Simultaneously traversing from Type-Moon

The woman spoke, her voice tinged with amusement: "Good afternoon, Mr. Magician. I'm Ye Sizhen, sent by the Spiral Pavilion to handle this matter. May I ask your name, sir?"

Spiral Pavilion? Magician? Are you calling me?

Du Can was puzzled, but remained outwardly calm: "My name is Du Can."

Ye Sizhen said, "Mr. Du has really put me in a difficult position. Performing magic in public violates the principle of secrecy and concealment. Fortunately, the general public only thought you were a martial arts master and didn't see anything else, otherwise you would have been severely punished."

Du Can said calmly, "That person attacked first; I was just retaliating."

Ye Sizhen smiled and said, "The world of magic doesn't care about 'passive counterattacks.' If you break the rules, you break them. However, the two times you revealed your mystery to ordinary people, you were demonstrating the 'martial arts' aspect. Martial arts, when practiced to a high level, can indeed achieve this, so it's not a big problem."

Twice? Du Can's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately remembered the time he jumped over ten meters to avoid a truck. This was obviously not something an ordinary person could do, and the scene must have been captured by the roadside surveillance cameras.

He asked calmly, "Speaking of which, what exactly happened with that person? Why did he suddenly attack me? Do you know the reason?"

Ye Sizhen said, "I can't go into the specifics, as it involves other people. What I can tell you, sir, is that the man was a member of the Unloading Ridge faction, wanted by the Spiral Pavilion, and had been on the run. I guess he saw you and mistook you for someone from the Spiral Pavilion, which is why he suddenly attacked you. I just didn't expect you to defeat him in one move. To be honest, you've done me a huge favor."

Du Can suddenly realized, "So they're tomb raiders. No wonder they looked so shifty." He paused, then added, "By the way, when can I leave?"

Ye Sizhen covered her mouth and chuckled: "Sir, you're joking. You'll have to ask the police when you can leave. Asking me won't help."

Du Can: "So what are you here for?"

"I'm just here to thank you, sir." Ye Sizhen took out an elegant business card from her sleeve and handed it over. "Mr. Du, if you ever need my help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."

Du Can took the business card, which contained Ye Sizhen's contact information.

"Well then, goodbye, Mr. Du." Ye Sizhen turned around with a smile. "I hope you can get out safely."

As soon as she finished speaking, she waved her hand, leaving behind not a trace of cloud, but only a wisp of floral fragrance.

As Du Can watched her retreating figure, he inexplicably felt that this woman carried a strong scent of tea.

After a while, he was released.

After all, he was fighting a tomb raider, and it was a counterattack. Although he punched the man half to death, it was nothing serious.

Du Can walked down the street, took out his phone, and dialed Ye Sizhen's number.

"Hello, is this Ms. Ye Sizhen? It's me, Du Can. I'd like to ask you something, nothing important, just how do I get to that Spiral Pavilion?"

"..."

Less than ten minutes later, a black Maybach pulled up smoothly in front of him. The window rolled down, and Ye Sizhen sat in the driver's seat, her expression neither impatient nor enthusiastic: "Get in."

Du Can opened the car door and got in.

The Maybach merged into the traffic, driving fast and steadily.

Ye Sizhen, with one hand on the steering wheel, glanced at him sideways, her tone tinged with doubt: "You're a local magician, how come you don't even know where the Spiral Pavilion branch is?"

Du Can frankly said, "I've never been to the Spiral Museum before, and I can't find my way around. It's not unreasonable for me to ask you, the only acquaintance I have in the magic world, for directions, is it?"

Ye Sizhen didn't reply, but thoughtfully typed for a while before suddenly asking, "Didn't Mr. Du post something online a few days ago, inquiring about the awakening of magic circuits?"

Du Can nodded: "Yes. Did you close that post?"

“I didn’t seal it,” Ye Sizhen shook her head, a slight smile playing on her lips, “but I do know about it. It seems Mr. Du is the unaffiliated magician who accidentally activated the magic circuit? That really surprises me.”

Is this phenomenon rare?

“That’s very rare.” Ye Sizhen’s tone became more serious. “Magic has a lineage. You are neither from a prestigious family nor have any lineage or master. You awakened to magic entirely on your own. This is truly rare in this day and age.”

……

The car made several turns in the city before finally stopping in a bustling area. Du Can looked up and saw a very eye-catching building in front of him.

Ye Sizhen turned off the engine and said, "We're here, let's get out."

Du Can stared blankly at the building in front of him: "This is the Spiral Pavilion?"

"Otherwise what?" Ye Sizhen raised an eyebrow. "It's marked on the map navigation. Surely there aren't two Spiral Pavilions in this city."

Du Can was speechless for a moment.

He passed by this building every day on his way to and from work, and had long been accustomed to it. He had previously only thought of it as a uniquely shaped art building, almost as abstract as the China Pavilion at the World Expo, and had never associated it with the "gateway to a mysterious world".

If it looked like a Taoist temple or Buddhist monastery, he would have gone inside to visit it long ago. But this thing looks like a spinning top, more like a science fiction exhibition area. Who would have thought that a magic organization was hidden inside?

Ye Sizhen seemed to see through his thoughts and smiled slightly: "Mr. Du seems to know about this place, but he doesn't realize that Eastern magic organizations would choose a location in a bustling city. This is called 'minor hermitage in the wilderness, major hermitage in the city.' Although Spiral Mansion is a magic organization, it doesn't deliberately distance itself from ordinary people like its Western counterparts. We keep up with the times; we develop as the times progress."

Du Can muttered to himself: I have no idea what Western magic organizations are like.

But what he asked was something else entirely: "Why call it 'magic'? Why not call it Taoist magic or immortal magic?" He paused, but couldn't help adding, "Besides, the name 'Spiral Pavilion' is quite strange; it doesn't sound Chinese."

Ye Sizhen explained, "Calling it 'magic' is mainly to align with Western practices. You can call it whatever you want in private, whether it's Taoist magic or immortal magic, it's all fine. As for the name of the Spiral Pavilion..." She smiled, "It's a long story, you'll find out later."

She led Du Can into the Spiral Pavilion.

Upon entering, Du Can was stunned. The scene inside was similar to that of a business hotel, with bright lights, clean marble floors, and someone answering the phone at the front desk—it had nothing to do with "Chinese style."

As Ye Sizhen walked, she explained, "The interior of the Spiral Pavilion uses a feng shui structure, which can naturally form various protective barriers. There are some places that ordinary people cannot enter. The exterior is open to the general public, making it a semi-public space, but only magicians like us can enter the interior."

Du Can vaguely sensed some traces of energy flow. His conceptualized battle aura seemed to have an unexpectedly keen sensitivity to energy.

As he walked through the corridor, he felt as if he were passing through layer upon layer of invisible boundaries. Suddenly, the scene before him changed—

The style of the business hotel has disappeared, replaced by a classical Chinese interior design. Carved beams and painted rafters, wooden windows and bamboo curtains—it's like stepping into an ancient palace.

The exterior is modern, but the interior remains true to its original style. To be honest, the two styles feel quite disconnected.

Ye Sizhen stopped and turned around: "To be honest, I didn't know why you came to the Spiral Pavilion today, sir. Would you mind telling me?"

Du Can said decisively, "I want to become an apprentice and learn skills."

Ye Sizhen seemed to have expected this: "I can see that now. Sir is an independent magician, so he should indeed have a master."

“Someone like me, who’s self-taught, naturally admires academics like you,” Du Can said with a smile. “I love learning.”

Ye Sizhen shook her head, her tone gentle but direct: "Sir, you're too late. At your age, if you want to become an apprentice, I'm afraid no one will accept you."

Du Can frowned: "As you get older, your physical constitution declines?"

“It has nothing to do with physical constitution… no, it has nothing to do with magic circuits.” Ye Sizhen carefully considered her words. “It’s mainly because the ‘thought key’ needs to be ordained and synchronized with the ‘vessel,’ just like the magic inscription in the West. The younger you are, the easier it is to adjust. At your age, sir… to be honest, you’re already past the point of pursuing the Great Dao.”

Du Can persisted: "Can't you make an exception? I feel like I have great talent, and I can completely make up for the time difference."

Ye Sizhen sighed: "No matter how good your talent is, it's useless. Unless you are born with hundreds of magic circuits, it is impossible to make up for the gap brought about by time."

Du Can remained silent for a moment.

“I have 108 magic circuits,” he said calmly. “I wonder if that’s enough?”

Ye Sizhen stopped in her tracks.

She slowly turned around, stared at Du Can for several seconds, her lips moved, but in the end she only said four words: "...Never mind what I said."

She had originally thought that a first-generation magician like Du Can, who had awakened unexpectedly, would at most have only a few magic circuits. 108 circuits? She hadn't even considered that.

Ye Sizhen took a deep breath, lowered her voice, and her expression became serious: "Mr. Du, I must solemnly remind you, never tell anyone again about the number of your magic circuits. You met me today, which means you are an upright magician. If you had encountered someone with an evil heart, you would have suffered greatly."

Du Can stopped smiling and nodded seriously: "I've learned a lot."

Ye Sizhen's expression softened slightly, and she took another step: "With your talent, although you are not destined for the Great Dao, you can still achieve great things in the unorthodox paths."

"What heretical sect?"

"The realm of Western magic."

Du Can pressed further, "What's the difference between the two?"

As Ye Sizhen walked, she explained, "Eastern magic is rooted in the 'thought disk' that is integrated with the earth, and requires a 'thought key' as a key to access it. Western magic, on the other hand, originates from its own self-made 'magic base disk.' Building it from scratch is very difficult, but it is undoubtedly more suitable for a talented but unordained magician like you, sir, who has no conditions for ordination."

Du Can thought for a moment and then asked, "Don't Eastern magic have similar structures?"

“…Yes.” Ye Sizhen’s eyes flickered as she said, “The Thought Disc contains a ‘public domain’ that can be accessed without the need for thought key patterns. It is similar to the Western magic base disc, and one can also lay out a path suitable for oneself from scratch.”

Du Can looked at her with a hint of inquiry in his eyes: "Then why did you recommend the foundation of Western magic to me, instead of the public sphere of Eastern magic?"

Ye Sizhen paused, her lips parted slightly, but no sound came out.

She remained silent for a few seconds.

Chapter 6 Thought Processing

Ye Sizhen seemed to have her own plans, and her words implied that she wanted Du Can to learn Western magic rather than the Eastern way.

However, Du Can did not agree.

Ye Sizhen didn't try to persuade her again, but a hint of regret flashed in her eyes before she regained her calm and composed demeanor.

After that, Du Can successfully joined the Spiral Pavilion.

He became an outsider, obtained basic magic information, and learned how to connect to the "public domain" of the mind disk.

After completing the formalities, he said goodbye and left.

Afterwards, an older female employee leaned over and asked Ye Sizhen in a low voice, "Little Ye, where did you pick up this genius from? He connected to the thought disk in an instant just now. If someone properly taught him, even those privileged areas would be a piece of cake, right?"

Ye Sizhen gazed in the direction Du Can had left, and sighed softly, "Big sister, would you believe me if I said I picked him up by the roadside?" She paused, then added in a low voice, "...What a pity, I was originally planning to bring him over to my side..."

……

Du Can returned home, closed the door, and began to process the information he had gained that day.

He has already connected with the public sphere of thought.

It's called a "domain," but it's actually empty. Apart from some basic magic frameworks, there's nothing inside. He has to fill it in himself.

According to Ye Sizhen, above the public domain are the "restricted domain" and the "privileged domain." If one could log into those two domains, they would immediately gain immense power. However, those were out of his reach, and Du Can wasn't greedy. The public domain was enough for him.

After thinking for a while, he simply uploaded his entire understanding of the Yellow Rank low-level combat skill "Mountain Opening Fist" to the public domain.

Then--

The operation of the public sphere came to a standstill for a moment.

It's like a smoothly running computer suddenly freezing.

Du Can was stunned for a moment, wondering if he was going to ruin the public sphere, when he saw it slowly return to normal operation.

It seems that processing this information will take time.

He also uploaded two commonly used Yellow-Rank combat techniques, "Swift Shadow Step" and "Blazing Palm." This time, the public domain froze for several seconds before recovering.

Du Can couldn't help but mutter: The "internet speed" in the public domain is terrible... It's already lagging when uploading a Yellow-rank fighting skill. If it's a Profound-rank fighting skill, wouldn't it take even longer to upload?