Chapter 8: Winter Solstice Festival

Chapter 8: Winter Festival

After receiving the correct method of spell practice from Master Guze, Li Wei finally made progress with the Fireball Spell.

Mid-November, snow began to fall over Maple City.

From then on, it snowed every day—even under clear skies, the snow rarely melted.

The outside world grew too cold, and Li Wei spent most of his days secluded within the Mage Tower, cultivating diligently.

The tower was inscribed with a constant-temperature array, keeping it spring-like all year round.

On November twenty-first, Jimmy chose a sunny day to visit specifically for chasing manuscripts.

Only then did Li Wei remember he had forgotten about writing altogether.

He hurriedly finished the draft in a short while and handed it over to Jimmy when he came knocking again on the twenty-fourth.

Due to the snow and bitter cold, outdoor entertainment dwindled across Maple City.

Reading became a favored pastime for many.

Under these circumstances, the sales of *Dragon Knight* soared to new heights.

Gus was ecstatic—though the novel had only reached its seventh edition, its earnings already surpassed the entire annual revenue of Spark Literary Collection from the previous year.

He felt profoundly grateful that he hadn’t rejected publishing *Dragon Knight* back then.

After two months of explosive popularity, Spark Literary Society began receiving other aspiring authors’ works.

Ordinary novels couldn’t be published as standalone volumes, so they were all compiled into the Spark Anthology.

Gus sensed that December’s anthology would see a sharp rise in sales as well.

The literary society was moving steadily toward greater prosperity—all thanks to Li Wei’s *Dragon Knight*.

On November twenty-fifth, the day after submitting his manuscript, Li Wei successfully cast magic for the first time.

That night, after his usual mental training, he channeled mana to construct the spell model, consuming energy as he did so.

As he grew increasingly familiar with the fireball spell’s structure, he could now form the model within three minutes.

This time, it took less than that.

Once completed, ambient magical elements flowed into the model of their own accord. A faint spark flickered to life.

Just as Li Wei thought the light would vanish with a mere pop, within ten seconds, the tiny ember rapidly expanded into a fist-sized fireball.

A small sphere of elemental flame hovered before him.

Li Wei stared in stunned delight.

The spell formation was complete. With but a thought, he could launch it.

Quickly, he used telekinesis to carry the blazing construct out of his room and into an open field.

The model, sustained too long, had grown unstable—on the verge of collapse.

He swiftly aimed at an empty patch of ground and silently commanded, *“Launch!”*

The fireball shot forward over twenty meters before exploding with a *boom*, spreading flames across a radius of more than a meter.

Patches of snow on the ground melted instantly.

A cold wind brushed against Li Wei’s cheeks, yet he felt no chill—only exhilaration.

“It worked! Finally, it worked!”

Eagerly, he prepared to cast again.

Now, his reserves were sufficient for three fireballs.

Soon, a second spell model formed; fire elements filled it automatically.

*Boom!*

The model collapsed—casting failed.

Li Wei frowned, took a deep breath.

The icy air pierced his lungs. He shivered violently, jolted suddenly alert.

After a moment of calm, he attempted once more.

Failure.

Dejected, he returned to his room, stomping his feet hard to warm his freezing body.

One success out of three attempts—his excitement dimmed, replaced by frustration.

But not for long. Soon, he straightened up.

“If I succeeded once, I’ll succeed again. And one day, I’ll master it completely!”

He drank a sip of hot water to warm himself. On the table before him, two lines of text shimmered into view:

[Basic Meditation Method (Mastery)] 712/1000

[Fireball Spell (Novice Level)] 423/1000

Nearly a month had passed—and his progress was undeniable.

The calming incense had played a crucial role.

And that incense? Only affordable because *Dragon Knight* had become a sensation, bringing him wealth enough to burn it daily.

His overall cultivation efficiency had improved by nearly twenty to thirty percent.

At this rate, the Basic Meditation Method would reach mastery before December’s end.

By January, he could grind the Fireball Spell to mastery level.

Come March—the first month of spring—would be the Mage Tower’s apprentice examination.

The minimum requirement? To have cultivated mana.

Li Wei had long surpassed that.

No longer did he fear being expelled for failing the test.

What he now hoped for was the reward.

The apprentice exam marked the final trial for novices—an important rite of passage for mage apprentices.

Each year, the Mage Tower bestowed generous rewards upon the top performers.

Among them: potions capable of accelerating cultivation.

His goal was clear—to achieve “stable casting” before the exam.

Then, claim first place without contest. Claim the potion.

The next day, near the end of class, Guze suddenly spoke:

“In a few days will be the Winter Festival. Those wishing to participate should prepare early.”

At once, murmurs broke out among the students.

“The annual Winter Festival again… how exciting!”

“Last year we had the Snow Knight—this year the snow is heavier. Who knows? Maybe we’ll witness the once-in-a-century Snow King?”

“I’d love to catch a snow sprite and keep it as a pet!”

…

“Winter Festival?” Li Wei’s eyes lit up with curiosity.

In the novel *Legends of the Mage*, he had once read stories like this.

The Winter Festival lasted three days, from November 28th to 30th.

The first two days were filled with grand celebrations across the land. Even the ever-busy mage towers suspended classes for three days. Even noble mages would attend the festival’s grand ceremonies.

But on the third day—November 30th—supernatural beings born of ice and snow would appear: snow sprites, snow knight golems, even the Snow Sprite King.

Long ago, weaker cities, unable to withstand attacks from these frost-born creatures, began hosting the Winter Festival to attract extraordinary adventurers from afar, relying on their powers to destroy the invading spirits.

Over time, the practice evolved into a tradition—a festival passed down through generations.

Maple City didn’t need the festival to draw in outsiders; they simply held it as an annual celebration.

Li Wei had always thought such tales were mere legends.

After all, how believable was it that snow sprites could truly be born from ice once a year?

Yet now, reality slapped him in the face.

“So *Legends of the Mage* is basically a work of nonfiction!”

Li Wei mused inwardly for a moment, then suddenly his expression shifted—inspiration struck.

“What if I write a spin-off novella—*Dragon Knight: The Snow King Chronicles*? It’ll explode in popularity right after the festival!”

Resolved, Li Wei decided to attend the Winter Festival himself—to gather material, and perhaps catch a glimpse of those fabled snow sprites and snow knights.

For the next few days, he devoted himself to practicing spells, striving to improve his casting success rate.

He discovered that with the aid of calming incense, his success rate soared—two out of every three spells now worked flawlessly.

(End of Chapter)