Olivia steps out of the portal and looks around, her senses expanding instinctively as she takes in the unfamiliar environment, her body still adjusting to the transition after advancing to the Official Wizard Stage.
The air feels different.
Heavier.
More complex.
This is the Void Battlefield.
After her breakthrough, she did not receive a direct teleportation from the World Will, but instead a persistent urging within her mind, a silent pressure guiding her toward this place.
Every newly advanced wizard feels it.
A call they cannot ignore.
Because remaining in the wizard world after advancement is not an option.
The longer one stays, the harsher the consequences become.
First comes the restriction.
The inability to absorb magic energy.
Then follow the curses.
Bad luck that twists outcomes.
A decline in vitality that weakens the body over time.
These punishments intensify the longer one resists.
And though they vanish the moment one enters the Void Battlefield, no wizard dares to test their limits.
No apprentice who has advanced to the Official Wizard stage remains in the wizard world for more than a week.
Not only because of the punishment.
But because their future lies here.
All Official Wizards.
All higher existences.
They are here.
The Void Battlefield is where the path forward continues.
A sudden clap cuts through her thoughts.
Olivia's attention shifts immediately as she looks toward the source.
A female wizard stands not far from her, her posture relaxed as she gestures casually, calling her over.
Olivia walks toward her without hesitation.
The woman's gaze moves over her from head to toe, assessing her briefly before speaking.
"New?"
Olivia nods.
"Yes."
The woman lifts her hand and points toward a building nearby.
"Go there and register. After that, you can receive your task."
Olivia follows the direction of her finger and nods again.
Without further words, she turns and walks toward the building.
As she approaches, she slows slightly, her eyes lifting to read the signboard hanging above the entrance.
Registration Office.
She murmurs the words softly under her breath, as if committing them to memory.
Then she reaches out, pushes the door open, and steps inside, her posture steady as she crosses the threshold.
The moment she enters, she feels it.
A subtle pressure brushes against her, like an invisible presence scanning her from head to toe, analysing her existence down to its core without resistance or delay.
Before she can react, a sweet female voice echoes gently through the room.
"Congratulations on becoming a wizard."
Olivia turns toward the source of the voice, her eyes narrowing slightly in curiosity, only to find that behind the counter, sitting calmly, is a crow.
The crow tilts its head slightly and beckons her forward with a small motion of its wing.
Olivia walks toward it without hesitation.
Moments later, she stands before the counter and offers a polite greeting.
"Hello, Miss…"
The crow interrupts smoothly.
"You can address me as Wizard Renny."
Olivia nods respectfully.
"Wizard Renny, I am Olivia."
Wizard Renny lifts its claw slightly and, without touching anything physically, begins typing on a strange machine using spirit control.
On the screen before them, Olivia sees her name appear clearly.
Then another blank field forms beneath it.
It asks for her surname.
"My surname is Kong," Olivia says calmly.
Wizard Renny inputs it instantly.
Then it gestures lightly toward the side.
"Channel your mana into the testing crystal."
Olivia turns her gaze and notices a violet prism resting on a pedestal beside her, its surface faintly glowing as if waiting for activation.
She steps closer and places her hand near it, guiding her mana into the crystal.
The prism reacts immediately.
Light flickers within it.
Moments later, the results appear on the screen.
Mana Composition: 65 per cent Lightning, 25 per cent Darkness, 10 per cent Wood.
Wizard Renny observes the data briefly before asking, "Do you possess any additional skills?"
Olivia nods.
"I know a little about alchemy."
Alchemy, within the wizard federation, is a structured discipline focused on refining magic tools and manipulating materials, divided into major branches such as Life Alchemy and Steel Alchemy.
Olivia's path lies within Life Alchemy.
Wizard Renny nods slightly.
"Ten per cent of your mana is of the wood element, so you must be a Life Alchemist."
Olivia nods in confirmation.
At that moment, a soft mechanical sound comes from the side as a card is printed from a device behind the counter.
Wizard Renny takes the card and hands it to her.
"Place your spirit into the card, and it will display the map of Void Wizard City. Follow it and go to the Alchemy Guild. They will test your alchemy and assign you work."
Olivia accepts the card.
"Thank you," she says politely.
She turns and walks out of the building, stepping back into the open space of the city.
Outside, she looks down at the card in her hand.
Her name is displayed clearly.
Along with an identification number.
Nothing seems unusual.
She channels her spirit into the card.
Immediately, a response is triggered.
In front of her eyes, a holographic screen appears, visible only to her, floating softly within her vision as if embedded directly into her perception.
On the screen, her name is displayed at the top, clear and steady, and beneath it, in smaller letters, several options unfold one after another: Merit Points. Library. Map. Task. Shop.
She focuses on the first option.
Merit Points.
The number appears instantly.
One hundred.
She registers it quietly, then shifts her attention to the Library.
The interface expands.
Rows of books and knowledge entries appear, neatly categorised under different tiers of the federation.
Basic.
Extraordinary.
Master.
Divine.
She begins with the Basic tier.
Most of the materials are accessible.
Only a few require contribution points beyond what she currently possesses.
She scrolls further.
The Extraordinary tier becomes visible, its contents far more advanced, more complex, yet clearly out of reach.
Every book.
Every knowledge paper.
Requires merit points to access.
The lowest cost is one hundred merit points.
Everything she has.
She pauses.
Then looks further upward.
The Master and Divine tiers remain completely sealed.
No access.
No preview.
Nothing.
She closes the Library interface and moves on.
Map.
The screen shifts.
A vast projection unfolds before her.
The entire Void Battlefield.
Her eyes widen slightly.
The scale is enormous.
Far beyond what she had imagined.
She notices a marked black region on the western edge of the battlefield, its presence distinct and ominous.
Then she observes something even more astonishing.
The western side, the territory controlled by their side, is larger than the entire wizard world she once knew.
And beyond it,
Across the Void River,
Lies the eastern side.
The enemy.
She stares at it for a moment, silently marvelling at the vastness and power of the Void itself.
Then she shifts her focus.
Alchemy Association.
As the thought forms, multiple markers appear across the map, each corresponding to different cities and towns.
Too many.
She refines her thought.
Void Wizard City.
Instantly, the map filters.
Only one marker remains.
She thinks again.
Show me the direction.
A yellow line appears, extending from her current position to the marked location, forming a clear path.
At the same time, information flows into her mind, routes, turns, distances, everything she needs to reach the Alchemy Association without hesitation.
The map fades slightly.
Even without looking at it now, she knows the way.
She begins walking.
At the same time, she checks the remaining options.
Task.
Locked.
She shifts again.
Shop.
The interface opens to reveal an extensive list of items, materials, tools, knowledge, and more, everything sold within the federation, all purchasable using merit points.
She closes it after a brief glance.
Her steps remain steady as she follows the path toward the Alchemy Association.
Far away, in another city within the Void Battlefield, a different scene unfolds.
The city rises around a colossal tree, its trunk so massive that it forms the core of the entire settlement, towering high into the sky.
Branches extend outward in all directions, thick and ancient, forming vast circular platforms layered around the tree at different heights.
Vines weave through everything.
They shape structures.
Form pathways.
Even buildings grow from them, living constructs that blend seamlessly with the tree itself.
At the very centre, the main trunk rises uninterrupted.
There stands a Wizard Tower.
Integrated.
Grown.
Not built.
This entire city,
The tower.
The platforms.
The living structures,
All of it was created by a single being.
The Spirit Wood Wizard.
A Third Stage Wizard.
Within the tower, inside a quiet and controlled laboratory, she continues her research.
Her focus lies on the plant species of the Void Battlefield, studying their properties, their mutations, and their adaptability to the chaotic environment.
Despite being a Third Stage Wizard, she has not yet stepped into the Magic Sun Wizard stage, a statement that appears contradictory at first glance, since in the current system, the Third Stage Wizard is precisely what defines a Magic Sun Wizard.
But her situation is different.
It is shaped by the transition between the old and the new cultivation systems.
In the previous wizard cultivation system, a Third Stage Wizard was known as a Great Wizard, while in the present era, that title has shifted upward, and a Demigod Stage Wizard is now referred to as a Great Wizard.
The Third Stage has been redefined.
It is now called the Magic Sun Wizard stage.
A Magic Sun Wizard earns this title because their Essence, Mana, and Spirit are fully connected within a single core, forming a radiant centre that resembles a sun, illuminating their internal space and extending outward into an unseen biological field that influences the world around them.
She has completed this step.
Her core exists.
Her power is stable.
Her influence radiates.
Yet she has not taken the final step required to truly stand as a Magic Sun Wizard.
Forming the Virtual Skeleton.
She could begin at any moment.
She could complete it and advance fully into the stage.
But she does not.
Because of Declan.
Her husband.
The son of the Ancestor of Wizards, Lord Kaelan.
From him, she has learned something few others know.
The Virtual Skeleton is not merely a requirement.
It has quality.
And that quality determines everything that follows.
The higher the quality at the beginning, the easier it becomes to advance through the later stages.
If the initial foundation is weak, then even reaching the third phase within the Magic Sun stage becomes impossible.
The Virtual Skeleton would simply be unable to bear the weight of the world.
Its structure would collapse under pressure.
Although quality can be improved later, once the Virtual Skeleton reaches thirty per cent completion, increasing its quality becomes significantly more difficult.
The opportunity narrows.
The cost rises.
The path closes.
There is a peak.
The highest form of the Virtual Skeleton.
To form even a wisp of divine energy within it.
If achieved, the path through all three stages of Magic Sun becomes unobstructed, leading directly toward the Great Wizard stage without resistance.
That is her goal.
To begin with perfection.
To reach the highest possible starting point.
Her research continues steadily.
Precise.
Focused.
Until,
A sound interrupts her.
The communication channel of the tower is activated.
A soft ringing echoes through the space.
She pauses.
Then reaches out and accepts the connection.
"Hello," she says calmly.
From the other side, Declan's voice comes through.
"Ophelia, our daughter Olivia has entered the battlefield."
Her expression does not change.
"Oh," she replies simply.
Declan continues, his tone measured.
"I know you are busy forming your Virtual Skeleton, but I have an idea. You should take Olivia to meet Dad. Neither of you has met him, and his advice may help you form your Virtual Skeleton."
She remains silent.
For a moment, there is no response.
Then Declan speaks again.
"Think about it."
The connection ends.
The room falls quiet once more.
Ophelia stands still, her thoughts turning inward as she considers his words.
This is an opportunity.
A rare one.
To seek guidance from the Ancestor of Wizards.
Yet hesitation remains.
Even as his daughter-in-law, she has never met him privately.
And the first meeting would come with a request.
That alone makes her reluctant.
But Declan has given her a reason.
A proper reason.
If she goes with Olivia, then it is not a request.
It is a visit.
A granddaughter meeting her grandfather.
And if Olivia asks first…
Then she can follow.
Naturally.
Without forcing the moment.
Without overstepping.
Her thoughts settle gradually.
But not yet.
The research before her has reached its final stage.
It cannot be abandoned midway.
She turns her attention back to her work.
Once it is complete,
She will go.
To meet Olivia.