At the entrance of Aetherion Arcane Academy, a lone boy stood silently beneath the enormous silver gates.
Students walked past him endlessly.
Some wore expensive noble uniforms decorated with family crests while others casually showed off small displays of magic while talking with friends. Floating lights drifted through the academy courtyard while distant explosions echoed from practical combat classes somewhere deeper inside the campus.
Will Grey quietly stared at the academy buildings towering before him.
Then he spoke softly to himself.
"What do people value most in this academy?"
His eyes slowly moved toward students practicing magic nearby.
A fire spell exploded brilliantly into the air.
Several students applauded.
Will smiled bitterly.
"Magic ability… of course."
That was the answer.
In this world…
Magic was everything.
Authority.
Status.
Respect.
Power.
Everything belonged to those born talented.
And someone like him—
A boy who couldn't properly cast even a single spell—
was called talentless trash.
A loser.
Will slowly began walking through the academy grounds.
Students passed beside him without even looking his way while others whispered quietly after recognizing him.
"The defective mage…"
"He still hasn't dropped out?"
"How embarrassing…"
Will ignored all of it.
Still…
A determined light remained inside his eyes.
"So how can someone like me ever survive in this academy?"
He tightened his fists slightly.
"How can someone like me ever hope to work his way toward becoming a Mage Lord?"
For a brief moment, silence filled his thoughts.
Then—
His lips slowly curled upward.
"I'll tell you how."
The world around him suddenly shifted.
Steel flashed.
Blood splattered across stone walls.
A wolf-like monster lunged toward him inside the dark lower floors of Eclipse Tower.
Will instantly stepped forward.
His sword sliced across the creature's neck before it could even react.
The monster collapsed heavily onto the ground.
Another beast rushed from behind.
Will twisted his body sharply, dodging claws by inches before punching forward with his left hand.
The magical glove wrapped around his arm glowed faintly.
BOOM.
The creature flew backward violently into the dungeon wall.
Will breathed heavily while blood dripped from his blade.
"If I keep going into the Tower…"
Another monster fell.
"And keep slaying monsters…"
A third creature charged him.
Will slid beneath it before stabbing upward directly through its skull.
"I can make it too."
The monsters slowly dissolved into mana particles around him.
Will stood alone in the dark corridor breathing heavily.
His grip tightened around his sword.
"Surely…"
His eyes burned with stubborn determination.
"Surely I can make it if I try hard enough."
His gaze slowly lowered toward his trembling hands.
"Who needs magic?"
The scene shifted once more.
Now Will sat quietly inside a classroom near the back corner beside a window.
The sound of lectures filled the room while students listened lazily.
In front of him, however…
Will wasn't paying attention to the lecture.
Instead, his notebook was filled with sketches.
Weapon adjustments.
Sword angles.
Movement patterns.
Small rune formulas.
Ideas to improve his combat style further.
"If I adjust the glove reinforcement here…"
He scribbled another note quickly.
"Then the recoil should decrease by at least twenty percent…"
Professor Edward stood at the front of the classroom, his black eyes slowly sweeping across the students. The room immediately became quiet. Even the nobles stopped whispering among themselves.
Edward nodded slightly.
"Before we continue today's lesson, there is something all of you need to understand."
He reached into his coat and placed a crystal orb on the teacher's desk. The artifact was about the size of a fist, its transparent body containing seven tiny lights that slowly rotated within.
Several students immediately leaned forward with curiosity.
"Many of you know how to cast spells," Edward began. "But very few of you actually understand magic."
A few students exchanged embarrassed looks.
"That lack of understanding is the reason inexperienced mages die so quickly inside Towers."
The room immediately fell silent.
Edward injected a small amount of mana into the crystal orb. The artifact glowed brightly and seven symbols appeared above the classroom.
A flame.
A droplet of water.
A gust of wind.
A stone.
A bolt of lightning.
A sphere of light.
A sphere of darkness.
"The Seven Elements," Edward said calmly. "The foundation of modern human magic."
The symbols slowly rotated above the classroom.
"Fire. Water. Wind. Earth. Thunder. Light. And Dark."
Will looked up at the floating symbols with interest. Although he had studied them before, hearing a professor explain the subject was very different from simply reading about it.
A student near the back raised his hand.
"Professor, can you actually use all seven elements?"
Several students immediately turned toward Edward.
"No."
The answer came instantly.
A few students laughed.
"I am a Dark Mage. The artifact is producing these demonstrations."
The students nodded in understanding.
"Artifacts are useful tools," Edward continued. "They can store mana, record information, assist communication, create magical effects, and perform countless other functions. Some artifacts are worth more than an entire noble estate."
That statement immediately caught everyone's attention.
"However," Edward continued, "artifacts are only the second most important tool a mage possesses."
A black wand appeared in his hand.
"The first is your wand."
Several students unconsciously glanced at the wands resting on their desks.
"No matter how talented you are, no matter how much mana you possess, and no matter how many stars you have, a poor wand will limit your potential."
Edward slowly rotated the wand between his fingers.
"Most experienced mages customize their wands. Length. Weight. Material. Mana conductivity. Balance. Every detail matters."
He tapped the floor once.
"A wand is not simply a tool. It is an extension of the mage."
The wand disappeared.
The seven elemental symbols shifted once again.
"Most people are born with a single elemental affinity. Fire. Water. Wind. Earth. Thunder. Light. Or Dark."
A second symbol appeared beside the first.
"Some individuals are born with two."
The classroom immediately became more attentive.
"These people are known as Dual Element Mages."
A few students looked excited.
Edward noticed immediately.
"Do not misunderstand. Having two elements does not automatically make you powerful."
The excitement faded.
"In fact, many dual-element mages never become anything remarkable. Two affinities require more training, more knowledge, and more control."
The artifact glowed again.
The Water symbol slowly moved toward the Wind symbol.
As the two merged, ice crystals appeared in the air.
Several students gasped.
"This is Ice."
The crystal floated gently above the classroom.
"A fusion of Water and Wind."
The ice shattered into countless sparkling fragments.
"Throughout history only a handful of mages have mastered true elemental fusion. Even fewer became powerful enough to leave their names in history."
Will immediately thought of Luna White.
Edward seemed to read the students' thoughts.
"The most famous living example would be Mage Lord Luna White."
The classroom erupted into whispers.
Even among the Mage Lords, Luna White was famous.
Edward ignored the reactions and continued.
"The elves are different."
The seven symbols vanished.
In their place appeared three new symbols.
An illusionary mask.
A glowing flower.
A twisting vine.
"While elves can use normal elements, they possess magical traditions of their own. From what humanity currently understands, elves excel in Illusion Magic, Healing Magic, and Plant Magic."
Several students quickly wrote that down.
"Some scholars believe their magic originates from an entirely different magical foundation. Unfortunately, the elves have never been eager to share their secrets."
A few students laughed.
Next, the symbols disappeared and a single glowing star appeared above the classroom.
"The Star System."
A second star appeared.
Then a third.
Then a fourth.
The stars continued increasing until nine stars floated above the room.
"Stars represent the growth and capacity of a mage's mana circuits."
The students stared at the glowing display.
"The higher the star, the greater the mage's mana and control."
The ninth star shone brightest of all.
"The highest confirmed cultivation ever recorded belongs to the Mage Queen."
The room became silent.
"Nine Stars."
Even the nobles stopped taking notes.
Everyone simply listened.
"Whether a Tenth Star exists remains one of the greatest debates in magical history. Some believe the Mage Queen has already surpassed Nine Stars. Others believe Nine Stars is the absolute limit. There are even fools who question whether the Mage Queen exists at all."
Several students laughed nervously.
Edward's expression remained completely serious.
"I do not recommend expressing that opinion near a Mage Lord."
The laughter immediately died.
The stars vanished.
"Finally, we come to spells."
Ten glowing circles appeared above the classroom.
"Spells are divided into ranks. Rank One through Rank Ten."
The circles lit up one by one.
"A First-Star Mage can normally cast Rank One spells without chanting."
The first circle glowed.
"A Rank Two spell generally requires chanting."
The second circle glowed.
"As a mage becomes stronger, the need for chanting gradually decreases."
The circles labeled Seven through Ten suddenly shined brighter than the rest.
"However, every rule has exceptions."
The room grew serious again.
"From Rank Seven onward, all spells require some form of chanting. It may be short. It may be long. But there will always be a chant."
Students immediately began writing that down.
The ten circles disappeared.
A small glowing orb appeared above Edward's finger.
"There is one final category."
The orb floated around the classroom.
"Utility Spells."
The students watched curiously.
"These spells do not belong to a specific rank. Nor do they belong to a specific element."
The orb continued floating.
"They exist to assist daily life. Lighting. Cleaning. Cooking. Communication. Storage. Transportation. Hundreds of different applications."
The orb returned to Edward's hand.
He closed his fingers and the spell vanished.
Then his gaze landed on a particular student.
"Will Grey."
Will immediately straightened.
"Yes, Professor?"
Edward pointed toward the front of the classroom.
"Come here."
Every student turned toward Will.
Edward's expression remained unreadable.
"Let's see whether you can perform the utility spell I taught last week."
At once, dozens of curious eyes focused on Will.
A few students immediately started snickering quietly.
Will closed his notebook slowly.
"…Not again."
Still, he stood up and walked toward the front of the classroom under countless stares.
He could already feel the humiliation coming.
Standing before everyone, Will slowly raised his hand.
A small magic circle formed weakly.
"Clean…"
Nothing happened.
The mana collapsed instantly.
A few students burst into laughter.
Will gritted his teeth slightly and tried again.
"Search…"
Flicker.
The magic circle shattered immediately.
This time the classroom erupted completely.
"Hahaha!"
"He failed again!"
"Even first-years can do that!"
"So pathetic!"
Will lowered his hand silently while enduring the laughter around him.
Professor Edward watched quietly for several seconds before sighing deeply.
"Will."
His voice wasn't mocking.
It sounded tired.
"In this world, magic is authority."
The classroom slowly quieted again.
"Magic determines status, survival, and power."
Edward looked directly into Will's eyes.
"You are talented in other areas."
His voice softened slightly.
"But perhaps…"
A brief silence filled the room.
"…perhaps this academy is not the right place for you anymore."
Will's fists tightened slightly.
Before he could respond—
"Hah. Even Professor Edward thinks so."
A student lazily stood from his seat.
Bright flames danced proudly around his fingertips.
Sion Valcrest.
One of the top students in the class.
And one of the nobles who loved mocking Will the most.
Sion smirked arrogantly before casting the spell effortlessly.
"Search."
A pulse of mana spread smoothly across the room.
The students applauded lightly.
Sion glanced toward Will mockingly.
"You can't even use basic utility magic."
His smile widened cruelly.
"And you still dream about becoming a Mage Lord?"
The classroom burst into laughter once again.
But amidst all the laughter…
One student remained silent.
A girl with soft brown hair quietly watched Will with worried eyes.
Elena Hart.
Unlike the others…
She wasn't laughing at him.
She simply looked sad.