The Magic Empire for 20,000 years

Chapter 4.4. A Surface Civilian

Young Gretel was an ordinary farmer's son.

He was one of the most ordinary people on this vast land. His family worried about food every day.

In his memory, this village, known as "Rolling Stone Village," had never known peace.

In the wilderness, goblins and kobolds would occasionally appear and raid villages.

No one would protect them, so the villagers had to take up arms to fight these ugly, short monsters.

Even more formidable than goblins are orcs, who stand two meters tall, possess immense strength, and are covered in exaggerated muscles and hair. Every time the orcs invade, people die. Gretel's uncle was killed by an orc.

The battles against goblins and orcs, those hideous humanoid monsters, were the most "fantasy epic" things Gret had ever seen in his life.

As for those stories about mages and epic heroes, to Gretel, they were just tales told by bards in taverns.

That day, in the tavern, the poet told a story in which the protagonist possessed magical powers and could summon clouds and lightning by chanting incantations.

After listening, five-year-old Greta couldn't help but ask:
"Mom, is it possible for me to learn magic?"

"Good heavens, little Greta. You mustn't think that way. It's just a story made up by a drunken poet; just listen to it and don't take it too seriously."

"Mom scolded."

"Those mages all live in floating cities in the sky. You'd better hope you never see them in your entire life."

"Why, Mom?" Little Grete asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"In the eyes of those powerful mages, we ordinary people who can't use magic are no different from insects on the ground!"

"If they come to the surface world, they'll definitely kill you!"

Pointing to a faint shadow in the sky, Mother told Little Grete that it was Sky City—the abode of the wizards.

Legend has it that one year, a venerable monk descended from the heavens, chose a nearby village, and, like a hunter hunting animals, began a hunting game.

From then on, every night, their mother would threaten little Grete and his sister Shiluka with the threat, "If you don't go to sleep, the heavenly sorcerers will come and eat you."

As little Greta grew older, he learned that:
It turns out that several villagers in Rolling Stone Village were survivors of the previous "Mage Hunting Game" and had fled here from the destroyed neighboring village.

These survivors recounted in horror the story of their village's destruction:

The mage rode his horse and drove the unskilled commoners into the wilderness, watching them run around and then killing them with fire and lightning, finding pleasure in this.

Even more cruel sorcerers would turn children into rabbits and deer, cook them into delicacies, and force the children's parents to eat them.

Little Greta and her sister grew up listening to these cruel stories.

In Rolling Stone Village, many families have dug hidden cellars or devised escape routes.

So that one day, Rolling Stone Village, like the village next door, might be unfortunately chosen as a hunting ground for the celestial sorcerers.

In Little Grete's mind, the mages in the sky were a thousand times more terrifying than the orcs and goblins who used brute force!
"What kind of monsters are those mages? Are they stronger and more ferocious than orcs?"

Little Gretel once asked an old woman who had survived a hunt this question.

“No, no,” she said. “They are human too, they look just like us, but they wear more gorgeous clothes and have fairer skin.” “The mages are human too?” Little Gret felt a chill.

That evening, filled with confusion, he asked his mother:

"I've heard that the celestial mages are also human beings, just like us? Is it possible for us to go to the floating city in the sky and become mages?"

"Silly child. What you're saying is indeed possible, but extremely rare." The mother gave a wry smile.

"Legend has it that when the old monks come to the earthly world, if they take a fancy to a beautiful woman or man, they will choose her as their spouse or servant and take that lucky person to the heavenly kingdom."

"But this situation is so rare that you should never expect such an opportunity to come your way."

That night, after hearing his mother's words, little Greta tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.

"It turns out that we ordinary people on earth also have the opportunity to go to that heavenly kingdom."

"Is there even a chance to learn magic and become a mage?"

He had a dream.

In his dream, he was chosen by a noble female mage and taken to that heavenly kingdom.

In the heavenly realm, everything is dreamlike and blissful—

No need for hard work, no need to fight endless goblins and two-meter-tall orcs, no need to sweat profusely under the scorching sun, magic can conjure up delicious food.

In the dreamlike kingdom in the heavens, little Gretel learned magic.

He had truly mastered that magical spell that had only appeared in the stories of bards and in the mouths of massacre survivors.

Little Gretel became the new mage master.

However, he never forgot where he came from.

Now that he possesses powerful magic, he feels he must change something!
What exactly should I do? How can I change the current situation of Sky City and Earth Village?
Just as little Greta was pondering what he should do, he woke up.

The Sun Also Rises.

He has to go to the fields again.

"It was all just a dream."

Little Gretel was somewhat disappointed, as if he had fallen from Heaven to Hell.

In those dreamlike moments, all the magical spells he had learned had vanished.

Little Gret walked out of the room, lost in thought.

Then he heard screams of terror.

"Quick, hide! Quick, hide!"

"The Sky City has descended, and the celestial mages are coming!"

(End of this chapter)