Abe the Wizard

Chapter 2 Heradic Cube

The knight Bennett was wearing a white cotton shirt, with intricate buttons reflecting noble luxury. He looked very serious, and in the year that Abel had been here, he rarely saw any change in Bennett's expression. Except for that first time he woke up a year ago and saw the joy in the knight's eyes, which he still vividly remembered. Abel's mother, Nala, was a kind woman. During Abel's recovery, she fed him every day and never let the maid intervene. This was one of the main reasons Abel approved of this family. The pre-meal prayer was something Abel was least accustomed to. After thirty years as an atheist on Earth, he found that everyone here believed in religion, specifically the Light Holy Religion. No one spoke during the meal. Although the knight was the lowest-ranking noble, the rules that nobles should uphold were also followed in this household. The large piece of beef was divided into four portions. The father and Zachary got the most, while the mother and Abel's portions were much smaller. The food consumed by the knight would ultimately turn into strength and become qi, which was a heavy burden to supply for a formal knight and a Level 4 trainee knight, so it was necessary to reduce the supply for others. Back on Earth, as a fitness trainer, Abel had never eaten so much beef in one meal. Although his portion was smaller, it still amounted to a pound of beef. However, now at the age of 12, he had finished eating all the beef and porridge in just a few minutes. "Eat more," a gentle voice came. Then a large piece of beef was placed on Abel's plate. His mother, Nala, had cut off a big portion from her already limited share of beef and put it on Abel's plate. Bennett Knight glanced up but said nothing, silently eating his own portion of beef. However, his cutting hand exerted some force, causing a slight clinking sound between the knife and the plate, which was quite unusual for someone who adhered to noble etiquette. Upon hearing the noise, Zachary, the elder brother, looked at his father, who glared back at him. Zachary then obediently lowered his head and continued eating. "Thank you, Mother," Abel said without hesitation. Accepting this love was the right choice. After dinner, as usual, Bennett Knight stayed behind to give Zachary additional guidance. Abel was not qualified to participate in such post-dinner instructions. He could only join in after becoming a Level 1 trainee knight. Back in his room, Abel didn't waste any time. With the beef in his stomach and the accumulated qi from today, he needed to undergo the final knight breathing technique to form his qi channels. The knight breathing technique was the most important secret skill in knight training. Every knight had their own unique breathing technique, passed down through their family or learned at the Knight Academy. Warriors who achieved great feats in battle could exchange their merits for knight breathing techniques. Sitting cross-legged on the carpet, Abel calmed his mind. His inhalation gradually quickened, causing his abdomen to swell. Then, there was a rapid exhalation, and a white mist sprayed from his mouth like an arrow, disappearing into the air within a foot. At the same time, the dinner in his stomach quickly diminished. After twenty consecutive breaths, the qi he had accumulated throughout the day rapidly formed into a qi channel within his body by consuming the food. Just as he thought he might fail again, the vibration stopped. A surge of energy flowed back from the qi channel into his body, instantly restoring both his physical and mental states, as if he had just woken up from a deep sleep. Finally, he became a Level 1 trainee knight. When he first saw his father, Bennett Knight, cut down a tree trunk the size of a bowl with a sword emitting white light a year ago, Abel knew that he had come to a world completely different from Earth. Gaining strength was the best means of survival in this world. That's why he had asked his father to teach him to become a knight at that time. At the time, Bennett Knight explicitly stated the family situation. As the second son, Abel could only train as a knight when it didn't interfere with his older brother Zachary's training. Resources would only be allocated to Abel when there was a surplus, and all resources had to be prioritized for Zachary. At the same time, as the son of Bennett Knight, he could also learn the complete knight heritage of the Bennett family. In the following months, Abel learned a lot of preparatory work such as horse care, weapon maintenance, riding, archery, and knighthood etiquette before officially starting knight training two months ago. While Abel was rejoicing, he suddenly realized that the qi in his body was rapidly depleting. The loss was occurring in his right arm. He couldn't help but feel anxious. If this continued, the qi he had just formed would disappear. Just as he was thinking about it, the depletion stopped. Fortunately, it stopped. Although he had lost some qi, it would recover after a day or two of training and wouldn't affect his level. Pulling up his sleeve, Abel looked at the faint shadow on his right arm. It seemed so familiar. It was... "Heradic Cube." Abel jumped up from the carpet. This was indeed the Heradic Cube. He couldn't be mistaken. This was definitely the Heradic Cube, the most important artifact in Diablo II, a game he had played for many years. "Did this Heradic Cube come with me through the crossover?" Abel paced around his room excitedly. Seeing something familiar in this strange world felt like an oasis in the desert to him. Previously, the Heradic Cube hadn't appeared, probably because it lacked energy. Today, he had reached Level 1 trainee knight, and the loss of qi was a charge for the Heradic Cube, allowing him to see it. Abel pondered the possibility of the appearance of the Heradic Cube. Gathering his thoughts, Abel lightly touched the Heradic Cube on his right arm. In his mind, a space emerged, divided into 12 grids. Two of the grids were occupied by a blue book, while the others remained empty. "The Book of Town Portal," Abel immediately recognized the book. It was the book he had modified just before being shocked. He remembered modifying it and then stowing it in the Heradic Cube out of habit. "Retrieve the Book of Town Portal," he thought in his mind. The Book of Town Portal appeared in his hand. It was a large book, as big as a magazine on Earth, with a blue cover adorned with dark gold patterns that occasionally shimmered, giving the Book of Town Portal a mysterious and noble aura. "After using this Book of Town Portal, will I be able to go home?" A sudden thought made Abel's heart race. The prospect of returning home to see his parents, taste his mother's cooking again, and smell the familiar scents of his hometown filled him with hope. In the year since he crossed over to this world, he had never felt such a strong longing for home. Abel gingerly opened the Book of Town Portal, as if unveiling a rare treasure. Twenty scrolls of Town Portal appeared. These scrolls were made of white parchment tied with blue ribbons. The ribbons had dark golden stripes, and once torn, these could open a portal. Placing his hand on the Town Portal Scroll, Abel gently tried to open it. However, the scroll resisted and wouldn't let him approach. Frustrated, he applied more force, but the scroll successfully resisted his attempts. The ribbon was torn apart, and a fireball appeared in his hand. Quickly, Abel threw the fireball on the ground, burning a hole in the carpet before the fireball dissipated. How could he have failed? How did it turn into a fireball? Abel attempted several times, but each time, the Town Portal Scroll would simply combust upon being torn open, turning into a pile of black ashes. Moonlight shone through the window onto Abel's sleeping face. A breeze dried the tears on his face, and the tightly wrapped figure in the bed shivered in the breeze. In the dark night, faint voices could be heard: "Dad, Mom." But in this world, no one could understand, as it was spoken in Chinese, the language of his hometown—a cry from a distant traveler.