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The old craftsman shopkeeper was extremely reverent.
Which was only natural.
After all, most wizards could only look up to a legendary wizard like Ian. How can the status of a legendary wizard be described in the wizarding world? For someone who had never studied magic, seeing a legendary figure was roughly equivalent to a frog at the bottom of a well gazing upon the moon in the heavens.
For a wizard who had studied magic, meeting a legendary wizard was akin to a mayfly beholding the vast blue sky.
Because of that, when the old craftsman heard that Ian was interested in spellcasting techniques, he felt that this was his opportunity.
He paused for a moment, seemingly afraid that Ian might find the topic dull, then carefully added a suggestion, anticipation filling his eyes:
"A young child from the tribe will be coming shortly to refine and study wandless casting."
"Perhaps... perhaps My Lord could observe from the side or even offer a word or two of guidance? That would give you a better understanding of our magical text system and the reasons behind wandless casting."
After speaking, he looked at Ian nervously, hardly daring to breathe, afraid that this great and unfathomable figure might find the suggestion presumptuous or boring.
Hearing this, Ian considered it briefly.
Observing the introductory teaching process of a magical system was indeed the most effective way to grasp its core concepts and foundational principles. Sometimes it was even more enlightening than observing advanced techniques.
Besides, the three days spent waiting for information needed to be filled somehow.
Looking at the old craftsman's nervous yet hopeful expression, Ian finally smiled and nodded.
"All right. Observing your introductory lessons does sound interesting."
The old craftsman was instantly overjoyed; he was so excited that he nearly burst into tears. He thanked Ian repeatedly.
"Thank you, My Lord! Thank you, my lord. Please have a seat while I prepare tea and find you the best position!"
This was how status determined people's attitudes.
If an ordinary person had wanted to witness something like this, the old craftsman would have charged them a considerable amount at the very least.
But a Legendary Wizard was entirely different.
Ian hurriedly began tidying everything up as though preparing for an important teaching evaluation, not just an observer.
While waiting for the young wizard to arrive, Ian did not remain idle.
He slowly walked through Caleb's shop, carefully examining the finished and half-finished creations displayed along the walls and shelves.
Caleb.
That was the name the old craftsman had introduced himself as earlier.
He was indeed an exceptionally skilled alchemy master.
These magical artifacts came in all kinds of forms, their materials ranging from wood and metal to beast bones and gemstones. Ian could clearly sense the unique fluctuations of magical power contained within every item.
Like silent poetry, they spoke of the unique rhythm of Africa's magical text system.
Occasionally, Ian would stop before a particular piece and softly share his thoughts.
"This is the 'Stormcaller' short staff."
He pointed towards a dark wooden staff inlaid with a sapphire at its tip and engraved with spiraling runes.
"At the connection point between the thundercloud runes on the third and seventh nodes, the energy flow seems slightly sluggish. If you embedded an extremely small 'Whirlwind Guidance Sigil' between them as a transition, it could probably increase the staff's explosive power by at least fifteen percent while also reducing the caster's magical backlash."
Upon hearing this, Caleb hurried over immediately and used a magnifying glass to inspect the area Ian had pointed out.
A moment later, he suddenly slapped his thigh, his voice trembling with excitement.
"Good heavens! It's really true! This tiny stagnation has troubled me for over ten years. I always thought it was the limit of the base material itself. Who would have thought that all it needed was a simple transition sigil? My Lord, you saw through its essence at a glance!"
By now, the old craftsman no longer held even the slightest trace of disdain towards Ian.
All that remained was the attitude of a devout apprentice, the intimidation and prestige of a Legendary Wizard were simply immense.
Ian then walked over to a row of metal charms resembling protective talismans. Picking up a silver plate engraved with guardian runes, he said:
"The overall structure of this 'Resilient Guardian' rune is excellent, but the finishing angle of the 'Earth Foundation' sigil could be improved. If the stroke were just slightly deeper and the magical power infusion were maintained for an extra breath to allow the energy to settle and solidify more thoroughly, its durability would increase by more than twofold."
Caleb hurriedly took the charm back, his fingers trembling as he touched the sigil corner.
After carefully sensing it for a moment, shock and ecstasy exploded in his eyes once more.
"It's true! The energy settlement really isn't perfect enough. I focused on making the rune smooth and beautiful but overlooked the most fundamental stabilization process. Thank you for your guidance, My Lord! This is practically turning stone into gold!"
Ian walked around the shop once more, casually pointing out five or six areas that could be improved.
Each observation struck directly at the core issue, leaving Caleb feeling enlightened as though doors to a whole new world had opened before him.
The old craftsman's face flushed red with excitement, and he was already ready to worship Ian as a god.
He even took the initiative to invite Ian to visit his 'Masterpiece Trophy Room.'
Behind the shop was a secluded room, naturally enclosed by intertwining tree roots. Dozens of 'magical text artifacts' hung on the walls, each radiating its own unique magical fluctuation.
The old craftsman picked up a short ebony wand and respectfully handed it to Ian.
'This is one of my proudest creations... the Wind Whisperer.'
Ian accepted it and examined it carefully.
The entirely black wand was engraved with three groups of spiraling runes, which rose upwards in succession. A weathered piece of lapis lazuli was embedded at the end.
"These rune arrangements…" Ian observed. "'Breath of the Wind,' 'Eagle's Eye,' and 'Silent Step'?"
"Yes!" Surprise flashed through the old craftsman's eyes. "You recognized them at a glance?"
"The spacing between the runes is slightly too wide, causing imperfect magical power conduction."
Ian pointed at one of the spirals.
"If you narrow the third pattern of "Breath of the Wind" by half a finger's width, the efficiency of magical power condensation should improve by thirty percent."
The old craftsman's single eye widened before realization suddenly dawned on him.
"Ah! I never even considered that! I always thought the problem was the poor quality of the lapis lazuli..."
Ian then picked up a bone knife engraved with the jagged 'Earthsplitter' rune along the blade.
"This 'Earthsplitter' rune is meant for explosive force," Ian explained, "but you used the 'Continuous Ripple' engraving method, which disperses the power. If you had switched to a 'Stepped' engraving pattern, the impact would have been far more concentrated and its armor-breaking effect much stronger.'
The old craftsman's hands trembled slightly.
Throughout his decades-long career of rune engraving, these seemingly minor adjustments had never once been pointed out. He had always believed that he had already reached the pinnacle of his craft, never realizing that, in Ian's eyes, there was still room for improvement.
"My Lord... where did you learn all this?" the old craftsman asked in a trembling, nearly reverent voice.
"I've seen many magical systems."
Ian smiled faintly.
"Europe's wands, the East's talismans, Northern Europe's runestones… every system has its own wisdom. Your 'magical text artifacts' solidify spells into physical forms, making them exceptionally suited to real combat. However, there is still room for improvement in the energy conduction and rune structures."
He picked up an unfinished copper plate and quickly scratched several new patterns onto it with his fingernail.
"Take this 'Shield' rune, for example. The traditional engraving method uses circular nesting, but adopting a honeycomb hexagonal structure instead expands the defensive area while consuming less magical power."
The old craftsman stared at the simple engravings as though a whole new world had opened up before him.
His admiration and reverence for Ian, the legendary wizard, deepened even further.
Suddenly, the old craftsman dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead against the ground.
"Please accept me as your disciple! I am willing to offer all of my skills!"
He was genuinely eager to improve.
"There's no need for that, Master."
Seeing Caleb's tearful gratitude, Ian merely smiled gently and did not accept such a pledge of loyalty.
He was simply offering his suggestions to the best of his ability.
"Your magical text system is unique and exquisite. Many of its concepts have inspired me greatly. I especially like the way you've integrated magical power guidance with externalized runes. It's a completely different approach to our reliance on internal cores, and it has clear advantages in many specialized applications. Exchange should always be mutual."
Upon hearing Ian claim that he had gained 'inspiration' from him, Caleb became overwhelmed and terrified with gratitude, waving his hands repeatedly.
"Y-You actually say that my crude craftsmanship inspired you? This is the blessing of the ancestral spirits! My Lord, you are far too humble! This old man's insignificant skills are like fireflies compared to the bright moon that is your wisdom, how could they possibly…"
At that moment, the bead curtain at the entrance to the shop was lifted aside.
A young couple dressed in traditional tribal clothing entered, looking respectful, and with them was a little boy of about seven or eight whose eyes held both curiosity and timidity.
"Master Caleb!"
The couple bowed respectfully to the old craftsman.
"We've brought Kamba here. We'll trouble you with him."
Caleb quickly suppressed the excitement and reverence he had displayed in the presence of Ian, returning to his usual dignified demeanor as a master. Yet deep within his eyes still lingered boundless awe for Ian.
Ian nodded to the couple.
"Mm, the timing is perfect. This is…"
He glanced at Ian, uncertain how to introduce him.
Ian spoke first, in a calm tone.
"I am a friend of Master Caleb, from a distant land. I'm very interested in the magical arts of Africa, so I came specifically to observe and learn today."
He skillfully concealed his true identity.
The couple noticed Ian's distinctly foreign appearance and temperament. Though somewhat curious, upon hearing that he was Master Caleb's friend, they did not dare ask any more questions, merely nodding politely in greeting.
When Caleb heard Ian call him a friend, he looked at him gratefully before beckoning the little boy over.
"Child, come here."
Little Kamba nervously walked over to Caleb.
Master Caleb patted his head, his voice softening.
"Don't be afraid, child. Today is an important day. It will open a brand-new door for you. Close your eyes and relax."
Little Kamba obediently closed his eyes, his long eyelashes trembling slightly. His parents watched nervously from the sidelines, their hands clasped tightly together.
Ian was also focused, curious to see how this so-called 'initiation' would be carried out.
Caleb Master extended his right hand, pressing his index and middle fingers together. A gentle white glow lit up at his fingertips.
He lightly touched the center of Little Kamba's forehead and began to chant an ancient, melodious incantation in a low voice.
The syllables of the spell were strange yet filled with magical power. Ian could sense a mild yet extraordinarily pure mental force flowing into the boy's body.
Little Kamba's body gradually relaxed, and his breathing became long and steady. Before long, he slipped into a deep, magically guided sleep.
"This ensures the process remains absolutely stable. The child won't move because of pain or fear, which could affect the precision of the rune engraving," Caleb explained to Ian.
Then his expression became incredibly focused and solemn.
Clearly...
This was an African version of the Sleeping Curse.
He gestured for the child's parents to help lay little Kamba flat on a stone platform covered with soft animal hide.
Then Caleb took out his tools.
Not carving knives, but a silver needle as fine as a strand of hair and shimmering with magical light. Attached to the tail end of the engraving needle was a magical crystal that continuously shifted colors.
He carefully lifted Kamba's right hand and straightened his index finger.
Caleb's fingertips glowed once more, this time with a concentrated power that carried a faint cutting sensation.
What happened next caused even the well-travelled Ian to widen his eyes slightly.
Caleb Master's fingertips moved like the most precise surgical blade, gently passing over the tip of Kamba's finger.
The skin and muscle tissue silently parted to either side under a soft force, revealing the pale bone beneath!
There was no bleeding or wound; it was as though a tiny door had merely been opened.
The entire process had a strange yet sacred air of ritual about it.
Then Caleb picked up the magical engraving needle.
The magical crystal at its tip shone brilliantly, gathering into an extremely thin beam of light that nevertheless contained immense energy.
Holding his breath and focusing his gaze to the utmost extreme, he began to engrave the surface of the slender finger bone.
The engraving needle descended, producing an incredibly faint sizzling sound as though acting directly upon the soul itself.
Complex runes were inscribed onto the finger bone, stroke by stroke. Each symbol lit up briefly before fading again, magical power being branded deeply and permanently into the bone, linked directly to the child's life essence.
Seeing this scene, Ian suddenly understood everything.
So that was it!
The core secret behind African wizards' wandless casting lay right there!
It wasn't that they used no tools.
Rather, through a sacred ritual, they engraved the tool, the 'wand' that carried magical texts, onto their own bodies.
With this method, the index finger bone, the most commonly used and flexible part, became their natural, unique, and inseparable wand.
The magical texts carved onto the finger bone were a fusion of their core and rune systems!
Strictly speaking… This already belonged to the domain of human alchemy.
With such rune engravings in place… Through specific hand gestures, mental guidance, and the surge of magical power, they could directly activate the magical texts engraved upon the finger bone to cast magic!
This completely explained why their spellcasting appeared so natural.
Almost instinctive.
This was a savage yet incomparably exquisite technique that fused magic directly into the bloodline and carved it into the marrow itself!
In terms of human alchemy craftsmanship, Africa had surpassed Europe by far.
Ian finally understood.
Why African Wizards did not require wands.
Why they could cast spells wandlessly.
The answer was right there on the child's finger.
Their "wand" was not an external object…
It was their own body.
By engraving foundational magical texts directly into the finger bones during childhood, their skeleton itself became both a magical power conduit and a spell vessel.
Every time they cast a spell, all they needed was mental guidance, and magical power would flow through the rune network within their finger bones, releasing magic without reliance on any external tool.
This was not merely magic.
It was biological modification.
Though brutal, this system was extraordinarily efficient. It allowed magic to truly merge into the bloodline and become part of the body itself.
"What a miracle…"
Ian watched Caleb Master's focused and sacred expression, watched the magical mark gradually taking shape upon the child's finger bone, a mark that would accompany him for the rest of his life.
His heart was filled with shock.
This completely overturned his understanding of how Wizards cast spells.
The uniqueness and depth of this African magical system far exceeded his original imagination.
This observation alone was priceless.
It had broadened Ian's horizons considerably.
(End of Chapter)