“{Flame Dart}!”
With the incantation, a fiery projectile shot forth from the tip of Victor’s finger, finding its mark on the direwolf in front of him. The beast let out a pained growl as the scorching impact left a big, searing burn mark in its wake.
“Not dead yet? Then taste this — {Flame Whip}!” Victor chanted, conjuring a whip-like construct of flames into his hand. With a swift motion, he lashed out, striking the direwolf with searing force. The ferocious beast was engulfed in flames, its fur and skin quickly reduced to charred remnants, leaving behind nothing but the scent of smoldering meat.
To be honest, casting Pyro magic in the midst of a dense forest was far from an ideal choice. However, with limited visibility in the darkness, Victor found himself with few alternatives. As an Initiate Attunement acolyte, his repertoire of spells was limited to the Aleph tier, lacking the devastating power to turn the whole forest into cinders.
“Damn… I should’ve learned more spells.” Except for the rarer elements, there was no limitation to which element a Magus could cast. Still, Anemo and Pyro were the elements with the highest affinity with him — this was one of the reasons he didn’t learn many other magic spells with different elements.
For one thing, learning spells in his previous academy wasn’t free. Despite hailing from a Magus family, Victor was by no means loaded. At most, he was an upstart. On top of that, each spell required a significant investment of time and effort, as it involved meticulously memorizing and replicating the intricate spell models within one’s mind. A single mistake might cause injuries or even the death of the spellcaster.
Still, what does the mission mean by establishing a “friendly relationship”? Is there a specific hidden meaning that the mission is trying to achieve? Victor contemplated deeply but couldn’t find the answer. Whatever. I guess it will become clear later.
Not long after, the sun finally rose above the horizon, casting the warm morning light that Victor had yearned for. He had trekked the treacherous forest for a good two hours, the dangers gradually diminishing as he ventured further south. The outskirts of the forest were now within reach, a truly welcoming sight for him.
Apart from this, Victor’s black acolyte robe, adorned with numerous protective spells, offered him more than just a simple garment. The enchanted fabric self-cleaned, thereby sparing him from the dirt and grime of the forest. It also provided support for his body, minimizing the energy spent during his arduous trek. Furthermore, the robe functioned as a reliable form of armor, comparable to the protection offered by thick leather.
As Victor approached the last tree line, a vast expanse of grain fields stretched out before him. Villagers worked early and slept early, as evidenced by the diligent farmers who were already hard at work tending to their crops. The golden ears of grain, weighed down by their ripeness, swayed gently in the breeze. Yet, the peasants didn’t have the bright expressions one would presume to have during the harvesting season.
Unfazed by the wary gazes directed his way, Victor strode confidently toward the village. The villagers eyed him cautiously as if looking at some debt collector. After all, the status of Magi stood at the top of this world; although they were unaware of his true identity, his attire, which spoke of a more affluent background, hinted at his status.
When he neared the cluster of houses encircled with tall wooden stakes, Victor stopped in his tracks and manipulated the energy particles around him to hide his presence. It was just a petty trick that only worked for mortals, though he further cast several spells so even Initiate Attunement acolytes would find it hard to notice him.
This village was called “Thornwood Village” and had been the lodging place where he and his former “comrades” had stayed, and he wasn’t sure if they were still there or not. Thus far, he didn’t feel any sort of magic fluctuations, but he couldn’t be certain until he checked it himself.
Among this cluster of houses, one particular brick house with a chimney stood out as the most well-maintained. The village head previously owned it, but it was “rented” by Victor and his friends (now enemies). As he neared the house, Victor cautiously positioned himself near one of the windows, peering inside with a mix of anticipation and anger.
Victor was ready for a confrontation; he was full of fury for revenge — but he was not so foolish as to send himself to his early grave, so he calmed down and intended to do reconnaissance only. The people who had betrayed him consisted of four individuals, three males and one female, each possessing formidable power that rivaled, if not surpassed, his own. The odds were stacked against him, and defeat seemed almost certain if he were to engage in a direct confrontation.
Those bastards have gone from here, eh? There was only the village head and his family inside the house. Victor was a bit disappointed but relieved at the same time. He also noticed that the belongings he left behind had gone, to which the culprit was obvious. Damn it!
With the tension finally eased from his shoulders, Victor exhaled a gust of cold air. Thinking back, one of them, who had some relationship with him, had approached him after learning that he had unearthed a fabled artifact fragment linked to the Primordial Nexus. It was greed that had blinded him then. Little did he know that the moment they reached the entrance of the ruins, betrayal would swiftly follow suit. Plus, there was one other “personal” reason…
Anyway, he would exact his vengeance, but now wasn’t the opportune time. On the one hand, his strength was severely lacking… In a four-to-one battle, he would be at a great disadvantage. On the other hand, one of them hailed from an even more powerful Magus family than his own. One that had the protection of a Nexus Temporal Magus. Something that even his family wouldn’t dare to offend, not that he had that much influence back home, to begin with.
“Wait until I have sufficient force…” Victor vowed. “Enjoy your peace while it lasts.”
Victor was confident of one thing: So long as the Magus academy he headed was up and running, he would get his revenge sooner or later. Although, there was one other thing that Victor was not so sure about, which was that there was no guarantee that they wouldn’t come back… though this was a problem for later.
With a flick of a finger, the spells cast on Victor’s body were dispersed, and his presence returned to normal. Maintaining so many minor spells at once had drained his accumulated inverted mana, causing him to be a little light-headed.
Victor then went ahead and knocked on the door. Moments later, the door creaked open, and a hunched elderly man in his sixties came out. His eyes became stern and gloomy for a moment as he saw Victor before he lightly bowed and said in a subservient attitude, “S-Sir… I thought you had left with your companions.”
“Heh… ‘Companions’ is a solid word to be used for the likes of them,” Victor mused.
“Pardon?”
Clearing his throat, Victor explained, “At ease. My objectives have shifted since our last encounter... Let’s just say I am here to engage in a different kind of venture, one involving the welfare of this village.” The words felt foreign on his tongue, as if it wasn’t for the special circumstances he was in and his past life memory, Victor wouldn’t have thought of associating himself with the likes of commoners even in his wildest dream.
Sensing the change in Victor’s demeanor, the village head extended an invitation. “Please, do enter my humble abode.”
The old village head appeared to be skeptical, but Victor knew he wasn’t as clueless as the villagers outside. He was aware of the intricacies of Magi and their supernatural powers. Sure, he might not know a lot about them, but at least he was aware that provoking one would bring disaster to his village.
Victor seated himself at the dining table and went into business with the village head the moment his old wife served the tea. Concurrently, he noticed two pairs of eyes peeking from the gap of the bedroom at the side, filled with curiosity and interest.
“Let’s not beat around the bush: I am interested in building a dwelling deeper into the forest, and I will require this village’s assistance.”
“Sir, we are more than willing to help in cons—”
“No, there’s no need for that; I have my own ways.” Victor dismissed the offer and stated, “All I need are some good quality tools and ten days’ worth of provisions. Rest assured, I am willing to compensate you generously for your assistance.” With a swift motion, he retrieved a platinum coin from a hidden pouch concealed beneath his coat.
“A p-platinum coin?” The village head’s eyes widened in astonishment.
In this modest village, a single gold coin could sustain a family for an entire month, let alone a platinum coin that held a value five times greater. Yet for Victor, such coins held no actual value beyond being slightly more precious metals. Truly, for Magi, only mana crystals held genuine significance as currency in their dealings.
As for how many platinum coins Victor had in his pouch at the moment? There were exactly fifty-four platinum coins left.
“Can you provide them or not? Oh, and I will require some seeds for planting as well; the more varieties, the better,” Victor added.
“Certainly! Certainly, sir! We can provide you with the tools, provisions, and seeds you require,” he eagerly assured Victor.
“Good.”
They then delved into the finer details of the transaction and sealed the deal. Simultaneously, as soon as the village head tapped the table for some reason, the gap of the door to the bedroom creaked and widened, revealing two heads of teenage girls that were peeking.
“My apologies, sir. My granddaughters have never seen an esteemed Magus like you… Do pardon them for being curious.” The old village head smiled.
Magus, huh? For someone at the third-stage Initiate Attunement like me, I am not yet an official Magus… Victor thought.
“It’s fine.” Victor was the wiser when it came to the subtle meaning behind the village head’s words, but he paid it no mind. “Well, prepare all the things by noon. In the meantime, I will do some hunting around the village.”
“Yes, as you wish!” From his tone, he was slightly disappointed.
It was common for people like him to curry favor with an extraordinary individual like Victor by offering their daughters or granddaughters as servants, but Victor had no need for such when he had a secret to keep. He couldn’t let anyone know about the academy’s existence to minimize any risk, at least not until he had sufficient force to protect himself and his interests.
“{Flame Dart}!”
With the incantation, a fiery projectile shot forth from the tip of Victor’s finger, finding its mark on the direwolf in front of him. The beast let out a pained growl as the scorching impact left a big, searing burn mark in its wake.
“Not dead yet? Then taste this — {Flame Whip}!” Victor chanted, conjuring a whip-like construct of flames into his hand. With a swift motion, he lashed out, striking the direwolf with searing force. The ferocious beast was engulfed in flames, its fur and skin quickly reduced to charred remnants, leaving behind nothing but the scent of smoldering meat.
To be honest, casting Pyro magic in the midst of a dense forest was far from an ideal choice. However, with limited visibility in the darkness, Victor found himself with few alternatives. As an Initiate Attunement acolyte, his repertoire of spells was limited to the Aleph tier, lacking the devastating power to turn the whole forest into cinders.
“Damn… I should’ve learned more spells.” Except for the rarer elements, there was no limitation to which element a Magus could cast. Still, Anemo and Pyro were the elements with the highest affinity with him — this was one of the reasons he didn’t learn many other magic spells with different elements.
For one thing, learning spells in his previous academy wasn’t free. Despite hailing from a Magus family, Victor was by no means loaded. At most, he was an upstart. On top of that, each spell required a significant investment of time and effort, as it involved meticulously memorizing and replicating the intricate spell models within one’s mind. A single mistake might cause injuries or even the death of the spellcaster.
Still, what does the mission mean by establishing a “friendly relationship”? Is there a specific hidden meaning that the mission is trying to achieve? Victor contemplated deeply but couldn’t find the answer. Whatever. I guess it will become clear later.
Not long after, the sun finally rose above the horizon, casting the warm morning light that Victor had yearned for. He had trekked the treacherous forest for a good two hours, the dangers gradually diminishing as he ventured further south. The outskirts of the forest were now within reach, a truly welcoming sight for him.
Apart from this, Victor’s black acolyte robe, adorned with numerous protective spells, offered him more than just a simple garment. The enchanted fabric self-cleaned, thereby sparing him from the dirt and grime of the forest. It also provided support for his body, minimizing the energy spent during his arduous trek. Furthermore, the robe functioned as a reliable form of armor, comparable to the protection offered by thick leather.
As Victor approached the last tree line, a vast expanse of grain fields stretched out before him. Villagers worked early and slept early, as evidenced by the diligent farmers who were already hard at work tending to their crops. The golden ears of grain, weighed down by their ripeness, swayed gently in the breeze. Yet, the peasants didn’t have the bright expressions one would presume to have during the harvesting season.
Unfazed by the wary gazes directed his way, Victor strode confidently toward the village. The villagers eyed him cautiously as if looking at some debt collector. After all, the status of Magi stood at the top of this world; although they were unaware of his true identity, his attire, which spoke of a more affluent background, hinted at his status.
When he neared the cluster of houses encircled with tall wooden stakes, Victor stopped in his tracks and manipulated the energy particles around him to hide his presence. It was just a petty trick that only worked for mortals, though he further cast several spells so even Initiate Attunement acolytes would find it hard to notice him.
This village was called “Thornwood Village” and had been the lodging place where he and his former “comrades” had stayed, and he wasn’t sure if they were still there or not. Thus far, he didn’t feel any sort of magic fluctuations, but he couldn’t be certain until he checked it himself.
Among this cluster of houses, one particular brick house with a chimney stood out as the most well-maintained. The village head previously owned it, but it was “rented” by Victor and his friends (now enemies). As he neared the house, Victor cautiously positioned himself near one of the windows, peering inside with a mix of anticipation and anger.
Victor was ready for a confrontation; he was full of fury for revenge — but he was not so foolish as to send himself to his early grave, so he calmed down and intended to do reconnaissance only. The people who had betrayed him consisted of four individuals, three males and one female, each possessing formidable power that rivaled, if not surpassed, his own. The odds were stacked against him, and defeat seemed almost certain if he were to engage in a direct confrontation.
Those bastards have gone from here, eh? There was only the village head and his family inside the house. Victor was a bit disappointed but relieved at the same time. He also noticed that the belongings he left behind had gone, to which the culprit was obvious. Damn it!
With the tension finally eased from his shoulders, Victor exhaled a gust of cold air. Thinking back, one of them, who had some relationship with him, had approached him after learning that he had unearthed a fabled artifact fragment linked to the Primordial Nexus. It was greed that had blinded him then. Little did he know that the moment they reached the entrance of the ruins, betrayal would swiftly follow suit. Plus, there was one other “personal” reason…
Anyway, he would exact his vengeance, but now wasn’t the opportune time. On the one hand, his strength was severely lacking… In a four-to-one battle, he would be at a great disadvantage. On the other hand, one of them hailed from an even more powerful Magus family than his own. One that had the protection of a Nexus Temporal Magus. Something that even his family wouldn’t dare to offend, not that he had that much influence back home, to begin with.
“Wait until I have sufficient force…” Victor vowed. “Enjoy your peace while it lasts.”
Victor was confident of one thing: So long as the Magus academy he headed was up and running, he would get his revenge sooner or later. Although, there was one other thing that Victor was not so sure about, which was that there was no guarantee that they wouldn’t come back… though this was a problem for later.
With a flick of a finger, the spells cast on Victor’s body were dispersed, and his presence returned to normal. Maintaining so many minor spells at once had drained his accumulated inverted mana, causing him to be a little light-headed.
Victor then went ahead and knocked on the door. Moments later, the door creaked open, and a hunched elderly man in his sixties came out. His eyes became stern and gloomy for a moment as he saw Victor before he lightly bowed and said in a subservient attitude, “S-Sir… I thought you had left with your companions.”
“Heh… ‘Companions’ is a solid word to be used for the likes of them,” Victor mused.
“Pardon?”
Clearing his throat, Victor explained, “At ease. My objectives have shifted since our last encounter... Let’s just say I am here to engage in a different kind of venture, one involving the welfare of this village.” The words felt foreign on his tongue, as if it wasn’t for the special circumstances he was in and his past life memory, Victor wouldn’t have thought of associating himself with the likes of commoners even in his wildest dream.
Sensing the change in Victor’s demeanor, the village head extended an invitation. “Please, do enter my humble abode.”
The old village head appeared to be skeptical, but Victor knew he wasn’t as clueless as the villagers outside. He was aware of the intricacies of Magi and their supernatural powers. Sure, he might not know a lot about them, but at least he was aware that provoking one would bring disaster to his village.
Victor seated himself at the dining table and went into business with the village head the moment his old wife served the tea. Concurrently, he noticed two pairs of eyes peeking from the gap of the bedroom at the side, filled with curiosity and interest.
“Let’s not beat around the bush: I am interested in building a dwelling deeper into the forest, and I will require this village’s assistance.”
“Sir, we are more than willing to help in cons—”
“No, there’s no need for that; I have my own ways.” Victor dismissed the offer and stated, “All I need are some good quality tools and ten days’ worth of provisions. Rest assured, I am willing to compensate you generously for your assistance.” With a swift motion, he retrieved a platinum coin from a hidden pouch concealed beneath his coat.
“A p-platinum coin?” The village head’s eyes widened in astonishment.
In this modest village, a single gold coin could sustain a family for an entire month, let alone a platinum coin that held a value five times greater. Yet for Victor, such coins held no actual value beyond being slightly more precious metals. Truly, for Magi, only mana crystals held genuine significance as currency in their dealings.
As for how many platinum coins Victor had in his pouch at the moment? There were exactly fifty-four platinum coins left.
“Can you provide them or not? Oh, and I will require some seeds for planting as well; the more varieties, the better,” Victor added.
“Certainly! Certainly, sir! We can provide you with the tools, provisions, and seeds you require,” he eagerly assured Victor.
“Good.”
They then delved into the finer details of the transaction and sealed the deal. Simultaneously, as soon as the village head tapped the table for some reason, the gap of the door to the bedroom creaked and widened, revealing two heads of teenage girls that were peeking.
“My apologies, sir. My granddaughters have never seen an esteemed Magus like you… Do pardon them for being curious.” The old village head smiled.
Magus, huh? For someone at the third-stage Initiate Attunement like me, I am not yet an official Magus… Victor thought.
“It’s fine.” Victor was the wiser when it came to the subtle meaning behind the village head’s words, but he paid it no mind. “Well, prepare all the things by noon. In the meantime, I will do some hunting around the village.”
“Yes, as you wish!” From his tone, he was slightly disappointed.
It was common for people like him to curry favor with an extraordinary individual like Victor by offering their daughters or granddaughters as servants, but Victor had no need for such when he had a secret to keep. He couldn’t let anyone know about the academy’s existence to minimize any risk, at least not until he had sufficient force to protect himself and his interests.
