I Became a Cub in the Elven Kingdom - Chapter 231

Chapter 231: Mission to the Grand Canyon

Shu Li wrote an 800-word training reflection in elegant Elven.

When someone is flustered, their native language flows most smoothly.

Although Elven wasn’t Shu Li’s first native language, it was the first language he learned in this otherworld. Having used it most frequently, his writing flowed effortlessly, like water coursing through a stream.

Setting down his quill, he reviewed the reflection one last time. Finding nothing to add, he rolled up the parchment and stored it in his storage pouch.

Beep-beep! The hourglass clock on his bedside table chimed. Glancing at the dial, Shu Li realized it was nearly 7:00 AM. He hurriedly rushed to the bathroom to wash up, changed into his school uniform magic robe, and opened the door to leave.

As he stepped into the living room, his eyes immediately fell on Est, who was sitting on the sofa reading a book. The book was half-read, clearly indicating he had been waiting for some time.

“G-good… good morning,” Shu Li stammered, his mood complicated by the discovery he had made during yesterday’s meditation. However, after consulting with the Elven King, he had resolved to act as if he knew nothing until he could respond properly.

Regaining his composure, he flashed a radiant smile. “Sorry for sleeping in today. Have you been waiting long?”

Est closed his book with a single hand, tucked it into his storage pouch, and stood up. “Not too bad. I only woke up about twenty minutes earlier than you.”

Shu Li met Est’s emerald green eyes for two seconds before awkwardly turning away and heading for the entrance. “Let’s get going. Decio and the others must be getting impatient.”

“Alright,” Est replied calmly.

When they opened the door, they found their companions already prepared, gathered in the hallway chatting.

Seeing Shu Li and Est emerge, Budno grinned impishly. “Heh heh, I’m finally not the last one to wake up!”

Because he loved to sleep in, Budno was always the last one up, often teased by Decio. Today, he had actually woken up early, only to find Sperien and Est’s door tightly shut and silent.

“Just one day, don’t get too excited,” Decio retorted.

He seemed to forget that Sperien sacrificed his sleep every day to perform Purification work on the Mother Tree Branch and sweetie fruits in Vanaku, constantly risking his life. If he was late today, it must mean he had run into some serious trouble.

Realizing he could only enter the Mother Tree’s root system tunnels and embark on adventures with Sperien after becoming a Grand Mage, he was suddenly filled with renewed vigor. He slapped Budno on the back with a hearty clap and declared, “Let’s go grab breakfast, then we’ll work hard to improve our strength!”

Budno winced at the painful slap, made a face at him, and scurried away.

Exiting the boys’ dormitory, they met up with two girls and headed toward the school cafeteria with youthful energy.

Shu Li looked up at the azure sky, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

Another beautiful day.

Over the next few days, the Mage Apprentices of Class One endured a living hell under Ilio’s Hellish Training.

While students from other classes were still consolidating basic knowledge, Class One was running laps on the main school road, getting beaten up at the Magic Training Ground, searching for medicinal herbs in the back mountains, and being chased by magical beasts in the Magic Beast Garden.

In short, the week was incredibly demanding. Each day left them physically and mentally exhausted, barely able to crawl back to their dormitories, where they still had to meditate and write reflections.

The hardship was intense, but the rewards were equally great.

Their bodies grew stronger, their running speed increased, their reaction time sharpened, and their combat experience deepened. They far preferred this intense, stimulating method of learning to the monotonous days spent poring over books in the classroom.

If only Ilio’s taunts were less frequent, it would be perfect.

Five days passed in the blink of an eye, and the long-awaited weekend finally arrived.

At dawn, the Light Squad gathered before the statue at the Academy’s entrance, preparing to depart for the Woba Grand Canyon on a gathering mission.

Celius, clad in light armor, stood early before the statue of the Elven King, awaiting his new teammates.

Recalling Harris’s words from the previous day, his gaze hardened with resolve.

“Prince, are you truly leaving the Central Court? If the Black Knight discovers you, you and your teammates will be in grave danger.”

Celius remained silent for a long moment.

He himself feared nothing from the Black Knight, but if Harris’s warning proved true and his actions endangered his comrades, he would bear the full weight of responsibility.

Yet he could not remain confined to the Central Court forever.

He was Prince Cecilia, the future master of the Carlos Sword. If he lacked the courage to face danger, he would be unworthy of the title of Magic Swordsman.

“Harris, I’m no longer the helpless child you once knew.”

Though his appearance remained that of a man in his twenties after becoming a Mage, his actual age now exceeded thirty. He was no longer an impulsive youth; after careful consideration, he had decided to undertake a mission to the Woba Grand Canyon.

If the Black Knight dared to come, he would dare to kill.

As a Magic Swordsman, only by facing challenges head-on could he advance fearlessly.

“Celius~”

A clear voice echoed from afar. Celius looked up at the black-haired youth waving to him.

It was Sperien.

As Celius watched Sperien and the other Mage Apprentices approach, his spirits soared.

The Light Squad had successfully reunited. They rented a large carriage and eagerly set off for Powa Town, which bordered the Central Court and the Woba Grand Canyon.

In truth, Igaya City had a Teleportation Array that led directly to Powa Town. However, when Shu Li saw the 100 gold coin teleportation fee, he quickly abandoned the idea.

After all, they had two full days for the weekend, plenty of time. There was no need to waste money.

Moreover, traveling by carriage had its advantages: they could enjoy the scenery along the way and gain a deeper understanding of the Central Court’s landscapes.

It must be said, Mage Sovereign Danlov was an exceptionally skilled administrator. Under his governance, the Central Court was orderly and prosperous, with every citizen wearing a smile of contentment. This starkly contrasted with the grim-faced commoners in other nations, who struggled daily for basic necessities.

Moreover, the region boasted well-developed infrastructure. Smooth, paved roads were punctuated by guard posts at regular intervals, effectively deterring bandits and highwaymen.

The Central Court’s commoners were adept at commerce. As the carriage passed through villages, both sides of the road were lined with stalls manned by small vendors. Bread, fruit, roasted meats, clothing, jewelry, local specialties—everything imaginable was available.

After unknowingly spending five gold coins at the first village, the Mage Apprentices of the Light Squad resolutely clutched their storage pouches.

These villagers were terrifyingly shrewd, each a master of persuasion. Travelers with weak wills were easily coaxed into buying piles of useless trinkets.

They had saved on teleportation fees, and they certainly weren’t going to squander their savings on the road.

At ten in the morning, the carriage finally arrived at Powa Town.

“We’re finally here!” Decio stretched his limbs as he dismounted, rubbing his sore backside from the long journey.

“This is Powa Town? It looks rather dilapidated!” Budno gazed around with curiosity.

“It’s certainly dilapidated compared to Igaya City,” Shu Li observed, surveying the ancient buildings and outdated infrastructure.

As border towns, Vexish City was far more developed than Powa Town.

If they hadn’t been told this was part of the Central Court, Shu Li would have assumed they had crossed into another country.

“The residents of Powa Town are stubborn and resistant to change,” Celius explained to the group. “They refuse to use magical devices. Lord Mage Sovereign respects their wishes and has refrained from any modernization efforts here.”

“Ah, I see!” The others nodded in understanding.

“Do you think… they don’t welcome us?” Angele whispered, noticing the hostile stares and disdainful glances from the surrounding crowd.

“The residents of Powa Town are very xenophobic,” Celius confirmed.

Cindy frowned. “Why? We haven’t done anything to provoke them.”

Kumandi furrowed his brow. “It’s not just us. They distrust all adventurers and mercenary groups passing through here on their way to the Woba Grand Canyon.”

Something unpleasant must have happened in the past to make the townspeople so wary of outsiders.

With the recent dangers in the Woba Grand Canyon, few adventurers or mercenary groups had been passing through. Their adventurer team was the only one in the vicinity.

Shu Li pulled out a map and studied it for several minutes before declaring, “Let’s head straight into the Canyon!”

They had originally planned to have lunch in Powa Town, but given the unfriendly attitude of the locals, they decided to head straight into the canyon to complete their mission.

For lunch, they would eat the dried rations they had bought along the way.

The others agreed without objection. After making preparations, they walked south for over two hundred meters and officially entered the Woba Grand Canyon.

The local residents watched the young team depart, shaking their heads in unison.

“Another group of adventurers heading to their deaths.”

“How many teams is that today?”

“The third, I think!”

“They look so young. Except for that Swordsman, none of them seem to be over twenty.”

“Such naive children, completely unaware of the dangers.”

“Let’s hope they make it back alive.”

Unaware of the locals’ murmurs, Shu Li and his team focused on finding the Star Spirit Grass within the Woba Grand Canyon.

Before setting out, they had made thorough preparations, spending three gold coins on a basic map of the canyon.

The Woba Grand Canyon was an endless chasm, as if cleaved open by a giant’s axe, forming an unfathomably deep rift.

The canyon’s edges weren’t particularly steep, but the further they ventured inward, the more treacherous the terrain became. The landscape was riddled with ravines and fissures; a single misstep could send them tumbling into unknown depths.

Not only was the terrain complex, but the weather was also unpredictable, shifting rapidly between sunshine and storms.

Just moments ago, the sun had been shining brightly, but in an instant, lightning flashed, thunder roared, sand swirled, rocks flew, and torrential rain poured down.

After entering the Great Canyon, the Light Squad moved cautiously, not daring to let their guard down.

Shu Li frowned deeply as he surveyed the barren, plantless ground.

“Are you sure Star Spirit Grass grows here?”

Upon first entering the Great Canyon, they had seen lush vegetation. But as they followed the map’s indicated path, the plants gradually thinned out until now, not a single trace of green remained.

“Are we lost?” Amanda asked, scratching his head.

“Yeah, it’s all just rocks here, not a single blade of grass,” Budno agreed, nodding in agreement.

Hector pointed at the map in Shu Li’s hand, asking uncertainly, “Is the map fake?”

“The map is correct,” Celius said. “Star Spirit Grass prefers to grow in crevices between rocks.”

Nasha used the tip of her magic wand to poke at a rock on the ground, revealing a hint of green. “Look!” she exclaimed softly. “Could this be Star Spirit Grass?”

Thanks to Magic Instructor Ilio’s hellish training, she had learned to identify over a hundred medicinal herbs, including Star Spirit Grass.

“Wow, it’s Star Spirit Grass!” Cindy immediately crouched down and plucked the green grass. “Diamond-shaped leaves arranged in symmetrical pairs, with a thin purple stem on the underside—it’s definitely it!”

The group was overjoyed to have found Star Spirit Grass so quickly.

“We shouldn’t delay any longer! Let’s start gathering!” Shu Li retrieved a specialized herb-gathering shovel from his storage pouch. “Everyone, be careful and don’t wander too far.”

“Got it!” the little fairies responded enthusiastically.

When it came to gathering medicinal herbs, they were the experts.

Soon, the eleven of them scattered, flipping over stones and searching for Star Spirit Grass, thoroughly engrossed in their task.

Hiss…

A slender black snake slithered out from a narrow crevice, hiding behind a rock. Its dark crimson reptilian eyes glinted with a cold, predatory light as it watched the busy Mage Apprentices.