Chapter 13

The cool pre-dawn air was crisp and quiet as Reshia stepped outside, her bare feet pressing against the dew-kissed grass.

The village was still cloaked in shadow, the horizon only beginning to blush with the first hints of sunlight.

She began her usual morning stretches, her movements fluid and deliberate. Her body arched gracefully as she transitioned into a yoga pose, her tight vest and loose shorts accentuating her figure in a way that seemed effortless.

Raul had woken up early, his energy restored from the previous day’s exertion. As he stepped outside, the stunning sight of Reshia caught him completely off guard. For a moment, his brain seemed to short-circuit.

He remembered her mentioning once that stretching helped magic flow better through the body’s meridians, enhancing vitality and control. But at this moment, the intricacies of magic theory were far from his mind.

She was breathtaking. The soft light of dawn outlined her figure, her toned arms and legs moving with an elegance that made it hard to look away. Her vest clung to her form, and the baggy shorts only exaggerated her curves. Raul blinked rapidly, trying to push his thoughts back on track, but it was like his brain had temporarily taken leave.

Upstairs, Marcus stirred at the faint sound of footsteps. Curious, he pushed open the bedroom window and immediately spotted Raul standing motionless, staring at Reshia with wide eyes.

Marcus smirked, a mix of amusement and pride flickering across his face. “That’s my boy,” he muttered to himself.

Behind him, Faith shifted under the covers, her voice soft and drowsy. “Marcus, get back here,” she murmured, her tone carrying a playful warmth.

Marcus glanced back at her, then at Raul, who was still rooted to the spot. With a grin, he closed the window and slipped back into bed, more than happy to oblige his wife’s invitation.

Raul, meanwhile, gave himself a sharp mental shake. Get it together, Raul! he scolded himself, forcing his gaze up toward the sky for a moment to clear his head. He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and called out, “Good morning, Reshia!”

Reshia, mid-stretch, looked over her shoulder and smiled warmly. “Good morning, Raul. You’re up early.”

Raul couldn't help but feel a bit excited as he turned to Reshia after she finished her stretches. "I’ve modified the Minor Mend spell you taught me," he said casually, watching for her reaction.

Reshia’s eyes lit up with interest. “You’ve modified it? That didn’t take long. What did you change?”

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Raul hesitated for a moment before speaking, feeling strangely comfortable revealing this to her. She already knew how quickly he picked up spells, and she had proven to be trustworthy, never prying into his personal matters. She had become someone he could share things with.

“I’ve been experimenting,” Raul admitted. “I made a different of Minor Mend that works on different soil types—like loam and clay—and enhances fertility.It however now has no effects on plants.”

Reshia raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Improving soil fertility ,can I see it?”

Raul nodded .He had modified the spell by removing the parts that were only about healing plants and focused on the soil. He added some if-statements to adapt the spell to various soil types, so it worked on almost any ground. It was much more versatile now.

Reshia’s eyes widened with admiration as Raul demonstrated, clearly impressed. “That’s incredible! ”

Reshia was always interested in magic. Being around Raul and watching him modify her spells was more fun for her than even being in the research institute .

Raul gave a modest shrug. “It wasn’t that hard once I understood the basics.”

He had uploaded it to the Virtual Spell Server, so if anyone he showed it to could use it. He could also see a list of the people he had given access to the spell and could restrict access if he chose to. It was like managing a computer server with a user base to administrate.

And of course , he was thinking of monetizing this.

Reshia smiled. “That’s brilliant! Can I try it?”

Raul smiled back, feeling a surge of pride. “Of course.”

Reshia had come to learn that she learned spells modified by Raul very quickly. It was a rewarding feeling in its own right , because other spells usually took her weeks and months to master.

The Traditional spells also came with many loopholes and conditions such as emotional state regulation , health requirements and a specific state of mind. But with Raul’s spells , all one had to do was think of the incantation that he gave and it worked. Raul’s spells were more stable and gave her a sense of safety while she used them.

What she did not know was the struggles Raul had with debugging the spells and clearing errors in the console to perfect them.

Reshia thought for a moment before turning to Raul. "So, how much do you know about money?" she asked.

Raul nodded confidently. "I’ve gotten familiar with the currency. It’s called copper."

Reshia smiled a little, impressed. "Well, teaching people spells and mage education is a good way to earn money. It pays well. And since your spells can be learned instantly, you could charge even more for that."

Raul, who had been quietly thinking, replied, "You should teach people my spells . You’ve got the experience."

Reshia froze for a moment, her thoughts drifting to her family. She hadn’t expected Raul to suggest this. She saw a chance to solve her financial problems faster.

But then, a wave of guilt hit her. It felt like she was taking advantage of him. “Are you sure about this?” she asked, her voice soft, unsure.

Raul smiled, though there was a seriousness in his eyes. "It’s the least I could do to repay you for everything you’ve done for me," he said honestly. He knew she wouldn't tell me about her family being in prison and was glad he could help from the shadows.

Reshia was touched. She hadn’t realized until now that tutoring Raul had been the right decision. She was helping him, but it was also opening doors for her.

With a new sense of resolve, she looked him in the eye. “I’ll always tell everyone that it was you who created these spells whenever I teach them. That way, you’ll get a good reputation as a mage. People will know your name.”

Raul smiled, “Please don’t. I would like to avoid unnecessary attention.”