The Eastern Forest of Magnolia was apparently the very same forest where Natsu and Lisanna had played when they were children.
Layla and August arrived here, and along the way, Layla caught sight of many unusual magical beasts: small bats fluttering through the air, small blue turtles with cockscombs near the riverbanks, and other beasts of unknown species sporting rainbow prisms along their backs.
As Layla and August pushed deeper into the woods, a large tree gradually came into view, complete with a wooden cabin built directly into its trunk. A window opened beside the front door as they climbed the steps. August and Layla stood at the entrance, but after August knocked on the door and waited for a moment, no sound came from inside.
Layla pressed against the wooden cabin's window to peer inside. The interior was rustic yet extremely tidy; the shelves were crowded with books on magic and various magical potions, while the desk to one side held a collection of brewing tools, but there was no sign of Granny Porlyusica.
August tapped Layla on the head with his walking staff. "Stop staring in, it's not polite. It looks like she's away on a long trip. Let's go, we can check back later."
Since there was nothing else to do, August decided to have Layla train in this forest. Only through continuous, unremitting practice could one go further; this wasn't just a casual way to pass the time out of boredom.
August seated himself by a small stream, telling Layla to go find magical beasts for her training. He took out a fishing rod, closed his eyes slightly, and a satisfied smile spread across his face. Sunlight spilled down, the stream flowed gently, and a breeze swept through, causing the leaves to emit a pleasant rustling sound. Holding his fishing rod, August waited with intense focus for a fish to take the bait, occasionally raising his head to gaze into the distance or lowering it to observe the ripples on the water's surface. The surrounding natural scenery was harmonious and tranquil, as if time itself had slowed down because of it. In this moment, August gave himself over entirely to the peaceful and serene atmosphere.
As time passed, August looked toward the riverbank at a bizarre, three-meter-long, crimson fish with grey manes sprouting from its gills, and pectoral, pelvic, and caudal fins all gleaming yellow.
"It's so big, more than enough for that kid to eat. Shouldn't she be back by now?"
"I'm back," Layla's voice rang out behind August, sounding somewhat muffled and strange.
"Hahahaha." August looked at the bruised and battered Layla standing before him, laughing with zero sympathy.
"Old man, what are you laughing at? That Vulkan beast was just a stinking monkey, I'm going to beat it to a pulp next time." Layla said, her anger flaring up. "If I hadn't lacked offensive magic, I definitely would have beaten the crap out of it."
"Hahahahaha," August laughed on mercilessly.
"Old man, is this fish yours? It's huge, whoever fed this fish must have taken really good care of it."
"Right, we'll turn it into a barbecue in a bit."
"I've decided, I'm going to learn that magic!"
"Arc of Embodiment? You've chosen a very interesting spell."
Hearing the name of this magic, August wore an amused expression, then began explaining the origins of this Lost Magic to Layla, along with its inherent limitations and side effects.
Arc of Embodiment could bring anything one imagined into reality, provided the user maintained a high degree of concentration. As for the side effects: first, manifestation consumed a massive amount of physical stamina and magic power, with stronger creations demanding greater output. Second, it could place a certain burden on the user's mental state. Therefore, August stipulated that from now on, Layla must practice meditation every evening to keep her mind calm.
Yet none of this posed a problem for Layla. Through such a long period of physical training, with her magic power constantly nourishing her body day after day, Layla had already gained precise control over her magic. For reasons unknown, she also felt that her mental state was exceptionally good.
Once Layla mastered Arc of Embodiment, she immediately conjured a small Fire Salamander, followed by a pile of barbecue seasonings and a grill, and then summoned a high-browed chef from the Super Express to handle the grilled fish. That meal was beyond satisfying.
After finishing today's training, Layla headed to MAGNORIA, the only bathhouse in Magnolia, which could wash away fatigue and restore magic power. Carrying her toiletries, she stepped into the men's bath, and after coming out, she drank a bottle of mixed fruit milk, feeling completely refreshed.
For the next two days, Layla and August came to the forest every day to train, while also hoping for news from Porlyusica, though unfortunately she did not return.
At the very beginning of her training, Layla had tried to conjure August, but the attempt failed the moment she imagined him.
"Is it a problem with the magic power? Grandpa is simply too powerful, I couldn't picture him at all. Let's start with something simpler and try this."
August watched Layla tinkering away over there. From the moment he explained the magic on the first day, he knew from her state that this magic and Layla were a perfect match for each other—they had mutually chosen one another.
After a brief spell of imagination, Layla successfully conjured a cat and a mouse. The moment they materialized, the two animals embraced each other and looked around in utter bewilderment.
"Oh? They really appeared! This is too interesting. Does that mean I can watch cartoons now?" Layla exclaimed in wonder at the cat and mouse before her, then reached out to pet them both.
Tom and Jerry spotted their surroundings, and the cat and mouse immediately clutched each other again.
"Too bad their combat power isn't high, it hardly consumed any magic power. Maybe I should test their physical capabilities." With a casual wave of Layla's hand, the cat and mouse dissolved away.
"Appear, Super Saiyan." Through her imagination, the figure of Goku materialized before her. However, he was just in his base form; when Layla attempted to conjure Goku's Saiyan transformation, she felt it rather taxing, likely because his battle power was sufficient to obliterate a planet. Even though she had successfully summoned Goku, shouting out his attack moves felt utterly mortifying. Blushing furiously, Layla covered her face with her hands.
"Alright, Goku, let's go get our revenge." Layla used the Super Archive to transfer some basic common sense about this world into Goku's mind. Once the progress bar above Goku's head indicated completion, Layla called out to him, ready to hunt down that Vulkan and settle the score for daring to strike her—Layla's—handsome face.
"Oh! Got it." Layla followed Goku as they walked deep into the forest.
August watched the entire process. He couldn't see through a single creature Layla summoned: first the strange cat and mouse, and now what looked like an ordinary human. There was no circulation of magic power within him, but an unfamiliar form of energetic vapor constantly pulsed through his body.
"Stinking mountain monkey, I've come looking for you! I'm going to make you wear a white toilet on your head and kick you all the way to Mount Hakobe to keep the snow monkeys company!" Upon reaching the spot where she had previously encountered Vulkan, Layla let out a string of frantic taunts.
"You've pissed me off!" Vulkan dropped down from the sky. Goku blocked it with a backhand, then sent Vulkan flying with a single punch.
"That's outrageous. Great job, Goku."
"Hahaha, it's nothing much. This monster's battle power is just too low," Goku said, rubbing his head and laughing, his offhand remark unwittingly stabbing someone in the heart.
"By the way, Goku, can you teach me physical conditioning and the cultivation of ki?" Layla lowered her head, suddenly feeling as though her heart had been pierced, with an arrow marked 'combat power of only 5' planted firmly in her back. Raising her head, she forced herself to remain calm as she asked Goku this crucial question.
"No can do. Even if I taught you the method of ki cultivation, you'd be restricted by this world. It's a systemic rejection of ki by this realm. I'm able to use it myself because my physical constitution is different from yours; your bodies have adapted to the flow of magic power, leaving no room for ki to exist. However, I can still help you with physical conditioning." At that moment, Goku possessed the true demeanor of a martial arts grandmaster, accurately diagnosing the current situation after a brief understanding of it.
"Then what methods are there for physical conditioning?"
"I can pass on some martial arts taught to me by my teacher, Master Roshi. As for training: move well, study well, play well, eat well, rest well, and live happily every single day. That is training, you see."
"Got it, I'll remember that. Thanks for coming to help me, see you later." Layla could sense that the magic power required to maintain Goku's summoning was extremely vast; she no longer had enough left to sustain his existence.
"Sayonara. Next time, I'll make sure to train you properly." Goku's figure gradually faded away, his words still echoing in the air.