"Mr. Morgan, I think I can't take reading this anymore! I feel like my head's going to explode!", James stressedly cried out. "I heard magicians need to read books, but just this book alone can give me a headache!"

"How could you become a magician if you don't want to even read books.", Anna retorted.

"Do magicians need to read books?", James asked.

"Yes."

"Oh, are you a magician yourself?", James asked.

"Wait, no! No I'm not!", Anna refused. She and Allen both had an understanding that James shouldn't find out that she was a magician. The girl doesn't know why the shop owner doesn't want the kid to find out, but she could only abide because the Adept Mana Stabilizing Pill was still being created for at least two more months.

"Then don't say that magician read books if you're not one. You're really an unreliable information source.", James retorted with a taunting tone.

Meanwhile, inwardly, Anna was extremely furious, not just furious to the point she almost blew up! She really want to slap James the truth that she was a magician, and at the Adept level at that! Actually, in her mind, her chibi self was already slapping James' chibi in rapid motion while her hands were on fire!

She could only snort at James' reply and didn't bother him anymore.

"It's closing time, the both of you should leave now.", Allen interjected to prevent a fight breaking out from the two kids.

"Alright.", James took off his mask and left the shop, while Anna gave one last look to Little Salad and also left.

"You should go upstairs, I need to do something at the bas.e.m.e.nt again, so don't bother me.", Allen said to Edwin. The latter nodded in response and went upstairs.

Afterwards, Allen flipped the shop's sign to 'closed', he fully covered the windows with their curtains to prevent people potentially peeking inside, then he approached Little Salad, who was in the corner.

Little Salad grew to his monster plant form and let out whimpers.

"You have the blood of a Visergoroth Eater, so you shouldn't whimper like a baby. It's staining your kind's reputation.", after Allen's seemingly ruthless yet not ruthless remark due to the plain tone of his voice, he went straight to the bas.e.m.e.nt.

On the other hand, Little Salad color turned blue, appearing as if he would start to cry now.

***

James was humming a tone while he was on his way back home; however, he suddenly felt a painful shock coursing throughout his head which made him stop on his tracks.

He held his head tightly and dashed into an alley. There, he rolled on the ground and even let out some quiet shouts while gritting his teeth.

When the pain subsided, he was drenched on his sweat and was panting heavily. He sat up with great difficulty, while doing so, he looked towards a broken mirror leaning by the wall of the alley. There, he saw his reflection, yet, both of his eyes were color black.

He immediately turned his gaze away from the mirror and rushed back home.

Arriving back at his house, just like always, James saw his mother preparing dinner in the kitchen. At the same time, his father was going downstairs and saw the kid.

"Hey, you look tired.", Albert approached him when he saw his tired countenance.

"I think I didn't get enough sleep yesterday.", James giggled.

"The both of you should prepare, I've cooked chicken soup with some spices!", Melanie said from the kitchen. "Because your father finally got a job at the mines!"

Working in the mines wasn't bad as one would think, because the mines in the Horizon Mountain were tightly monitored by the government and due to the city not having a poor standing, the equipment that a miner would need for mining would be complete, thus, almost guarranteeing the miners' safety.

After hearing about the chicken soup, Albert lightly told James to eat first before going to replace his clothes, then he excitedly entered the kitchen.

"I think the both of you should go eat first, I'm going to eat later at night.", James replied back that her mother could hear it and he went upstairs to his room.

"What's wrong with him?", Melanie asked.

"He looks a bit tired. Let's just let him sleep for a few hours, then wake him up later to eat.", Albert said.

"Mhm."

James took off his jacket and dropped it on the floor, after which he straightly lied down on the bed, his body was shaking, not because of the cold, but because of fear.

He unconsciously looked at a large drawer in his room and muttered, "I shouldn't have approached the church." Then he closed his eyes and took a nap.

***

The next morning, after James ate his breakfast, he wore a new set of clothes under the same jacket from yesterday and walked out of the house.

As soon as he was outside the door, he saw that one of his neighbors approached his mother, who was currently watering a flower on their tiny garden.

He overheard that they were talking about a baby girl.

However, James didn't stay any longer and left the vicinity of the house.

As soon as the kid arrived at the shop, he saw Edwin wearing the white robes and carrying a satchel while Allen was beside him talking about something.

"Oh, he's here.", Edwin said.

Allen looked over at James and the first thing he noticed was his visage, "Why is your face pale?"

"What? It's nothing, it was probably too cold last night.", James let out a smile, but it was a bit crooked on its sides. After which, Allen diverted back his attention to Edwin.

"Alright, I'll be going now.", Edwin pa.s.sed by James and exited the shop. At the same time, Anna walked in and saw the kid.

"Why is your face pale?", Anna asked the same question as Allen.

"Nothing! I'm alright.", James immediately answered and went to the back of the counter.

"Uhh...", Anna was startled at the other's hasty reply, but later put it at the back of her head and greeted. "h.e.l.lo Alchemist Morgan."

Allen nodded in response and went back to the bas.e.m.e.nt.

On the other hand, Anna approached Little Salad, who was still at the same position as yesterday.

***

Time gradually pa.s.sed and Edwin arrived somewhere outside of the Monarch Forest. His task was to kill a demonic bear in the inner region of the forest.

The said forest was splitted into three regions on the map that Allen gave him, which were the outer region, inner region, deep region.

The outer region was mostly explored and has many information about the beast and animals there. Last night, as a last minute decision, Edwin went to the library to read about the monsters of the Monarch Forest and saw that most of the beasts recorded in the book were from the said region.

The inner region was more mysterious, there still wasn't a major exploration started to explore the said region. There were some minor exploration that had started, but were mostly unfruitful, and that's were the demonic bear resided.

In addition, from Allen's explanation, he heard that the demonic bear was different than it's normal peers. It never went to hibernation and stayed awake and kept hunting during the winter.

The deep region, however, wasn't even explored for once, but Edwin wasn't planning to get close to it even once, because there might be powerful beasts that were living there.

However, that was his initial plan, but now he had to change it, because earlier, Allen also tasked him to find a bright orange shard, which was called a Soul Shard in the inner region.

It might be in the inner region, but he was forewarned that it could actually be near or even in the deep region. But Allen also said to him to not risk his life for it and don't go to the deep region to look for it.

The Soul Shard came from different shapes and sizes, but Allen only wanted him to find a shard that was at least as long as 3cm and 2cm wide. The said shards were one of the treasures of the Monarch Forest, but only a few people would look for it as they were frequently near the mysterious deep region.

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Edwin put back the map he was looking at in his satchel that Allen specially prepared for him; although it was actually one of his two satchels, but he let it be brought by the boy.

Inside the satcjel were different kinds of tools, weapons, a jar of medicinal pills, and a few poisons too.

"Stop being nervous, I wanted to do this in the first place.", Edwin sucked out a cold breath as he tried to comfort himself. Following which, he strengthened his resolve and walked in the forest.