No sooner had the morning bell of Azure Breeze Magic Academy echoed for the third time above the stone tower than Lynn was jolted awake by a thunderous crash—the dormitory door had been slammed open.
He sat up abruptly from the hard plank bed, and the Forbidden Codex tucked close to his chest nearly slipped to the floor. Ever since entering the academy, this sheepskin scroll had become his most guarded secret, even hidden in his coarse linen undershirt while he slept. Sunlight slanted through the gap in the stone window, falling precisely on three figures at the door. The leading youth wore a cyan robe embroidered with silver patterns, a short staff inlaid with a high-quality wind-element crystal hanging at his waist—it was Karen, the son of a Holy Light Council member.
Behind him stood two lackeys: Tom, a scrawny noble boy, and Jack, a burly man with a fleshy face. Between them, they held the apprentice supplies Lynn had just received the previous day. His unworn cyan robe was crumpled into a ball, its hem stained with ink and mud; the cover of his copy of An Introduction to Basic Elemental Magic was torn, its pages scattered across the floor, several trampled with black footprints. Most unsettling of all, his wooden short staff—left by his pillow—was now pinched between Karen's two fingers, a thin crack snaking through the shoddy crystal at its tip.
"Well, well, if it isn't our 'specially admitted' handyman freshman, still sound asleep," Karen drawled, his voice cold as frosted steel. "What's the matter? Folks from backwater towns sleep in later than everyone else? Or is dozing in the mud just a habit you picked up there?"
Tom and Jack burst into snickers. Jack deliberately ground his boot into the scattered pages, the "crunch" of paper shattering the silence. "Master Karen, he must've never heard of academy rules. Thinks this place is just like his grubby little workshop back home—slack off whenever he pleases."
Lynn's fists tightened secretly beneath the quilt, his knuckles whitening with tension. Andy had warned him the night before that Karen had been boasting about "teaching the rule-breaking good-for-nothing a lesson," but he never expected the noble boy to act so quickly—let alone destroy his belongings outright.
He took a deep breath, forcing down the roiling anger in his chest. This was no time for a head-on clash with Karen. He was new to the academy, with no allies to turn to and no grasp of where the academy's rules truly stood. Acting on impulse would only give Karen an excuse to have him disciplined, or even expelled.
"What right do you have to destroy my things?" Lynn kept his voice as steady as possible, his gaze fixed on the short staff in Karen's hand. "The academy rules prohibit intentional damage to others' property. Aren't you afraid of being punished by the tutors?"
"Punished?" Karen let out a laugh as if he'd heard the most absurd joke. Suddenly, he hurled the short staff to the ground and crushed it beneath the tip of his boot. A crisp "crack" rang out—the crystal at the staff's head shattered completely, splinters of wood flying everywhere. "Do you really think the academy's tutors would punish me—a student recommended by the Holy Light Council—for a nobody from a backwater town like you? Lynn, let me set you straight: the only reason you're standing here is because the academy took pity on you, tossed you a scrap of a chance to 'study alongside' nobles. Don't delude yourself into thinking you belong."
He bent down, hooking Lynn's chin with a silver-ringed finger. The contempt in his eyes was like needles piercing skin. "Remember this: at Azure Breeze Magic Academy, birthright is the only rule. Lowlifes like you belong in the mud, not trying to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with nobles. Your robe, your book, that sorry excuse for a staff—they're all garbage to me."
Lynn jerked his head away from Karen's grasp. The Forbidden Codex against his chest grew faintly warm, and the Ashen Spark in his dantian seemed to sense his fury, trembling slightly. He could clearly feel a wisp of gray energy stirring within him, flowing down his arm toward his fingertips. If he wanted to, he could summon an Ashen Fireball right now and burn that arrogant face to a crisp.
But he held back. He watched as Karen turned and strode away with his lackeys, leaving behind the wreckage of his belongings and the shattered staff. His nails dug deep into his palm, leaving half-moon indentations that oozed tiny beads of blood.
"Lynn, are you okay?" Andy hurried in from outside, two freshly baked wheat cakes in his hands. At the sight of the chaos, his face paled instantly. "Karen went too far! I'll go report this to the tutor!"
"Don't," Lynn said, reaching out to stop him, his voice lower than before. "It won't work. Karen's a Holy Light Council recommendee. The tutors won't punish him for this—they'll just think we're stirring up trouble."
He bent down to pick up the scattered pages, carefully brushing off the mud and footprints, then folded the stained robe and placed it in the wooden wardrobe. Only when he stood up again did his eyes lose their earlier restraint, replaced by a cold, unwavering resolve. "Don't worry. I'll settle this score with him. But not now."
Andy stared at him, wanting to say something, but finally fell silent. He'd always known Lynn wasn't one to swallow insults, but he'd never imagined this boy from a backwater town could be so calm, so deliberate.
The morning elemental magic class was held at the open-air training ground on the academy's western side. The instructor was a stern female tutor named Irene, clad in a dark blue robe, a thick copy of Advanced Analysis of Elemental Magic clutched in her hand. Her face was impassive, making her seem all the more intimidating.
The center of the training ground was divided into a dozen circular zones, each equipped with an elemental crystal ball for practice. Students were grouped by their entrance exam scores. Karen, as a Holy Light Council recommendee, was assigned to the first group, standing closest to the tutor. Lynn and Andy—labeled "specially admitted" and "barely qualified"—were placed in the last group, stuck at the edge of the field.
"Today we will learn the basics of elemental sensing and energy channeling," Tutor Irene's voice carried clearly across the training ground. "Each of you will stand before the crystal ball and channel magic energy corresponding to your attribute, making the ball glow. Remember: the core of elemental magic is 'resonance.' Only by truly understanding an element's nature can you channel pure energy."
As soon as she finished speaking, students in the first group stepped forward one after another. Karen was the first to approach. He raised his wind-element short staff, closed his eyes, and began murmuring an incantation. In moments, a faint cyan glow emanated from his body, and a stream of pure wind-element energy flowed down the staff into the crystal ball. The ball burst into a dazzling blue light—brighter even than the one Tutor Irene had demonstrated earlier.
"Excellent work, Karen," Tutor Irene's face softened slightly, a rare hint of approval in her tone. "Precise wind-element sensing and smooth energy channeling—you're a natural talent."
Karen lifted his chin triumphantly, his gaze cutting through the crowd to lock onto Lynn, a provocative smirk tugging at his lips. Tom and Jack immediately joined in, shouting loud enough for everyone to hear: "Master Karen's incredible! Some people can't even make a crystal ball flicker, huh?"
The other students turned to stare at Lynn, curiosity mixed with mockery. Ever since the enrollment formalities the day before, word had spread that a "backwater handyman" had gotten into the academy through special treatment. Combined with the rumors Karen had deliberately spread, most students already saw Lynn as a "rule-breaking good-for-nothing."
Lynn ignored their stares, standing quietly as he watched Karen's movements, his mind racing. He couldn't reveal his Ashen Magic yet—he'd have to use the Forbidden Codex to absorb free elemental energy around him and disguise it as fire-element magic. But the training ground was thick with wind-element energy, while fire-element energy was scarce. To make the crystal ball glow brightly enough, he'd need to siphon more energy than usual.
Just then, Tutor Irene's voice rang out again: "Next group—Lynn, Andy, step forward."
Lynn took a deep breath and walked to the crystal ball with Andy. Andy went first, following Tutor Irene's instructions to sense fire-element energy. But no matter how hard he tried, the crystal ball only flickered with a faint orange light before dying out after a few seconds.
"Slow elemental sensing, disjointed channeling," Tutor Irene frowned, her tone flat. "Practice more after class. No slacking."
Andy's face flushed bright red as he hurried back to the group. It was Lynn's turn next. He had barely stood before the crystal ball when Karen's voice cut through the air again: "Tutor, I don't think some people are cut out for magic at all. Forcing them to stay in the academy is just a waste of resources."
Tutor Irene turned to him, confused. "What are you implying?"
"I'm implying," Karen stepped forward, pointing directly at Lynn, his voice dripping with unhidden malice, "that Lynn has zero合格 magic affinity. He's only here because of special treatment. Someone like him, no matter how much he practices, will never channel pure magic energy. Instead of letting him waste our time, we should send him back to his backwater town to pick up his broom again."
"Karen, that's going too far!" Andy exclaimed. "Lynn got a perfect score on the written exam—higher than you did!"
"So what if he aced a written test?" Karen scoffed. "It's just rote memorization. Magic isn't learned by poring over tattered scrolls—it's about talent and birthright. A good-for-nothing who can't even sense elements? He probably cheated to get that score."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd, and more students began echoing Karen's words. "Yeah, a perfect written score means nothing if you're useless in practice." "I heard he couldn't even cast a Light Spell back in his town. Why did the academy let him in?"
Tutor Irene's expression darkened. She turned to Lynn, her voice sharp with seriousness. "Lynn, prove yourself with strength. If you can't even make the crystal ball glow, you truly don't belong in the elemental magic class."
Lynn's fists tightened, and the Ashen Spark in his dantian began to stir rapidly. He lifted his hand above the crystal ball, and with a silent thought, activated the Forbidden Codex. The thin threads of fire-element energy in the air were drawn to his palm as if by an invisible force. Soon, a faint orange glow emanated from his fingertips, and a warm current of energy flowed down his arm into the crystal ball.
The crystal ball gradually lit up with a steady orange light. Though not as bright as Karen's cyan glow, it was clear and consistent, not flickering out like Andy's had.
"Acceptable," Tutor Irene nodded, about to speak further when Karen cut her off.
"Acceptable? That's a joke!" Karen marched over to Lynn, his provocation now undisguised. "He barely got the ball to glow, and he can't even cast a basic elemental spell. How dare he stay in the magic class? He's just wasting everyone's time!"
Lynn stared at him coldly. "Whether I belong here isn't up to you."
"Isn't it?" Karen laughed, as if the idea was absurd. Suddenly, he raised his short staff and pointed it at Lynn. "Then let me show you what real magic looks like. Holy Light Binding!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the wind-element crystal at the tip of Karen's staff glowed with a faint golden light—the energy of Holy Light Magic! It was clear he had not only studied wind-element magic but also secretly learned Holy Light Magic, and had even mastered combining the two energies.
A golden rope of light shot from the staff's tip, moving too fast to dodge. In an instant, it coiled around Lynn's arms and legs. The rope hummed with powerful binding force, and a searing purifying aura prickled his skin like countless tiny needles.
"Ah!" Lynn grunted in pain, staggering backward under the pull of the light rope, nearly falling. He could feel his ashen energy being suppressed by the Holy Light power; the Ashen Spark in his dantian grew unstable, and even the Forbidden Codex stopped vibrating against his chest.
"Karen, what do you think you're doing?" Tutor Irene's face turned livid, her voice sharp with anger. "Offensive magic is forbidden in class! Do you want to be disciplined?"
"Tutor, I'm just showing everyone the truth," Karen replied, not lowering his staff. Instead, he poured more energy into it, and the golden rope swelled thicker. "Someone like Lynn doesn't deserve to learn magic. He can't even break a basic Holy Light Binding—keeping him here is an embarrassment to Azure Breeze!"
Lynn was trapped, his body aching under the binding force, but his eyes grew colder by the second. He looked at Karen's arrogant face, at the crowd's mix of shock, mockery, and sympathy, at Tutor Irene—angry, yet hesitating to intervene. In that moment, he understood: at this academy, strength and birthright were the rules. If he couldn't prove himself with power, he would forever be at the mercy of nobles like Karen, until they finally drove him out.
"Let him go! Karen, you're monstrous!" Andy rushed over, trying to untangle the light rope, but Karen kicked him hard to the ground.
"Get lost, you barely qualified loser," Karen snarled. "Try meddling again, and I'll bind you up too!"
He turned back to Lynn, a cruel smile twisting his lips. "Aren't you good at holding back, Lynn? Keep it up! Let me tell you something—trash like you belongs in the mud, beneath the boots of nobles. If you know what's good for you, drop out on your own. Stop making a fool of yourself."
Lynn's teeth ground together, and blood oozed from his clenched palm. Even suppressed, he could feel the Ashen Spark in his body gathering strength, and the Forbidden Codex grew warm again, its black patterns flickering faintly beneath his shirt.
He knew the time had come.
"Karen," Lynn's voice was low and hoarse, yet steady with unshakable resolve, "you really think this flimsy rope of light can hold me?"
Karen froze, then burst into laughter. "What? You think you can fight back? A good-for-nothing who can't even cast a spell—all that tough talk is just…"
His words died in his throat as a faint gray glow began to emanate from Lynn's body. Weak as it was, it carried a strange, hungry pull—and to everyone's shock, it started to devour the golden light rope coiled around him!
"W-what's happening?" Karen's laughter died, his face contorting with disbelief. "My Holy Light Binding—how is this possible?"
Karen wasn't the only one stunned. The entire training ground fell silent, every eye fixed on Lynn. Tutor Irene frowned deeply, studying the gray light with intense focus—she had never seen such an attribute before. It belonged neither to elemental magic nor Holy Light magic, but carried an ancient, mysterious aura.
Lynn could feel the golden Holy Light energy being drawn into his body, quickly converted into his own power by the Ashen Spark. The spark in his dantian grew brighter, and the gray energy within him swelled.
"Karen," Lynn looked up, his cold gaze making Karen step back involuntarily, "you wanted to know if I can cast magic? Then watch closely. This is what real magic looks like."
He clenched his fist tightly, and the gray energy within him erupted. The golden light rope缠绕 around him was devoured in an instant, and a far more powerful surge of gray energy flowed down his arm to his fingertips—this time, he made no attempt to disguise it as fire-element magic. He released his purest ashen energy!
"Ashen Shock!"
Lynn's low shout rang out. The gray energy at his fingertip condensed into a narrow shockwave, hurtling toward Karen. Before Karen could react, it slammed into his chest, sending him flying like a broken kite. He crashed heavily to the ground, his short staff skittering away, its crystal shattered beyond repair.
"Ugh!" Karen spat up a mouthful of blood, struggling to rise. His chest throbbed with pain, and his magic energy was in complete disarray—he couldn't channel so much as a wisp of power.
Lynn walked slowly toward him, looking down with eyes that held no trace of his earlier restraint, only cold resolve. "Remember this lesson, Karen. Being a noble doesn't give you the right to bully others. Next time you cross me, I won't hold back."
With that, he turned to Andy, helping the still-dazed boy to his feet. He gathered his things and walked toward the exit of the training ground.
The entire field remained silent, every gaze fixed on his retreating back, filled with shock and confusion. Tutor Irene watched him go, then glanced at Karen struggling on the ground, her frown deepening—this boy Lynn was far more extraordinary than she had ever imagined.
In the corner of the training ground, a girl in a cyan robe stood quietly, her short black hair glinting in the sunlight. She watched Lynn's背影, a hint of surprise in her eyes, and a faint, knowing smile tugging at her lips—it was Eve, the senior student from the upper grades.
"Ashen Magic… I never thought anyone would truly inherit this lost magic system," Eve murmured softly, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Lynn, it seems your secrets are far deeper than I guessed."
With that, she turned and left the training ground, her figure quickly disappearing along the academy's stone paths. The clash between Lynn and Karen was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, sending ripples through Azure Breeze Magic Academy. Everyone now knew: this "specially admitted" boy from a backwater town was no pushover to be bullied. And Lynn knew—this was only his first counterattack. More challenges lay ahead.