get-shopping Chapter 237, Section 236: The Real Secret! A Shocking Secret!
Chapter 237, Section 236: The Real Secret! A Shocking Secret!
Chapter 237, Section 236: The Real Secret! A Shocking Secret!
The magic of memory continues to unfold.
As the raven's slightly shrill cry appeared, the scene woven from countless threads became clear, a memory from Merlin's childhood to his adulthood.
All year round.
Alternating and changing.
The light and shadow in the forest gradually shifted, and the cycle of the seasons flowed swiftly through the plum grove's memory. The surrounding scenery changed constantly, from the tender green of spring to the lushness of summer, then to the golden hues of autumn and the silvery white of winter. And in the changing seasons, the young plum grove gradually grew into a tall and upright youth.
The black raven stayed by his side the whole time, like a stern mentor.
"Slow down, slow down."
Ian wanted to know more information, but he certainly couldn't skim through Merlin's past in such a fast-forward way. He felt that Merlin seemed to be intentionally hiding some information.
This is not.
Upon hearing the little wizard's words, Merlin knew he couldn't fool him anymore, so he sighed and readjusted his memory presentation, displaying a kind of affected reluctance to have his dark past revealed.
All I saw was...
Merlin slowly appears.
Also in the forest near this monastery, as spring returns and all things revive, that fairytale forest radiates an even more vibrant energy.
Tender green buds sprouted from the branches, and colorful wildflowers bloomed in profusion on the grass. A gentle breeze blew, and the flowers swayed softly, releasing a charming fragrance.
Little Merlin still lives here.
but.
Playtime is clearly decreasing, and it's being replaced by various forms of study.
Young Merlin sat beneath an ancient oak tree, holding a tattered magic book in his hands, his brow furrowed as if trying to comprehend its contents. His face was still childlike, but his eyes held the air of a studious genius; he read the book rapidly, as if simply reading it meant he had mastered it.
about this point.
Ian couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.
Given this learning speed, he could only surpass Merlin when learning dark magic. In the realm of dark magic, he already possesses the ability to learn something simply by hearing about it.
Just at this time.
Ian noticed ravens flying in from a distance. Even without looking up, Merlin under the tree felt the hairs on his body stand on end, as if he had developed a special "spider-sense" for ravens.
Little Merlin immediately felt as if he were facing a formidable enemy.
But they didn't dare to get up and run away.
He proved with his actions at their first meeting that two-legged creatures can outrun not only four-legged creatures, but also birds with wings that can teleport.
The raven swooped down from the sky like a black lightning bolt and landed steadily on a rock in front of Merlin.
"Here you are, brother." The raven shook its wings, its golden eyes fixed on Merlin, and said in its sharp voice, "The Raven God will train you rigorously again today."
Upon hearing this, Merlin's face turned almost as bitter as a bitter gourd. However, the raven ignored his emotions and immediately began to supervise Merlin's magic practice.
"Today we'll learn Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique." Raven said, flapping its wings. Its wings were actually forming hand seals, and the surrounding air instantly became thicker.
"..."
When Ian saw this scene from his memory, he felt like a herd of alpacas was stampeding through his mind. He now understood why Merlin had been frantically forming hand seals when casting magic.
So... you learned the flower-shaking hand gesture here!
Merlin beside him showed no unusual expression, only staring at his past self with reminiscence in his eyes, clearly not finding anything wrong with this way of releasing magic.
This is clearly not a dark history he previously tried to cover up.
"Fire magic!"
When it came time for Merlin to learn magic, he was less resistant than before. His eyes were serious and full of curiosity as he stared intently at the fireballs that were growing wildly.
From the size of a basketball to the size of a miniature sun, the earth was baked as if it had suffered an undeserved disaster. Little Merlin diligently studied every detail of how the raven cast its spells.
His hands were also learning the way to form hand seals with raven wings, and he was a little clumsy, but it was clear that he was a good prospect for the "Shaking Hands" technique. Qinghai was overjoyed when he saw it and called him the sect's holy son.
soon.
Merlin successfully conjured a small fireball, which is an extremely fast learning speed, the kind that would make Hogwarts students feel despair.
however.
"Not big enough! Not big enough! Sensing your magic! Outputting your magic! Big is the truth! Big is the way of kings!" Raven began to scold, quite dissatisfied.
Seeing that Merlin's face was red and he could only manage to produce a fireball the size of a small truck, the raven immediately flew up in a fit of rage and pecked Merlin on the head, leaving a large bump.
So strict.
It's no wonder that Merlin saw it as if it were a nightmare.
"Remember, Merlin, the essence of magic is the extension of will. You must believe in yourself to truly master it." Raven's teaching was quite straightforward.
It's packed with gold.
Little Merlin seemed lost in thought.
I have a slight understanding.
Recast the spell.
Thus, a fireball comparable to a large airplane appeared.
"Hmm, not bad, but still needs more practice... Hehehehehe, I'm truly an excellent mentor!" The raven flapped its wings with satisfaction and flew into the distance.
It also left behind a strange laugh, which made the young wizard who witnessed this memory twitch at the corner of his mouth. After that, it seemed that the raven would fly in once every seven days.
Magic, alchemy, and potions were all subjects it taught Merlin—Merlin clearly experienced both pain and pleasure, as the strict and demanding training caused him to have nightmares at night.
however.
He couldn't bear to give up the opportunity to learn that amazing knowledge and magic. And so, every now and then, Merlin, covered in bumps, continued to grow under the ravens' relentless pressure.
Because of the bump on his head that had been there for years, the people in the monastery thought he had some strange illness, but Merlin didn't explain it and continued to immerse himself in his painful yet fulfilling life.
of course.
Such days continued until the end of summer, and even with Merlin's adaptability, he finally couldn't withstand it.
Spring came and autumn went, but Merlin's training never stopped. Raven not only required him to learn magic, alchemy, and potions, but also forced him to practice swordsmanship and physical fitness.
Every morning, Merlin would run through the forest until his legs were weak; in the afternoon, he would swing his wooden sword until his arms ached; and at night, he would study thick magic books by candlelight until his eyelids were drooping.
"Am I not a wizard? Why do I have to run! And why do I have to lift and carry these iron lumps the way you told me to!" Merlin couldn't help but question the raven.
He was met with a raven swooping down, displaying a monkey-stealing-peaches-in-the-place spectacle in a way unique to birds. Little Merlin had never encountered such an attack before and immediately rolled on the spot, crying and screaming for his parents.
"Remember, you are Merlin! If you're not a hexagonal warrior, what kind of Merlin are you? How can you be Merlin?" These were the words that Raven had been nagging in Little Merlin's ear more than once.
"But I'm just a child... Why do I have to work so hard?" Little Merlin really felt wronged, but no one asked him why his eyes were always filled with tears.
"Who isn't a child at heart?"
The ravens performed a series of bird-like eye-rolling antics.
"Didn't you say you were tens of thousands of years old?" Merlin was being far too honest, and as soon as he said that, he was met with another round of raven pecking.
"Can't someone tens of thousands of years old be a child?"
"Do you even understand the value of a divine raven?!"
Pecking at it.
The ravens continued to cackle sharply. Little Merlin was forced to complete another twenty-kilometer sprint, letting out aggrieved cries as he ran.
"I don't want to be Merlin! What's so great about that name? I hate it! I wish I were called Mason! I bet someone named Mason wouldn't be treated like this by you!"
It must be said that children's thinking is indeed a little bit novel. Faced with Merlin's rebellious mentality, Raven began to scold Merlin for not daring to face his glorious life.
However, Merlin felt that his life was bleak and hopeless.
Seeing that Merlin simply sat down on the ground and gave up, the ravens stopped chasing after him and pecking at him.
"Merlin," the raven's voice suddenly softened, "you possess limitless potential, you just haven't discovered it yet. Believe me, one day you will understand the meaning of all this."
"Believe me, if you don't endure hardship now, you'll always have endless hardship in the future. Only by enduring hardship first and then enjoying the sweetness can your life get better and happier."
How familiar this PUA is!
Perhaps it won't be of much use in the 21st century.
However, in the Middle Ages...
Even the cleverest Merlin can't withstand this overwhelming attack.
He even thought it made sense.
then.
Little Merlin got up from the ground and continued his arduous training.
"Very good, Merlin. This is how you should be."
The raven's voice grew softer.
Perhaps even today, Merlin, who is two thousand years old, has not realized that this is actually a change in the raven's teaching method, which has become the kind of encouragement that provides emotional value.
It's useful for adults.
Not to mention children.
of course.
This encouragement didn't last long. It was clear that the raven wasn't good at disguising itself, and it soon revealed its true colors, once again offering the peach-stealing spur when Little Merlin made a mistake while practicing swordsmanship.
"Gurgle~"
The little wizard couldn't help but swallow hard upon seeing this, and couldn't resist stealing a glance at Merlin's crotch beside him—if Merlin's thing was still working, it was definitely well-trained.
It's similar to Sun Wukong being refined in a furnace... No wonder Merlin can't bear to recall such a past event; he can already see Merlin covering his face, unwilling to even look at such a scene.
"Swordsmanship is not just a contest of strength, but also a contest of speed. You must know that in all swordsmanship, speed is the only way to break through defenses; the one who strikes first will always outlive the one who strikes second!"
Raven probably doesn't know any swordsmanship; it just relies on its adamantine beak and teleportation-like speed to completely fool young Merlin.
but.
Some people's talent is truly undeniable.
Merlin, following the raven's twisted logic, actually developed considerable swordsmanship skills—days passed, the winter wind howled through the forest, and the trees were covered in ice and snow, a world of silver and white.
Merlin sat on a large rock, various potion-making ingredients laid out before him, preparing a potion according to the raven's instructions. His brow was furrowed, his eyes focused, as he carefully placed an herb into the pot and stirred it gently. The raven stood watching, occasionally offering a few pointers.
"Watch the heat, go slowly, yes, that's it, add some more chili, a lot more... What's the point? I mainly want something spicy tonight."
Ravens are still as inhuman as ever.
However, Merlin has clearly adapted to her newfound intensity of life.
"Isn't there a potion that makes you stronger just by drinking it? The kind that makes you stronger in every way?" Merlin suddenly asked, her curious tone tinged with a longing to give up.
"Um?"
The raven tilted its head.
Little Merlin shrank his neck in unison.
He had expected the raven to scold and punish him.
however.
Unexpectedly, the raven flapped its wings.
"Of course! I applied for the copyright for this potion ten thousand years before you!" As he spoke, Raven conjured a wooden box out of thin air using some unknown means.
"Look at these potions, they're all good stuff. Some can improve your physical abilities and make you stronger; others can enhance your perception and manipulation of magic, making your magic even more powerful." At this moment, the raven was like a salesman. It opened the box, which contained nine bottles of potions of different colors.
Merlin's eyes lit up immediately after hearing Raven's explanation.
Ian, who was watching this memory, felt the same way.
"I want it, Lord Raven, this way of becoming stronger is just right for me." Little Merlin carefully picked up a bottle of potion and examined the liquid inside.
Does it really work?
His tone carried a hint of eagerness.
"Of course it works! Anything I make is guaranteed to be top-notch!" Raven assured him confidently, and Merlin eagerly opened a bottle of potion and drank it down in one gulp.
Ian didn't know how he felt after drinking it.
He only saw Little Merlin tremble a few times.
"This effect... is amazing!" Merlin exclaimed excitedly, his eyes filled with surprise.
The raven chuckled smugly, a hint of pride in its voice. "Of course! This is a potion I carefully concocted. I've even thought of a name: 'Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin'!"
Merlin was stunned for a moment, and the smile on his face instantly froze.
"Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin? This name... doesn't sound very auspicious..." He didn't know why, but he had a bad feeling, and his heart was in his throat.
"The name is just a label, the important thing is the effect! You can use it with confidence, there are absolutely no side effects! I drink it myself, would I cheat you? At most, there will be some side effects if you drink too much... But don't worry, it's not a big problem!" Raven's tone was still confident, but after hearing this, Merlin was even more afraid to continue drinking.
"I love training, and I just want to become stronger on my own."
He seemed to have figured something out.
He silently put down the other potion bottles in his hand. To be honest, Merlin was indeed clever, and Ian's expression after seeing this scene was quite something.
"..."
He had no idea what to say.
He just kept looking at the top of the raven's head.
There really is a pointy thing there.
Just then, Merlin, who had sat back down in front of the campfire to prepare the hot pot broth for the raven, suddenly spoke up after a brief silence.
"Raven, why did you teach me these things?" This was a question that had been lingering in Merlin's heart for a long time, and she finally found the opportunity to ask it today.
Upon hearing this question.
Ian clearly sensed that Merlin's emotions were fluctuating beside him. He immediately realized what was happening and focused his attention on the memory scene that was appearing not far away.
All I saw was...
The raven spoke softly.
Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?
It seemed unusual for it to be so serious.
"Of course it's the truth."
Little Merlin stopped stirring the crucible.
They stared intently at the raven in front of them.
All I saw was...
The raven's golden eyes flickered slightly.
"It's complicated... The main reason is that when you owe history a debt, you have to repay history with the same debt." Its voice was somewhat low.
Merlin looked confused and didn't understand.
"What do you mean?"
He continued to ask questions.
then.
Ian then heard Raven's startling response.
"To put it simply... once upon a time, I encountered a wizard destined for greatness, and then I killed him, so... you understand now, right?"
The sound of black crows.
It gently echoes in this winter forest.
I think so.
Aside from Ian, who lived two thousand years ago, there should be no other fourth person who knows this. This can be roughly inferred from the emotional fluctuations of Merlin, who is currently by Ian's side.
(End of this chapter)