Chapter 25: The Sorceress Tina

Jia Zhengjin hadn’t had a proper meal of bread or noodles in a long time, so when he retrieved the fragrant malt bread from the treasure chest, he couldn’t help but salivate profusely. Yet, he did not eat it. Instead, he restrained his desire and brought it home, presenting it to Tina as if offering a precious treasure.

Since this golden-haired girl from another world had followed him, she’d eaten greasy roasted meat every day, which she clearly wasn’t accustomed to. Although she always kept a polite smile and forced herself to eat, Jia Zhengjin was well aware that she didn’t truly enjoy it.

Tina wasn’t fond of smoked or grilled meats, but she tried to adapt for his sake. So, when he obtained the malt bread, the first person who came to his mind was this gentle girl.

“Tina, I’ve found something delicious!” Jia Zhengjin made a gesture of eating toward her, grinning. “Quick, try it! See how it tastes!”

Tina took the malt bread, glancing at him with a hint of confusion. She had never eaten anything like it before, but the tempting aroma made her mouth water. When she saw him gesture for her to take a bite, she hesitated only briefly before bringing the bread to her lips and taking a small, ladylike nibble.

“How is it?” Jia Zhengjin asked nervously, eagerly awaiting her reaction.

“Rufafu, Sakelishinas!” Tina’s face blossomed with a rosy hue of happiness as she looked up at him, her voice bright with delight.

“Judging by your expression, that must mean it’s delicious, right?” Jia Zhengjin swallowed, wiping away the drool at the corner of his mouth. He gazed at her tenderly. “This is a rare delicacy dropped by a boss monster—it’s very precious! Go on, eat it up! Don’t let a single crumb go to waste…”

Tina smiled blissfully and lowered her head, savoring a few more careful bites. Then she looked up at him with eyes full of affection and said, in halting but earnest words, “Tina… very… happy…”

“You’re saying you’re very happy, aren’t you?” Jia Zhengjin gently stroked her silky golden hair. “You’re amazing, Tina!”

Tina was indeed clever. In just a few days of his teaching, she’d grasped the meanings of several common phrases, though her pronunciation was unclear—likely due to the influence of her own world’s language, making it hard to master the correct sounds of his.

“Full… you eat!” Tina said as she finished half of the bread, then offered the remaining half to Jia Zhengjin.

“You’re full, so you want me to have the rest?” he asked, looking at her thoughtfully.

Tina understood and nodded vigorously. “Tina eats!” Jia Zhengjin fought the urge to look at the bread, determined to let her have it.

But Tina shook her head, insisting and holding the bread up to him again. Seeing the seriousness in her eyes, Jia Zhengjin couldn’t help but pull her into his arms and plant a kiss on her head.

Her face lit up with a shy and joyful smile. With her delicate white hand, she brought the bread to his lips.

“All right! You eat half, and I eat half,” Jia Zhengjin relented, unable to refuse her kindness. Besides, he was craving it too. Hugging her gently in his arms, he enjoyed her tender feeding.

As the half loaf of bread warmed his stomach, Jia Zhengjin felt a gentle joy in his heart.

“Ah! I almost forgot!” After a moment of sweet intimacy, he suddenly remembered his purpose and, from his virtual backpack, produced an ebony magic staff. “Tina, this is for you!”

Although Tina didn’t understand his words, she could gather his intent from his actions. Hesitating a moment, she accepted the staff and looked at him questioningly.

She was just an ordinary girl—such a magical weapon was of little use to her, save as a walking stick. She wondered why he was giving her something so precious, wanting to tell him that such a weapon should be reserved for a true mage.

“Here!” Noticing her confusion, Jia Zhengjin smiled and took out a Small Fireball Skill Book from his backpack. “It seems I can’t learn magic skills—only melee or special abilities like Howl. Why don’t you try this magic skill book? If you can use it, all the magic skill books we find in the future will be yours! Who knows, you might become a great mage! Go on, see if you can use it?”

Tina looked at the skill book that appeared in his hand out of thin air, still puzzled, but trusting him, she reached out and took it.

[Notification] Magic-capable lifeform detected. Use Small Fireball Skill Book on this target?

“Huh?” Jia Zhengjin was momentarily shocked. So the magic skill book didn’t need Tina to read it—he could simply decide whether to let her learn it? Realizing this, he immediately chose to confirm.

[Notification] Small Fireball Skill Book used successfully on this lifeform!

“What do you mean, ‘this lifeform’? How rude! This is my precious Tina!” Jia Zhengjin was annoyed at the system’s wording, though he knew complaining was pointless.

As soon as he confirmed, the skill book in their hands transformed into a streak of red light that streamed along Tina’s slender fingers and merged into her delicate body. At that moment, Tina felt a strange new knowledge bloom in her mind.

Although she had witnessed many of Jia Zhengjin’s miracles, experiencing one herself left her stunned.

Mages: mysterious and noble figures of this world, rare individuals with the power to command the elements.

For a country girl like Tina, mages belonged only to legend, far beyond her reach. She wasn’t even eligible to take the annual mage apprentice selection, which was reserved for those with magical affinity. Last year, only one apprentice had been chosen from the entire city and its outlying villages—an event that became the talk of the region.

Yet, as she held this mysterious book which then turned into a flash of fire and entered her body, Tina suddenly discovered a magic incantation imprinted in her mind!

“Tina? Tina?” Jia Zhengjin, seeing her in a daze, grew worried and gently shook her shoulder. “Are you all right? Did the skill book scramble your mind?”

Tina stared at him blankly, then slowly raised her left hand, reciting, “Fuh-ha!”

With a soft whoosh, a small, blazing fireball ignited in her delicate fingers.

“You did it! Tina, you really learned it!” Jia Zhengjin was beside himself with excitement. This meant that any mage equipment or skill books they found in the future could all be given to Tina. “Wow, I’ve gotten myself a beautiful mage, haha!”