While My Mage Wife Grinds, I Power Up Idly-Chapter 22: Anna, Help Me Aim!

Upon hearing Kyle the law enforcer's announcement, Ashu didn't rush to leave.

Instead, he asked, "Last time, Hudening the law enforcer mentioned I should be getting a reward."

Kyle slapped his forehead, suddenly remembering, "Damn! I completely forgot! Come with me. You kept the monsters out of the village, protecting its safety. As a hero who guarded the village, the city hall will award you a Courage Medal and 500 silver coins."

The title of hero didn't matter much to Ashu. What mattered was the 500 silver coins.

That wasn't a small amount. For such a small act of bravery, the purchasing power of that money was enough for Ashu to afford the wedding he had planned.

In Raven Town, a regular loaf of bread cost 3 copper coins, and at the current exchange rate, 1 silver coin was worth 128 copper coins.

In all his eighteen years since traveling to this world, this was the largest amount of money Ashu had "earned" in one go.

Soon enough.

Under Kyle's guidance, Ashu only needed to confirm his name and address, skipping the rest of the paperwork, and successfully received his reward at the city hall.

He tucked the pouch of coins into his pocket, didn't linger, and decisively bade Kyle farewell before heading out of the city hall district with Anna.

"Anna, let's go try on some clothes."

This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.

The reward was more than he expected, so Ashu planned to not only order a high-quality wedding dress but also have a few other outfits custom-made for Anna.

...

After a shopping spree.

Ashu now had a large bundle of clothes behind him. Luckily, as a full-fledged mage, he could easily use his Magical Essence to levitate the bundle.

"Should we buy a carriage?" On their way back, walking along the rural official road, Ashu asked.

"No need. Once we get back, we can learn flight magic together. The principle is simple, just like telekinesis," Anna replied.

If she wanted to, she could learn it right away. After all, her experience and knowledge were already there, and her cultivation had returned to the official cultivator level.

Once she learned it, the system would immediately reward Ashu with an upgraded flight magic skill.

But.

Anna didn't know about the system, so she didn't want to learn it just yet. If she learned it now, it would mean leaving Ashu behind. She preferred to stay by his side.

"Flight magic, huh? I want to ask, is it the kind where you fly on a broomstick, or the kind where you stand on a sword, or maybe the kind where you summon wings?" Ashu remembered some things from his previous life and couldn't help but imagine.

If it was flying on a broomstick, that would definitely be a problem for him, a grown man.

Flying while standing on a sword seemed more acceptable. As for summoning wings, it felt a bit unnecessary. The human bone structure was different from that of birds—how big would the wings need to be?

"Where did you hear about these types of flying?" Anna asked, curious.

"I heard it from the old folks in the village," Ashu shrugged, passing the blame on to the elderly in the village. After all, there were so many of them, and it was normal for old people to talk nonsense.

Upon hearing this.

Anna smiled slightly and explained, "There are many ways to fly with flight magic. The first two you mentioned are actually the same. They involve levitating an object, like a broomstick, sword, or staff, and the practitioner rides on it to fly. It's the simplest method. As for summoning wings, it's a bit of a hassle and not very efficient. There's also another kind of flight magic that uses wind elements. Which one would you like to learn?"

"Is there any flight magic that doesn't require using other tools, where you can fly just by yourself?"

"Of course there is. The flight magic I used most often in the past is exactly like that."

"Then I want to learn that one," Ashu said. "How about you demonstrate it for me now?"

Since Anna had said it was the magic she used most frequently, it meant she would need to relearn it. And since she would be relearning it, the system could trigger a critical reward.

"Now? I was thinking we could learn it together when we get back."

"The sooner we see it, the sooner we understand, right?"

Under Ashu's insistence, Anna quickly dismissed her earlier thoughts and began reviewing the experience and knowledge of the flight magic in her mind, preparing to demonstrate it.

However.

Just as she was about to take off, her spiritual perception—enhanced by twelve levels—suddenly detected several figures closing in from all directions.

Anna's expression changed instantly. She dropped the affectionate smile she had been giving Ashu, her demeanor turning cold as a murderous intent radiated from her.

Being surrounded in the wilderness was never a good sign.

Surely they couldn't be going through all that trouble just to send their blessings, could they?

If it were bandits, the only options were to kill or be killed. The thought of being robbed was something she could not accept.

"Ashu, stay alert!" Anna warned.

Upon hearing this.

Ashu trusted Anna's perception completely. He immediately dropped the large bundle from his back and drew a dagger from his waist.

It was common for farmers to carry a dagger or a whip when traveling, and though a mage was supposed to use a staff, he hadn't bought one yet. For now, the dagger would have to do.

The next moment.

Two sharp arrows shot through the underbrush, like venomous snakes, aimed straight for Ashu's neck.

Clink!

Before Ashu's body could react, his Magical Essence activated first. He conjured a grip out of thin air, seizing one of the arrows and deflecting it toward the other. The two arrows collided and, spinning wildly, embedded themselves into the nearby tree.

At the same time.

A fireball shot from another direction, but Anna raised her hand and cast a water-based spell, countering the fireball.

Steam immediately spread across the area. Though her vision was obstructed, Anna's spiritual perception at level twelve was unaffected.

She quickly warned, "Ashu, behind you, assassin!"

Hearing Anna's urgent tone, Ashu didn't even bother with the air behind him. He spun around and threw a punch without hesitation.

Indeed, as his punch collided with the air, a black figure appeared. It was the assassin's stealth.

The assassin hadn't anticipated that their stealth and sudden assault would be instantly exposed. Their eyes were filled with shock.

But what was even more astonishing came next.

The assassin was the first to charge in for close combat. Seeing this, Ashu immediately activated Nature's Absorption Technique! At the same time, using the suction force of the technique, he manipulated his Magical Essence to form a long-range pull, drawing the assassin, who was about to dodge, back toward him with force.

The assassin, momentarily off balance, quickly regained his composure, but he never expected the mage to be foolish enough to close the distance and engage in close combat.

Without hesitation, the assassin swung his dagger toward Ashu.

Unfortunately for him, Ashu's hand made contact with his body first. The moment they touched, the assassin's entire Magical Essence energy was drained, as if it had been sucked out like blood.

The acidic sensation of losing that driving force spread throughout the assassin's body in an instant. The dagger strike, which had only been half-completed, faltered and became weak. With a casual block, Ashu grabbed the assassin's other arm.

Due to the urgency of the situation, Ashu didn't have time to separate the transformation of Nature's Absorption Technique. Therefore, the amount of Magical Essence absorbed also translated into a corresponding amount of physical strength and soul power.

He hadn't expended much physical or soul power today.

Suddenly converting such a large amount of energy resulted in an intense state of excitement.

In this heightened state, Ashu's speed was faster than even his peak condition, his resistance to damage stronger, and his overflowing soul power could now be freely used for magic.

"Monster!" The assassin, now drained of his Magical Essence, had temporarily dropped in level and was significantly weakened.

Ashu's absorption didn't compare to the absorption of the evil god mark. His absorption was temporary—if the assassin were given time, he could recover in less than ten minutes.

But Ashu wasn't going to give him that time.

Weakened, the assassin's abilities had been drastically reduced. In his heightened state, Ashu swiftly twisted the assassin's right arm, breaking it with a single motion.

Ashu was already a well-built farmer, and with even more intense Magical Essence than Anna, his explosive strength was nothing to underestimate.

"Ah!!" The assassin let out a muffled scream from behind his mask. But before he could do anything further, Ashu manipulated the Magical Essence to pull the arrows from the nearby tree and impale them into the assassin's throat.

Now, the assassin couldn't make another sound.

With that threat dealt with, Ashu recalled how Anna had used her excess soul power in the past. He used his own surplus soul power to manipulate the surrounding Magical Essence, creating a basic protective shield around them.

"There are three left—two archers and one mage," Anna informed him.

Ashu glanced around, straining his senses. Even with his heightened state, it was still a challenge to pinpoint their positions.

So.

"Anna, help me aim!"

Anna immediately understood. This was their combined attack.

Ashu had gradually become more familiar with Anna's soul power, and now, it was as if they had invisible hands working together. As she manipulated the Magical Essence to form a targeting reticle, Ashu's unseen hand followed the line of her movements, guiding his own control over the magic.