Versatile Mage

Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

“How is she doing?” Lingling asked.

“Pretty good, she is eating and sleeping well. She just needs the true essence of moonlight. If she solely relies on the essence she collects every night, it might take her years to evolve. The leaves of the Moon Mulberry Trees are the best solution for now!” Yu Shishi led Lingling and Apas into the hut.

Apas noticed a huge bed of plants inside the hut, well-protected like a baby cradle. There were a few tiny Mulberry trees in the plant bed.

On one of the trees lay a lunar-white silkworm. Its round eyes were staring at Apas curiously.

“She’s not afraid of me?” Apas blurted out curiously, staring at the tiny creature.

“Her rank isn’t lower than yours, ok?” Lingling sniffed.

“What is she? She feels like a little elf filled with a special kind of energy. Why is she so tiny? She’s like a little baby…” Apas reached her hand out and caressed the silkworm.

Yu Shishi stood on the side with an alert look. She did not interfere after she realized the little silkworm was not against it.

It was unlikely that a person Lingling brought along would harm the little Moon Moth Phoenix.

The silkworm was the Moon Moth Phoenix after she had reincarnated. She was still in the form of a silkworm, as she had yet to reach her cocoon phase. Yu Shishi had been looking after her carefully, hoping for her to grow and enter her cocoon, so she could evolve into the real Moon Moth Phoenix!

“It’s so fuzzy…” Apas giggled. The little silkworm had climbed onto her palm. She seemed to be enjoying Apas’ presence.

Normally, such an intelligent little creature would be extremely sensitive to danger, and Apas would easily intimidate these little creatures in a new environment. To Apas’ surprise, the little silkworm was bold enough to crawl onto her palm even after sensing the presence of a Medusa. The little creature was not afraid that she might suck her life essence dry!

Apas soon noticed other silkworms in the room. They might not have a noble aura like the silkworm in the plant bed, but they were also no ordinary creatures!

“Mm, I enjoyed raising moths when I was young. I ran to a village far away just to pluck the leaves of mulberry trees. I carefully observed their growth and waited for the day they entered their cocoons…” Yu Shishi smiled.

“Do they grow quickly?” Apas asked.

There were many strange cocoons in the deserts too, but most of their makers were savage and ugly once they broke free, very different from these adorable moths. Apas was still a little girl in nature. She preferred to take care of these clean, elegant little elves!

“They grow very quickly. You can watch them growing from an egg as tiny as a grain of sand to a silkworm in just a few days. You can pluck a huge leaf from a mulberry tree and lay it down as their bed. They will sleep on the leaf and occasionally bite at it whenever they are hungry. You can even hear their soft munching sounds! They might be weak, but they grow up pretty quickly. You just need to provide them with a little box and a few leaves. They will grow into adults even if you don’t look after them!”

“Do you know what the best moment is when raising these little creatures?” Yu Shishi added when she noticed how absorbed Apas was.

Apas shook her head, eager to hear the answer.

“They aren’t so good looking when they are still a silkworm. They only know to eat and sleep every day, but once they turn into cocoons, they will transform completely inside. They will have wings, allowing them to dance elegantly under the moonlight. You can find their elegant figures circling the trees, lake, shrubs, and rocks. They are even more dazzling under the moonlight… you can never imagine how the silkworms transform into the little night elves!” Yu Shishi said.

Apas had an urge to try it herself after listening to the joyful experience Yu Shishi had when raising the silkworms.

“Can I raise a few of them?” Apas asked.

“You can’t take this one, but you can choose some of the others. They would like a master to accompany them as they grow up, too…I’ve been choosing pure-hearted kids to adopt these silkworms since I joined Fanxue Mountain. They are happy to look after them!” Yu Shishi agreed.

Fanxue Mountain was a private land with a strict rule that forbade anyone from hurting the blue moths and the Soul Moths, providing them a safe habitat.

Yu Shishi was not the only one protecting them. The people that had adopted the little Soul Moths were looking after them too. Yu Shishi was more than willing to let people that genuinely cared about the Soul Moths adopt a few of them.

The number of Soul Moths had greatly increased due to the presence of the Moon Moth Phoenix. Yu Shishi was struggling to take care of them all alone.

“Can I choose myself?” Apas asked.

“Of course you can, but it’s difficult to identify their lineage and talents before they evolve. Some Soul Moths are very powerful after they grow into adults!” Yu Shishi informed her.

—

Apas chose a few silkworms that caught her eye. She placed them in small wooden boxes, treating them carefully, like a little girl who had just received her gifts.

“They might be afraid of your presence still, but don’t worry, once you feed them for a few days, they will be very close to you,” Yu Shishi assured her. She caressed the silkworms that Apas had adopted to pacify them.

“A lot of people in Fanxue Mountain are raising the little moths,” Lingling had noticed.

“Yes! As a matter of fact, if the Moon Moth Phoenix can enter her cocoon and evolve, she will give birth to more Soul Moths with outstanding lineages. It will definitely improve the defenses of Fanxue Mountain!” Yu Shishi said happily.

“Mm, I’m looking forward to seeing her breaking out of her cocoon too!” Lingling reached her hand out and fondled the tiny Moon Moth Phoenix.

—

Apas was extremely happy with her new pets. She was looking forward to witnessing their transformation and the day they could beat their wings and fly!

After having this thought, she suddenly realized Lingling was not as much of an eyesore as she thought. After all, the girl had brought her to meet this interesting woman!

 Lingling glanced at the smiling Apas and said, “Remember to leave a few holes on the boxes after laying the leaves inside them… I seriously doubt these silkworms will live more than three days under your care!”

“Don’t you worry, I’ll make sure they live longer than you!” Apas retorted promptly.

1

“Humph!”

“Humph!”