Chapter 332: The Magic Goddess? I Shall Take Her Place

 "No wonder they could develop a taboo spell like the God Ascension Technique in the future."

Garon gazed at the young Karsus, pondering in silence.

Among humans, the gap between a genius and an ordinary person is not smaller than that between legendary dragons and ordinary true dragons—in fact, it's even larger.

At this moment, Karsus in Garon's eyes was a prime example.

It was foreseeable that, unless something unexpected happened, with his talent, becoming a great arcanist would just be a matter of course, easily accomplished in a short amount of time. Even in the land of Netheril, where arcana was immensely prosperous, countless arcanists spent their entire lives unable to achieve legend.

In the multiverse, the innate standing or talents of creatures are far more crucial than persistent effort.

As a time dragon, Garon was very aware of this fact.

The high and mighty gods, demon lords, archdevils, elemental lords, and other quasi-deities—how many of them ascended after birth?

Ninety-nine percent of the immortals were born that way.

Meanwhile.

Young Karsus didn't understand why his Mage Hand had failed.

He tilted his head, then started trying other tricks.

Tricks don't require incantations; they rely mainly on the caster's control over elemental energy, so even a two-year-old arcanist can cast them simply by willing it.

Dancing Wind. Under young Karsus's control, a breeze stirred in the air, blowing towards Garon.

Of course, it didn't matter that he was using a mere trick, not even a ninth-circle spell could affect Garon.

"That's odd."

"Why did my spell fail?"

Young Karsus fell into self-doubt.

This two-year-old child, with a thoughtful gleam in his eyes, seemed to be pondering the reason for his magic's failure.

But it only took a few seconds for Garon to realize young Karsus's expression stiffened, and after sneaking a glance at Garon, he began moving his little legs, pretending nothing was amiss as he walked toward his bed.

At the head of his bed, there was a crystal.

It seemed to be a communication crystal, likely used to contact other people.

Probably young Karsus's arcanist parents.

"Not only is he talented, but his intelligence far exceeds that of ordinary people."

Garon observed young Karsus with a calm gaze.

Clearly, young Karsus had realized it wasn't his own mistake that made the magic fail, but the creature before him that had dispelled his magic.

A child just over two years old realized he was in an uncontrollable situation.

So he planned to seek help from his adult arcanist parents.

A subtle dragon's might emanated, enveloping young Karsus as he reached out to touch the communication crystal, immediately restraining his spirit, preventing the little guy from moving.

Looking at the communication crystal that was so close yet untouchable, young Karsus strained to reach it but couldn't move an inch.

"Don't eat me,"

"I'm so small, there's hardly any meat on me."

Young Karsus looked at Garon, stuttering and a bit panicked.

At the same time.

Under Karsus's gaze, Garon spoke, "Little guy, I'm not a bad person, I won't eat you."

Garon planned to personally nurture and protect Karsus.

History had already changed somewhat, and if Karsus couldn't grow up, it would have been a wasted trip here.

This task was supposed to be handled by Ioulem.

However, this demi-god arcanist was currently hidden in the shadows, quietly infiltrating the underground headquarters of the Phaelin Moekui, seeking traces of the puppet master behind the scenes, wanting to know which entity was plotting against the Netheril Empire and the Magic Goddess.

Phaelin Moekui's abilities targeted arcanists.

But that also depended on who the opponent was. To Ioulem, Phaelin Moekui wasn't very formidable; what he feared was the deity behind the scenes.

That left the task of teaching and protecting Karsus to Garon.

His magical prowess, although not as great as the Arcanist King, was more than enough to teach a child. And given Karsus's demonstrated talents, Garon felt it shouldn't be difficult to help him grow quickly.

And with this connection.

Once Karsus developed the God Ascension Technique, barring any accidents, it would be easy for Garon to obtain it from him.

After hearing Garon's gentle words, young Karsus's tense little face relaxed a lot.

Garon used a mental suggestion, and young Karsus, despite his monstrous talent, couldn't resist the spell from this demi-god dragon. So with just one sentence, Garon had gained his trust.

"Are you a magic kitty?"

As the dragon's might dissipated, Karsus, looking curiously at Garon, asked.

As a child of an arcane land, Karsus, though young, was naturally familiar with magical creatures due to his innate intelligence and exposure.

Talking beings definitely weren't ordinary animals.

"Magic kitty?"

Seeing the clear gaze in the boy's eyes, Garon chuckled.

Next, the white cat gracefully moved, leaping onto the smooth wooden floor.

In a shimmer of silver light, the small white cat's form began to change.

Fur receded to reveal scales, the body gradually enlarged, limbs thickened, and horns sprouted from the head, the silver dragon scales gleaming. In a moment, a large dragon, nearly filling Karsus's room, appeared.

Young Karsus plopped down on the floor, eyes wide.

"Dragon, dragon, wow, it turns out to be Mr. Dragon."

After getting up and standing properly, Karsus looked at the dragon curiously and asked.

"Mr. Dragon, why have you come to my home?"

"If you fancy me and want me to be a dragon rider, then I must decline. I, Karsus, am destined to become a great arcanist."

Hearing young Karsus's words, Garon's face darkened.

A dragon rider?

He was quite daring.

Garon extended a dragon claw, holding Karsus within it.

Held within the dragon's claw, but because of Garon's previous mental suggestion, Karsus believed Garon meant no harm. Plus, due to the nature of children, he wasn't very frightened.

"Little guy, how about we make a deal?"

Platinum dragon eyes reflected young Karsus as Garon spoke.

Little Karsus blinked, asking, "A deal? What kind of deal?"

Garon squinted his eyes, first asking, "You like spells, don't you?"

Karsus nodded vigorously, his eyes lighting up, "Yes, I want to become a great arcanist like Ioulem."

Ioulem was the most renowned arcanist in the Netheril Empire.

Tales of his exploits were legendary, from floating cities to powerful spells.

It was natural for little Karsus to idolize him.

Garon chuckled, deceiving the child, "That's perfect, my magical prowess is comparable to Iou

lem's; we traveled together across the continent of Faerûn, studying spells."

"In the future, I can guide your study of spells, letting you become a great arcanist."

"As a return, any spells you develop in the future, you must share with me."

The latter half was true.

As for having magical prowess comparable to Ioulem—Karsus looked skeptical, saying, "Really? I don't believe it."

"Ioulem is the greatest arcanist, no one can match him, not even Mr. Dragon."

This kid was not easy to deceive.

Garon, undeterred, confidently spoke, "Is that so?"

He swept his tail.

Inside the room, the wardrobe, desk, magic crystal ball, some of Karsus's toys, and more were simultaneously swept into the air.

At the same time.

To the exclamations of young Karsus, all items about to fall froze in place.

Even the light streaming through the window, the dust within it stopped floating.

This bizarre scene widened Karsus's eyes.

He reached out to poke a book floating in the air, then exclaimed, "What kind of spell is this?"

Garon smiled slightly, "Want to learn? Agree to the deal, and I'll teach you."

After hesitating for a moment, unable to resist his curiosity about time abilities, Karsus nodded in agreement.

After all, he was just a two-year-old child, much more impressionable than his peers.

"Very well, from now on, you may call me teacher."

"Hello, Teacher."

Little Karsus obediently said.

Elsewhere, Garon looked at his first deceptively acquired disciple, his eyes showing a peculiar gleam.

"In the established timeline, the moment Karsus used the God Ascension Technique, his name became known to the gods, but he also died at that instant."

"However, in this timeline, you might just survive and fully utilize your talents."

Garon thought to himself.

He then used the Mirror of Passing Time on Karsus.

Another Karsus, formed from the forces of time, tangible and living, appeared in the room.

Karsus's eyes widened, looking at his exact duplicate.

Before he could ask, Garon, holding Karsus, performed a time teleportation, their bodies disappearing instantly amid the ripples of the Time Stream.

The floating city's Enchantment of Confusion prohibits space teleportation spells; forcefully using them would alert the arcanist guards.

But Garon's time teleportation was unaffected.

And Karsus's duplicate remained in the room.

To Karsus's arcanist parents, the true nature of the duplicate would be undetectable.

In the next second, Garon, with Karsus, appeared in a vast mountain range stretching hundreds of kilometers.

In a valley filled with flowing water and dense foliage, Garon said to little Karsus, "From now on, I will teach you spells here."

At the same time.

Garon cast a seventh-circle transmutation spell.

Castle Construction.

To the astonished cries of little Karsus, the earth shook, and soil and stones rose and morphed, quickly forming a castle.

Garon then enveloped the entire valley in an invisibility enchantment, raising clouds around the edges to hide the location. He summoned shadow servants, invisible slaves, magical pets, and more, adding some life to the barren castle.

Simultaneously, Garon returned to his true form.

His majestic dragon form added a look of admiration to little Karsus's eyes.

Large creatures naturally possess this kind of allure.

After showing off his spells and true form to convince little Karsus of his capabilities, Garon officially began teaching him.

"What do you think magic is?"

Beside the clear stream, the silver dragon asked the two-and-a-half-year-old boy.

Karsus bit his finger, thinking carefully, then said, "Magic is the power to shape and change reality."

Garon nodded slightly, satisfied with Karsus's answer.

He hadn't recited some lengthy introduction to spell principles from magic books, but a concise personal understanding.

For a two-and-a-half-year-old to be able to cast tricks and have such an understanding of magic, Garon could only describe him as monstrous.

"He is a born arcanist."

"What you think magic is, that is what it is."

"It can be a weapon for killing, a medicine for healing, a barrier for protection—it is the will of the caster."

Next, Garon began teaching Karsus starting from cantrips.

Currently, Karsus knew three cantrips on his own.

Light, Dancing Wind, Mage Hand.

In the magic system, cantrips, as the most basic form of magic, are numerous.

When Garon learned cantrips, he could almost grasp them at a glance, almost too many to count.

Then, in the process of teaching Karsus, he found that Karsus could also learn cantrips without any hindrance, understanding them immediately and mastering them on his first try.

It was as if magic was an innate talent for him.

In the quiet valley, time quietly passed.

The days that followed became simple and repetitive.

Little Karsus studied magic with Garon in the valley for a week, then returned to live in the floating city for several days before Garon took him back to the valley to study spells.

Because of his natural love for magic, Karsus was very earnest.

If Garon didn't come for him for a long time, he would become anxious on his own and contact Garon, wanting to return to the valley to learn spells.

The spells Garon knew far exceeded those taught by the arcanists in the floating city magic academy.

The eternal Time Stream flows unchanged.

As little Karsus grew older, he increasingly recognized his dragon teacher's strength. All the arcanists he had met, including the great arcanist, the lord of the floating city, could not compare to Garon.

For Garon, this little disciple was very easy to teach.

Because any knowledge related to spells, as long as Garon taught him a little, Karsus could easily learn and even ask Garon questions proactively.

For a while, Garon's confidence swelled, feeling that he was an exceptionally excellent teacher.

However, whenever he remembered that Ioulem preferred to self-study rather than need his guidance, Garon's inflated ego returned to reality.

Clearly.

Karsus's progress was not because Garon taught well, but because his own talent dictated it. If he were left in an arcane library for a decade, he would still emerge as a great arcanist after self-studying.

Quickly.

Four years flew by.

In the war between the arcanists and the Phaelin Moekui, the arcanists gradually fell into a disadvantage.

Due to the Magic Drain Technique, which severely countered arcanists, their spells could hardly harm the Phaelin Moekui effectively. Meanwhile, some nations less dependent on spells watched coldly, expecting the fall of the Netheril Empire, neither kicking them while down nor offering any help.

Countless Phaelin Moekui continuously used the Magic Drain Technique.

The surface became increasingly desertified, the magic core's energy supply dwindled, causing resources in the floating cities to start running low. Most critically, the eternal spells

 that many great arcanists relied on for life also felt the impact of the Magic Drain Technique.

The Magic Drain Technique seemed tailor-made to destroy Netheril.

In areas affected by the Magic Drain Technique.

The effect of eternal spells rapidly weakened.

If the Phaelin Moekui issue wasn't resolved promptly, once the eternal spells completely failed, these great arcanists, if they wanted to survive, would have to abandon their human minds and bodies, transforming into undead abominations like liches.

And the Arcanist King, seen as the hope leading Netheril to glory, had yet to appear.

This made the atmosphere in Netheril increasingly tense.

Rumors even circulated that the Arcanist King had foreseen Netheril's destruction as irreversible and thus abandoned the country.

Of course, more arcanists believed the Arcanist King was finding a way to solve the Phaelin Moekui issue in his own manner.

But such a tense situation did not affect Garon and Karsus.

In the verdant valley.

Now six years old, Karsus, wearing a small spellcaster's robe and holding a short staff, solemnly recited an incantation.

A few seconds later, he swung his staff.

Hum!

Elemental energy converged.

The three-ring Tiny Meteor spell was successfully constructed.

Several fist-sized light orbs, like tiny meteors, circled Karsus before whizzing out, striking the ground and leaving deep, dark pits.

"Teacher, I've learned Tiny Meteor!"

After successfully casting the spell, little Karsus, excited, ran to the mountain-like silver dragon and said.

Garon lifted an eyelid, his heart unmoved.

"Good, keep casting it, shorten the construction time. Once you've mastered it, I'll teach you other three-ring spells."

Just six years old, Karsus had officially become a third-ring arcanist, while his peers were still accumulating basic magical knowledge, unable to cast even a single trick.

Little Karsus didn't leave immediately.

He hesitated, then spoke to Garon in a timid tone: "Teacher, I accidentally revealed that I can cast official spells in the floating city."

"People from the Church of the Magic Goddess came to my house, many times, asking me to join the church and become a follower of the goddess."

Garon frowned slightly, "Didn't I tell you to keep a low profile?"

Little Karsus shrank his neck, then looked down at his toes.

Garon shook his head slightly, not scolding further.

After all, it was hard to avoid unintentionally revealing one's true level, especially for a child just over six years old.

"Lift your head, look at me."

Hearing the silver dragon's words, Karsus lifted his head, looking into those deep, platinum dragon eyes.

He could see his small figure reflected within them.

"Teacher, don't be angry, I won't dare next time."

Karsus said.

Garon looked down at the future great arcanist, speaking seriously, "Karsus, do you want to join the Church of the Magic Goddess?"

"I won't interfere in this matter."

His voice was calm, "If you wish, then join. If not, the people from the Church of the Magic Goddess won't bother you anymore."

Just over six years old, Karsus shook his head, a hint of pride faintly visible on his youthful face.

"I don't want to become a follower of a deity."

"Becoming a deity is my goal."

"And I believe that one day, I will become a deity."

He knew his own uniqueness, his goals lofty.

Garon chuckled, "What kind of god do you want to be?"

Karsus looked up at the sky, his eyes filled with longing, "Of course, the god of magic."

Hearing Karsus's response, Garon was slightly taken aback.

This guy. Garon increasingly believed he could develop the God Ascension Technique one day. He was only six, yet he already had such ambitions.

"With the Magic Goddess around, it won't be easy for you to become the god of magic."

Garon smiled.

Karsus thought for a moment, then said, "Is this world not big enough to accommodate two gods of magic?"

Garon nodded, "Probably not."

Karsus giggled, jokingly saying, "Then I'll just replace the Magic Goddess."

"When that time comes, Teacher, if you want to follow me, I can make you a deity too."

Garon blew a breath, causing Karsus to lose his balance and sit down hard on the ground.

"Letting me follow you is a goal even harder to achieve than replacing the Magic Goddess."

Karsus patted the dust off his buttocks and stood up, saying, "Hehe, how do we know if it's possible if we don't try?"

Afterward, this six-year-old boy continued practicing spells.

Almost after casting two or three times, he could proficiently cast Tiny Meteor, then Garon began teaching him new three-ring spells.

Some time later, Garon took Karsus back to the floating city.

At the same time, he transformed into the appearance of Ioulem and made a trip to the Church of the Magic Goddess in the floating city.

The Church of the Magic Goddess is the only church organization officially recognized in the Netheril Empire.

This church has branches in all major floating cities, and a certain number of arcanists join it due to their faith in the Magic Goddess.

Walking along the bustling streets for a while, Garon, clad in a hooded robe, arrived at the location of the Church of the Magic Goddess.

Looking up along the staircase, one could see a statue of the Magic Goddess.

On the temple walls, branded with seven swirling stars—the holy symbol of the Magic Goddess—believing arcanists came and went, entering the church to pray.

As for the passing arcanists, most would pause briefly, offer their respects to the Magic Goddess, then leave.

This indicated the high status of the Magic Goddess in Netheril.

Garon lifted his head, pulling back his hood, revealing Ioulem's appearance.

His appearance, carrying the image of Ioulem, naturally attracted a lot of attention.

"Lord Ioulem, do you need anything at the church?"

"Do you need me to take you to see the bishop?"

A believer approached Garon and asked.

Priests of the Magic Goddess wouldn't believe someone would impersonate the King of Arcanists in the temple, and they couldn't detect Garon's disguise either.

"Tell your bishop."

"Karsus is my disciple, keep the people from the Church of the Magic Goddess away from him."

Garon stated flatly.

Hearing his words, the surrounding believers looked at each other.

This King of Arcanists personally intervening to compete for a disciple with the Church of the Magic Goddess. Some arcanists wondered, who was this Karsus to deserve such honor?

And some who knew of this talented arcanist felt they might have underestimated Karsus's gifts.

"We will convey your message."

The believers said.

They dared not neglect the King of Arcanists.

In the Netheril Empire, the actual influence of the Magic Goddess couldn't compare to Ioulem. Compared to an elusive deity, the King of Arcanists

, who had personally led Netheril to greatness, was more worthy of arcanists' respect.

Suddenly.

Garon sensed a probing gaze.

He turned his head, his gaze landing on the statue of the Magic Goddess.

With a gentle smile and a polite bow to the statue, the probing gaze disappeared, and Garon then left the place.

At the same time.

Deep underground.

Traveling through layers of soil and rock, one could reach a vast area deep beneath the surface with spacious caverns and countless winding tunnels marked with slimy trails.

Countless Phaelin Moekui lived here.

This was the Phaelin Moekui's main base.

Meanwhile, disguised as a Phaelin Moekui, the King of Arcanists moved among them, familiarly using mental connections to chat with other Phaelin Moekui he encountered, behaving just like any ordinary Phaelin Moekui.

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