Another World: The Failed Magician

Lu Xuan slowly walked to the middle of the street and glanced at the figures shivering in the cold wind.

Although Lu Xuan knew he couldn't change anything—there were countless people like him on the continent—he still couldn't stand idly by. He'd just consider it satisfying his own "hypocritical" conscience. As he thought this, Lu Xuan sketched out the magic array in his mind.

Then Lu Xuan snapped his fingers, and one small flame after another appeared out of thin air, flickering with a warm red light that made people want to get closer.

Low-level magic - Flame

A magic spell specifically designed for keeping warm, a magic spell without any harmful effects.

At first, the people in the cold wind dared not approach the flickering flames, their faces showing fear. Then a little girl approached, gently touching one of the flames. Feeling warm, she pressed herself against it. Seeing that she wasn't burned, the others followed suit. Some also noticed Lu Xuan in the middle of the road, dressed differently from the others. It was this man who had snapped his fingers, causing the flames to appear. Several people gathered around him to thank him.

Looking at the crowd seeking warmth, Lu Xuan felt a little better, even though he knew it was only temporary.

……

On a misty mountain peak, two people are playing chess, one black and one white.

As the game drew to a close, one of the men, dressed in a black python robe with a serious expression and an imposing aura, said to the old Taoist priest in a Taoist robe opposite him, "Master Li, you are truly the best at this game. I have clearly used all my strength, but I still cannot shake your position in the slightest."

The old Taoist priest said slowly, "Your Highness is still very capable; I almost won as well."

"Master Li, there's no need to comfort me. You've beaten me by half a move every time, which clearly shows you've figured out my moves. But after so many games, I still can't figure out your moves at all!"

"Your Highness, the key to playing chess is to prevent your opponent from figuring out your moves. A player whose moves are completely understood is not far from death."

The man addressed as "Prince" picked up the black pieces in his hand and examined them: "Master Li, I still don't understand this game. Could you explain it to me?"

The old man in the Taoist robe said slowly, "Your Highness, some chess games can only be understood through personal experience; they can only be comprehended intuitively and cannot be explained in words."

The prince wasn't angry when he heard the old Taoist's answer, because this wasn't the first time he'd received this response.

The prince continued to ask the old Taoist priest, "But I still want to ask Master Li, why did you bring the people from the Loca Federation into this game?"

The old Taoist sighed: "It is not a matter of a day that the ice is frozen for thousands of miles. This is a stagnant pool, but there is still a glimmer of hope. We need some external force to stir up this game."

"Oh! Master Li, what do you mean by that? Are you saying that Donglong has no one to rely on?"

"No."

The prince said somewhat angrily, "Since it's not that Taoist priest, why not explain it more clearly? Maybe I can change something."

The old Taoist priest looked at the imposing man in the python robe before him and gently shook his head: "Your Highness, please don't make things difficult for me. Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed; some things will lose their power if spoken."

Upon hearing the Taoist priest's reply, the prince calmed down. His previous angry demeanor seemed like an act: "Since Taoist priest Li is unwilling to speak, then I will not ask any further questions. Let's call it a day. I will play chess with the Taoist priest again next time."

Watching the prince turn and leave, the old Taoist sighed, looked at the misty mountain peaks, and muttered to himself, "Is this a new beginning or a continuation of the old? Alas? I can't tell, I can't tell."