Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

Wayne walked into the passage.

The stone steps led downwards, the air gradually becoming damp. A dim, yellow magic lamp stood every few steps, its wick burning with a bright flame. After climbing about thirty or forty steps, the passage suddenly opened up.

An underground city appeared before us.

The space was much larger than Wayne had expected. Above him was an arched rock dome, at least ten meters high, with glowing ores and magical lamps embedded in the rock crevices, barely illuminating the entire space.

The path underfoot was made of solid stone bricks, and all sorts of sheds and tents were set up on both sides. Some were made of nailed wooden planks, some were made of old cloth, and some were even made of stone. They looked like they had been lived in for many years.

There is a small square in the middle, and in the center of the square stands a gray stone tablet, about seven or eight meters high, with a smooth surface and some faint engravings.

There are a lot of people.

It's far more than the two hundred people Renn mentioned.

Within his field of vision, there were at least several hundred people. Some sat around a fire in front of a shed, while others squatted by the roadside selling a variety of things: old weapons, empty medicine bottles, unknown animal bones, and dried herbs. Occasionally, one could also see a few people in armor leaning against the wall, resting with their eyes closed.

He walked along, scanning his surroundings with his eyes.

Most of the people here are adults, with a few teenagers, but a lone traveler of his "childlike size" certainly stands out. The old man's advice was right; the cloak came at the perfect time.

As Wayne was pondering his next move, a child suddenly appeared out of nowhere and blocked his way.

The boy looked to be only eight or nine years old, with messy hair, a dirty face, and wearing an old coat that was clearly two sizes too big, with the sleeves rolled up several times to reveal his thin arms. He looked up at Wayne, his eyes darting around rapidly.

"Brother, are you new here?"

Wayne looked down at him: "You could tell?"

"Of course I can tell!" The boy patted his chest. "There's no one in this underground city I don't know. You were looking around as you walked down those steps; it was obvious you were familiarizing yourself with the place. Experienced people don't walk like that."

After he finished speaking, he added, "My name is Bill. I know this place very well. You must be completely lost since you just arrived. How about hiring me as your guide? One silver coin a day will do."

At that moment, the panel popped up.

[Bill's Profile]

[Identity: A native of the underground city, born in the City of Eternal Sleep, thirteen years old this year.]

[Note: She is a girl. She shaved her hair short, wore men's clothing, and used a boy's name to make herself seem less likely to be bullied. In this city, a lone girl wouldn't survive this long.]

[Note 2: Her mother died of illness a year ago, and her father died before she was born. She now lives alone. Her mother's dying promise was to live well, and she kept it.]

[Note 3: Her most precious possession was a little bear her mother sewed for her, named Proud Bear. Her mother always called her "my pride" before she passed away. That's why she named the bear Proud Bear.]

[Also: She's the know-it-all of this underground city. She knows who has a grudge against whom, which shops are reliable, which corner is a good place to sleep, and what time of day is relatively safe to go out—she knows it all.]

After looking at the panel, Wayne glanced down at Bill.

How did you know I needed a mentor?

"Is that even a question?" Bill said matter-of-factly. "The first thing a newcomer does is find a place to stay, and the second is to ask for information. You don't even know the way, how are you going to ask for directions? Besides, my prices are cheap, and I'm fair to everyone."

"Alright, then lead the way."

Bill's eyes lit up, and he immediately turned and walked ahead, turning back to talk to Wayne as he went: "Brother, you're lucky to have run into me. A couple of days ago, there was a new guy who had no one to guide him. He wandered around the dungeon for most of the day and couldn't even find a place to stay. In the end, he had to pay double the price to rent a shabby shack. He lost a lot of money."

She led Wayne around several corners and through an area filled with tents, talking nonstop.

"The first thing new recruits do when they arrive is find a place to stay. They're not allowed to sleep on the streets at night; that's the rule. The patrol team will clear people out in the middle of the night. Anyone lying on the ground will be dragged away, and nobody knows where they're taken. Anyway, the people who are dragged away never come back."

Wayne followed behind him and asked casually.

"How do I find a place to stay?"

"Rent one, then. If you have money, stay in a hotel; if not, rent a shack; and if you're really poor, several people can share a room. Anyway, it can't be outdoors." Bill said, glancing back at him. "Do you have money?"

Wayne pulled out the bag of silver coins that Renn had given him from his pocket, poured one coin into his palm, and asked, "Is this it?"

Bill's eyes widened immediately.

She suddenly took two steps closer, stared at the silver coin for several seconds, and looked up at Wayne with a different expression.

"Silver Demon Coins! Yes, yes, that's it!"

She lowered her voice: "Where did you get so many?"

"Given to me by a friend."

Bill clicked his tongue, but didn't press further. However, his tone was noticeably warmer than before: "Then you're considered well-off. Come on, I'll take you somewhere. The hotel there is nice and reasonably priced, much more reliable than those shady inns around the square."

She continued talking as she walked.

"The currency used in this dungeon is this silver magic coin. The ordinary coins from outside the city won't work here. There's another thing that can be used as money: magic cores. The higher the grade, the more valuable they are. If you have any, you can take them to the plaza to exchange for things."

She pointed to the gray stone in the center of the square in the distance.

The monument: "See that? The points monument. It updates once a month, and the highest-ranked person receives a divine blessing. Nobody knows exactly what that blessing is, but it's different every time. But that's something the top players fight over; a newbie like you shouldn't even think about it."

After Bill finished speaking, he stopped in front of a two-story stone building. The building's exterior walls were made of rough stone, and a crooked wooden sign hung at the entrance that read "Traveler's Home".

"arrive."

She pushed open the door, turned around and grinned at Wayne: "This is it, the best value hotel in the entire underground city. The owner is nice and doesn't overcharge. Go inside and I'll ask her for the best price."

Bill went in first.

"Sister Mary! I've brought you another guest!"

Bill shouted, turned to the counter with practiced ease, and peeked inside on tiptoe.

The curtain behind the counter was lifted, and a woman wearing a dark apron came out.

She looked to be in her early thirties and had a full figure.

"Bill, you've been quite diligent today." She glanced at Wayne behind Bill. "And this is?"

"I'm new here! I met him at the square today. He just came down from up there and couldn't even find a place to stay. I thought your place had the best accommodations, so I brought him over."

"You're not bad, kid."

Mary smiled and shook her head, not exposing Bill's little scheme.

She walked around the counter and stood in front of Wayne.

"Young man, looking for a place to stay?"

Wayne nodded.

Mary sized him up for two seconds, then straightened up: "Come with me, there are empty rooms upstairs."

"Hey, Mary, the price..." Bill rubbed his hands together beside him, "She's a newbie, can you give her a discount?"

Mary rolled her eyes at her: "Do I need you to teach me how to do business?"

She turned and went upstairs.

"For your sake, I'll give him a 30% discount. Alright, that's all you need to do now, go do whatever you were doing."

"Alright! Brother, I'll be going now. If you need any questions tomorrow, just look for me at the square! As for the guide fee, I can pay you after my appointment is over."