Early the next morning, following Tutor Barton's guidance, Lynn arrived at the Academic Affairs Office of Azure Breeze Magic Academy. The office was an ancient stone building, with a wooden plaque engraved with the words "Diligence and Devotion to Learning" hanging at its entrance. Inside, it was packed with new students coming to collect their supplies. Lynn waited in line and received a set of cyan apprentice robes, a copy of An Introduction to Basic Elemental Magic, and a plain wooden short staff. No sooner had he stepped out of the office than he heard someone calling his name from behind.
"Lynn! Wait a minute!"
Lynn turned around and saw Andy hurrying toward him, a bulging pack slung over his shoulder. Andy looked a little tired, but excitement was evident on his face. "Great! I was worried I wouldn't find you! I passed the assessment too—barely, but I finally get to stay in the academy!"
Lynn was both surprised and delighted. "You're here too? Did Gray give you any trouble?"
"No. He never went back to the town after the assessment. I heard he's been currying favor with those noble kids in the academy." Andy leaned closer to Lynn and lowered his voice, "I also heard he told Mage Colin that you're suspected of using forbidden magic. You have to be careful from now on—don't let him catch you off guard."
Lynn nodded, feeling a surge of gratitude toward Andy. Back in Fallen Dust Town, Andy was the only one who never mocked him. Now, he had even taken the initiative to warn him. This friendship made Lynn feel a touch of warmth in the unfamiliar academy.
Following the dormitory assignment list, the two found the apprentice dormitory on the west side of the academy. The dorm was a simple stone room, furnished with two wooden beds, two wooden wardrobes, and a wooden bucket in the corner for washing. Lynn had just placed his pack on the bed by the window when the dorm door was slammed open. Gray walked in with two young men in noble attire, a provocative smile on his face.
"Well, what a coincidence, Lynn. Never thought we'd end up in the same dorm," Gray walked over to Lynn's bed and deliberately kicked his pack with his foot. "But do you, a 'specially admitted' handyman, deserve the bed by the window? Move to the inner bed—this one's mine!"
Andy immediately stepped in front of Lynn, his face flushed as he argued, "Gray, dorm beds are assigned randomly. You can't be so unreasonable!"
"Unreasonable?" Gray scoffed, shoving Andy hard. Andy stumbled and hit the wall, wincing in pain. "In this academy, strength and background are what matter! I'm a student recommended by the Holy Light Council, and these two are noble descendants. Do you think the academy will stand up for two lowly handymen like you?"
The two noble youths chimed in to stir up trouble. One lanky boy even reached out to push Lynn's shoulder, "Hurry up and move—don't make us do it by force!"
Lynn's eyes turned cold instantly. He helped Andy up and slowly clenched his fists—the ashen energy in his body began to stir, and his fingertips grew slightly warm. He knew he couldn't keep holding back like he used to; otherwise, Gray would only push him further.
Just then, a cold voice came from the doorway, "Making noise and fighting in the dorm is forbidden. Do you want to be punished by the tutors to clean the trial ground?"
Everyone turned around. Standing at the door was a girl in a cyan robe, with short black hair and eyes as sharp as a blade. A short staff inlaid with a blue crystal hung at her waist—judging by the style of her robe, she was clearly a senior student of the academy.
Gray's face darkened immediately, but he didn't dare to act arrogant anymore. Senior students had certain management authority in the academy; if she reported him to the tutors, he would definitely be punished. He glared at Lynn fiercely, grinding his teeth, "You got lucky this time—but this isn't over!" With that, he stormed out of the dorm with the two noble youths.
Lynn let out a sigh of relief and bowed to the girl to express his gratitude, "Thank you for your help, Senior."
The girl said nothing. She just gave Lynn a deep look, her gaze lingering on the pack in his arms for a moment—that's where the Forbidden Codex was hidden, and it was now slightly warm, as if responding to something. She frowned, then turned to leave, saying, "The academy isn't Fallen Dust Town. Here, only strength counts, but don't make enemies casually. There are books on elemental energy control on the third floor of the library—they might help you." After that, she walked away.
Lynn stood there, filled with doubts. Who was this girl? Why did she help him? And why did she specifically mention the books on the third floor of the library? He touched the Forbidden Codex in his arms; the parchment gradually returned to its normal temperature, but it made him even more curious about this mysterious senior.
Andy rubbed his shoulder and whispered, "That's Senior Eve from the upper grades. I heard her water-element magic is ranked first among students of her level. She's also very withdrawn and rarely meddles in others' business. We're really lucky she helped us today."
Lynn nodded, but he felt there was more to it than that. As he looked at the sun rising higher outside the window, he suddenly thought of the library Eve had mentioned. He needed to improve his strength as soon as possible—not only to deal with Gray's revenge, but also to explore the secrets of the Forbidden Codex. The books in the library might hold the answers he sought.
In the afternoon, Lynn went to the academy's library alone. The library was a tall stone tower with five floors, filled with dense bookshelves. The air was thick with the smell of old paper and ink. The first and second floors held basic magic theory books, where many new students were reading. The third floor, which housed books on elemental energy control and magic item repair, was much quieter.
Following Eve's tip, Lynn searched the third-floor bookshelves for books on elemental energy control. He picked up a copy of Analysis of Wind-Element Fluctuations at random. As soon as he opened the book, the Forbidden Codex in his arms suddenly grew warm. A strong suction force emanated from the parchment, reaching deep into the bookshelves—it seemed there was an extremely rich source of magic energy hidden there!
Lynn's heart stirred. He quietly walked deeper into the bookshelves, following the direction of the suction. In an unnoticeable corner, there was an old black book with a tattered cover, carved with complex golden runes that emitted a faint energy fluctuation—it was this energy that was attracting the Forbidden Codex!
He glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then quietly picked up the black book. It felt cold in his hand, and the golden runes on the cover seemed to come alive, spreading from his fingertips to the Forbidden Codex in his arms. The moment the two books made contact, a pure stream of unknown energy surged into Lynn's body. The black patterns on the Forbidden Codex lit up instantly, coiling like greedy vines and devouring all the energy.
Lynn could clearly feel that the ashen spark in his body had grown significantly, and the black patterns on its surface had become clearer. Even a new message appeared in his mind: "Ashen Devour: Can actively absorb free magic energy from the outside world and energy contained in magic items. Absorption speed increases with the strength of the ashen spark."
He had unlocked a new ability! Lynn struggled to contain his excitement and quickly put the black book back in its place. The energy contained in this book was too special—if the academy tutors found out, it would definitely arouse suspicion. He picked up Analysis of Wind-Element Fluctuations again, pretending to continue reading, while secretly feeling the more abundant ashen energy in his body.
Just then, he felt someone staring at him from behind. Lynn turned around abruptly and saw Senior Eve standing at the end of the bookshelf, looking at him with a complex expression, holding a book on ancient runes in her hand. Their eyes met; Eve didn't say anything, just nodded slightly at him, then turned and left.
Lynn was even more confused. Eve must have noticed him absorbing the energy from the black book, but she didn't expose him—instead, she seemed to be guiding him on purpose. Who was she really? Why was she helping him? Could it be that she also knew the secret of the Forbidden Codex?
A flood of questions swirled in Lynn's mind, but he knew this wasn't the time to seek answers. He glanced at the darkening sky outside the window, closed his book, and hurried back to the dorm. He needed to familiarize himself with his newly unlocked "Ashen Devour" ability as soon as possible, and he also had to be on guard against Gray's revenge and the Holy Light Council's pursuit. The peace in the academy was only temporary; greater challenges awaited him ahead.
When he returned to the dorm, Andy was sitting on his bed organizing magic notes. Gray and the two noble youths hadn't come back. Lynn breathed a sigh of relief, walked to his bed, and sat down. He quietly took out the Forbidden Codex—the black patterns on the parchment flickered slightly, as if reminding him: the old black book in the library was just the beginning. More secrets about ashen magic were hidden somewhere in the academy, waiting for him to explore.