A lonely road, a silent forest, a distant sunset, a sorrowful Furen...
To be honest, Lu Wei really wanted to play along with this sudden, somber atmosphere.
But he genuinely had no idea what a "Magic Dullard" was.
The term wasn’t among his predecessor’s memories, and it was hard to guess its meaning from the name alone.
’It can’t be another special Profession, can it? It doesn’t seem likely.’
After all, Furen had the distinct air of someone physically handicapped but strong-willed.
’If it were a special Profession, I really can’t think of any Profession more tragic than "Crafty Merchant." So it’s most likely a real "physical disability."’
Combined with the fact that Furen clearly had the money to buy Skill Books, yet insisted on Learning Skills through diligent study and hard practice...
’Could it mean he’s dull when it comes to Magic Power?’
’Is it because his Intelligence Attribute is too low, making his Perception of Magic Power so weak that he can’t use Skill Books?’
’Isn’t that just being mentally handicapped?’
...
...
As it turned out, Lu Wei’s guess was more or less on the mark.
However, Furen was not mentally handicapped. His ability to think, remember, and reason was no different from a normal person’s.
The only difference was that he was unable to perceive the existence of the Magic Net.
He was completely unable to interact with Magic Power, like a deaf person cannot hear sound, or a blind person cannot see light.
In other words, he was a "Magic Power insulator."
And while Skill Books were called "books," they were essentially a type of Magic Item that transmitted information into the user’s brain through a connection with Magic Power.
That’s why Furen couldn’t use them.
Even though they only required the tiniest sliver of Magic Power.
"It’s not just Skill Books. I can’t use any Magic Items."
"Even the most expensive Magic Staff is no different from a Wooden Stick in my hands."
"But it does have some benefits."
"For example, I’m not afraid of Mental Attacks, and I can’t be trapped by any Magic Barriers or traps."
"Magic Immunity is a Ring Four Magic spell for Priests, you know, and even that doesn’t grant complete immunity."
"So, in a way, I permanently have a powerful Blessing Magic, haha..."
About ten minutes later, Furen finished explaining the definition of a "Magic Dullard" to Lu Wei.
He even cracked a joke at the end.
He did laugh.
But whether it was out of helpless self-reassurance or genuine optimism was hard to say.
’In any case, I figure it’s the former.’
’After all, even if being a "Magic Dullard" has some upsides, the cons definitely outweigh the pros.’
Just the fact that he "couldn’t become a Caster" had almost completely cut off Furen’s chances of becoming a Professional.
Among the promotion requirements for the many Professions, only the prerequisite Skills for [Warrior] and [Ranger] didn’t require using Magic Power.
And if he chose the latter, even if he successfully promoted, he would have to give up very important abilities like "Reconnaissance," "Tracking," and "Weakness Attack."
In that case, he would basically just be an "Archer" who could only shoot arrows.
So, objectively speaking, it wasn’t that Furen wanted to become a Warrior, but that he could *only* become a Warrior.
Although he would still face many limitations, it was already his only choice.
Because for Furen, the Magic World was a locked door, and he was born without the key in his pocket.
’Seriously, does he have to make things harder than they need to be?’
’Can’t you just do something else?’
Looking at Furen, Lu Wei grumbled internally, almost blurting out those two sentences.
At the same time, he also understood why Furen was on bad terms with his family.
’Isn’t this just like a tone-deaf person insisting on becoming a pop star, or someone who’s five feet tall insisting on playing basketball?’
’Forget about Talent, it’d be fine if you were just an Ordinary person!’
’Can’t use Skills, can only use basic weapons, even Potions made from Magic Materials don’t work...’ Lu Wei felt he could already foresee Furen’s "career prospects."
Best-case scenario: a Beastman.
Worst-case scenario: an earth goblin.
’In short, both types that just rely on brute force. And the crucial part is, even to reach such a low ceiling, Furen will have to put in far more effort than an ordinary person.’
’Sigh... you can only blame fantasy novels for giving people such unrealistic ideas.’
Shaking his head, Lu Wei turned to look at the still-calm Furen, unsure of what to say for a moment.
’Either way, judging by how he looks now, there’s no way he’s turning back from this misguided path.’
So...
"Actually, it’s not so bad. You’re already stronger than most newbies, which proves this path is viable."
"By the way, are there any stories about Magic Dullards in those Legendary novels?"
On a whim, Lu Wei tried to give Furen some encouragement by referencing "Otherworld power fantasies."
But perhaps because the audience for that kind of protagonist was too small for anyone to bother writing about, Furen silently shook his head.
"I’ve never seen any."
"Er..."
"But it doesn’t matter."
Then, before Lu Wei could figure out how to salvage the conversation, Furen puffed out his chest with a confident expression, his eyes fixed firmly ahead as he declared with absolute certainty:
"I’ll become the first one!"
...
...
As for whether Furen could become the "first Magic Dullard to achieve some success" in the tales of Minstrels, Lu Wei remained quite skeptical.
But there was no doubt that Furen was currently his biggest cash cow.
So of course, he wasn’t going to say anything to discourage him.
"You can do it! I believe in you!"
"Where there’s a will, there’s a way... It means that a person with ambition and perseverance will eventually succeed."
"I’ve heard of an example like that, someone who became a powerhouse through absolute Power alone."
"His name isn’t important. Anyway, he was bald."
"No, no, no, I’m not telling you to shave your head too..."
On the way back, Lu Wei did his best to build Furen’s confidence, terrified that he might suddenly gain some self-awareness and go home to inherit the family business.
Fortunately, it didn’t look like that was going to happen for now.
Aside from a little frustration and disappointment at the beginning, Furen, true to his bold declaration, showed no further signs of insecurity or low spirits.
You had to admit, his mindset was truly excellent.
And so, the two of them chatted as they walked back, arriving in town just as dusk fell.
The warm, slanting sun landed on the blades of the Windmill, staining them with the rich colors of an oil painting. A few fierce barks echoed from the distance, and scattered Adventurers stood by the town walls chatting. Judging by their expressions, they were probably discussing all sorts of unverified rumors—
a Werewolf that had been missing for years had reappeared,
a "Legendary"-grade Weapon had turned up somewhere,
some Count or other was plotting a rebellion and had mysteriously vanished overnight.
And so on.
Lu Wei had no interest in any of this, leading Furen straight to a market on the east side of town.
Because it was relatively close to the town’s public security office, it was a hub for secondhand dealers, and Adventurers usually brought their spoils here to sell.
The prices were slightly higher than at regular shops, and if any disputes arose, they could be quickly resolved at the security office.
That’s right. Although it was a backward feudal empire, it still had laws.
Ones that were, surprisingly, quite "comprehensive."
The Kingdom had kingdom laws, religions had religious laws, and fiefdoms had fiefdom laws.
Many powerful associations also had guild laws.
And all these laws piled on top of each other to form an especially complex legal system, as well as highly overlapping taxes.
Fortunately, a significant portion of them were in a state of "existing in name only," completely unenforceable or only partially enforceable.
Otherwise, the lives of the common people would probably be even harder than those of the goblins in Gelan Forest.
"Hmm, not bad."
In the market, a pot-bellied dealer pinched the Giant Spider Silk Gland in his hand and casually quoted a price: "22 Copper Coins each."
"A little more, please."
Lu Wei deliberately put on a troubled look. "There’s a commission over at the square paying 25 Copper Coins for one."
"That’s a long-term purchase order from a major association. It has a quantity requirement. They wouldn’t even look at a small haul like yours."
The fat dealer didn’t budge an inch. "The highest I can go is 22 Copper Coins."
"...Alright then."
After a moment’s hesitation, Lu Wei shook his head and didn’t press the issue further.
’It’s only a difference of a few Copper Coins, anyway. After my net worth skyrocketed, I’m starting to look down on such small change.’
Soon, the deal was done. The five Silk Glands sold for a total of 1 Silver Coin and 10 Copper Coins.
Adding the 50 Copper Coins he earned from selling Furen the roasted rabbit at noon, his total earnings for the day came to 1 Silver Coin and 60 Copper Coins.
And the panel updated in real time to show—
[1. Earn one hundred Gold Coins through mutually acknowledged transactions. (0.23/100)]
’I’ve moved up an order of magnitude. A cause for celebration.’
’Next up, it’s time for a big leap.’
Putting the coins into his money pouch, Lu Wei turned to look at Furen, who was glancing around.
"Right, didn’t you need to get your shoulder injury treated?"
"Ah, right!"
Furen looked away from his surroundings. "Do you have a good clinic to recommend?"
Lu Wei nodded. "Yeah, I happen to be going to the clinic too. Let’s go together."
"Huh? Are you injured too?"
"No, I’m going to see someone."
"Oh, oh, is it a friend?"
"No. She owes me money. I have to go see if she’s dead yet."
"Ah..."