I Became a Cub in the Elven Kingdom - Chapter 85

Chapter 85 – Related to Dark Magic

“Not all Dark Magic is dark magic,” the Elven King’s resonant voice echoed through the vast Library as he systematically explained the nature of Dark Magic to his young disciple.

“The Dark Element, like all other elements, is a Natural Element. We must not fall into the extreme of believing that all magic associated with the Dark Element is inherently dark magic.”

“Take the Junior Dark Magic spell, the Invisibility Spell, for example.” The Elven King demonstrated the spell on the spot. After uttering a simple incantation, he vanished.

“Ah!” Shu Li’s eyes widened as he frantically looked around, searching for the Elven King’s figure.

He’s really gone!

When Shu Li turned back, he was astonished to find the Elven King sitting in his original spot, smiling at him as if he had never disappeared.

Is this the Invisibility Spell?

So powerful! So cool!

Shu Li gazed at the Elven King with admiration. “King, I want to learn the Invisibility Spell!”

“I’ll teach you later,” the Elven King replied, his gaze fixed on his young disciple’s bright, eager eyes. “Do you believe the Invisibility Spell is dark magic?”

“Uh…” Shu Li paused, considering the question. “I don’t think so.”

“The Invisibility Spell merely utilizes the Dark Attribute to make oneself disappear. It doesn’t harm anyone, so how can it be considered dark magic?”

The Elven King explained, “The Invisibility Spell is a support magic, inherently neutral. However, those with malicious intentions often use it for petty theft and deceit, forcing its classification as dark magic.”

Shu Li scribbled notes, indignant. “It’s the villains who misuse it for evil deeds, yet the blame falls on the spell itself. That’s so unfair!”

The Elven King nodded and proceeded to list other Dark Attribute support magics: tracking, immobilization, slowing, stunning, defense-breaking, entanglement, and weakening. He analyzed each one, deepening Shu Li’s understanding of their nature.

As Shu Li diligently took notes, a concept gradually formed in his mind.

In essence, most Dark Attribute support magics functioned like debuffs in games, weakening enemies’ states.

Of course, there were also buff-like spells like Teleportation, Dark Shield, and Dark Healing, which enhanced one’s own abilities.

Light Mages also utilized these support magics.

After all, not everyone who awakened Dark Magic was evil.

But what constituted truly dark magic?

Curses, intimidation, devouring, poisonous mists, Soul Extraction, puppetry, Undead, manipulation, imprisonment—any magic used to harm others for personal gain or desire was classified as dark magic.

A righteous Light Mage would never stoop to using such vile magic.

Even the mighty Elven King kept his distance from these dark arts.

It was well-known that dark magic like the Puppet Technique, Undead, and manipulation required taking lives, desecrating graves, and obtaining corpses and skeletons to function effectively.

Shu Li spent the entire morning studying, so engrossed that he didn’t even notice when noon arrived.

The Elven King closed the book on dark magic, his gaze softening as he watched the Little Fairy diligently taking notes.

“Are you hungry?”

Shu Li finished writing the last word, looked up, and instinctively replied, “Not hungry!”

Grumble—

His stomach betrayed him, embarrassing him thoroughly.

How awkward.

The Elven King gently stroked Shu Li’s head. “Let’s go eat.”

“Oh~” Shu Li’s cheeks flushed slightly as he gathered his study materials. Just as he was about to spread his wings to fly, the Elven King’s hand swept him up, transferring him from the table to his shoulder.

Shu Li habitually clutched a strand of his hair, sitting obediently.

The Elven King rose and led him out of the Library toward the dining hall.

Every Elf they encountered bowed respectfully, accustomed to seeing the Little Fairy perched on his shoulder.

The midday meal was lavish, and Shu Li ate until his little belly bulged.

Afterward, he returned to his room to rest.

Normally, he would take a nap, but today he decided to read the stack of books the Elven King had given him.

He retrieved them from his Storage Ring, spread them out on the bed, and selected a relatively thin volume.

Using Wind Magic, he flipped open the hard cover, levitated cross-legged above the book, and began to read.

The book introduced the Elemental Essence, which perfectly suited Shu Li’s interests. He devoured it with relish.

Elemental Essence referred to the Elemental Spirits.

They had existed since Mother Goddess Isfë created the world, predating even the Celestial Beings.

No wonder the first line of the Song of Creation was: “Water Spirit, Fire Spirit, Wood Spirit, Wind Spirit, Earth Spirit.”

Water was the source of life, Fire the light of civilization, Wood the symbol of reincarnation, Wind the catalyst of transformation, and Earth the mother of all things.

Only with these elements could a new world be formed.

Elemental Spirits possess tangible forms and self-awareness, gravitating toward areas with the densest elemental concentrations. For instance, Wood Spirits favor forests and were once frequent visitors to the Faerie Forest and Elven Kingdom.

Other Elemental Spirits each have their own “habitats,” requiring careful study of the Austyn Continent map to locate.

Shu Li didn’t have a continent map on hand and would need to find one at the library next time.

He took out a pen and paper, first copying down the relevant information about Wood Spirits.

One at a time, no need to rush.

After reading several dozen pages, Shu Li felt a bit drowsy. He rubbed his eyes, placed a bookmark, and closed the book.

Stretching languidly, he began tucking the books scattered on his bed back into his Storage Ring, one by one.

As he was putting away the last book, he noticed the title on the cover: War of the Gods. His movements paused, and he curiously opened it with Wind Magic.

The wind force was a bit too strong, flipping the book directly to the middle.

Shu Li scratched his head, intending to return to the first page, but his attention was immediately drawn to an illustration.

The book was richly illustrated.

The image depicted a pointed-eared Elf riding a Unicorn and wielding a Scepter. Judging by his ornate robes and crown, he was the Elven King.

Though the facial features weren’t as handsome as the Elven King’s, they bore a striking resemblance.

Beside the Elven King floated a woman with an extraordinary appearance.

Her hair cascaded like countless slender willow branches, her clothes were large leaves, and her legs below the knees dissolved into a swirling mist. Three leaves were painted on her forehead, and she wielded a thorny vine, swinging it with fierce, aggressive energy.

She was… the Wood Spirit!

Shu Li quickly scanned the text beneath the illustration, confirming his deduction.

During the War of the Gods, the Elven King had fought fiercely against the Death God, a servant of the God of Darkness, to protect the Elven Kingdom and the Faerie Forest.

The Wood Spirit had joined the battle, forming a powerful alliance with the Elven King to utterly defeat the Death God.

After finishing the page, Shu Li stroked his smooth chin thoughtfully.

The battle had taken place in the northern part of the Elven Kingdom, near the Danaga Sea.

If possible, he wanted to visit that site.

Shu Li copied down the spell the Elven King used to summon the Wood Spirit.

After a half-hour nap, he felt refreshed and ready to tackle his farm work.

Yesterday, Shu Li harvested fruit. Today, he went to the wheat fields to weed, combining Wood Magic with Earth Magic to uproot all the weeds, piling them at the edge of the field. He then twisted the weeds into a hemp rope, bundled them together, and transported them to the nearby fertilizer yard.

Every step of the process was meticulously controlled with magic, which proved physically and mentally exhausting.

To reach the northern part of the Elven Kingdom, Shu Li pushed himself to work half an hour faster than usual.

Seeing his efforts, the other elves smiled and praised, “Little Sperien is working so hard today!”

“Thank you,” Shu Li replied generously, his small frame wobbling as he dragged a bundle of weeds more than ten times his size toward the fertilizer yard.

After delivering the bundle, he washed his face and hands by the nearby river, then whistled to summon Dore.

Since bringing him to the Elven Kingdom, Dore had made this place his home. No matter how far away he was, he would fly over at the sound of Shu Li’s whistle.

True to form, Dore appeared in the sky above the river within five minutes.

“Dore—!” Shu Li waved joyfully.

Dore swooped down, his massive wings creating a powerful gust of wind that stirred the calm river into a series of waves.

“Chirp~”

With a powerful grip of its claw, Dore steadied itself on a massive boulder by the riverbank.

Shu Li fluttered his gossamer wings and landed on Dore’s back, burrowing into its thick plumage.

“Dore, let’s go to the northern part of the Elven Kingdom.”

“Chirp!” Dore responded, flapping its wings and soaring into the sky in an instant. Without needing further guidance from Shu Li, it flew precisely due north.

An Elf working at the fertilizer farm spotted the familiar Sekern Bird and asked, “Where is Sperien riding it off to?”

Another Elf replied, “Back to the Faerie Forest?”

“He only arrived yesterday and hasn’t even stayed for half a month yet.”

“Hmm… the Sekern Bird is flying… north?”

“North? What would Sperien be doing up north?”

“I’m not sure. Should we inform the King?”

“Perhaps.”

Though the Elven Kingdom was generally safe, it was home to many ancient, high-tier magical beasts with capricious temperaments. Little Fairies, being of such low rank, would be at a severe disadvantage if they encountered one.

Oblivious to the Elves’ concerns, Shu Li was entirely focused on finding the Wood Spirit, his entire being buzzing with excitement.

He was particularly eager to test out the summoning spell he had transcribed.

After more than twenty minutes, Dore carried him to the northern part of the Elven Kingdom, descending and circling in the air.

Shu Li climbed near Dore’s neck, looked down at the scene below, and his expression turned to astonishment.

Such a vast wasteland!

While the rest of the Elven Kingdom was lush with mountains and clear waters, this northern region was a barren stretch of land where not a single blade of grass grew.

How strange!

Could it be that the powerful magic unleashed during the ancient battle between the Elven King and the Death God had devastated the land’s ecosystem?

“Dore, descend,” Shu Li commanded.

“Chirp!”

Dore swooped down, landing on a mound of earth. The force of its flapping wings stirred up a yellow sandstorm.

“Cough, cough, cough—”

Shu Li quickly covered his mouth and nose, burrowing into Dore’s feathers to shield himself from the sand.

Dore folded its wings and shook off the dust.

After a while, the sandstorm subsided.

Shu Li emerged from the feathers, lowered his hand, and took a deep breath.

Hovering in the air, he gazed at the barren landscape, his resolve wavering. Should I really chant the summoning spell for the Wood Spirit here?

With no grass, no trees, and no water, only yellow sand and earth, the Wood Spirit would have to be insane to call this place home.

Shu Li scratched the back of his head.

He had been too hasty, rushing here without properly assessing the situation.

What should I do now?

Go back?

But… I’ve already come this far. I can’t just turn back empty-handed, can I?

“Chirp!”

Suddenly, Dore let out an alert call.

Shu Li frowned and drew his magic wand. As an Intermediate Mage, he possessed the ability to defend himself and could handle most situations.

Thump, thump, thump—

The heavy footsteps of a massive magical beast echoed through the air.

Dore’s feathers bristled, putting him on full alert.

Seeing this, Shu Li reassured him, “Dore, don’t worry. With me here, the beast won’t harm you.”

While high-level magical beasts preyed on low-level ones, they dared not attack Elves or Fairies.

Under Shu Li’s calming words, Dore suppressed his aura.

Thump, thump, thump—

As the footsteps drew closer, Shu Li finally made out the beast’s form.

It was a Giant Lizard, its back covered in grotesque lumps. Its thick, stubby legs supported a hideous head that flicked a crimson tongue, its eyes burning with savage intent. One look was enough to tell it was not to be trifled with.