After the second wizard test ended, the atmosphere aboard the wizard ship gradually settled down.
The noisy excitement that had filled the ship earlier slowly faded away. Wizard seeds who had just finished the test were discussing their results in low voices as they returned to their cabins.
Ivan walked quietly along the corridor with Olivia beside him.
The wooden walls of the ship creaked gently as waves struck the hull. The smell of saltwater drifted faintly through the narrow passageways.
Neither of them spoke.
Olivia still seemed slightly nervous after the test, while Ivan's mind was calmly analyzing the results.
Soon, the two reached their small cabin.
They stepped inside, and the door closed behind them with a soft click.
Meanwhile, on the upper deck, the five wizard apprentices who had supervised the test also returned to their own quarters.
All except one.
Wizard apprentice Kael climbed the narrow spiral staircase that led to the highest level of the ship.
Compared to the lively lower decks, the upper level was silent.
Only the sound of the wind and distant waves could be heard.
Kael stopped in front of a sturdy wooden door.
He straightened his posture before raising his hand.
Knock. Knock.
A deep voice came from inside.
"Come in."
Kael immediately opened the door and stepped inside respectfully.
The cabin was simple but spacious. A large window faced the endless ocean, allowing sunlight to pour into the room.
Beside the window sat a middle-aged man wearing a black cloak.
He was calmly reading a thick book, as if the world outside did not concern him at all.
Kael lowered his head slightly.
"Greetings, Lord Lucien."
The man did not look up immediately.
He finished the sentence he was reading before gently closing the book.
Only then did his sharp eyes move toward Kael.
Kael stepped forward and handed him a stack of documents.
"My lord, I have come to present the report for the second wizard test."
Wizard Lucien accepted the papers and began flipping through them casually.
Kael stood quietly beside the desk and began summarizing the results.
"This year's batch produced four wizard seeds with three elemental affinities. Forty-six possess two elemental affinities, while the rest have only a single affinity."
Wizard Lucien nodded faintly.
His expression remained calm.
After traveling across the outer continents for many years recruiting wizard seeds, he had seen countless batches.
Compared to some of the exceptional groups he had encountered before, this one was rather ordinary.
Kael continued speaking.
"Among the four individuals with three affinities, three possess high-level elemental affinity."
Wizard Lucien turned another page slowly.
Then he asked casually,
"Is there anyone… interesting?"
Kael hesitated for a moment.
Then he spoke.
"Yes, my lord."
"One of the triple-affinity seeds is named Ivan Thornheart."
Wizard Lucien paused slightly.
Kael continued.
"His affinities are high-level fire, mid-level darkness… and low-level space."
The moment the word space was spoken, Wizard Lucien's hand paused on the page.
For the first time since Kael had entered the room, the wizard's expression changed slightly.
"Space?"
Wizard Lucien slowly lifted his head, his calm eyes locking onto Kael.
"Are you certain?"
Kael nodded without hesitation.
"Yes, my lord. The testing crystal showed a clear reaction. His third affinity is space, although the level is low."
Lucien leaned back slightly in his chair.
A faint look of surprise appeared on his usually composed face.
Space affinity…
That was not something one encountered often.
Among millions of wizard seeds, there might not even be one or two individuals born with such a special affinity.
Even the lowest level of space affinity carried extraordinary potential. Those who possessed it often had unique advantages when studying spatial spells, dimensional manipulation, or advanced magical formations.
Wizard Lucien's gaze grew thoughtful.
So that boy named Ivan Thornheart possessed such a rare affinity.
However, the surprise only lingered for a brief moment before fading away.
Wizard Lucien slowly shook his head.
Potential was merely potential.
And potential alone meant very little in the wizarding world.
He had seen far too many so-called geniuses during his long years of travel.
Many of them possessed outstanding talent, yet in the end they still failed to cross the threshold of becoming a formal wizard.
The path of a wizard was cruel and unforgiving.
Talent might open the door, but it could not guarantee the journey ahead.
Luck.
Resources.
Perseverance.
Opportunity.
Without these things, even the greatest talent would eventually fade away like a spark in the wind.
Wizard Lucien closed the report and handed it back to Kael.
"You've done well. You may return."
Kael bowed respectfully.
"Yes, Lord Lucien."
After Kael left, the cabin fell silent once again.
Wizard Lucien rose from his chair and slowly walked toward the window.
Outside, the endless sea stretched to the horizon. Waves rose and fell beneath the gray sky like breathing giants.
For a moment, the wizard simply stood there watching the ocean.
Then he murmured softly to himself.
"Space affinity…"
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"It seems another interesting youngster has stepped onto the path of a wizard."
Wizard Lucien turned his gaze back toward the distant sea.
Whether that young man could truly grow or would eventually disappear among countless failed talents…
Only time would tell.
Far below the wizard transport ship, in the silent depths of the sea…
Darkness ruled.
Sunlight from the surface barely reached this place. Only faint streaks of pale blue light filtered down through the shifting waters, creating long shadows that swayed like restless spirits.
Within that dim underwater world, figures moved quietly through the currents.
Nearly forty shapes glided through the water.
From afar they looked almost human, but a closer look would reveal something far more frightening.
Their bodies were covered with layers of dark blue scales that shimmered faintly in the dim light. Their arms were long and powerful, ending in sharp clawed fingers capable of tearing flesh apart.
Along their backs grew fin-like flaps that cut through the water with ease, allowing them to move swiftly through the sea.
Their faces, however, were the most terrifying part.
Wide mouths filled with jagged teeth.
Cold, predatory eyes.
And thin gills along their necks that opened and closed as they breathed the seawater.
They were Merfolk.
A powerful race that ruled the deep oceans.
But the group gathered here did not look like victorious hunters.
Many of them were wounded.
Several had cracked scales and deep gashes across their bodies. Others swam sluggishly, leaving faint trails of dark blood in the water.
It was clear they had recently experienced a brutal battle.
Among the group, two figures stood out.
Their bodies were larger and their auras far stronger than the rest.
First-tier merfolk warriors.
Behind them followed around fifteen apprentice-level merfolk, while the rest were ordinary warriors.
The group moved cautiously through the water, clearly exhausted after days of fleeing.
Then suddenly—
One of the first- tier merfolk stopped.
His sharp eyes narrowed as he slowly lifted his head.
Above them, far beyond the shifting water, a massive shadow moved across the surface of the sea.
A ship.
Even from this distance, its enormous outline was unmistakable.
The merfolk warrior's eyes flashed with a dangerous glint.
For several days they had been fleeing from enemy tribes deep within the ocean. Their supplies were nearly gone, and their warriors were exhausted from constant travel.
Now…
A lone ship had appeared above them.
To them, it looked like a gift delivered by fate.
The merfolk exchanged low growling sounds with one another. Their clawed hands made quick gestures beneath the water.
Soon the entire group changed direction and began swimming upward.
However, they did not attack immediately.
The ship was currently sailing through a region common sailors feared deeply—the Stormy Seas.
This stretch of ocean was known for its violent currents, towering waves, and unpredictable storms that could appear without warning.
Even for creatures born in the ocean, fighting in such unstable waters carried great risk.
So the merfolk remained patient.
They kept their distance, quietly following the ship from below.
Their bodies moved through the water without making a sound.
From the surface, nothing could be seen.
But beneath the waves, a pack of hungry predators was slowly tracking its prey.
Waiting.
Watching.
Searching for the perfect moment to strike.
Three days had passed since the second wizard test.
Life aboard the wizard transport ship gradually settled into a quiet rhythm.
For Ivan, the days became simple but disciplined.
Every morning before the sun fully rose above the endless ocean, he would wake up and begin his knight training. The cabin was small and cramped, leaving little room to move, but that did not stop him from performing the most essential exercises.
Basic body strengthening.
Breathing techniques.
Control over muscle and balance.
The repetitive movements slowly tempered his body like iron being forged in a furnace.
Ivan could clearly feel the changes within himself. His strength was growing steadily, and the barrier separating him from the mid-level knight stage was becoming thinner day by day.
Breaking through was only a matter of time.
But training was not the only thing that changed during these three days.
Ivan had also begun teaching Olivia.
The idea came to him after the wizard test.
Olivia possessed respectable elemental talent, and more importantly, she had no backing, no faction, and no guidance within the wizarding world.
To someone like Ivan, that made her a valuable seed worth nurturing.
Of course, Ivan was not naïve.
The wizarding world was vast, and once they reached the outer continents, it was entirely possible that they would enter different wizard academies. If that happened, keeping her as a direct subordinate might become difficult.
However, even if they ended up walking different paths for a time, a connection formed now could still prove valuable in the future.
A favor remembered.
A debt owed.
In the wizarding world, such ties often lasted longer than blood relations.
Besides…
There was another, far simpler reason.
The voyage across the sea would last for several months.
The ship carried hundreds of apprentices, yet there was very little to do aboard it. No entertainment. No distractions. Just endless water in every direction.
Even someone as disciplined as Ivan eventually felt the creeping boredom of such a monotonous journey.
Teaching Olivia at least gave him something productive to do.
It sharpened his own understanding while passing the time.
When Ivan first asked her a simple question—
"What do you know about the wizarding world?"
Olivia's reaction had been almost comical.
Her face immediately turned bright red, and she lowered her head awkwardly.
"I… I don't know anything."
She hesitated before adding in a quiet voice,
"I didn't even know wizards really existed before I came here."
Ivan could only rub his forehead helplessly when he heard that answer.
But he was not truly surprised.
Knowledge about the wizarding world was tightly controlled by noble families and wizard organizations. Ordinary people rarely had access to such secrets.
Most wizard apprentices aboard this ship had stepped into this world purely by chance.
So Ivan started from the very beginning.
The Ancient Byron language.
It was the fundamental language used in most wizard texts, spell models, and magical research records. Without understanding it, studying magic would be nearly impossible.
At first Olivia struggled with the strange characters and pronunciation, but she was surprisingly diligent.
Every afternoon the two of them would sit inside the small cabin, going through the strange symbols line by line.
Occasionally Olivia would ask questions.
Sometimes Ivan would explain things beyond the lesson—small pieces of knowledge about the wizard world that he had gathered over the years.
Little by little, Olivia's understanding began to grow.
And so the days quietly passed.
Morning training.
Afternoon lessons.
Evening meditation.
Preparing for the unknown future waiting at the academy.
On the afternoon of the third day, the lesson finally came to an end.
Olivia was still staring at the page of strange characters when Ivan suddenly leaned back and stretched his arms.
The cramped cabin had begun to feel suffocating.
"That's enough for today," he said with a faint smile. "If we keep staring at those symbols any longer, even I might forget how to read them."
Olivia blinked and then laughed softly.
Ivan stood up and pushed the door open.
"Come on," he said. "Let's get some fresh air."
Olivia followed him out happily.
The two of them walked along the narrow corridor before climbing the stairs toward the front deck. Along the way, they noticed quite a few wizard seeds heading in the same direction. After being trapped inside the ship for days, many people clearly wanted to breathe the open sea air.
Soon they stepped onto the deck.
The sight before them was breathtaking.
The enormous wizard transport ship cut through the waves like a blade. White foam spread along both sides of the hull as it moved forward at tremendous speed.
Sunlight scattered across the endless ocean like countless fragments of gold.
Schools of fish darted alongside the vessel, occasionally leaping above the surface before vanishing back into the water.
Far away on the horizon, small reefs and lonely islands rose faintly between the endless blue waves.
Ivan walked to the railing and rested his arms on it.
Olivia stood beside him quietly, her hair fluttering in the sea breeze.
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
The vast ocean seemed to wash away the fatigue of the past few days.
But the calm did not last long.
A sharp voice suddenly broke the peaceful atmosphere.
"Ivan Thornheart!"
Ivan slowly turned his head.
Several steps away stood Victor.
The boy's face carried the same arrogant expression as before, but this time he was not alone.
Behind him stood two large youths.
Although their faces were still young, their bodies looked like those of grown warriors. Broad shoulders, thick arms, and solid muscles gave them an imposing presence.
Ivan's eyes narrowed slightly.
He could clearly sense the aura coming from them.
High-level knight apprentices.
Victor crossed his arms and looked at Ivan with a mocking smile.
"Well, well… enjoying the scenery?" he said with a sneer.
"I warned you before — dare to interfere in my business, and you'll regret it."
Olivia instinctively stepped half a step behind Ivan.
Victor noticed the movement and laughed coldly.
"Still pretending to be a hero?"
His gaze turned cruel.
"You embarrassed me in front of everyone last time. Did you really think I would just forget about it?"
Ivan looked at him calmly.
In truth, he barely remembered the incident.
But Victor clearly had not forgotten.
Victor's expression darkened when he saw Ivan's indifferent face.
"Jackson. Murpheus."
His voice turned cold.
"Teach him a lesson."
"I'll give you the resources I promised."
The two burly youths stepped forward slowly.
One of them rolled his shoulders lazily.
"Nothing personal," he said.
"We're just doing this for resources."
Ivan sighed softly.
Victor truly had no idea what kind of opponent he was provoking.
Victor believed Ivan was merely another knight apprentice.
But Ivan had already stepped into the realm of a true knight.
Ivan calmly stepped forward and lowered his body slightly into a fighting stance.
Around them, the other wizard seeds quickly moved aside, forming a loose circle.
Many of them watched with curious or amused expressions.
Conflicts like this were not uncommon on the ship.
There were rules aboard the wizard transport ship that forbade killing, but minor fights were rarely stopped.
The wizard apprentices responsible for supervising the ship had long noticed what was happening.
Yet none of them intervened.
Because in the wizarding world, this kind of conflict was almost inevitable.
Resources.
Knowledge.
Opportunities.
Everything had to be fought for.
The path of a wizard was cruel from the very beginning.
If someone could not even handle a small confrontation like this, how could they possibly survive the far more dangerous challenges waiting in the wizard world?
As long as no one died, the supervisors would simply observe.
It was a harsh but effective lesson.
Jackson and Murpheus approached from both sides.
Their footsteps were heavy and confident.
The tension in the air tightened.
Just as the three of them were about to clash—
BOOM!
The entire ship suddenly shook violently.
The enormous vessel halted abruptly as if it had slammed into an invisible wall.
Everyone on the deck was thrown forward by the sudden inertia.
Shouts and cries of alarm erupted everywhere.
Only Ivan managed to remain standing.
With quick reflexes, he grabbed Olivia before she could fall.
"What happened?!"
Someone shouted in panic.
Then everyone saw it.
Outside the ship—
Dozens of humanoid figures with blue skin had emerged from the sea and were attacking the vessel.
At the same moment, a massive transparent barrier appeared around the ship.
The magical shield shimmered as it blocked the attackers' claws and weapons.
But the impact had already forced the ship to stop moving.
Ivan stared at the strange creatures beyond the barrier.
Blue scales.
Fish-like faces.
Rows of sharp teeth.
Merfolk.
In a single moment, the peaceful sea had turned into a battlefield.