating all aspects of life. If a commoner could become a Mage, they could change their destiny, instantly rising to a status comparable to that of the nobility.

Paul’s face was a mask of desperation. “Ronan, sir, please teach me Magic!”

“If you wish to become my Magic Apprentice, then drink this Magic Potion. It will let me see your Magic Talent. If your talent is strong enough, I will take you as my student and teach you Magic.”

Ronan smiled faintly, taking out a black Crystal Bottle and handing it to Paul.

‘So this is a Magic Potion to test for Magic Talent? This is just like the story! Master Merlin gave a Magic Potion to Oni I, discovered his incredible Magic Talent, and guided him onto the path of Magic!’

His face flushed with excitement, Paul couldn’t wait. He uncorked the black Crystal Bottle and downed its contents in a single gulp.

“Pain! So much pain! It’s agonizing! Ronan, sir, it hurts so much!”

The moment the black Magic Potion went down his throat, Paul’s face twisted in agony. He collapsed to the ground, writhing in Pain as tears and snot streamed down his face.

“Fool! Allow me to teach you one last lesson! The world of Magic is a brutal one; you don’t just drink any Magic Potion you’re handed. A worthless insect like you, dreaming of becoming a noble Mage? What a joke.”

“You are fit only to be fodder for my recovery. Suffer! Fall into Despair! The greater your Pain, the deeper your Despair, the more delicious your soul becomes.”

A savage grin spread across Ronan’s face. His features warped and twisted, revealing the grotesque, gray-skinned face of a monster. He was, in fact, a Soul-Sucking Monster that fed on human souls.

“No!!”

A flicker of absolute Despair crossed Paul’s eyes before they rolled back into his head. His translucent soul began to slowly rise from his body. ℯ

Ronan opened his mouth and took a deep breath, and Paul’s soul was immediately drawn toward it.

“Insect. His soul is not something a lowly being like you is worthy of touching.”

An ice-cold voice rang out as a finger tapped Ronan on the head.

The Soul-Sucking Monster’s head instantly exploded, splattering across the ground in a pool of viscous slime.

Shu Feng slowly emerged from the shadows, quietly observing Paul’s corpse.

It had been over a month since Shu Feng had located Paul using a Secret Technique. That was why he was able to appear by his side at the most critical moment.

‘So this is my counterpart in this world. How ugly!’

Shu Feng let out a soft sigh and performed a Secret Technique, drawing Paul’s soul into his own body.

“I want to become the strongest Legendary Mage!” ℯ𝐥.

“I want to aid a powerful ruler, help establish a vast Empire, and become a Great Noble, second in power only to the emperor.”

“I want my mother and sister to live happy, carefree lives.”

The moment Shu Feng absorbed Paul’s soul, he perceived the three wishes it held.

‘My counterpart in this world was far too short-sighted. He didn’t even wish for Ascension to Divinity. And instead of wanting to become an emperor himself, he just wanted to be an advisor—a Great Noble!’

‘Still, this is a good thing for me. It will make completing the mission much easier.’

‘No, wait! The spheres of influence in this world are already established. Barring some major event, establishing a new, vast Empire will be incredibly difficult!’

Shu Feng’s brow furrowed as he fell into deep thought.

The Gulondo World was dominated by the Three Great Empires: the Fiery Sun Empire, the Engman Empire, and the Moon Empire.

The Fiery Sun Empire worships the Sun God, while the Engman Empire worships the God of War. Humans make up the majority of the population in these Two Great Empires, with each nation boasting over a billion people.

The Moon Empire, in turn, worships the Moon God.

The Moon Empire is comprised of various races who worship the Moon God, such as the Elf Clan, the Werewolf Clan, and the Beastman Clan.