"Stop!"The loud shout was accompanied by a figure clad in the White Dove Academy uniform darting forward, placing himself directly between Lucan and Liam.The person's breathing was extremely ragged, his chest rising and falling as though he had just run with all his might from the academy grounds to the foot of Mistveil Mountain.'How ridiculous. Why does he have to waste his energy running like that? Doesn't he have the ability to…' Fry complained about Victor, but his words were cut short when he noticed Lucas's reaction.Lucan's eyes widened slightly. The terrifying aura characteristic of a Supreme Archmage that had gathered at his fingertips instantly vanished into thin air.It was Victor."Senior Brother Victor?" Lucan murmured, his voice still hoarse from the poison that had begun wreaking havoc on his throat.Victor did not turn around even though he heard him. Instead, he stood with both arms spread wide, becoming a shield for Lucan's battered body.His face was deathly pale

'Master, I'm scared.''If you're scared, why did you want to come along?' Lucan replied coldly.'I'm even more afraid of being left alone. What if those two bad people come again and actually cook me? Master, are you willing to let a cute little child like me end up in the stomachs of greedy humans like them?' Fry chirped while pathetically wiping away his falling tears against his master's shoulder.Lucan nearly rolled his eyes as he listened to Fry's endless chatter.At this moment, they stood in front of a gigantic gate made of thousand-year-old ironwood. At the top, the emblem of a white dove glowed faintly, radiating the aura of a high-level protective formation.That formation would mercilessly burn anyone who tried to break in without permission.The strict protection had been installed to guard the Forbidden Library area against intruders. This secret place in the deepest part of the academy stored secret magic techniques, dark history, and high-level alchemy formulas.'Master

A month had passed since the poison incident at the foot of Mount Mistveil. The notice board in the center of the academy was now filled with the names of students who had registered for the Annual Evaluation Tournament.Amidst the bustling enthusiasm of the students, the Hall of Purity became a laughingstock due to their extremely small number of students.Meanwhile, in the backyard of the Hall of Purity residence, the clashing of steel against the air could be heard endlessly. Sweat drenched Victor's body as he swung his sword, focusing the wind element to make his weapon ever more perfect. However, the wind from his slashes always faded before reaching the target stone in front of him.Victor swore loudly, slamming his sword onto the ground. He had been stuck at the threshold of the fifth level for months. With the tournament only days away, desperation began to gnaw at his pride."Damn it! Why does it always fail?!"Victor's loud curse erupted, shattering the tranquil atmosphere o

"Notice to all students! According to the rules, in this first preliminary round, the Masters do not have the right to choose opponents!" The referee's voice, amplified by magic, echoed throughout all corners of the Grand Arena. "The magical crystal ball will draw your names at random!"After a few rather boring opening matches, a name shone brightly in red and blue colors in the air.Victor (Hall of Purity) VS Albert (Hall of Virtue)"Finally something interesting!" shouted one of the spectators from the upper tribune, triggering cheers that instantly erupted.This was the first fight that brought together two big names from the Halls that had lately appeared hostile toward each other.Albert leaped lightly onto the stone ring, landing with an elegant flair. His hand spun his silver spear, which sparkled with lightning."Today, you will all bear witness as I crush a student from the Hall of Purity!" he proclaimed arrogantly, inviting screams of admiration from the female students.Bel

“A-amazing,” one of the elders hissed, his voice clearly breaking the silence that enveloped the Grand Arena.Thousands of spectators, the nobles, and even the Masters in the VIP stands seemed to have been cursed into stone statues.Meanwhile, in the middle of the arena, which had been completely destroyed, Lucan lowered his hand and tucked it back into his robe sleeve.He looked at the sword fragments scattered beneath his feet with a bored expression.“Cheap metal,” Lucan muttered casually. His attitude made it seem as though he had just thrown away some trash rather than destroyed the treasured weapon that the Stones Family took pride in.“H-he... he really destroyed it with just two fingers?” Victor stammered, his legs feeling so weak that he had to hold tightly onto Gideon’s arm. “How dense is that kid’s Mana, Senior?!”“I don’t know either, Victor. I’ve never even sensed it before,” Gideon replied, his breath caught in his throat.In the VIP stands, Jasper’s jaw dropped wide ope