Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

Soon, Wayne and his companion arrived at the market in the east of the city.

The market is lively, not as high-end as the Avenue of Stars, but with a stronger sense of everyday life.

This place not only sells various herbs, but also all sorts of magical items, and even slaves. Because he had prepared a list in advance, Wayne was able to purchase the herbs very quickly.

He walked along the stalls, his eyes quickly scanning the appearance of the medicinal herbs on each stall. He would stop from time to time, pick up a dried herb, smell it, and then either pay or put it down and continue walking.

Emily followed behind him, carrying a cloth bag that already contained seven or eight paper packets, her eyes curiously scanning the surrounding stalls.

About half an hour later.

I bought almost all the medicinal herbs on the list.

Wayne put the last packet of herbs into his storage bag, dusted off his hands, and was about to call Emily to leave.

Just then, a deafening roar suddenly came from the depths of the market.

"roar!"

Immediately following was a loud crash as the iron cage was violently slammed, followed by a series of screams from stall owners and the sound of footsteps as the crowd retreated.

"The Warcraft have rioted!"

"Run! It's a Flame Lion!"

The crowd erupted like a hornet's nest that had been stirred up. The vendors abandoned their goods and ran for their lives. A few daring adventurers drew their weapons, but seeing the lion pounding wildly against the iron cage, its body engulfed in crimson flames, none dared to be the first to charge.

Wayne's gaze swept past the chaotic crowd and landed on the fiery lion. Two bars of the iron cage had been bent by the impact, the fiery lion's pupils were an unnatural scarlet, and it spewed out thick breaths with sparks from its mouth and nose. The mane on its neck burned fiercely like dry grass on fire.

Its state was clearly abnormal; it wasn't just ordinary fright and rage, but more like something had stimulated its magic circuits, causing it to enter a berserk state.

In the open space in the center of the market, the iron cage bars had been broken, and the fiery lion had rushed out. Just then, a young brown-haired boy rushed forward with a sword in hand.

The fiery lion slammed down with its paw, and the boy rolled to the side to dodge, but the lion followed up with another breath of fire. The boy rolled on the ground, and the flames grazed his back, igniting the wooden frame behind him.

The boy scrambled to his feet, gripped his sword hilt, and gasped for breath, his eyes fixed on the fiery lion that had turned around again. But just then, the fiery lion let out a roar completely different from before, the flames on its body suddenly contracted inward, and then burst forth again in a more intense dark red.

Its pupils changed from scarlet to dark purple, the mane on its neck stood on end, and wisps of black smoke mingled with the burning flames.

Demon-Eyed Flame Lion.

Secondary mutation.

The boy's face turned pale instantly.

The Demon-Eyed Flame Lion is a mid-tier fourth-order mutated magical beast, capable of rivaling a peak fourth-order warrior in its berserk state. He, on the other hand, is merely an early-stage third-order adventurer, not even qualified as a formal adventurer.

Without hesitation, he turned and ran.

But the Demon-Eyed Flame Lion was far faster than him. A dark red afterimage vanished from its spot and appeared behind the boy in the next instant, its claws wreathed in scorching flames as it slammed down on his back.

Hearing the whooshing sound behind him, the boy knew he had no time to dodge. He gritted his teeth and, with all his might, held his sword horizontally behind him, trying to take the blow head-on.

However, the anticipated shock did not materialize.

A dull thud came from behind him, followed by a painful roar from the monster. The boy turned around abruptly and saw a young man dressed in black standing behind him. In his right hand, he held a heavy cross, the base of which was pressed against the chin of the Demon-Eyed Flame Lion, lifting the over two-meter-tall beast into the air, its four paws flailing futilely.

The market chaos seemed to be paused at this moment.

Everyone was stunned.

"roar--!"

The Demon-Eyed Flame Lion let out a defiant roar, struggling to break free. Its four claws clawed wildly in the air, and flames erupted from its body, attempting to scorch the one who dared to suppress it.

Wayne didn't even blink.

He clenched his left fist and punched the side of the lion's head.

The first punch.

The Demon-Eyed Flame Lion's head suddenly tilted to the side, its flames missing their mark, and its struggles noticeably paused.

The second punch.

The lion's head tilted in the opposite direction again, the dark purple light in its eyes dimmed noticeably, and the struggle of its forelimbs subsided.

The third punch.

The punch landed squarely on the center of the lion's head, with just the right amount of force. The Demon-Eyed Flame Lion's eyes rolled back, its limbs tensed for a moment, then fell limply to the ground, as if all its strength had been drained away, and it collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious.

The market was quiet for a while.

Then, a deafening exclamation and discussion erupted from the crowd.

Holy crap!

"Three punches! Just three punches!"

"He used his fists just now, right? He didn't use magic?"

"That's a Demon-Eyed Flame Lion... a fourth-tier mutated one..."

"Who is this person? I've never heard of him before?"

Wayne ignored the surprised and speculative glances coming from all around him. He pulled the cross from under the lion's head, slung it over his shoulder, glanced down at the demon-eyed fire lion lying on the ground to make sure it was indeed unconscious, and then turned to look at the still-shaken boy.

Are you alright?

The boy was still standing there in a daze when he heard Wayne's voice, and he suddenly came to his senses. He quickly sheathed his sword and bowed deeply to Wayne: "It's alright! Thank you for saving me, sir! I'm Wright, a newcomer to the Iron Wolf Adventurer's Guild! If it weren't for your help, sir, I might be dead here today!"

Wayne nodded, without saying anything more, and his gaze swept over the boy.

The panel popped up at this point.

[Wright - Biographical Information]

[Identity: New member of the Iron Wolf Adventurer Group, early-stage Tier 3 warrior.]

[Background: Born a commoner in the capital, orphaned at a young age, he began working in the Adventurers' Guild at thirteen, doing all sorts of odd jobs such as running errands, scouting, and carrying luggage. He only officially passed the Adventurer's Exam half a month ago, receiving the lowest-level Black Iron Badge. His income is extremely meager.]

[Note: Although his strength is average, he possesses an extremely rare talent. His basic luck buff can be passively triggered at specific times, influencing the course of low-probability events within a certain range. The fact that he was able to withstand the claws of that demon-eyed fire lion until you arrived wasn't entirely due to his own strength; the influence of that talent also played a significant role.]

[Note 2: He himself was unaware of his talent, believing it was simply due to good luck.]

[Also: Don't let his young age fool you; he's already quite accomplished in matters of the heart. He currently maintains stable relationships with three women simultaneously. One is the widowed owner of a clothing store, whom he helps keep watch every Wednesday night; another is the head lady of the Adventurers' Guild who registers quests, from whom he always gets insider information when he accepts a quest; and the third is a maid from a minor noble family, with whom he meets every Friday. None of the three women are aware of each other's existence; his time management skills in this regard far surpass his natural talent for luck.]