Chapter 31: I can practice both magic and martial arts, hahaha!

“What’s wrong? Why the panic?”

Gu Xuanyun clearly noticed my frantic reaction, sitting up and looking at me with confusion.

“…Th-The bag wasn’t secure, it almost fell.”

His voice startled me. After a quick thought, I turned, forcing a weak explanation.

“…Is that so? Must be something important in there.”

He glanced at me, his tone calm.

“Y-Yeah… some important stuff…”

I hugged my backpack, responding cautiously.

“Can I see?”

He stood, stepping closer, asking casually.

“W-What? There’s no need for you to see my stuff, right?”

I eyed him warily.

“…Fair point. Sorry, I got too curious.”

He paused, realizing we weren’t that close, and nodded.

I watched him, eyes full of caution.

“What’s with this guy? His reaction was weird…”

I blinked, puzzled.

His response felt like he sensed the egg babies moving. It shouldn’t be surprising—with his strength, noticing their activity was likely easy.

But no way I’m letting him see my eggs.

“Phew…”

Gu Xuanyun exhaled, shook his head, and downed the rest of the potion.

“This batch feels good. I’ll count on you next month too.”

He tossed the empty bottle aside, said the same thing as last time, then briskly put on his shirt and left.

“…”

I sat there, dazed, before angrily patting the egg babies in my backpack.

“When you’re out with Mommy, no moving!!! Or no tasty crystals for you!”

“…”

Sensing my anger, the eggs radiated sadness and fear, clearly aware they’d messed up.

“Sigh… it’s not that Mommy’s mad at you, but that was too dangerous. Neither you nor Mommy can afford to be exposed.”

Feeling their emotions, my heart softened. I gently patted them, speaking softly.

Their emotions stabilized, and they slipped back into a quiet sleep.

“Phew… you two are such a handful…”

Confirming they were asleep, I sighed and muttered.

Still in their shells and already this troublesome—once they hatch, they’ll probably give me even bigger headaches.

“Sigh, I’ll feed you two properly at home. For now, I’ve got business.”

I exhaled, packed my things, and went to the Golden Skull supervisor to collect my payment, also picking up Gu Xuanyun’s next month’s commission.

With enough money for now, I didn’t rush to take more jobs.

Next month, besides making Gu Xuanyun’s potion, I planned to focus on physical training and try hunting.

Nothing too tough—goblins or slimes would be good practice. It’s time to train this body’s abilities.

With my vast magical knowledge, I don’t need to relearn spells, saving time to focus on physical training.

…Which means I can dual-cultivate magic and martial arts, hahaha!!!

I’ve always wanted to try being a melee mage. In my past life, I did it with powerful magical buffs, still essentially fighting with magic.

Now, if I strengthen my body, I can fight with raw physical power while casting spells without loss.

In other words, I’d have double the combat strength!

That’s the beauty of dual cultivation, but few can pull it off.

Magic requires years of study, and only long-lived races like elves can afford to master both magic and martial arts. Most who try end up abandoning one for the other, unable to reach the peak.

…But that’s not an issue for me!

“Hehe… with enough time to train my body and mental energy… hmph…”

Fantasizing about a bright future, I hummed, but first, I needed to get some armor and weapons.