Puppet Master Chapter 49: Chapter 49: The Test

Read chapter 49 of Puppet Master by PeName on NovelPedia.

It was a gigantic loaf of bread, topped with countless delicious cupcakes covered in whipped cream. Each cupcake was even bigger than the girl’s head. On that loaf of bread, a little girl joyfully rolled around. She spread her arms wide, hugging a nearby cupcake. Then she opened her mouth wide, buried her face into the cake, and took a huge bite. Happiness spread across her face. “Hehe, so many sweets.” “Sweets, my foot.” Suddenly, she felt someone pinch her cheek. The sweets vanished, replaced by the image of a wrinkled white cloth gradually appearing. She slowly opened her eyes, waking up from the fairy-tale scene. Regaining awareness, she realized she was lying sprawled across Tris, the one she had accepted as her master the day before. Her arms were tightly wrapped around him. The chest area of his shirt near her mouth was soaked with drool, revealing what the cake she had eaten truly was. Blushing furiously, the girl quickly sprang up, panicking and apologizing. … The two began their morning in utter chaos. … Fortunately, her master, Tris, seemed completely unconcerned by her early-morning impropriety. With the shirt Tris was wearing, he simply took it off and tossed it into a basin that suddenly appeared with a wave of his hand. Then, water suddenly filled the basin out of nowhere. Tris waved his hand again, and the water spun rapidly, swirling around the shirt inside. Moments later, all the water evaporated, leaving behind a perfectly dry shirt. At first, Rin was captivated by her master’s body when he removed his shirt. It was a body with well-defined muscles, radiating masculinity and strength. When he was clothed, it was hard for others to notice this. But soon after, Rin quickly turned her gaze away and became fascinated by his magical laundry performance. She had never imagined washing clothes could be done so quickly and effortlessly. “So this is magic,” she whispered in awe. Rin had heard of the wonders of magic, but this was the first time she truly saw and experienced it. “If you have talent for magic, I can teach you,” Tris said as he put on the now-dry shirt. “Teach me magic? Really?” Rin was stunned that her master was willing to teach her something so miraculous. Tris: “Only if you have the talent for it. If not, I’ll teach you how to use the spiritual energy that Warriors rely on.” Rin: “Spiritual energy?” Tris: “Spiritual energy, also called mana, depending on the region. Some Warriors call it Ki or Chi. Essentially, it refers to the special energy within every living being. In fact, this energy also exists in nature and can be drawn upon. However, using the energy within one’s own body is far easier and more convenient. Spiritual energy is necessary for Mages to use magic and for Warriors to perform their combat techniques. Without guidance, it’s very difficult for someone to imagine or understand how to harness this energy, like a person born blind trying to grasp the concept of color. Any questions?” Rin: “What exactly are magic and combat techniques, and how are they different?” Tris: “The fundamental difference lies in how spiritual energy is used. Magic is a special way of manipulating spiritual energy that only Mages can use. Its essence is transforming spiritual energy into other forms—for example, when I used it to create water earlier. Combat techniques, on the other hand, use spiritual energy in its raw form without transforming it. Magic requires talent, and those with talent are called Mages. Combat techniques can be mastered by anyone with proper guidance and disciplined training. Of course, some techniques are so complex that even a lifetime of practice may not be enough. But in principle, anyone can learn them. Those who train and use combat techniques in battle are called Warriors.” Rin: “So does that mean magic is better than combat techniques?” Tris: “You could say magic is a more advanced use of spiritual energy, but I wouldn’t say it’s always better. Depending on the situation, combat