My basement connects to another world.

Chapter 13 Magic

Hilu thought about it seriously, and her cat ears tilted to one side.

"Hilu didn't feel anything."

Jiang Yuan was silent for a moment, then said, "Can others receive this blessing? I mean, not people from your tribe, like me."

Hilu blinked and stared at him for a long while.

"Hilu doesn't know." Her cat ears curled back slightly. "Father didn't tell Hilu. Grandpa Priest might know, but Grandpa Priest isn't here..."

As expected... Jiang Yuan wasn't too surprised.

This so-called hidden profession isn't so easy to obtain.

He thought for a moment, then changed his question: "Don't the others in your tribe know how to stealth? Those warriors who haven't been blessed by the moon goddess?"

"Yes, they can." Hillu nodded. "They can also stealth, but not as well as Hillu. Hillu can stealth for a very long time, while they can only stealth for a short while."

These words sparked an idea in Jiang Yuan, who said, "Then could you help me change jobs? Um, I mean, teach me how to use stealth?"

He recalled what Hil had said about the distinctions among warriors in the tribe, and added, "Turn someone like me who knows nothing into someone like you, or like the warriors in your tribe."

Hilu thought for a moment and seemed to understand roughly, but her tone was still uncertain: "Hilu, I don't know if you can learn it."

"Give it a try."

Hilu nodded, sat up straight on the rock, coiled her tail halfway behind her, and her expression became unusually serious.

"When Father taught Shiru, he said that she had to find Liangliang's things first. But Jiangyuan probably doesn't have that."

She frowned and thought for a while. "Then let's find the wind first."

"wind?"

"Hmm." Hilu pointed around. "There's invisible wind everywhere here. Not real wind, but wind in the earth, wind in the rocks, and wind in the grass. Father said that all living things breathe, and breathing produces wind. Warriors need to know how to use the wind."

This sounded a bit far-fetched, but Jiang Yuan didn't interrupt and continued listening to her.

"Please sit down first," Hilu patted the stone next to her.

Jiang Yuan sat down next to him.

"Close your eyes and breathe in slowly, slower and slower."

The air was cool, filling my lungs with a faint, fishy smell of rocks.

Jiang Yuan tried to lengthen his breath, counting to four as he inhaled and then counting to four as he exhaled.

"That's not how it is," Hilu's voice rang out from beside him, her cat ears jutting out as if listening to his breathing rhythm.

"Don't count, listen to your own breathing, listen to the wind in the cracks of the rocks, and the light of the grass."

Jiang Yuan sat with his eyes closed for a long time.

At first there was nothing.

Gradually, he began to feel annoyed.

After suppressing it, he didn't know how much time had passed until he was somewhat dazed and suddenly felt something else.

It was as if there were extremely subtle air currents moving on the stone wall, and some kind of long and extremely slow vibration was hidden under the ground.

Then, he began to feel something moving inside his body with each breath.

It's very faint, like a very thin thread, rising with each inhale and falling with each exhale.

He followed the trajectory of that thin thread, once, twice, three times.

Jiang Yuan's spirits lifted, and he didn't know how much time had passed.

He felt clearer.

It's also in the air, thin and scattered, floating like dust.

Is this "magic"? Jiang Yuan was overjoyed: "Hilu, I think I can feel it."

Hilu leaned closer, her cat ears jutting out as if listening to his body.

"Really?" she exclaimed in surprise. "Jiang Yuan is amazing. It took Xilu a long, long time to even realize that."

Jiang Yuan did not open his eyes, continuing to track the trajectory of the thin stream.

It flows slowly along a certain loop inside the body, becoming clearer with each rotation.

"What do you do after you feel it?" he asked.

"Let it flow through your body," Hilu said.

Jiang Yuan tried to push the trickle with his mind, but it didn't obey.

Every time I tried to steer it away, it would dart back like a startled fish, returning to its original path.

After several attempts, Jiang Yuan finally managed to make it turn slightly.

It was this slight deflection that made him feel a slight warmth in his right arm as the thin stream passed over it.

Jiang Yuan was stunned for a moment.

Concentrate your mind on your right hand and push the stream again.

This time, he didn't force it to take any particular route, but simply guided it towards his right arm.

The stream flowed slowly over, like warm water, gradually seeping in.

He felt a slight numbness in his entire right hand.

He tried to steady the trickle, letting it continue to flow around his right arm.

With each flow, the muscles beneath that small patch of skin tense slightly, then slowly relax, as if pressed down and released by an invisible force.

This feeling is different from the heat flow when absorbing the magic core; it's fainter and lasts longer.

He told Hilu about this feeling.

Hilu's cat ears perked up. "That's the wind helping you become stronger."

She said very seriously, "My father said that I should let the wind flow through my whole body and dye it my own color."

Following her instructions, Jiang Yuan continued to guide the trickle of water throughout her body.

It moves very slowly, only managing to push a tiny distance before retracting.

But with each step he took, he felt that his control over his body became more precise than before.

Not only have my muscles become stronger, but my control over them has also become more refined.

Jiang Yuan suddenly opened his eyes. "Xilu, you said that if a warrior flows this power throughout his body, his body will become stronger. What would happen if you concentrated it in your arms?"

Hil tilted her head. "I don't know, Hil hasn't tried it."

Jiang Yuan closed his eyes again and tried to direct all the trickle to his right arm.

He barely managed to push the thin stream over, and when it gathered on his right forearm, the slight heat on that skin became more pronounced, and the muscles felt as if something was pushing them from the inside.

He clenched his right fist, his knuckles tightening.

It seemed like the strength had increased again... Jiang Yuan pulled the stream back, letting it return to its original path.

That surge of power then disappeared.

"Could it be..." A thought suddenly popped into his mind.

The basic classes in the Oracle, such as warrior, hunter, rogue, and mage, may have originated from this.

Is it just a different way of using "magic"?

Infuse this magic into your entire body, evenly strengthening your muscles and bones—that is a warrior.

Focusing on the legs or somewhere else to increase speed, accuracy, and stealth is what makes a thief or hunter?

A mage is someone who projects magic outwards and controls it using attribute-based methods.

The "breathing technique" that Hilu taught him is probably a universal, basic method used in the lower levels of ordinary professions.

"Have I found a way to change jobs?" Jiang Yuan wondered to himself.

He also sensed that there were all sorts of different magical properties in the cave.

The magic of the luminous grass, the magic of the stones, and even the many tiny, different specks of light floating in the air.

What would happen if we absorbed them all?

Jiangyuan did not try.

He knew too little about this world, and rashly trying out energy of unknown nature was no different from blindly jumping off a cliff.

Let's follow what Hil taught us first; it's safest to walk the path that others have already taken.

"Jiang Yuan, have you learned it?" hope Lu leaned closer, her cat ears sticking out forward.

"You've gotten the hang of it." Jiang Yuan tried pushing the thin stream again, and it was much smoother than the first time.

"But it's not quite what you're saying, hiding the scent and the shadow."

Hilu said seriously, "It took Hilu a long, long time to learn how to hide her scent. Jiang Yuan has only been doing this for a short while, but he's already very good."

She thought for a moment, then added, "He's better than my younger brother. He's been trying for a year and still hasn't learned it."

"You have a younger brother?"

"Hmm." Hilu nodded. "My little brother is so stupid. Father says he's the stupidest warrior in our tribe."

Jiang Yuan chuckled.

He sat down again and spent an unknown amount of time continuing to practice.

The trickle became more and more obedient; although it still couldn't cover the whole body, it could at least swim back and forth on the upper body.

With each cycle, his control over his body becomes more refined.

When Xilu stopped eating and started to doze off against the stone wall, her cat ears drooping, Jiang Yuan stood up and stretched his stiff shoulders.

He sensed something, and a fluorescent blue panel popped up in front of him.

Jiang Yuan noticed the difference:

[Magic Power: 42/60 → 43/60]

Magic power increased by one point!

In other words, I can increase my experience points through "cultivation"?!

No, it's not that simple.

Jiang Yuan felt that although it was only a slight increase in magical energy, his control over his body was far greater than that numerical increase.

After all, 100 magic power is needed to level up 1 level. When you look at it from a practical point perspective, the change brought about by that 1 point of magic power gained from cultivation is quite special.

Magical energy should encompass a broader range.

So it was my own cultivation of demonic power that enhanced my strength, while the rest manifested in my demonic energy?

Jiang Yuan speculated, feeling somewhat eager to try.

Should we head straight ahead this time and confront that giant scorpion?

After all, judging from the situation, the Xilu tribe's rescue is unlikely to come.

If they want to get out, they have to rely on themselves.

Jiang Yuan looked at Xilu and shook her: "Xilu, let's go deal with that giant scorpion."

"Huh?" Hil woke up, and after hearing what was said, her cat ears twitched back, clearly showing some hesitation.

"Jiang Yuan, that giant scorpion is very powerful. Last time, Xilu only dared to look at it from afar. Its tail is longer than several Xilu combined."

"That's why we need to go now." Jiang Yuan picked up the crossbow and checked the string.

"Didn't you say that your father taught us that it's best to strike when the prey is most relaxed? That scorpion is still peacefully staying in its territory, unaware that we're about to go looking for it. Once it discovers the lizard is dead and comes over here, then we'll be in the open while it's in the shadows."

Hilu tilted her head and thought for a moment, seemingly trying to process what she had just said.

After a few seconds, she nodded: "Jiang Yuan makes a good point."

She looked at the remaining food on the ground and felt a little reluctant to leave.

"Let's go, you don't need to take these. I have plenty of delicious food here, enough for everyone."

Upon hearing this, Hilu quickly landed on the rock, her cat tail twirling lightly behind her.

The next moment, her entire outline began to fade, like a thin mist blown away by the wind, leaving only a very slight distortion in the air.

Jiang Yuan stared at the almost invisible, transparent outline, and his lips twitched slightly: "You come out first."

Hilu reappeared, her cat ears jutting out in confusion: "What's wrong?"

"We need to clarify the cooperation method first," Jiang Yuan said.

Hilu exclaimed "Oh!" in realization, her cat ears standing straight up as if she were listening attentively.

Jiang Yuan squatted down, picked up a pebble, and drew a simple diagram on the ground.

"Let's walk forward together. You go a little ahead and use your hearing and smell to find your way. If you spot any danger, come back and tell me."

"If we encounter a fork in the road, we'll discuss it before proceeding. Once we reach the giant scorpion, I'll fire arrows from a distance. While its attention is drawn to it, you can circle around to the side and launch a surprise attack."

Hilu looked at the map on the ground, then at Jiang Yuan: "But Hilu doesn't know where you're going to shoot the arrow. If Hilu goes there, won't the arrow poke her?"

"So you have to wait for me to make the first move." Jiang Yuan pointed to the simple diagram on the ground. "After I shoot the arrow, the giant scorpion will most likely come towards me. Then you can make your move."

Hilu thought about it seriously for a while, then nodded vigorously: "Hilu understands."

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean." Jiang Yuan stood up.

Hilu also stood up, but this time she didn't rush to use stealth.

Instead, it walked three or four steps ahead of Jiang Yuan, its cat ears constantly twitching, its fluffy tail drooping slightly, maintaining an alert posture.

The two walked deeper into the cave.

As you walk further in, the cave gradually changes from what you saw before.

The luminous grass clinging to the stone wall became sparse, no longer covering the area in large patches, but rather clustered together in groups of three or five, with the gaps between them getting larger and larger.

The bluish light became mottled and chaotic, casting interplay of light and shadow on the ground, creating patches of brightness and darkness.

The temperature in the air is slowly rising.

The originally cool, rocky scent began to mix with a dry, sandy smell, like sand baked by the scorching sun.

The stone surface underfoot was no longer smooth and even, but rather had many pits and bumps.

Some of the potholes were covered with a light grayish-white powder, which felt soft and crunchy when stepped on.

Jiang Yuan squatted down, picked up a little powder with his fingertip, rubbed it together, and asked curiously:

"What is this?"

It's as fine as flour and has almost no smell.

"I don't know..." Hillu squatted down beside her, her cat ears probing towards the powder. "There wasn't this much when Hillu came last time."

Jiang Yuan dusted off his hands, stood up, and continued walking forward.

The wide passage ahead began to narrow, and the space that originally allowed more than a dozen people to walk side by side was now only wide enough for two people.

The stone walls on both sides changed from rough gray-white rocks to dark brown mineral layers, with the surface covered with fine honeycomb-like holes.

A dark red light, like glowing embers, was faintly emanating from those holes.

The air got hotter.

Perhaps due to the rising temperature, many of the original Glowing Grasses have completely disappeared here.

A dim red light replaced the pale blue glow, barely illuminating the surrounding blurry outlines.