ã€ŠHeaven&#x27;s Requiemã€‹


 From Me to Me In Six Million Years

    The rays of dawn shone upon the land, the moonlight and the starry sky fading. The sky turned red as the sun woke up from its slumber.

    Grass and trees were swayed by the gentle yet strong wind while basking in the sunlight, nourishing vastly. Birds chirped alongside each other, while frogs croaked rhythmically, forming a delicate song of nature.

    Morning dawned upon the Spring Clan.

    Thick stone walls surrounded the town of Spring Clan, with watchtowers at every interval. The walls were seemingly old, having withstood the tribulations of time. Vines and moss grew in the cracks and on the surroundings of the wall, forming a beautiful painting of the man-made structure and nature. The protective walls formed a square shape around the Spring Clan estate, guarding tightly at every corner.

    Vast farmland could be seen situated at the peripheries of the estate, accompanied by small buildings. Further into the center of the estate, buildings with one and two stories could be seen, making up shops, restaurants, hotels, and houses. The buildings were arranged beautifully in four main streets leading to one location at the heart of the estate: the Spring Pavilion.

    Inside the pavilion, ten elderly people were bowing at the statue that sat in the back of the room. The statue exuded a heroic aura. It depicted a man.

    ¡°Our awakening ceremony will commence shortly,¡± a man spoke, his gaze sweeping across the room. ¡°Hopefully, good seeds will emerge in our clan. We cannot afford to lag behind the Celestine Clan.¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes seemed aged with time, his pupils a light gray. His beard extended to his chest. His long hair was slicked back, reaching the end of his torso. His long-sleeved green robe, with patterns of coiling dragons, gave him a sagely aura. He was Nero, the Spring Clan patriarch.

    ¡°Patriarch, it¡¯s a pity that lately there have not been many geniuses aside from the young leader¡¯s generation. But hope is not lost; I¡¯m sure good seeds will emerge this time,¡± a man behind the patriarch, on his left side, spoke up. He was Cielo, one of the ten elders of the clan.

    ¡°It still weighs on us¡ªthe death of the young leader. Now the other clans have begun to pressure us slightly; their boldness grows every day,¡± Nero said with dissatisfaction in his eyes and the burden of his clan.

    Silence befell the hall. Nero continued, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that if a good seed does not appear, ultimately, our clan will fall behind, and we will have no other choice but to get annexed. There¡¯s truly not much time left¡­¡± His tone was sorrowful and uncertain. His words struck at all the elders present, for if the seat for the patriarch wasn¡¯t adequately passed down, it would only befall catastrophe.

    ¡°The Spring Clan is rapidly declining. Looking at the past, the Lampclaw Clan wouldn¡¯t even match us. It is true that we are declining, but with sufficient guidance and resources, even a brute can turn out smart,¡± an elderly man to the right of Nero spoke up, his voice hoarse and aged. He was Rosen, one of the top elders along with Cielo.

    Cielo looked at Rosen from the periphery of his eye, his gaze containing slight hostility.

    Nero looked at Cielo, his gaze complicated, but he sighed in his mind. He spoke while gazing at all the elders present: ¡°If there¡¯s no other choice left, then we can only pick up the best we have. As to the lucky one, it will all depend on his abilities.¡±

    ¡°Patriarch is wise.¡±

    ¡°Patriarch is wise.¡±

    Cielo and Rosen both spoke up. The other elders present cast their gaze with slight concern. If such an event were to happen, only these two elders would benefit, shifting the political arrangement of the clan altogether.

    After a short while, Nero raised his tone hopefully: ¡°Let us leave the ancestral hall. Surely the heavens will pity us mortals and bestow us a gift.¡± In his mind, he couldn¡¯t help but feel nothing but worries. The continued state of the clan brought him immense trouble, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly, helpless about what the future would hold.

    He motioned the elders to leave the hall with a wave. They bowed slightly before departing.

    As the only one left standing there, Nero muttered lowly, ¡°Maybe I¡¯m being too delusional¡­¡±

    .....

    The rays of sunlight radiated the Fang household. The household was in no shape to be called extravagant but not modest either, being a three-story building with a small garden situated at the entrance.

    Inside the house, in the dining room, there was a long table that stretched up to twelve feet, holding various wooden seats. The table was riddled with dishes stretching from steak with steamed vegetables to dumplings glistening with broth, and bean soup that radiated a rich aroma throughout the dining room.

    At the head seat, a man sat, his middle-aged face apparent. His facial structure was robust with sharp features. His medium-length hair, slicked back, gave an air of professionalism, topped with the simple yet elegant green robe he wore.

    At both his right and left sat two middle-aged men who looked similar but starkly differed. The man on the right had flowing black hair that extended to his chest, while the man on the left was completely bald, light shining off his perfectly polished scalp that blinded anyone who dared to look too intensely.

    Following the two men, two women sat respectively next to them. Each wore a pair of yellow robes. They ate elegantly, holding their steaks with pinkies raised, while maintaining a dignified air.

    Further down the table, three children sat in silence, their heads slightly down as they ate their food, their utensils not making too much noise, careful of the sounds they produced.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    At the sides, four maids stood in attention, their hands clasped neatly right below their pelvis. They moved when necessary, be it filling cups of water or taking bowls and plates away. The head matron stood at the back of the man sitting at the head of the table. She had a more mature air than the other maids.

    ¡°Today marks the day when our youth will become a step closer to full-fledged magicians,¡± the man sitting at the head of the table exclaimed, his gaze shining as he looked at the three youths situated at the table.

    ¡°Now, this is some word of advice,¡± the man said while he looked at the three youths. ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes down because you think other people are better than you just because of their fissure rank. As long as you continue to live honestly, the heavens will not turn a blind eye to this. It is important to have ambition and yet be realistic. If you are too delusional, you¡¯ll be like a tall tree, easily picked up by the winds and ultimately forgotten by the winds of time.¡±

    ¡°We understand.¡±

    ¡°We understand.¡±

    ¡°We understand.¡±

    The three youths replied in unison.

    One of the youths, Jinto, sighed in his mind: ¡°If one does not have grand aspirations, then for what is there to live? Who is the world to tell me what I am or am not capable of?¡± In his heart, he held the ambitions of the heavens; a mere awakening would not deter him.

    ¡°Well added, Teren. Furthermore, it is important to choose your friends wisely and to not cause trouble or make us lose face in public,¡± the man on the right exclaimed while looking at the youth sitting next to his wife.

    ¡°Face this, face that. Ralleire, you care too much about your image. Let the kids have their fun; they are at the peak of their youth. They should be unrestrained and free, you freak,¡± the bald man exclaimed, poking fun at Ralleire.

    ¡°Hmph! As barbaric as always,¡± Ralleire retaliated. After some quick thinking, he said, ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t care about my image either if I started balding at the age of fourteen.¡±

    Suddenly, the table united in laughter. The only one not joining in the fun was the bald man himself. He looked to his side of the table, and even his own kid was laughing. ¡°Why are you laughing? You know it¡¯s hereditary,¡± he thought in his mind.

    ¡°Good atmosphere. Jinto, Melissa, Paul. Today is a benchmark for you guys, so you should make the most out of it. Make us proud of bearing the Fang name. Don¡¯t let those of the Joto line walk over you guys. If something happens, the Joto family would need some explaining to do,¡± Teren said as he overlooked the table.

    ¡°If they cause trouble, don¡¯t worry, Uncle Teren. I will just knock them down one by one,¡± one of the youths, Paul, sitting at the left, exclaimed while kissing his biceps.

    ¡°Paul, isn¡¯t that too ugly?¡± Melissa snorted. ¡°Conflict should be resolved by words.¡± Her eyes shined while she picked up a cup of water and drank from it.

    ¡°Melissa, if they beat you up, don''t count on me.¡± Paul said with a defeated tone. Not being able to think of something else to say.

    ¡°No need; we have Jinto here,¡± Melissa replied, looking toward Jinto. Upon hearing his name, everyone paused what they were doing and turned their attention to him.

    ¡°Now, why is everyone looking at me? Damn Melissa, now I do have to say something,¡± Jinto thought. He collected his thoughts, put down his utensils, and stood up from his chair. He glanced at the table, feeling the gazes penetrating him. Clearing his throat, he said, ¡°I will do what needs to be done, either through diplomacy or violence¡ªwhichever way is more beneficial to us. I will try my best to accomplish it.¡± His gaze sharpened, and his tone grew steady as he declared, ¡°I won¡¯t let the Fang name down, not by the Joto line or anyone else.¡± He then sat back down.

    Teren couldn¡¯t help but nod in satisfaction at his son, and the others exchanged approving glances.

    Paul broke the silence that followed Jinto¡¯s declaration: ¡°Now that¡¯s a real man! Just let me know¡ªI would love to see their faces in the ground.¡± He grinned, leaning his broad frame back in the chair.

    Melissa couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes in sarcasm. ¡°Oh, how grand of you, Paul. Striving toward violence once more. Maybe you should let Jinto handle things. He has way more tact than you anyway.¡±

    Relaxing his frame and closing his eyes, Paul replied, ¡°Tact doesn¡¯t help you much when you get punched in the face, Melissa.¡±

    Melissa was about to retort when Teren raised his hand. His expression was gentle, he said, ¡°Enough from both of you.¡± His voice was calm, carrying a hint of playfulness. He then turned his gaze to Jinto.

    ¡°Jinto, today marks a crucial day. Your fissure rank doesn¡¯t determine your worth, but it does determine the opportunities that you may encounter. It will be up to you whether these doors will open or forever remain closed.¡±

    Jinto clenched his fist under the table. ¡°I understand, Father.¡±

    Despite the playful atmosphere, a slight tension and worry could be felt among the family members as they pondered the upcoming ceremony.

    To lighten the mood, the bald man gave a playful sigh. ¡°Well, if anyone needs inspiration, just look at me! A brimming, shining example of perseverance here despite all odds,¡± he said proudly, running his hand over his glistening scalp. The table burst into laughter, except for Ralliere, whose gaze showed slight annoyance.

    ¡°Perseverance doesn¡¯t mean much when you¡¯re the butt of every joke,¡± Ralleire remarked, stuffing a mouthful of steak into his mouth, earning more chuckles from the others.

    Despite the humor, everyone occasionally glanced at the old clock on the wall. Each tick brought them closer to the ceremony.

    Jinto was excited and nervous at the same time¡ªexcited to awaken his fissure and become a magician, but nervous because he hoped for a high-grade fissure. If not, he resolved to work hard to become someone formidable.

    ...

    As the clock ticked closer to the ceremony, the buffet came to an end. Leftover dishes filled the cups, bowls, and plates scattered across the table. The maids began to push a cart and clear the dishes, but one maid stood still, her gaze foggy.

    ¡°Sarina.¡±

    ¡°Sarina.¡±

    ¡°Sarina!¡±

    The head matron exclaimed three times. Only on the third call did Sarina bow slightly and apologize.

    ¡°Geez, Sarina, if you keep spacing out like that, you¡¯ll never be able to be a proper maid,¡± the head matron scolded, hands on her hips.

    This time Sarina bowed even deeper. ¡°Sorry, it won¡¯t happen again, Maidstress.¡± Her tone, however, was flat.

    The remaining maids exchanged glances at the scene before continuing to clear the table.

    ¡°Oh, Sarina, if you¡¯re sorry, help out with cleaning the table,¡± the head matron said, gesturing to the half-cleared table. Her eyes briefly examined Sarina before looking away.

    Sarina glanced out the window at the grand building, Spring Pavilion.

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Sarina muttered slowly under her breath. She thought, ¡°Just minutes ago, I was fighting the Lincoln Kingdom forces over the inheritance. Ultimately, those people failed in the end, and I managed to return 700 years into the past.¡±

    ¡°This feeling is truly mystical. It seems I¡¯ve peered into the Winds of Time.¡± Sarina examined her hands and clenched them.

    ¡°I¡¯ve returned.¡±

 Awakening Ceremony

    Rays of morning sunlight shone on the Verdant Great Plains. The Spring Clan estate basked in a golden ray. The buildings and the cobblestone streets shined with golden brilliance. Chatter could be heard throughout the streets. Young clansmen all over the estate were gathering at one destination in particular: the clan academy.

    The young clansmen talked with each other while onlookers expressed their encouragement. In every spring, it signifies blossoming and birth. The heavens excitedly shone upon the region with endless life energy. It was at this time that Heaven''s Springs had its highest batch production of mana stones. Adapting to spring, the clans would traditionally hold their awakening ceremony at this time, as it was believed to bring good luck to the clan.

    ¡°After this, we will be a step closer to being powerful magicians!¡±

    ¡°When I open my fissure, I¡¯ll be able to help out more in my family.¡±

    The myriad voices of emotions echoed throughout the estate, blending with the gentle morning wind.

    The clan academy, a grand structure made out of brick stone, was located west of the Spring Clan Pavilion. Only a few narrow streets stood between them.

    One by one, the young clansmen gathered at the gates of the academy. They stood on the patio of the academy in front of large wooden gates that stood up to fifteen feet in height.

    Among them were Jinto, Paul, and Melissa, who stood on the patio passing through the crowd.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting real now,¡± Paul said as he put his hands behind his head. ¡°Think we¡¯ll see the awakening of a legendary amethyst fissure today?¡±

    ¡°The chances are extremely low. Only a few can even become magicians and awaken their fissure, let alone an amethyst fissure,¡± Melissa added.

    ¡°It would be great if I could awaken such a fissure,¡± Jinto said, his voice carrying a trace of hope as he looked ahead at the gates bathed in golden brilliance.

    Melissa looked at Jinto. ¡°Sigh, I don¡¯t want to crush your dreams, but don¡¯t beat yourself down if you don¡¯t obtain it.¡±

    Jinto could only give a light smile while saying, ¡°I know.¡± His confidence wavered slightly at her words. Inwardly, he could only be hopeful about his future.

    ¡°Well, as long as I get a good enough fissure rank, I¡¯ll be satisfied. That¡¯s enough to live a comfortable life,¡± Paul added.

    ¡°How realistic of you. Based on your appearance, I would think you¡¯d be a meathead,¡± Melissa said with slight sarcasm.

    ¡°It seems that after all these years, you haven¡¯t truly known me,¡± Paul said, slightly glancing at her.

    Melissa could only shrug her shoulders in defeat and say, ¡°It seems so.¡±

    After a few more rounds of chatting, the wooden gates slowly opened.

    Everybody stopped their actions to look toward the noise coming from the gates. As the gates slowly opened, a single figure came into view. He stood firmly wearing a green robe lined with silver threads. His hair contained streaks of white.

    ¡°Greetings to the next generation of my Spring Clan.¡± His firm voice spread through the ears of the clansmen gathered. ¡°I¡¯ll be your guide on this momentous occasion, Master Hector. Please follow me after making two single-file lines.¡±

    As the clansmen quickly gathered into two lines, Paul asked lowly, ¡°Do you think he practiced that speech in the mirror, or does he just wing it?¡±

    Melissa put her index finger on her lips and lowly said, ¡°Be quiet.¡±

    Jinto took in a deep breath as two neat lines formed completely.

    ¡°Good.¡± Master Hector nodded slightly as he turned around, going deeper into the academy grounds.

    Beyond the gates was a well-kept courtyard filled with beautifully arranged trees. The trees had sturdy yellow trunks, while their leaves were pale blue. They were birds-alluring trees. This type of tree attracted countless birds to lay their nests, allowing the birds to pluck out its seeds for reproduction, forming a symbiotic relationship.

    The morning air swept across Master Hector and the clansmen, causing their robes to flutter in the wind. They walked on a wide stone pavement. A fountain stood in the middle of the pavement, depicting a beautiful woman in elegant robes holding a basin of water atop her head.

    The academy building loomed to their right¡ªa grand structure made of stone bricks. Its splendor was evident, with intricate patterns covering it from the first story to the third. Sunlight reflected off the building, giving it a majestic aura.

    They passed many structures of unknown purpose scattered throughout their surroundings. They continued walking until their eyes were drawn to a circular structure, vast and grand. Grand pillars anchored into the ground surrounded the exterior of the structure. Thick and sturdy, the pillars had carvings of intricate lines and designs above and below. Above them, a second layer of pillars descended downward onto a stone line above the first batch. These slimmer pillars bore carvings of spiral paths around them. This was the academy stadium, the site of the awakening ceremony and other events involving students¡¯ combat prowess.

    Master Hector led the children to a tall and wide entrance into the stadium. They passed through the interior design of the building, arriving at a gate that connected to the arena within the stadium.

    The youngsters¡¯ hearts palpitated with nervousness. They knew they were moments away from becoming magicians. Some prayed under their breaths with their eyes closed, while others clenched their fists, their eyes shining with anticipation.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The barred gate separating them from the arena slowly rose. A vast arena of short grass lay before them, encircled by a myriad of seats. Among the upper levels of the stadium, special compartments stood out, with the largest located at the eastern side of the arena.

    The ten elders sat in this compartment, observing with expectation. At the head sat Clan Leader Nero. Beside him stood Cielo and Rosen, to his right and left, respectively.

    The audience watched as the youngsters entered the arena. At the center stood a massive orb accompanied by an elderly man holding a piece of wolfskin and a quill full of ink. Beside him was a wooden platform with another man standing next to it.

    The participants, led by Master Hector, closed in on the orb. He said, ¡°Sit right here.¡± Motioning with a simple gesture, he continued, ¡°Your names will be called in alphabetical order. After that, you¡¯ll go to that man.¡± He pointed toward the man beside the orb. ¡°He¡¯ll inscribe an array on your lower torso. Then, you¡¯ll be given mana stones and instructed to sit and absorb the mana stones. Once you awaken your fissure, you¡¯ll pour your mana into the orb.¡± Master Hector instructed.

    Satisfied seeing the youngsters seated, Master Hector stood to the side, nodding at the elderly man next to the orb.

    Knowing it was time, Nero rose from his seat. His commanding presence spread out, and with a slight release of his aura, all attention turned to him and the elders who sat beside him. His deep voice reverberated as he addressed the audience.

    ¡°Today marks the day of our legacy. Since our ancestor established the Spring Clan, we have had a long-standing presence in the Verdant Great Plains that has been nothing but arduous, taxing, and difficult. All life faces challenges; humans aren¡¯t exempt from this rule. From calamities to beast tides, this world is truly perilous.¡±

    ¡°The winds of time are inevitable. The new will replace the old. Today will result in the emergence of strong warriors and brilliant heroes for our clan. I look forward to the new generation soaring and maintaining our Spring Clan legacy. Engrave this moment into your lives, as it is the start of your own path, one that only you will be able to carve.¡±

    Hearing the end of the speech, the audience erupted in applause. The youngsters couldn¡¯t feel more motivated and inspired by their own patriarch. His words ignited an unceasing fire in their hearts, calming their nerves for the most part.

    ¡°Now I¡¯m getting pumped up. If only I can reach the heights of the patriarch. I¡¯m not too idealistic to wish for a legendary fissure, but as long as it¡¯s possible, I¡¯ll welcome a chance to be the best I can,¡± Jinto thought.

    Nero sat down in his seat as the applause stopped. He then commanded, ¡°Let this ceremony begin!¡±

    At his orders, the elderly man looked at the sheet in front of him.

    The youngsters held their breath.

    ¡°Aldering Liora.¡±

    From the seated participants, a girl stood up. The moment she rose, all eyes locked onto her. She felt the pressure but pretended not to be nervous. She portrayed a resolute expression while walking step by step with clenched fists.

    ¡°Pull the tunic upwards enough for me to see your belly button.¡± Aldering pulled her tunic, revealing her belly button. The elderly man, with his quill, drew a small circle below her belly button with intricate details. He then closed his palm near her lower torso, pouring mana into the circle he had just drawn.

    After he was done pouring mana, he gave her four mana stones and said, ¡°Go to the wooden platform, place these four mana stones at the designated corners where they belong, then sit cross-legged. The man guarding the platform will instruct you.¡±

    Aldering gave a nod, collected the mana stones, and went toward the wooden platform. The wooden platform had a large circular array that was two-by-two meters. At the corners, small circles protruded from the big circle. She placed the mana stones into these spots and then sat in the middle of the array.

    Once she sat, the man said, ¡°Now you must concentrate on the array Master Kondle inscribed into you. You¡¯ll feel a foreign energy akin to slight pressure. Don¡¯t be afraid to take in this energy into the array,¡± he explained.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Aldering concentrated on her lower torso, and shortly, the array she sat on started to glow with a golden-white light. Aura surged as her long hair stood up, waving to the sides like snakes. Her body was covered in light, making her seem like a saintess who had stepped into the world.

    The four shining mana stones quickly dimmed, turning into ordinary rocks, then to dust that scattered in the wind.

    The man nodded, satisfied with the result.

    In the crowd, a mother and father pair had excited looks in their eyes.

    ¡°Oh, our little Aldering is now a magician.¡±

    Aldering slowly opened her eyes, her hair now cascading down like a waterfall, covering her back and shoulders. Aldering had awakened her fissure! She couldn¡¯t shake her excitement. Step by step, she reached the massive orb, then placed her hand on it. Upon awakening one¡¯s fissure, releasing mana becomes an instinct akin to a baby¡¯s reaction upon entering the world. She poured her mana into the orb.

    The orb glowed with a yellow light, and from within, two foggy roots made of white light surged.

    The elderly man took another piece of wolfskin and, with a quill, wrote while saying, ¡°Aldering Liora, Silver fissure.¡±

    Aldering, satisfied with her results, returned to the spot where she had previously sat.

    After she sat, another name was called out.

    ¡°Alger Trembula.¡±

    The same process started. Master Kondle drew an array on his lower torso, gave Alger mana stones, and instructed him to proceed to the wooden platform. Alger placed the mana stones and sat cross-legged, following the man¡¯s instructions.

    However, after he sat down and tried to concentrate, he couldn¡¯t feel the energy. Thus, the array didn¡¯t activate.

    ¡°Wait¡­ don¡¯t tell me¡­ I can¡¯t be,¡± Alger thought as he tried with all his energy to concentrate. Sweat dripped from his forehead, but it was all meaningless.

    The man at the wooden platform then said, ¡°Alger Trembula, no fissure, mortal.¡±

    Disappointment and anger filled Alger. His hands shook, and he took staggered breaths. He had hoped this day would be the one where he became a magician, but were his dreams about to be shattered just like that? No way!

    ¡°There must be something wrong. Please give me a second¡­¡± A formless force grabbed Alger, preventing him from moving, and slowly returned him to his seat.

    The youngsters erupted in laughter, taking joy in his suffering. Others prayed even harder, not wanting to be in Alger¡¯s position. Some looked on with amusement.

    Jinto gulped as he thought, ¡°Poor guy. This world truly is cruel. Only a few can ever hope to awaken their fissure. From there, the chances increase exponentially with each rarity.¡±

    Melissa couldn¡¯t even look at Alger as she closed her eyes.

    Paul could only look at Alger pitifully as he was slowly pulled back to his seat.

    ¡°What misfortune,¡± someone sneered from the seated crowd.

    ¡°It seems he¡¯ll only be a pitiful farmer in this life.¡±

    ¡°There can¡¯t be kings without their jesters.¡±

    The young clansmen exclaimed.

    ¡°Quiet down,¡± Master Hector instructed, instantly silencing the noise.

    Alger could only watch as the force gathered him to his seat, knowing that his future was already predetermined. He now felt shame and anger like never before, cursing all these scoundrels who laughed at him.

 Gent Joto

    ¡°Balter Zagani.¡±

    The third name was called out.

    The audience watched as the young clansman approached Master Kondle that was holding the wolfskin paper.

    In a private compartment, three men sat accompanied by several others. At the periphery stood three servants.

    It was the Fang family. Teren sat at the front, flanked by Ralliere and Kalser. The two men beside him were accompanied by their wives and children. On Teren¡¯s lap sat a little girl who appeared no older than twelve, her innocent curiosity fixed on the arena.

    In the center of the maids, the matron sat, accompanied by Sarina on her left and Kylina on her right. They all wore simple long skirts that reached their ankles, paired with caps on their heads and bodices wrapping their torsos. On their feet, they wore modest leather shoes.

    The matron''s clothing differed, her outfit being a desaturated blue, while Sarina and Kylina wore brown skirts and bodices.

    It was simple and modest, not eye-catching at all. This was common practice worldwide¡ªmaids were expected to serve their masters throughout their lifetimes. To delineate status, colors were used as a silent reminder of the societal structure.

    ¡°The awakening ceremony of the Spring Clan, huh?¡±

    ¡°According to my past life, someone will awaken the amethyst fissure, causing a great commotion in the clan,¡± Sarina thought as she watched Balter ascend the wooden platform. The array activated, the mana stones vanished into dust, and Balter proceeded to inject his mana into the orb. It revealed a single root, indicating he had a bronze-rank fissure.

    Balter could only walk back with his head down.

    ¡°Dammit, why did I get a useless bronze fissure?¡± Disappointment filled his eyes at the result.

    In this world, one¡¯s aptitude greatly affected their future potential, determining how far they could progress as a magician. A bronze-rank fissure could never break through the 1st circle, forever remaining stuck. In magical society, magicians with bronze fissures were merely cannon fodder, standing at the lowest rung of society.

    Balter couldn¡¯t help but feel dejected. In this world, strength was everything, and his future seemed grim. Still, he found some solace in the fact that he had at least formed a fissure. Being a magician was far better than being a mortal. If 1st-circle magicians were fodder, mortals were simply goods with the ability to speak¡ªa class of people whose lives were scoffed at and taken lightly.

    ¡°Britney Sander.¡±

    ¡°No fissure, mortal.¡±

    ¡°Benson Rogers.¡±

    ¡°No fissure, mortal.¡±

    ¡°Brad¡­¡±

    ¡°No fissure, mortal.¡±

    Sarina was slightly amused by the ceremony. Like colors, the awakening ceremony set the standards of the clan¡¯s structure. Why would clans hold these ceremonies publicly rather than privately? It was simple¡ªto display the next generation and reveal the future cards of the families within the clan. Those who obtained high-rank fissures would be celebrated, while those who didn¡¯t would be abandoned.

    ¡°Look, my grandson has a good fissure. And yours? Hmph, just an ordinary aptitude. It seems your family isn¡¯t worth much.¡± Such thoughts would inevitably arise. Observing the Fang and Joto families, the same could be said. Their families had fought for over a generation for benefits, their power remaining relatively equal throughout the years. If a clansman received a high-rank fissure, it would enhance their family¡¯s reputation, drastically altering their status. The Joto family could spread rumors about the Fangs, and no one would dare reject them. Furthermore, those seeking alliances would seize the opportunity, while those holding grievances or seeking benefits would align accordingly.

    Public ceremonies also minimized cheating and corruption. The families kept one another in check, and a falsified result could shift the balance of power. Methods existed to artificially strengthen low-rank fissures, but they came with severe consequences, drastically reducing the magician''s overall strength. High-rank fissures guaranteed quality magicians, and repeated falsification would only degrade the clan¡¯s output.

    Sarina understood such measures. Her life experience was nothing to scoff at. Suppress the weak, embrace the talented. The world was cruel, and humanity''s survival in such a perilous environment necessitated such practices. Death was ubiquitous, and casualties were all too common.

    ¡°Clans, after all, are organizations run by people. The power structure must be set in stone for the clan to function smoothly. Otherwise, it would collapse. Status and rewards are interconnected. People strive for them by any means, as they guarantee a bright future. Only public displays like this can quell the undercurrents of internal strife.¡±

    ¡°Magic tournaments, competitions, and public displays are just political tools disguised as tradition,¡± Sarina mused, watching silently. Her thoughts were logical, tinged with detachment.

    ¡°Dylan Court.¡±

    When Dylan injected his mana into the orb, three roots appeared for the first time in the ceremony, indicating a gold fissure.

    Dylan was visibly pleased with the result. He walked back to his seat with his nose held high, his arrogance unmistakable as he glanced at those who had already formed their fissures.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Aldering couldn¡¯t help but look at Dylan with jealousy written all over her face. Her mere silver fissure couldn¡¯t compare to his gold one.

    Alger¡¯s face had darkened to the extreme. He looked down, avoiding eye contact.

    Dylan was extremely satisfied. A gold fissure! It guaranteed breaking through the 2nd circle, while a bronze fissure would forever remain in the 1st circle. A silver fissure had the potential to break through to the 2nd circle, but only if the magician¡¯s mana sea reached a certain threshold, and even then, resources were required for a smooth advancement. A gold fissure, however, ensured a breakthrough to the 2nd circle and the possibility of progressing further.

    2nd-circle magicians were the backbone of any clan, their status vastly superior to 1st-circle magicians, who were mainly supported. The strength of a 1st-circle magician was only slightly superior to that of an adult male.

    Many more names were called, mostly resulting in mortals and bronze or silver fissures.

    Many more names were called, most resulting in mortals, followed by bronze and silver fissures.

    ¡°Gent Joto.¡±

    From amongst the young clansmen, a youth slowly got up. His green robes neatly adorned his body, and his long black hair in a ponytail cascaded to the end of his torso. His gaze contained no hint of nervousness or anxiousness. He calmly went towards the elderly man, collected the mana stones, placed the mana stones, and sat cross-legged. The array shone with brilliance in an instant. The mana stones vanished into dust as soon as the array glowed.

    The man beside the wooden platform couldn''t help but look at Gent with a satisfied expression. He knew this could only mean one thing.

    In the main private room compartment located east of the stadium:

    ¡°It seems there are fairly good seeds in our clan this year. This junior Gent from the Joto family¡ªit seems his future is going to be bright,¡± Nero said as he stroked his beard, his gaze containing slight happiness.

    ¡°There have been too many mortals in recent ceremonies. This is truly a gift that our clan has received; the rise of the Joto family is now evident if this junior is raised well,¡± Cielo added.

    Rosen looked at Gent, who was in the arena, with slight amusement and added, ¡°I would not want to be in the position of the Fangs at this moment. They must feel dejected by now. It seems that the hotel business will be mainly controlled by the Jotos in the future.¡±

    ¡°It is too early to say that. The young masters of the Fangs haven¡¯t awakened their fissures yet, but there¡¯s likely no hope for them,¡± Nero said as he continued to stroke his beard.

    Gent went to the orb and placed his hand, ready to inject his mana into the orb.

    Fang Private Room.

    Teren¡¯s face couldn¡¯t help but darken as he looked at the arena, dumbfounded.

    Kalser, seeing Teren, tried to console him: ¡°Brother, don''t be so assuming. This lad only had a rapid consumption. It is still too early to assume anything.¡± As he finished, he looked towards Ralliere. Noticing his gaze, he chose to ignore him and continued watching the arena.

    ¡°Oh heavens, it seems we¡¯ve encountered misfortune.¡± Teren ignored Kalser, squinting his eyes towards the arena. He continued: ¡°We can only watch helplessly and hope that the outcome isn¡¯t what we are imagining.¡±

    Kalser could only sigh and continue to stare at the arena attentively.

    Gent injected his mana into the orb. The orb glowed with yellow light, masking the arena in a yellow veil. Gent¡¯s body seemed engulfed in this light. From within the light, one root formed, then two roots, three roots, and finally four roots.

    After pouring all his mana into the orb, he let his hand go, and the light dimmed, returning the arena to its normal appearance.

    ¡°Gent Joto, Diamond Fissure,¡± Master Kondle said as he wrote it down.

    ¡°Heh, who would¡¯ve thought I would acquire this fissure? Haha, it seems I''m blessed,¡± Gent said as he looked at his hands, admiring his own power.

    Teren, Ralliere, and Kalser wanted to vomit blood at this instance. All three of their faces darkened.

    The girl who sat in Teren¡¯s lap, sensing the ominous and depressing mood, looked up towards Teren: ¡°Father, why are you so sad?¡± Her voice was concerned and innocent, sparking a contrast with the mood.

    Teren, hearing this, snapped out of his gloom, looked at his daughter, and said, ¡°Do not worry. I just thought about something unimportant.¡± Teren pinched the little girl''s cheeks.

    ¡°Anyways, pay attention. It¡¯s almost time for your cousin Melissa to go in,¡± Teren said, changing the topic.

    The little girl could only pout and sigh in her mind. She sensed something was wrong, but her father diverted her. She was young but not clueless.

    Gent walked back, his gaze containing an arrogance akin to one standing at the top. He couldn''t help but look at the Jinto, Paul, and Melissa trio in disdain.

    ¡°This bastard! Look at his smug face¡ªhe thinks he''s better than us!¡± Paul couldn''t help but frown while clenching his fists. Melissa did not speak, but her face frowned as well.

    ¡°Focus,¡± Jinto said sharply.

    Jinto met Gent¡¯s eyes, not backing away.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not concern ourselves too much with him. So what if he has a diamond fissure? Who is to say we can¡¯t get one if he can,¡± Jinto tried to lift the mood. ¡°Knowing his character, he is unlikely to be much of a pillar to the clan.¡±

    ¡°Jinto is right. That bastard is a waste to have such a fissure. Fissures don''t fight battles, only people. Let¡¯s see how far he can get,¡± Paul said, nodding.

    Melissa narrowed her eyes and thought, ¡°A diamond fissure¡­ This will certainly cripple our family if we are not careful.¡± Outwardly, she remained quiet.

    Jinto¡¯s mind was racing. All sorts of alerts were on his mind: ¡°A diamond fissure? The 3rd circle is nothing but guaranteed. This is bad. Our Fang family¡¯s future is grim. I can only hope for a miracle. Father must be more stressed out than I am. Now it all depends on us.¡± Jinto looked at the Melissa-Paul pair before glancing toward the Fang private compartment.

    The youths were all surprised and showed admiring looks towards Gent as he got closer to them.

    ¡°It seems Brother Gent¡¯s future is unrivaled.¡±

    ¡°How can we compare to Young Hero Gent?¡± some youths sighed.

    Some looked at the Fang trio with a mixture of concern, and even some with schadenfreude.

    ¡°Brother Gent¡¯s future is bright. Why don''t you come to my family''s establishment? We will hold a banquet for this moment of celebration,¡± one of the youths spoke up, his name Olsen Atmos, the grandson of Elder Cielo.

    The audience couldn¡¯t help but look at Olsen as he spoke, then cast jealous glances at Gent. It wasn¡¯t easy to befriend someone of high status! The usually arrogant Olsen actually spoke with courtesy to someone of the same generation?

    The Fang trio couldn''t help but wear grim expressions. They felt their organs turning in reverse; this was just adding salt to the wound. Their rival, now having the backing of the grandson of one of the top elders, was a reality they dared not imagine.

    Gent, hearing Olsen, bowed slightly. ¡°It will be my pleasure to attend your esteemed house, Brother Olsen,¡± Gent said with a smile.

    Master Hector glanced at these two youths with a deep gaze.

 We Truly Are Blessed!

    Master Hector sighed in his mind, giving a nod to Master Kondle to continue.

    ¡°Gena Tilia.¡±

    ...

    The awakening ceremony continued. Most young clansmen ended up being mortals. Those who awakened a third fissure were mostly bronze, followed by silver, with only a few managing to awaken.

    Jinto gulped.

    Each time a name was called, it got closer to his. This was the moment where he would see the doors of opportunities that lay before him. He wished for smooth sailing in his journey. If not many opportunities arose, he would need to work extremely hard.

    It was already good that Gent awakened a Diamond fissure. Just thinking about it gave him a headache. It wasn¡¯t just personal matters he was worried about, as he had some grievances with Gent, but also the possibility of his family declining. Especially now with ties to the grandson of a high elder. With just that status alone, it could slightly suppress the entire Fang family.

    After the last person called out sat down, Master Kondle called out to the next.

    This youth had green robes around his body. On his waist, he wore a white belt that complemented his robe. The neatly adorned robe was neither modest nor extravagant. His medium black spiky hair sat at his shoulders. His brown eyes looked forward deeply.

    Before he took a step, this youth took a deep breath.

    He went towards Master Kondle, lifting his robes slightly to reveal his lower torso. On it, Master Kondle wrote an intricate circle with his quill.

    ¡°This should be the Heaven¡¯s Spring Fissure Array,¡± Jinto thought as he looked at his lower torso. ¡°With this, the array in my torso is connected to the Heaven¡¯s Spring that is kept secretly within the clan.¡±

    While thinking, Master Kondle gave him four mana stones and instructed him to go towards the wooden platform and complete the steps he had seen the other youngsters do.

    Holding the mana stones, Jinto couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡°The clan''s funds truly are deep!¡±

    Throughout his life, Jinto had never personally held four mana stones¡ªat most, two. Thinking of this, he couldn¡¯t help but calculate how much the clan spent per awakening.

    ¡°If there are about a hundred and fifty children, that¡¯s six hundred mana stones!¡±

    Six hundred mana stones were enough for a humble, comfortable life. But the clan could spend such an amount in the blink of an eye. Seeing how the clan treated such an amount as insignificant left Jinto baffled.

    When he reached the wooden platform, he began to place the four mana stones into the corners of the array where smaller circles protruded.

    While placing the stones, Jinto thought, ¡°Similarly to the array written on me, this should be a sub-array that is connected to Heaven''s Spring. Inside the spring, the foundational array lies.¡±

    ¡°In order to awaken a fissure, two steps must be completed: a strong enough body and the absorption of mana. These sub-arrays help with the latter condition. Firstly, the array on the wooden platform should absorb the mana from the mana stones, then release it. Then the array on my torso should be like a guide that absorbs the incoming mana, forming a fissure inside my body.¡± Jinto guessed.

    In truth, he was half wrong. The array on the wooden platform was a simple array with the purpose of absorbing and releasing mana. Whilst the array in his lower torso connected to Heaven''s Spring.

    Only with the connection to Heaven can one unlock their fissure. A simple guiding array that directed the mana to the body would not work in creating a fissure.

    In the legends, it is stated that without Heaven¡¯s permission, a fissure is nothing but null.

    As recorded in The Heavenly Testament, the first human ancestor, Sirius, begged Heaven to grant him strength. With strength magic tormenting him and no way to defeat the strong, he could only beg for thirty days and thirty nights. Until he saw a premonition that guided him to a sacred spring, granting him a fissure.

    Jinto finished placing the stones in their respective places. Then he sat cross-legged in the center of the array.

    ¡°This is it.¡±

    The array started to shine in golden-white light. His black spiky hair shot upwards as his robes fluttered violently. His body was covered in white-gold brilliance.

    ¡°This feeling is indescribable,¡± Jinto''s mind raced as he felt the incoming mana pouring into his torso.

    ¡°The feeling is quite vague yet warm, formless yet structured. I can feel the warmth rushing into my body.¡±

    The sensation of absorbing mana was akin to a hug from a loved one. It was truly an indescribable, comforting feeling.

    ¡°This is magical!¡±

    Quickly, the mana stones dimmed greatly and turned into dust. The bright brilliance coming from the array stopped as soon as the mana stones shattered.

    In the center, Jinto¡¯s hair returned to his shoulders, and his robes settled neatly on his body.

    ¡°Son¡­¡± At this moment, Teren couldn¡¯t help but feel proud. His son had really grown up too fast before his eyes. Now he had become a magician. As a parent, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little dejected as he watched his baby bird attempt to leave the nest.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Jinto opened his eyes, light shining in them. He felt rejuvenated, as if he had woken up from a good sleep.

    As instructed, he went off to the giant orb.

    His face unreadable, he moved step by step until he stood in front of the orb.

    ¡°Now I just need to concentrate.¡± Jinto closed his eyes and focused on his torso, pouring out the mana his newly awakened fissure produced.

    The orb lit up in a yellow light, and from within, roots began to form.

    One root emerged.

    Another root.

    And finally, a third root appeared.

    Jinto let go of the orb. At once, the orb¡¯s light started to dwindle.

    A mixture of emotions ran through Jinto. He could only smile awkwardly in his mind.

    Earlier, when he awakened his fissure, he had already examined it, realizing what rank he held.

    Although he had planned for more than just this, Heaven disposes. Something is better than nothing.

    So what if it wasn¡¯t a Diamond or Amethyst? I¡¯ll reach my goals no matter the price! Jinto swore in his heart.

    ¡°Jinto Fang, Gold Fissure.¡±

    Jinto closed his eyes and took a deep breath before going back to take his seat.

    ¡°Congratulations, brother, it seems young master Jinto doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree,¡± Kalser said while nodding approvingly.

    Following up, Ralliere said, ¡°Congratulations, brother.¡±

    ¡°Wow! Big brother is amazing. When I grow up, I wanna be a magician too,¡± the little girl said.

    ¡°Haha.¡± Teren laughed heartily. Throughout the ceremony, he had expected his son to have a golden fissure. Since childhood, he had shown enough aptitude to be worthy of it, garnering Teren¡¯s attention.

    ¡°This is a blessing towards the Fang household,¡± Teren said happily.

    The mood from before was gone, replaced by this wave of good news. Why wouldn¡¯t it be?

    The Fang household had gained a newly golden fissure. This was excellent news. Their family reputation would improve slightly, and other opportunities could present themselves. It also made the fighting power of the family much stronger.

    A silver fissure could only hold so much mana, whilst a gold fissure held much more mana, with the absorption of mana stones being much faster. This made them more durable in fights. Not only would casting spells not drain their mana reserves quickly, but they would also replenish them much faster.

    Silver fissures held 20¨C40% mana, whilst gold fissures held 40¨C60% mana. A lower-tier silver fissure magician would be twice as weak as a gold fissure magician in terms of mana capacity. Their obvious advantage could be seen in this aspect.

    ¡°Congratulations, Jinto, a gold fissure¡ªwhat a man,¡± Paul said, nodding approvingly while giving a thumbs up.

    ¡°Man this, man that,¡± Melissa rolled her eyes. Paul tried to say something but was interrupted as Melissa smirked. ¡°A gold fissure is nothing to scoff at,¡± she added.

    Jinto approached the Melissa-Paul duo with a smile forming on his face. ¡°Thank you, guys. To be honest, this is still too jarring,¡± Jinto sighed as he sat back down.

    ¡°Don¡¯t start acting too high and mighty now, Jinto, or we will have to peg you down,¡± Paul teased.

    ¡°You dare not give me face?¡± Jinto teased back, changing the topic. ¡°Soon it¡¯ll be your turn,¡± he said, turning to look at Melissa, who replied with a simple nod.

    The next name was called out.

    ¡°Melissa Fang.¡±

    Melissa stood up, and the youths saw her. She had straight jet-black hair that cascaded to her buttocks. At each side of her hair were two thin French braids that accompanied the rest down. Her simple yellow robes fell to her ankles.

    She stepped forward.

    She placed the stones on the array.

    Once she was done, she poured her mana into the orb, revealing two roots.

    ¡°Melissa Fang, silver fissure,¡± Master Kondle announced as he wrote it down.

    Melissa couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh.

    After some other names were called, Olsen Atmos''s name was called out.

    His extravagant green robes stood out. His well-kept short hair gave an air of elegance.

    Once his results were revealed, it shocked the young clansmen.

    ¡°As expected of young master Olsen.¡±

    ¡°Us insignificant characters can only look up to such people in admiration,¡± a youth sighed.

    ¡°Good, good, Cielo. It seems you have a capable descendant in your hands.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, patriarch,¡± Cielo said, laughing heartily.

    His grandson got nothing other than a Diamond fissure! A 3rd-circle magician was nothing short of guaranteed.

    ¡°It seems this ceremony is not too bad after all,¡± Nero spoke, looking at the arena with deep eyes.

    Olsen, hearing these people talking to him in such a manner, left him satisfied. His grandfather had already prematurely guessed the status of his fissure. Throughout the ceremony, one could say he was the most composed.

    After some time, Paul¡¯s name was called out.

    Revealing two roots indicating a silver fissure.

    With his head a little down, Paul said quietly, ¡°Oh man, just a silver fissure.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t feel too bad. In a battle, mana capacity is just one of the factors, as long as it is an enemy of the same circle,¡± Jinto said, patting Paul¡¯s shoulder to comfort him.

    ¡°Either way, in close combat, I only know five people who would come close to you.¡±

    Paul¡¯s eyes regained some shine. ¡°You¡¯re right, Jinto. So what if I have a silver fissure? As long as I have this body, people will be cowards before me,¡± Paul laughed heartily.

    Nearing the end of the ceremony, a certain youth walked up. His green robes looked a bit scuffed, and his gaze was blurry.

    Once he reached the wooden platform and placed the stones in place, he sat cross-legged in the middle. The array activated, breaking into brilliance. As soon as the array activated, it deactivated in an instant.

    ¡°Oh, this lad,¡± Sarina¡¯s eyes shone.

    Nero¡¯s heart started to palpitate as his gaze turned greedy.

    Cielo and Rosen¡¯s eyes were stupefied, as were the rest of the elders.

    The rate of absorption of mana stones was the fastest out of all the youths present. In their minds, they were already thinking of the results but weren¡¯t able to express them externally.

    The man next to the wooden platform was shocked. The array light disappeared as soon as it lit up.

    If his mouth could physically touch the floor, it would¡¯ve already been going underground!

    The youth opened his eyes. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s it? That was pretty quick.¡±

    He got up and headed for the orb.

    Pouring his mana, roots emerged.

    One root.

    Two roots.

    Three roots.

    Four roots.

    Five roots!

    From the audience, a collective gasp could be heard. All were surprised by the sudden emergence of five roots.

    ¡°Oh Heavens, it seems we truly are blessed!¡± Nero said with a contagious smile, his eyes shining with a light never seen before.

 Legendary Fissure

    The giant orb let out its yellow light that covered the whole arena. From within, five roots emerged. The audience gasped once they saw five roots.

    An amethyst fissure!

    How rare was this? Throughout the world, only a select few would be born with such aptitude.

    From a hundred thousand people, half of them would be mortals. Ten thousand would have silver fissures, two thousand would have gold fissures, five hundred would have diamond fissures, and only one would awaken an amethyst fissure.

    Essentially, it was one in a hundred thousand. Only with such a fissure could one rise to the top of magical society.

    ¡°What?¡± The youth who awakened his fissure couldn¡¯t believe his eyes, so he rubbed them. He thought his eyes were deceiving him, but after rubbing them, the result still stood out: ¡°Five roots¡­ five roots¡­ five¡­¡± The youth couldn¡¯t believe it. In his wildest dreams, he did not expect to have such an awakening. In fact, he had fully expected to be a mortal or to have a low-rank fissure.

    After thinking for some time, excitement grew in his eyes: ¡°Doesn¡¯t this mean my future is bright? Mother¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but think of his mom.

    ¡°Mother, this is our fortune. I swear I¡¯ll find a way to heal you!¡± Vitus¡¯ mind was racing. He, somebody from humble origins, often had to do farm work to help himself get money. His dad had died long ago, with his only family remaining as his mother. But recently, she fell ill. Now, Vitus had to shoulder all the responsibility himself.

    He wanted to cry tears of joy, but he held back. He had suffered too much, only managing to gain fractions of mana stones after weeks of work, when one needed a large sum to hire a doctor.

    ¡°It is frustrating! Too frustrating!¡± Vitus gritted his teeth.

    The youth let go of the orb and stopped pouring his mana into it.

    Master Kondle snapped out of his trance. Even for an expert like him, it was out of his expectations to see a legendary amethyst fissure. Throughout his life, he had only seen it once.

    ¡°Ahh, Vitus Tampa, amethyst fissure,¡± Master Kondle couldn¡¯t hold back the excitement and shock in his voice. It reverberated throughout the arena.

    The spectators that sat to watch the youths take part in the ceremony started to applaud once the announcement came. They all roared with excitement, shouting his name. In just one day, Vitus had become famous. In the following days, his results in the ceremony would spread.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! Somebody actually awakened an amethyst fissure?¡± Olsen couldn¡¯t help but squint at Vitus. His gaze contained jealousy. His results didn¡¯t result in such a reaction from the crowd. From being one of the main characters of the ceremony, he now felt like a side character.

    The youth¡¯s expression was that of shock. Even the proud Gent couldn¡¯t help but feel dejected. He couldn¡¯t help but think back on the words he said, ¡°blessed?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but sigh. If he was truly blessed, he wouldn¡¯t have just a diamond fissure.

    Jinto, not believing his eyes, said, ¡°Melissa, Paul, am I in a dream?¡±

    With her index finger and thumb, Melissa pinched Jinto¡¯s forearm: ¡°No, this isn¡¯t a dream¡­ Now pinch me; this might be a dream,¡± Melissa muttered.

    Paul, sensing the opportunity, pinched her arm.

    ¡°Now, you two, the results are here. This is indeed that legendary fissure! This Vitus guy, he''s truly lucky!¡±

    Jinto¡¯s gaze contained jealousy. Experiencing the sourness of life left him in a crude mood. To think an amethyst fissure would truly emerge. Although Jinto wished for one, it was truly just baseless hope¡ªempty hope that he held no familiarity with. In truth, his greatest hope was to awaken a diamond fissure.

    ...

    ¡°It seems this year''s ceremony truly had some good seeds, indeed!¡± Nero let out his laughter. By the results of Vitus, he was in a great mood.

    ¡°Congratulations, Patriarch.¡±

    ¡°Congratulations, Patriarch.¡±

    The elders¡¯ voices resounded.

    Cielo and Rosen¡¯s minds felt some bitterness. But the other elders were extremely satisfied with the results. The clan lacked an amethyst aptitude. If groomed well, Vitus would be the main pillar of the clan. Prosperity was assured! With Vitus¡¯ appearance, the two elders would not be able to ascend to power, something the rest of the elders were keen on seeing.

    ¡°This lad, Vitus, you guys know what this means.¡± Nero looked deeply at the elders present before continuing: ¡°From now on, he will be under my protection. If you are opposed to this decision, speak now.¡± The elders present wouldn¡¯t dare retort back to the Patriarch. They clearly knew that this was a special circumstance, after all.

    After the death of the young leader, the clan lacked a junior to fulfill the patriarch position. Without one, the clan was surely to decline, turning to the weakest among the clans situated in the Great Verdant Plains. The Lampclaw clan was already overbearing as is, the Celestine clan kept an ambiguous attitude, whilst the Xi clan¡¯s foundation was deep. Lagging behind would only mean the extinction of the Spring name.

    Typically, youths would be recruited to families after graduation. Only when they were full-fledged magicians would they be roped into the structure of the clan.

    ¡°It seems my worries were for naught. The heavens truly are mysterious. We won¡¯t commit the same mistake as last time. This seed must fully germinate into a tree that can support the whole of the clan,¡± Nero commanded.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Those bastards from the Lampclaw clan! Hmph! Someday they will pay twofold for what they did,¡± Rosen brought up past grievances.

    At once, the elders¡¯ expressions slightly tensed. The young leader¡¯s death remained ambiguous, but from the investigation of the Spring Clan, it all pointed to one culprit: the Lampclaw clan!

    ¡°They¡¯re too overbearing, daring to extort our clan too?¡± Cielo spoke up. Back in the day during a beast tide, two elders fell into a critical state. The Lampclaw clan took them in and demanded five thousand mana stones in compensation. This was truly a blow of humiliation they suffered.

    Nero¡¯s face blackened a little. In a cold tone, he spoke: ¡°Our clan will never forget nor forgive! But first, we must accumulate strength. The clan¡¯s decline has been evident in these past centuries. Only with sufficient force would there be a chance to retaliate. We will remember the humiliation in our hearts; only when it¡¯s the right time will we strike.¡±

    ...

    ¡°Since the death of the young leader, this lad was the only one to awaken an amethyst fissure. In my past life, he was fully supported to become the young leader. He came from a humble household, his benevolence was widely known in the clan, to the point I, a simple servant, heard such rumors.¡±

    ¡°He was truly the clan patriarch''s only hope for an adequate leader. If such a person didn¡¯t rise, those clan elders¡¯ descendants with diamond fissures would¡¯ve gotten the resources instead, forcefully breaking through the 4th-circle. I¡¯m sure those regular elders are pleased to not see a faction gain any more power than it already has.

    ¡°An amethyst fissure¡ªonly one blessed by the heavens would unlock one. Even I awakened a mediocre fissure. It took too long to raise the aptitude of it and break free from the limitations.¡± Sarina¡¯s red eyes deeply analyzed the situation whilst reminiscing about her past life.

    Sarina squinted her eyes. ¡°To awaken my fissure in the clan would be extremely hard. The clan guards Heaven¡¯s Spring, only letting elders and those with special circumstances in. Furthermore, I am a servant without bloodline ties to the clan. Before this clan faces its destruction, I must reach the 3rd-circle.¡±

    ...

    The youths could not speak. Seeing the grandiose amethyst fissure, they could only look in admiration at the one who possessed it.

    All eyes locked onto Vitus. He felt weird being in the spotlight for the first time. He was used to being a nuisance to others. But now his presence had switched in just an instant.

    Feeling the prestige, Vitus bowed. ¡°I hope we can all be friends from now on!¡±

    The gazes of the young clansmen eased a little, seeing that this genius was more appealing to look at.

    ¡°I hope in the future Brother Vitus has a harem!¡±

    ¡°Brother Vitus truly is magnanimous!¡±

    ¡°I wish for this brother to have a long-lasting life.¡±

    The youths exclaimed their good wishes.

    Master Hector looked at the scene with a smile on his face, thinking that this genius wasn¡¯t too bad to look at either. He knew that, even if it wasn''t on purpose, Vitus had lowered himself to a status similar to the youths present, making the bitterness and jealousy in their hearts calm down greatly. By also putting forth an amicable attitude instead of arrogance, he made the youths think good thoughts about him.

    Vitus sat back down with a complex expression on his face. ¡°This is still too weird! I, Vitus, have an amethyst fissure?¡± He simply couldn¡¯t believe it, but the evidence presented itself.

    Vitus took deep breaths to calm himself down. Too many thoughts collided in his mind. His head was starting to hurt from the sheer number of them.

    Three more names were called to awaken their fissures, and with that, all the youths had gone through the ceremony.

    The ceremony had concluded.

    The patriarch gave a resounding speech concluding the event. The young clansmen bowed as they exclaimed their thanks to the patriarch while the audience applauded.

    ...

    Sarina¡¯s room.

    She inspected herself in the tiny handheld mirror. Her deep crimson eyes were one of the things people would notice first about her. She had pale skin, plump lips, and a birthmark situated at the top of her upper lip. Her hair, styled with curtain bangs, flowed down onto her chest.

    In terms of looks, she was good-looking. It also helped that she had a birthmark. The people believed that a birthmark on the face emphasized beauty and good luck.

    Sarina was currently sixteen years old.

    She searched her closet, where four outfits revealed themselves. It was two maid attires, a casual simple dress, and a sleeping garment.

    ¡°If I remember correctly, my savings should be here.¡± Sarina searched for about four minutes before finding a pouch hidden amongst a crevice in the closet.

    She took up the candle and pouch with both hands, respectively, going to a small desk that sat next to a window.

    It was currently the evening. After the ceremony ended, she accompanied the Fang family. She finished her duties and was currently off her shift for the day.

    All maids lived in the Fang house on the first floor. The rooms were quite small but not too small¡ªbetter than what mortals could afford. The matron¡¯s room was the biggest, being twice the size of the room that Sarina was currently in.

    She opened the pouch and let out all of its contents. Many pieces of rock spilled onto the desk. The sound of rocks hitting wood resounded throughout the room.

    She counted them.

    In total, there were sixteen pieces of stone. The rule was that generally, mortals would gain mana stones in fractions. The fraction was limited to eight pieces, so the minimum threshold of what a mortal could gain was one-eighth of a mana stone.

    In total, Sarina had two complete mana stones. In order to awaken her fissure, she would need at least four of them.

    Her mortal status limited her a lot. She was seen as useless and unworthy by the clan members, only being a servant.

    She was not allowed to awaken a fissure. If she were found out, she would be executed.

    Clans kept a clear divide in the hierarchy between them and their mortals. The clans guarded and protected them whilst the mortals provided minimal work such as farming or building. They would not like to see a magician arise among the mortals.

    Mortals were seen as cattle, and they knew their status. Any possible rebellion would be halted immediately.

    Sarina had to awaken her fissure secretly. But first, she would need to gather sufficient funds.

    She wasn¡¯t too worried about the connection to Heaven''s Spring. Unorthodox methods to awaken a fissure existed, although rare and risky. Sarina had no other choice.

    She reorganized every detail she remembered from her time in the clan. Her mind was sharpened through many life experiences and methods. Although it was impossible to remember everything that happened in her past life, she remembered crucial details.

    But at the rate she gained fractions of mana stones, it would take months before she reached four completed mana stones.

    She thought of extortion or blackmail but quickly dismissed those thoughts. She had no grounds to blackmail or extort. For now, she was a mortal without sufficient backing. Everything would crumble.

    If a Spring clansman where to falsely accuse her of a crime, the clan would not bother to investigate and would rapidly punish her. So she chose the most stable method.

    In order to break through to the 3rd-circle, she needed to awaken her fissure quickly.

    She had already formulated a plan in mind.

 Chapter 6: Please Write, Kylina

    The morning rays accumulate in the sky.

    The frogs croak and the birds fly.

    The night-bright moon slowly disappears,

    And the giant sun suddenly appears.

    Before the sun appeared, Sarina had already been awake. The duties of a maid started before the day began.

    She stood in her small room wearing her sleeping garment. It was a long, simple white nightgown that covered her entire body. On her feet, she wore soft leather slippers that looked incredibly ugly.

    She walked across the wooden floor that made up the Fang household, reached her closet, and took out her servant outfit. It included a bodice, apron, cap, long skirt, and leather latchet shoes.

    Sarina took off her nightgown and put on her undergarments before wearing her maid attire. Sarina placed her nightgown neatly into her closet, then went towards the door and touched its knob to open it. She closed the door behind her and walked in a certain direction. She knocked on a door, and a voice came from inside.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m awake, Sarina. Wait up a bit.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    She then turned around and saw a figure wearing the same attire as her. It was Lisa.

    In total, the Fang household had three maids corresponding to each of the elders of the house: Teren, Kalser, and Ralliere. Sarina attended to Teren, Kylina attended to Kalser, and Lisa attended to Ralliere.

    The Matron overlooked them and their duties, assigning tasks as the most senior maid. She handled the personal affairs of the three masters.

    In truth, the three maids had two main responsibilities: household duties and catering to the young masters of the family. The maids did not always have to attend to one master respectively; they were flexible with their assignments. Duties associated with a branch of the Fang family would mostly fall to the maid assigned to that branch.

    ¡°Good morning, Lisa,¡± Sarina sighed. ¡°Ready to start the day?¡±

    ¡°Oh, if it isn''t Miss Daydreamer,¡± Lisa said with a light chuckle.

    In response, Sarina waved her hand in an exaggerated motion with an expression of defeat. ¡°Please, don''t remind me.¡±

    ¡°Haha, didn¡¯t Miss Matron say you wouldn''t be a proper maid if you kept it up?¡± Lisa couldn''t contain her laughter.

    Behind her, the voice from the closed door started to laugh too.

    Before the awakening ceremony, when Sarina returned, she had entered a trance where the Matron had to call her name three times before reprimanding her. Lisa and Kylina, who were at the side, had seen the scene but wouldn¡¯t dare laugh in front of the Matron.

    Sarina expressed an irritated look and put her index finger to her lips. ¡°Silence. She will hear us. You know how she gets if we make too much noise.¡±

    The voice behind the door stopped laughing as she said that, and Lisa quickly covered her mouth with both hands.

    The three maids were naturally close with each other. Bonds of friendship grew after being in close proximity for years. It didn¡¯t help either that they were similar in age: Lisa being the oldest at twenty years old, Kylina at eighteen, and Sarina the youngest.

    The door flung open, and Kylina¡¯s figure appeared.

    ¡°You finally showed up, eh? Any more time taken and I would¡¯ve reported you to Miss Matron,¡± Lisa teased.

    ¡°Okay, we are all ready to report for our activities.¡±

    The three of them walked to a certain door. Lisa, who was in front, knocked lightly. The voice behind the door resonated.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    Lisa opened the door, and the two maids followed behind, greeting the Matron in a polite manner.

    Inside the room, the Matron sat at a desk writing something.

    ¡°Good morning to all of you. We have a shortage of meat. Sarina and Lisa, go to the market and buy ten pounds of meat along with some ingredients. Here is the list.¡±

    The Matron got up and handed a sheet of paper to them.

    ¡°After making breakfast for our masters, we will start to do laundry, patch up the flowers in the garden, polish furniture¡­¡± The Matron gave a list of tasks to complete during the day.

    The life of a maid was not one to take lightly. Taking care of the house and catering to their masters left the maids with little time to themselves.

    After some light cleaning of the house, Sarina and Lisa set out to the food market. Lisa had in hand the piece of paper the Matron gave her, as well as a pouch containing pieces of mana stones.

    Five pounds of meat generally cost one piece of a mana stone, while other miscellaneous ingredients, such as fresh herbs or legumes, cost less per pound.

    The food market wasn''t far from the house; it was seven blocks away.

    On the streets, kids could be seen playing around. They played with a ball on the ground, touching it with their feet. It was a popular sport in the region known as Gogoal, in which a team of eleven competed against another team of eleven to see who could put the ball in the basket the most.

    Spring Clan members and mortals could be seen going in and out of the streets, attending to their matters.

    Lisa and Sarina walked, the rays of morning brilliance shining on the cobblestone road.

    ¡°As per the list, we need to buy some lamb and pork, tomatoes, carrots, celery, and peppers¡­¡± Lisa read the list in her hand.

    ¡°That¡¯s gonna be quite heavy,¡± Sarina said in turn.

    Lisa shrugged her arms. ¡°Well, what can we do? If it''s too heavy, let this big sister handle it for you.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Sarina smiled. ¡°I''ll count on you then.¡±

    A while later, they returned to the house with bags in their hands.

    They entered the kitchen, located on the first floor, and started to take out the food they had just bought.

    ¡°Keep about two pounds of lamb and throw the rest into the cooler,¡± Lisa commanded.

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Sarina took out the majority of the meat, placing it into portions of about one pound each, wrapping it in a leaf, and then placing them into the cooler artifact. It was common for people to store meats and other fresh foods in leaves before placing them into a cooler artifact.

    Cooler artifacts had two compartments: one for freezing and one for cooling. Their shape was similar to that of a closet, having two doors for each compartment. Artifacts such as coolers functioned based on mana stones or people¡¯s mana.

    After storing the food, Sarina and Lisa started to cook a lamb stew for breakfast, accompanied by some toast. Kylina arrived shortly to help the two.

    The Matron did not show up as she had gone to the upper floor to attend to the Fang patriarch and company.

    Their day started earlier than the young masters'', as they had to manage affairs in the Fang hotel business.

    Before the food was ready to serve, Sarina and Kylina set out to wake up the young masters who slept on the second floor of the house.

    Sarina first decided to wake up the young missy, Lily, the youngest daughter of the Fang patriarch.

    Sarina opened the door to find a little girl sleeping soundly on her back.

    ¡°Good morning, young missy,¡± Sarina said, pinching her cheek lightly.

    Lily slowly opened her eyes, her vision blurry at first, but gradually gaining focus on her surroundings.

    ¡°Big sister Sarina!¡± Lily said joyfully, leaping out of bed to hug Sarina¡¯s waist.

    Sarina patted her head. ¡°Good morning, young missy. You¡¯re as cute as ever. Now, let¡¯s get you showered.¡±

    ¡°Okay! Also, big sister, did you get the flowers I like?¡± Lily looked up at Sarina with innocent eyes.

    ¡°Hmm, we were planning to patch up the garden a bit. Why don¡¯t we go to the floral shop later and pick out what you like?¡±

    ¡°Alright, that sounds like a plan.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s wake up the young master, and then I¡¯ll prepare you a hot bath.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, okay,¡± Lily said, her face contorting into a mischievous smile.

    Entering Jinto¡¯s room, Sarina and Lily walked in together. Before Sarina could gently wake Jinto, Lily suddenly jumped onto him.

    Sarina gasped in surprise.

    Jinto, who had been sound asleep, woke abruptly, his closed eyes flying open. Lily¡¯s jump into his stomach caused his legs to jerk upward before slamming back down. Recognizing his attacker, Jinto groaned. ¡°Ouch, Lily! That hurt. I¡¯m going to get you for this one!¡±

    Sarina quickly pulled Lily to her side and apologized. ¡°Sorry, young master. I shouldn¡¯t have let this happen.¡± She bowed repeatedly.

    Jinto waved dismissively. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Would you like me to dress you, young master?¡± Sarina asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s too embarrassing. Please, leave it to me.¡±

    ¡°But that would undermine my duties as your servant, young master!¡± Sarina retorted.

    Jinto got up from his bed and patted Sarina¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I appreciate it, Sarina, truly, but I can handle this on my own.¡±

    Sarina let out a sigh. ¡°If that¡¯s what the young master wants... Please let me know if you change your mind. With that said, breakfast will be ready in a few hours. I¡¯ll serve you some tea in the meantime.¡±

    Jinto couldn¡¯t help but feel moved by Sarina¡¯s dutiful and unyielding loyalty. This was exactly what Sarina wanted to see. Demonstrating reliability and resoluteness in her tasks was part of her plan. She wanted the Fang family to view her as dependable and capable. Her status was too lowly; among her fellow maids, she was the most junior, having worked the least number of years in the household. With a rise in reputation, her position would inevitably improve, providing her with more opportunities.

    Jinto nodded in acknowledgment. Sarina excused herself, holding the young missy¡¯s hand.

    ¡­

    The maids had completed most of their morning duties. Sarina and Lily made their way to the floral shop. Sarina had informed the Matron beforehand that she would accompany the young missy to pick flowers for the garden. The Matron approved and gave her two pieces of mana stones.

    At the shop, Lily picked tulips, orchids, roses, and lotuses.

    As they neared the house, Sarina exclaimed, ¡°Oh, excuse me, young missy, I seem to have forgotten something.¡±

    Lily raised her brow. ¡°Big sister, what did you forget?¡±

    ¡°Nothing too important, young missy. It¡¯s a surprise.¡±

    ¡°Let me accompany you to the house. I¡¯ll arrive shortly, young missy.¡±

    Sarina¡¯s vague response piqued Lily¡¯s interest. ¡°Let¡¯s see what this big sister is hiding, then.¡± Lily squinted her eyes in suspicion.

    The duo arrived at the house, placing the newly bought flowers in the garden as placeholders. Sarina then excused herself and left.

    Sarina went to a bookstore five streets away in the inner heart of the Spring estate and bought two books, some ink, and two quills for a total of two mana stones. On her way back, she bought dumplings from a restaurant, spending an additional mana stone.

    As a maid, Sarina had very little free time, with only short breaks here and there, including lunch. If she went out without a proper explanation and the Matron found out, she would be reprimanded. Thus, she used the excuse of buying flowers to purchase what she needed.

    Arriving back at the house, Sarina placed the books and supplies in her room before giving the dumplings to the young missy.

    ¡°Big sister is the best! So, this was what you were trying to hide, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Sarina nodded. ¡°I wanted to surprise you since you¡¯re so cute.¡± She smiled and patted Lily¡¯s head.

    ¡°But big sister, you didn¡¯t have to spend your money¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I did it of my own volition. Just see it as my gift. Well, young missy, I¡¯ll have to attend to my duties. Please excuse me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, by the way, the Matron asked where you were. I said you forgot something and would come back shortly.¡±

    ¡°I see. What did she say in response?¡±

    ¡°She just shook her head and excused herself,¡± Lily replied.

    ¡°Thank you for covering for this servant.¡±

    ¡°Yup, no problem.¡± Lily gave her a thumbs-up and smiled.

    After excusing herself, Sarina, alongside the other maids, changed into outfits appropriate for gardening. They removed the wilting flowers, weeds, and undesirable plants from the garden, then replaced them with the newly bought flowers.

    ¡­

    Night descended.

    Sarina went to find Kylina, carrying the two books in hand.

    She found her in the servants¡¯ hall¡ªa space where the domestic workers of the household ate and spent their leisure time. The maids rarely retreated to their rooms during the day, as it was considered disrespectful. Private quarters were strictly for sleeping, and staying there during work hours was seen as slacking.

    This routine worked to Sarina¡¯s advantage. She had only returned a day ago, and her memory of the time period was still fuzzy. Conversing with the maids helped her confirm the current date and events. She had already checked the calendar earlier. The current time was March 21st of the year 9,665,966, according to the Heavenly Calendar¡ªcreated by the first human, Sirius.

    The Heavenly Testament has long been debated by scholars. Some believed it to be a legend, while others argued it was historical truth. This debate had spanned millions of years with no conclusion. The Heavenly Testament depicted a world filled with absurd wonders¡ªmagic that seemed to speak, fantastical characters, and unfathomable abilities. These elements made it feel more like fiction than reality. Yet, despite its fantastical nature, the Heavenly Testament showcased the wonders of the world, left profound messages, and contained methods that remained undiscovered even after millions of years. Regardless of its authenticity, historians unanimously agreed on its profound significance.

    ¡°Hey, Kylina, I got something for you,¡± Sarina said.

    ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± Kylina asked.

    Sarina took out a book, a quill, and a glass container of ink.

    ¡°A book? What do I need that for?¡±

    ¡°A kind stranger told me that writing one¡¯s thoughts throughout the day helps alleviate stress, regulate mood, and improve the process of dealing with difficult emotions. He insisted on buying me these things. He was too kind and persistent, so I ended up with two.¡± Sarina smiled.

    ¡°Uhh, hey Sarina, you¡¯ve already found a lover, haven¡¯t you?¡± Kylina smirked, wiggling her eyebrows.

    Sarina blushed. ¡°Hey! It wasn¡¯t like that. Anyways, look.¡±

    Sarina opened one of the books. Inside, a page detailed her thoughts during the day¡¯s menial labor.

    ¡°I think he was right. I do feel a little relaxed, and my mood has improved. You should try it. I got these books for free, so it would be a waste not to use them!¡± Sarina encouraged.

    Kylina skimmed the page. ¡°Maybe I should give it a try. If it¡¯s working for you, what¡¯s the harm in writing?¡±

    ¡°See?¡± Sarina said, placing the book, quill, and ink in front of Kylina. ¡°They¡¯re all yours.¡±

    ¡°Look, why don¡¯t you write something down?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Kylina opened the book, removed the lid from the ink container, dipped the quill, and began to write.

    After a couple of minutes, she stopped and said, ¡°This is quite enjoyable. Thank you, Sarina, for the materials.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡ªit was free, after all,¡± Sarina said with a smile.

    Sarina smiled coldly in her heart. This was exactly what she wanted to see. Unbeknownst to Kylina, she had already sealed her fate.

 Chapter 7: Under the Crescent Moon the Monster Plans

    A week had passed since the awakening ceremony.

    ¡°Magic was born as an imitation of nature and its wonders. Long ago, ancient magicians studied nature itself to discover its inner workings. Through repeated research, they managed to replicate nature via spells,¡± the academy instructor, Master Hector, explained.

    After he finished explaining, he opened his palm, and a whirling tornado, measuring one meter in height, appeared.

    The students present were in awe, listening intently to what Master Hector carefully explained. Not long ago, they had awakened their fissures, marking them on the path of magicians. This lesson was extremely important.

    ¡°Our Spring Clan specializes in wind magic. This is a basic 2nd-circle spell our clan has created after generations of research.¡±

    The spinning tornado shrank tightly, becoming a fist-sized ball of wind.

    ¡°Different from the common wind tornado spell, our clan has modified and expanded upon it, creating a brand-new spell exclusive to the clan. This spell lets the user manipulate the wind into a tornado or a ball, making it versatile in combat.¡±

    The fist-sized wind ball then transformed back into a tornado.

    ¡°This is just a small demonstration to give you an idea. 2nd-circle spells are grander than this,¡± Master Hector said, waving his hand as the tornado disappeared.

    ¡°Spells are what separate us, magicians, from mortals. We are able to wield a small portion of nature as we desire. That said, spells need four core factors in order to function.¡±

    ¡°First of all, there must be sufficient mana in order to cast a spell. Mana acts as the fuel to propel a spell. If there¡¯s no fuel, the resulting spell will fail, and you¡¯ll suffer backlash. At best, you¡¯ll receive a slight injury; at worst, the backlash of a spell could result in death.¡±

    ¡°The second most important thing in casting a spell is mana flow. Without the proper mana flow throughout your body, the resulting cast will end in backlash. For example, the spell I just demonstrated required me to channel my mana from my fissure to my palm. Mana veins exist in those who have awakened a fissure. Naturally, after five days of awakening a fissure, mana veins will form throughout the body, rooting from the fissure.¡±

    ¡°Thirdly, it is intent. Without proper intent, the casting will fail. It is key to have a clear mind when casting. Emotions such as fear or anger can interfere with the casting.

    ¡°And fourthly, visualization. Without a clear image in your mind, casting a spell will result in backlash. Having a clear, structured image and knowledge of the spell''s capabilities ensures the casting goes smoothly.¡±

    ¡°Keeping these four factors in mind can a magician ensure smooth sailing of the spell. Any questions?¡±

    A student raised his hand. ¡°Like magician ranks, are there spell ranks too?¡±

    ¡°Yes, magicians¡¯ ranks go from 1st-circle, 2nd-circle, and so on until the 9th-circle. So do spells. Magicians of a corresponding circle will require a proper spell to display their power.¡±

    ¡°If a low-level circle magician were to use a spell of a higher circle, it would result in failure in most cases, mainly due to insufficient mana. If many low-level magicians were to use the same spell collectively, then it would be possible to release such a spell.¡±

    ¡°On the other hand, releasing a low-class spell as a high-circle magician would be akin to a declawed ferocious beast.¡±

    ¡°As for those spells and magicians ranging from the 6th-circle to the 9th, they are things of legend. Our clan has only seen spells and magicians up to the 5th-circle. Our clan ancestor was an established 5th-circle magician back in his day, followed by the past four clan leaders.¡±

    ¡°As for learning higher-circle spells, it will depend on talent.¡±

    Once he said that, all the youths cast their eyes on Vitus, the holder of an amethyst fissure.

    Even Jinto couldn¡¯t help but turn his eyes to him.

    Vitus couldn¡¯t help but feel weird, being in the spotlight again. All the gazes made him feel uncomfortable. But he knew they weren¡¯t malicious, and as a holder of a legendary fissure, it was only natural for people to be in awe of him. He reaffirmed his mind not to bother with such things.

    Master Hector continued, ¡°Fissures are ranked from Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Amethyst. Each increment increases in rarity. Bronze fissures cover 10-20% of the mana sea. Those with them will be stuck in the 1st-circle for all their lives. Silver fissures cover 21-40% of the mana sea and have the possibility of breaking through to the 2nd-circle if their mana sea reaches 35%. Gold fissures cover 41-60% of the mana sea. They are guaranteed to break through to the 2nd-circle with the possibility of reaching the 3rd-circle if their mana sea reaches 55%. Diamond fissures cover 61-80% of the mana sea. They are guaranteed to reach the 3rd-circle with the chance of breaking through to the 4th-circle. And finally, Amethyst fissures, covering 81-100% of the mana sea, the highest-ranked fissure, have the chance to break through to the 5th-circle.¡±

    The students with low-ranked fissures felt their faces darken. Destined with a low-ranked fissure, their future potential would be small.

    ¡°With my gold fissure, becoming a 2nd-circle magician wouldn¡¯t be a problem at all. The problem is the 3rd-circle. My mana sea capacity is a little below 55%. If I were to use mana stones to continually absorb mana, would I be able to reach it?¡± Jinto contemplated in his mind.

    ¡°Jinto, you sure are lucky. Us with silver fissures can only be in the 1st-circle,¡± Paul said with a defeated look.

    Melissa looked to her side and retorted, ¡°Didn¡¯t you listen? We have the possibility of going toward the 2nd-circle. Furthermore, our parents are all in the 2nd-circle, so it¡¯s practically guaranteed we¡¯ll break through.¡±

    Paul¡¯s face brightened a little.

    Jinto added, ¡°Furthermore, you can just check your mana sea.¡±

    Paul closed his eyes. After a few seconds, he said in a satisfied tone, ¡°My fissure covers 38%. Haha, I was worried for nothing.¡±

    ¡°We will meet in a week from now. Your very first homework during this break is to learn a basic 1st-circle spell. The student who has the most proficiency with this spell will be awarded a sum of four mana stones. Now, let me explain. The spell is¡­¡±

    Master Hector explained the spell in detail. It was a 1st-circle spell called Wind Blade. He explained where to channel the mana from and how the spell should be envisioned.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    The students'' focus was glued to the board on which the Master wrote. Whoever had the best proficiency would be awarded a handsome sum of four mana stones. The youths'' minds went rampant.

    If Vitus could salivate like a wild dog seeing a female dog in heat, he would. His life, riddled with hardships, had never had more than a single complete mana stone in hand. He wanted to gain these four mana stones to save up for his sick mother.

    Master Hector was satisfied with this result. Incentives like this always motivated the public. To the students, four mana stones was quite a sum, but for the clan, it was nothing but crumbs.

    Like they say, give a stray dog crumbs continually, and they will follow you. They would continually rely on you.

    Subconsciously, through rewards, the students would desire to strive for more, boosting the efficiency of its members.

    Those who offered no value would be discarded. Only those with skills would be awarded. Promotions were an indicator of this. At the sight of benefits, people could only strive for more, leaving behind those undeserving of the position.

    Not only was efficiency guaranteed but also loyalty. High positions came as a self-made prison. If one were to go against the clan, they would be stripped of their benefits. Nobody in their right mind would willingly let that happen.

    Only short-sighted individuals would. But competitiveness would weed them out, leaving only competent individuals.

    Master Hector was an example of this. Being an established 2nd-circle magician, he chose this profession with the dream of becoming the principal of the academy. Why? Because with the position came an increase in reputation, power, and wealth.

    He was a dog looking for crumbs upon which the clan system as a whole was set up. But what if he knew? He was already too far deep into the system. He couldn¡¯t help but rely on the clan for a comfortable life.

    This was not a bad thing. In this world, survival was a luxury. Only by raising excellent individuals loyal to the clan could the clan survive the rampant Winds of Time.

    ¡­

    It was a rather calm day in the Fang Household.

    The young masters were absent, being at the academy, leaving behind the small young Missy of the family.

    The maids today had their workload eased up a little. Nonetheless, there was still work to be done.

    At the end of each week, the maids would be paid a sum of two pieces of mana stones.

    This may seem low, but as a maid, a roof over her head and food were benefits of the job. Essentially, living as a maid had more benefits than a simple mortal job.

    Sarina had spent a sum of her savings already. The book, quills, and ink had cost her two pieces of mana stones, while the dumplings she bought for the young Missy cost her an additional piece.

    Originally, she had sixteen pieces. Now she had fifteen mana stones.

    During a break, Sarina headed to the agriculture shop. She finally had enough time to do what she needed to do. The shop was quite far from the house, located toward the outskirts of the clan estate. It was positioned there as farmers working in the outskirts were its main customers.

    Sarina¡¯s leather shoes trampled upon the cobblestone road, crossing many streets until she found herself in front of her destination.

    When she entered the shop, an earthy, floral smell seeped into her nostrils. There were a few people scavenging in the shop. Some were mortals, while others wore the same attire as Sarina. In total, there were five people, either looking over the farming equipment or herbs.

    Those esteemed young ladies would order maids to collect fragrant herbs to place in baths, for perfumes, candles, etc. Such herbs were high in demand all year round.

    Through the halls of the shop, farming equipment and dried herbs were on display; after all, this was the agriculture shop, selling everything from farming equipment to plant seeds and herbs.

    Sarina went toward the counter, where a man in his mid-twenties operated.

    ¡°Excuse me, does your esteemed shop sell Cloudvine root and RedLeaf berry seeds?¡±

    ¡°We have stock on Cloudvine root as well as RedLeaf berry seeds. You came just at the right time. Due to the winter season ending, a massive stock of RedLeaf berries was left behind. We produced too much this year. Since it is not in season yet, the demand is quite poor, so we are looking¡­¡±

    The clerk hoped Sarina would buy up the remaining stock. Obviously, based on her attire, she must work for some sort of established family within the clan. If the lord Sarina represented was interested in these goods, he wouldn¡¯t pass over the chance to make the most profit.

    Sarina interrupted and got to the point: ¡°Yes, I get it. So I assume that they must be on discount?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°How much would it be in total, then?¡±

    ¡°Originally, RedLeaf berry seeds can be sold from one hundred seeds to one piece of mana stone. Now I can give you five hundred for two pieces.¡±

    Sarina waved her hand and shook her head. ¡°No need, I¡¯ll just get the hundred seeds per mana stone.¡±

    The clerk felt a little bitter at Sarina¡¯s refusal.

    ¡°If it¡¯s fine with you, so be it. The Cloudvine root is one piece per pound.¡±

    Sarina took out her pouch, removed two pieces of mana stone, and placed them on the counter.

    The clerk took them and went toward the back. After two minutes or so of waiting, he returned with two bags and put them in front of Sarina.

    Sarina checked the RedLeaf seeds and Cloudvine root and nodded.

    She needed these materials in the best condition for what she was about to do.

    The clerk waited patiently as Sarina inspected. He had no qualms about Sarina inspecting in front of him. He was confident in the quality. Furthermore, she represented an esteemed lord who would only want the best.

    Once he saw Sarina stop and nod in satisfaction, he spoke: ¡°Thank you for shopping with us.¡±

    Sarina took the bags and left the store. Now she was heading to the food market.

    She bought Frostflower nectar for one piece. It was a sweet, syrupy substance with a particular taste, different from regular cane sugar. It was used for certain sweet desserts, creating a unique flavor.

    Sarina arrived at the Fang household. Her day had not ended. The young masters had arrived from the academy and needed attending.

    From cooking to cleaning to arranging, Sarina caught up with Lisa and Kylina while at work.

    Night soon befell, and Sarina¡¯s room was cloaked in darkness. She lit a candle, the soft glow illuminating her modest space. Moving to the small desk by the window, she pulled out the simple wooden chair and sat down.

    Reaching into her pouch, she took a handful of RedLeaf seeds and placed them in a bowl. With a smooth stone, she began grinding them into powder. The rhythmic scraping echoed through the room, and a faint, earthy scent seeped from the seeds. Gradually, they turned into a light reddish powder.

    ¡°That should be sufficient,¡± she murmured, her voice barely audible.

    Her hands, tired from the effort, trembled slightly. Her weak physique made the task more taxing than expected. A sheen of sweat glistened on her fingers, now flushed red from gripping the stone too tightly.

    Under the pretext of cooking for herself, she boiled a portion of Cloudvine root. The soft bubbling of the water filled the quiet room as she waited for the syrup to concentrate. Cloudvine root was commonly prepared this way, known for its nutritious and medicinal properties.

    Once the syrup was ready, she poured it into the bowl with the powdered seeds. Finally, she added a drizzle of Frostflower nectar, the sweet aroma masking the bitterness beneath.

    Her purpose for these ingredients?

    Poison.

    Cloudvine root syrup was harmless on its own, even beneficial. But when paired with the bitterness of RedLeaf seeds and balanced by the sweetness of the nectar, it became something lethal¡ªa tasteless poison.

    The mixture needed time. It would ferment in a dark place for at least a day before she could boil it into a solid and grind it into a fine powder.

    After twenty minutes, her work was complete. Sarina extinguished the candle, plunging the room back into darkness. She carefully wrapped the bowl in cloth and tucked it securely under her bed.

    Pausing for a moment, she turned to the window. The crescent moon hung high in the sky, its pale light shimmering against the backdrop of stars. Little and big, they sparkled with brilliance, while the faint clouds gleamed like silver threads.

    It was a beautiful night.

    Specks of starlight reflected in her eyes as she stared into the heavens. But slowly, her gaze drifted back to the darkness. A ruthless light flickered in her eyes, cold and unyielding.

 Chapter 8: Friendly Wager

    Academy Training Grounds

    The grounds were spacious, the floor yellow with greyish specks as it contained gravel.

    The academy grounds had three main buildings. One was the academy itself, where young clansmen studied, the next was the arena, where events and competitions were held, and lastly, the training grounds that were open to each student.

    Students could be seen around the training ground. On one side, there were black-wood mannequins made out of Black Spirit Tree, a sturdy tree. The wood of this tree had rock-like properties, its wood being as solid and sturdy as it looked.

    Jinto stood there, placing his right arm forward, facing a black-wood mannequin he had positioned earlier. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

    ¡°The mana should flow from the fissure to the shoulder, forearm, hand, followed by the thumb going subsequently to the pinky. It should be not too fast but not slow either.¡±

    ¡°The concept of the spell should be a crescent-like piece of condensed wind that has hard edges and is transparent in nature. Measuring about a meter in length, and its width being half a meter,¡± Jinto said inwardly, remembering the contents of the spell Master Hector had given him previously. To make sure students remembered the contents of the spell, Master Hector had given every single one of them a sheet of paper containing its details.

    The wind blew. His green robes basked in the air, moving randomly in contrast to Jinto, who remained as still as a rock.

    Swoosh.

    Out of Jinto¡¯s right hand, a crescent-like object flew out rapidly. If anything stood in its way, they would feel the sound of the piercing wind in their ears. The object had sharp, pointy ends, and at its front, it was curved.

    It was approaching the black-wood mannequin, but suddenly, the Wind Blade lost its speed, further plunging down. It kept losing its speed until it hit the ground with a soft sound, the spell dismantled.

    Jinto nodded in satisfaction. ¡°It seems with a couple of tries I would be able to hit it six meters. Next time, I should slightly increase the flow of mana following the connection between the ring and the pinky finger. Maybe that way it should go faster.¡±

    Jinto was eager to practice his spell. As soon as the training ground opened to the students, he had gone by, dragging Melissa and Paul with him.

    Open to any student, the training ground was an excellent place to train skills.

    Jinto looked around. He could see all his fellow students practicing the spell Master Hector had given them. Some were re-reading the sheet he had handed out, making sure nothing went wrong with the casting. Some assumed the same pose as Jinto, releasing the spell into the mannequin.

    He fixed his gaze on a student who was to his left. Jinto thought for a second before remembering her name. She was one of the first ones to awaken her fissure, a silver fissure¡ªAldering.

    Unlike Jinto, she stood four meters away from the mannequin. He watched as she concentrated.

    Swoosh.

    The spell was released. Unlike Jinto¡¯s, her Wind Blade was slightly bigger than his, but it was slower.

    ¡°Master Hector told us that as long as you keep in mind the core components of a spell, making small alterations isn''t impossible. The key to this aspect is to not overly change the spell; otherwise, the visualization and mana flow would need to change as well. If not done correctly, the only outcome would be a failure in the casting.¡±

    The Wind Blade hit the mannequin, resulting in a small dent on its chest.

    Aldering gave a triumphant smile.

    He then looked at another student. His green robes were neatly adorned, and he had his hair in a ponytail that cascaded to the end of his torso. It was none other than Gent.

    Swoosh.

    He released the spell, hitting the target. The mannequin slightly cracked from its chest under the pressure as little pieces fell out of it. Although Jinto didn¡¯t like Gent much, he had to give his praises internally. Gent was standing farther from the mannequin than Jinto could reach, while also fracturing the mannequin.

    ¡°Everybody is working hard.¡±

    Jinto wasn''t the only one trying to achieve proficiency with the spell; others were too. Looking at the students, his progress was in the middle.

    ¡°Indeed, everyone is. Look, I managed to hit the mannequin standing four meters away from it. Brother Jinto, catch up if you can.¡± Paul kept raising his eyebrows as he talked.

    ¡°Ehh, how do I break this to you...¡± Jinto had already managed to hit it from that far. What he aimed for was six meters.

    ¡°Shush,¡± Melissa beckoned as she aimed her palm at a mannequin.

    Paul and Jinto turned to where she was.

    Swoosh.

    With a flick of her wrist, she cast successfully. The fast Wind Blade hit the mannequin''s right shoulder, causing a big dent in it, deforming the shoulder of the mannequin.

    Melissa jumped joyfully. ¡°See? See? Hehe, seven meters,¡± Melissa boasted.

    Paul and Jinto looked at each other mischievously before spouting some ¡°compliments.¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk, you guys are mood killers.¡±

    Paul and Jinto laughed lightly.

    Jinto shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Well, that''s not bad. Us two are inferior to you, so we can only give you your graces.¡±

    ¡°How did you manage to do it? Mine always falls short,¡± Paul inquired.

    ¡°I''m curious too. After stepping out for some distance, my Wind Blade loses its speed greatly, descending towards the ground,¡± Jinto chimed in.

    ¡°Well...¡± Melissa¡¯s words trailed off at the end before continuing. ¡°Call me Big Melissa, and I just might.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Jinto and Paul said in unison.

    ¡°I, as a big-hearted person full of compassion and kindness, will reveal my secret even if you guys didn''t fulfill my wish.¡± Melissa cleared her throat. ¡°The key is how fast the mana flows. I''ve experimented. From the shoulder to the forearm, increasing the flow of mana is nearly negligible. The key part is when it reaches the fingers. The mana should flow faster by the end of the casting. Also, don¡¯t be stationary. As you cast it, flick your wrist; it gives it an extra boost.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Jinto and Paul were enlightened.

    ¡°Makes sense for a faster flow of mana to result in a faster spell,¡± Paul nodded as he put his finger on his chin, contemplating Melissa¡¯s teachings.

    ¡°Yes, not bad at all, Melissa,¡± Jinto praised.

    ¡°Enough, give it a try for yourselves.¡±

    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll try it.¡± Paul stood around five meters away from the mannequin.

    He placed his right arm, aiming toward it. And with a flick of his wrist, a Wind Blade shot out.

    Swoosh.

    The light Wind Blade traveled.

    ¡°You were right, Melissa. This is indeed faster than my usual cast,¡± Paul watched as the Wind Blade neared its target.

    Unfortunately, it grazed past the mannequin¡¯s neck, going toward its left; it flew two meters past the mannequin before dissipating into the ground.

    ¡°So now it''s just a matter of aiming.¡± Paul concentrated again, ready to cast the spell.

    Jinto placed his gaze on his target. Taking into account what Melissa had taught him, he released the spell with a flick.

    Swoosh.

    With a swoosh sound, it landed on the right side of the mannequin''s upper leg, leaving behind a big dent.

    ¡°The speed is not bad. It''s only its power that¡¯s the problem. I reckon that with this speed, hitting the target ten meters away wouldn¡¯t be impossible.¡± Jinto contemplated.

    He checked inwardly to find out that his mana sea was at 4% full. From his pouch, he took out a mana stone. Gripping it tightly with his right hand, the stone¡¯s brightness dimmed a little. After a few seconds, Jinto stopped and put the mana stone back into his pouch.

    Originally, his mana sea held 51%. Continuing to use the Wind Blade spell drained his mana by 7% each time he cast it. Fortunately, he had somewhat abundant mana reserves. This was the advantage of a higher-ranked fissure. Not only would he hold more mana, but the absorption of mana stones was faster, and the natural recovery of it was superior.

    He cast his gaze at Paul. Paul had cast a Wind Blade, hitting the right knee of the mannequin, before taking out a mana stone to recover. It took him a bit more time to finish absorbing the mana.

    Jinto was preparing mentally to cast, but his eyes locked onto a certain location. There he saw a youth who had cleanly cut the mannequin in two at the neck. The student who did it was Olsen, one of the elder''s grandchildren.

    Some of the students, like Jinto, watched as Olsen split the mannequin. He stood quite far, about ten meters away from it.

    ¡°As expected of young master Olsen.¡±

    ¡°Not fair, if this keeps going, he will get the mana stones.¡± Some students clenched their fists while others sang their praises.

    Olsen was basking in the glory. ¡°That''s right! It was no mistake training here instead of the courtyard.¡± Back home, he was fully capable of training the spell, but he chose this location for one purpose only¡ªand that was to show off to the rest.

    Jinto sighed. Even with his full efforts, he was still inferior to Olsen and others. ¡°Was this the advantage of a superior fissure¡ªin other words, talent?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    He cast his gaze at Vitus, who, like him, was looking at Olsen. His mannequin was damaged, but it was to the same degree as Jinto¡¯s. Jinto secretly rejoiced but was also dumbfounded. ¡°Wasn¡¯t this legendary fellow a little useless?¡± Looking at his progress, he felt that the legendary status of an amethyst fissure went down in his mind.

    ¡°This guy lives up to the reputation of a young master,¡± Paul spoke as he watched.

    ¡°Certainly. I''m sure he had received some guidance beforehand. This is the difference between us and people like him,¡± Melissa joined in.

    Jinto: ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Hey, Jinto, your progress isn''t all that bad for somebody of an inferior fissure.¡± Jinto''s ears perked up at the voice. His mood instantly worsened at being born with ears and retaining them until this moment.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Jinto turned around and spoke slightly aggressively.

    In his sight, a figure in green robes with a ponytail appeared. It was undoubtedly Gent.

    ¡°Woah, calm down. As old pals, I just wanted to give you a little motivation,¡± Gent explained with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Hmph! You want to make yourself look like a clown, Gent?¡± Melissa replied coldly.

    Gent placed his hand on his chest. ¡°Oh dear Melissa, your beautiful face never forgets to utter such insults¡ªtruly cutting deep within my heart.¡±

    ¡°What heart do you have, bastard? Remember the time I left you black and purple? Don''t tell me you came to exact revenge?¡± Paul sneered.

    Gent¡¯s eyes twitched a little. ¡°I was wrong, I was wrong. I¡¯ve learned to forgive. Oh, Paul, why must you bring out the past? We must move on to the future. Anyways, I came here with a proposition. Eh, Jinto, you dare make a bet with me?¡± Gent spoke his last sentence loud and clear. The students turned their heads, their attention now on Gent and the Fang trio.

    ¡°It seems something interesting is about to happen.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    The students stopped their training.

    Melissa glared at Gent but didn¡¯t say anything. He was making this a public spectacle!

    Jinto¡¯s face darkened. He knew that he had to accept whatever proposition Gent was about to give, as long as it wasn¡¯t outlandish. By speaking so publicly, Gent had left Jinto with no choice. If Jinto dared not accept, not only his reputation but also his family¡¯s would suffer.

    He could already imagine the whispers:

    ¡°You heard Jinto didn¡¯t dare to accept Gent¡¯s bet. I guess that Jinto can only be at his feet.¡± And ¡°It seems the young master of the Fang family is nothing compared to the Jotos.¡±

    Jinto was not willing to hear such degrading comments.

    He raised his eyebrow. ¡°What exactly are you getting at?¡±

    Gent continued, his voice loud and clear. ¡°Nothing much, just a friendly wager.¡± He approached closer, his smirk widening. ¡°Very simple: the first one to land a Wind Blade on the mannequin at fifteen meters, cleanly striking it through the neck, wins. I¡¯m sure this is a task the future patriarch of the Fang family can do.¡± Gent didn¡¯t forget to emphasize Jinto¡¯s identity, making sure everyone knew who he was.

    Paul spouted, ¡°Aren¡¯t you just showing off? You clearly have a¡ª¡±

    Gent interrupted him sharply. ¡°If you¡¯re confident in your training, you would accept, right, Jinto?¡±

    ¡°And the wager?¡± Jinto inquired.

    ¡°If you win, I¡¯ll simply have to acknowledge your superior skill and call you Master Jinto during our stay in the academy. If you lose, though, you¡¯ll be my assistant for a week. The stakes are rather relaxed on your end. If you refuse, it would simply be ignorance on your part. So, what do you say?¡±

    Paul let out a laugh. ¡°Oh, I¡¯d pay to see that.¡±

    Gent ignored him, his eyes locked only on Jinto.

    Jinto thought about it. Having someone call him Master was oddly satisfying, especially if it came from Gent¡¯s mouth. Judging by the conditions, he knew Gent was fully confident in winning.

    But so what? Gent¡¯s current progress didn¡¯t dictate the future.

    ¡°If he is confident in winning, I¡¯m more confident in my training,¡± Jinto thought inwardly.

    ¡°Fine, you¡¯ve got yourself a bet. You better keep your word.¡± Jinto extended his hand.

    ¡°I knew Brother Jinto had it in him,¡± Gent said with a smirk as he clasped Jinto¡¯s hand, sealing the deal with a firm handshake.

    From the distance, a voice was heard: ¡°The competitive spirit is alive and well. Very good. I Olsen Atmos will bear witness to this bet. Whoever dares not keep their word will have to face the consequences.¡±

    Gent gave a light smile: ¡°As expected of Brother Olsen, truly righteous! With you here, there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±

    ¡°With Olsen overseeing it, there¡¯s no room for cheating.¡±

    ¡°Olsen Atmos is taking an interest in this? Now it feels like a big deal!¡± The students reacted to such an event.

    ¡°Hehe, I got four mana stone pieces on Gent.¡±

    ¡°No way, he may have a better fissure, but you never know¡ªtwo mana stone pieces on Jinto.¡± Some students started to place their bets on the two competitors.

    Jinto¡¯s face contorted. This was another layer of pressure that was added. He didn¡¯t expect Olsen to chime into the wager. If he were to lose, the public humiliation would be enforced by this young master.

    ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m not willing to lose¡ªnot to anyone, not to him.¡± Jinto¡¯s eyes sharpened.

 Chapter 9: Jintoéˆ¥æªš Training

    Jinto sat alone in his room. The sun was close to setting completely. Red brilliance illuminated the room as well as Jinto¡¯s face.

    "Most I could do today was hit the target from ten meters, but it is still lacking power," Jinto thought.

    He had stayed in the training grounds until evening, practicing his Wind Blade until the sun had set. Now, he had come home alongside Paul and Melissa.

    Not only was his Wind Blade not powerful enough, but he still couldn''t cast the spell successfully from fifteen meters. It wasn¡¯t that Jinto was untalented; it was just a matter of getting used to casting the spell. The visualization and mana flow had to match exactly, and even the intent had to align. He needed to be filled with no emotions, calm as a river.

    "It seems only practice can make perfect."

    Jinto was tired. He was mentally strained. Casting spells not only required mana but also mental energy. One must remain focused, with factors such as intent and visualization taking a toll on the mind.

    As he was thinking, a knock on the wooden door resounded.

    "Come in."

    From the door, a maid wearing a brown garment entered. Her curtain bangs fully displayed, revealing her red eyes.

    "Young master, dinner is ready to be served," Sarina said submissively.

    "Alright, thank you, Sarina. You¡¯re dismissed." Jinto waved his hand.

    Sarina bowed and left the room.

    Jinto¡¯s thoughts wandered off at the sight of Sarina. He remembered the first time he had met her. She was quite pathetic at the time. She had been just a twelve-year-old girl, only older than him by one year, her parents tragically killed due to a beast tide. Jinto¡¯s father, Teren, took her in due to an open maid position.

    Back then, it had been awkward between the two. Sarina was rather clumsy and shy, always messing up and speaking incredibly low. But she had her senior maids to support her. He couldn¡¯t dare imagine losing family members at such a young age. His heart truly pitied her. Jinto thought that she had come a long way since then.

    Undoubtedly, they had been a bit close as children since they mostly stayed together for long periods of time, but when his father took him to oversee hotel affairs with him, he no longer had the free time he used to and slowly, things drifted apart.

    He only had friendly relationships with his cousins, Melissa and Paul. But to him, he couldn¡¯t consider them friends since they were bound by blood and stuck in the same house.

    Like Paul, he wanted to branch out more, but he didn¡¯t know how to. Paul was a natural chatterbox, something Jinto couldn¡¯t fully grasp. In other words, he was somewhat socially inept.

    At first, he thought of his young master status as being too high and that others were not worthy to be friends with him. His family''s financial status was well above others, but it still lacked compared to those families with elders in the clan. He had long refuted these thoughts and had an open mind, but he didn¡¯t know how to convey his thoughts through words.

    Jinto stared at the wall as he thought before getting up and walking towards the door. He was hungry and exhausted after practicing for the entire day, having only eaten the breakfast the maids had served before he left.

    ¡­

    The Next Day

    Jinto was sweating as the sun cast its light upon the training grounds, his forehead highly reflective due to the accumulated sweat.

    He saw many familiar faces, those whom he had seen in the awakening ceremony¡ªAldering, Balter, Dylan, Vitus, and so on.

    They were all still practicing their hardest. The most notable of them was Vitus. He was rapidly approaching the proficiency Jinto was at. This only rang alarms in his head, making him keep an eye out for a competitor.

    Some students had started forming friend groups amongst themselves, sharing their experiences while casting.

    It had been two days since they last had class. Next week, they would meet again with Master Hector for a proficiency test of the spell.

    Jinto casted.

    Swoosh.

    A Wind Blade shot out, hitting the leg of the mannequin. With a sound, the Wind Blade collided, leaving a big dent on its leg.

    Jinto casted again.

    This time, it hit the chest. But the power was slightly off.

    He casted.

    This time, the Wind Blade completely missed.

    Jinto looked troubled. Power was the number one problem he encountered when casting. He couldn¡¯t get the power right to cut through.

    "How did Olsen manage to split the mannequin?" Paul looked puzzled.

    "Paul, focus more on aiming. I see that it''s currently your biggest problem. Olsen has gotten some sort of guidance that has put him above us. Looking at all the people here, nobody can do it as well," Melissa replied.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Paul, worried, said, "I¡¯m afraid at this rate, he will get the mana stones."

    "Maybe so," Melissa sighed.

    "Jinto, so far you¡¯ve managed to hit it from thirteen meters¡ªnot bad. I¡¯m still stuck at eight," Paul switched the topic.

    "Thanks to Melissa, speed wouldn¡¯t be a problem. At this rate, fifteen meters isn¡¯t a problem. I theorize that the maximum this spell can go to is twenty or so meters of distance," Jinto explained.

    Melissa pointed. "Look, not even that Vitus guy can split it. It seems we¡¯re all in the same boat."

    Jinto and Paul looked to their left to see Vitus struggling. Unlike them, he was alone training. Due to him having an Amethyst Fissure, people felt that they weren¡¯t qualified and were even afraid to be close to him.

    Unlike them, his face was darkened; one could see that he was truly training hard.

    Jinto put all of this aside and casted. He was trying to hit the mannequin constantly on its neck. But the further he went, his aim became a weak point.

    The Wind Blade hit the mannequin''s knee.

    Jinto felt frustrated, but he didn¡¯t let it show outwardly. He kept his composure.

    He casted.

    Again.

    And again.

    Jinto¡¯s shoulder was sore from all the casting. He was mentally fatigued, as traces of paleness could be seen on his skin.

    All his efforts weren¡¯t in vain; he managed to reach fifteen meters of distance. His aim was constantly improving.

    Paul yawned. "Let¡¯s go home."

    Melissa''s tired eyes looked into Jinto¡¯s. "Objections?"

    "No, none at all. The sun is already starting to set anyway." Jinto shrugged as he smiled.

    ¡­

    The next day,

    Jinto awoke with a dull sensation in his shoulder. The constant casting from the two days prior had left him fatigued. Nonetheless, he continued forward.

    The morning mist vanished as Jinto found himself on the training grounds once again.

    An idea had occurred to him. Instead of casting repeatedly without much thought, he decided to take some time in his casting, fully grasping the steps and optimizing them.

    Swoosh.

    A crescent-like condensed wind flew out, hitting the mannequin''s chest. This time, it had created a bigger dent than before. Jinto contained his joy, only nodding in satisfaction.

    Jinto tried something different again. Instead of imagining a wide crescent shape, he visualized it as more compact and a little bit smaller.

    Swoosh.

    Cracking sounds rang out as pieces of black wood fell from the mannequin''s stomach. Cracks formed from the stomach. To the side, one could see a catastrophic slash on the mannequin''s stomach that was halfway through it.

    "Although it isn¡¯t perfect, I am getting closer." Jinto rejoiced. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and took out a mana stone that had already started to lose its light.

    He continued to cast until evening. His aim had gotten much better, managing to hit its neck consistently.

    ¡­

    Next day.

    Jinto panted. He looked towards the sky. The beautiful red light of the sunset shone upon the field. Some clouds obstructed the light, creating dark patches. Jinto gazed at the setting sky as he reviewed his performance thus far.

    Out of ten times, he would hit the neck thrice. It was still far from perfect.

    But what he still lacked was the power to fully and cleanly slice through the mannequin.

    Paul cast his gaze: ¡°Jinto, you¡¯ve really outperformed. Based on the looks of this, you¡¯ll win this bet. Gent is nowhere to be seen.¡±

    ¡°No, remember who he¡¯s buddy with. Olsen might have given him guidance as well. It is not a coincidence for him to not be here. Maybe he¡¯s training somewhere else, who knows.¡± Melissa spoke up.

    ¡°Eh, maybe the guy is just lazy?¡± Paul cast his doubts.

    Jinto shook his head: ¡°Although he doesn¡¯t look like it, that guy¡¯s smart. By publicly not training and leaving us to do it in the open, putting our effort on display will only highlight his abilities if he wins. What if he just shows up during the test claiming that he didn¡¯t practice much and still beats me? Wouldn¡¯t I look too pitiful?¡±

    Paul¡¯s eyebrows tightened: ¡°I see the situation now.¡±

    Jinto continued: ¡°Furthermore, the bet has no deadline. Even if I were to successfully do it, I would need to do it in front of Gent and witnesses. The bet doesn¡¯t end until either of us meets the other. The furthest it can go is until the test, where we would inevitably have to meet.¡±

    ¡°He probably plans to humiliate you in front of the class, making everybody bear witness,¡± Paul concluded.

    ¡°That would be that bastard¡¯s style.¡± Melissa agreed.

    ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s go. The training ground is going to close soon.¡± Paul clasped his hands and put them at the back of his neck.

    ¡­

    Night shined across the room. Jinto lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, which was dimly lit by the reflecting moonlight from the window, casting its gentle shine over the bed.

    His eyebrows were tightly knit. With the deadline for the bet approaching, he was growing anxious: ¡°It has been five days since we last had class, only two days remain, and I still can¡¯t get the Wind Blade to cut.¡± Jinto wanted to curse inwardly.

    What bothered him the most was that Gent was not showing up to the training grounds, so he had no idea what his progress was at all. For Gent, all he had to do was inquire about Jinto and find out from peers.

    ¡°If I can¡¯t achieve it tomorrow, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll only have to prepare for the worst.¡± He gulped as he thought of being a servant for Gent. Thinking about such a scene made his face turn into one of disgust.

    ¡­

    Moonlight dissipated as sunshine illuminated.

    The sun¡¯s rays cast their splendor upon a certain house. The manor was extravagant, only those of certain finances could afford it. Made out of stone with tiled roofs, many chimneys protruded from it. At its center, a big courtyard could be seen, arranged modestly and elegantly. At its entrance, a beautiful garden was laid.

    In the courtyard, two figures could be seen. One wore a ponytail, his features were soft, and the other had short brownish hair with sharp features, most prominently his squarish jawline, heavily contrasting the other person.

    They were Gent and Olsen, respectively.

    Gent crossed his arms as he cast a smile, staring at the training mannequin: ¡°Brother Olsen, I have to admit it. Your guidance is truly valuable. Without you, I would¡¯ve been spending my time flinging Wind Blades like an idiot.¡±

    Olsen listened as he leaned against a wooden pillar.

    ¡°It is only natural. Master Hector deliberately chose to leave out some details, tasking us to resolve them. Most would not be able to see through it. Not even that amethyst-ranked lad.¡±

    Gent chuckled: ¡°He''s still out there making dents. He won¡¯t be able to grasp the hidden details. He¡¯s probably frustrated by now, wondering why he can¡¯t cut it. What a pity, what a pity.¡±

    Olsen tilted his head: ¡°Now you know why?¡±

    Gent¡¯s lips curved up. He swung his arm, and from his hand, a crescent-shaped Wind Blade flew out.

    Whoosh.

    The Wind Blade shot forward. A sharp echo reverberated throughout the courtyard as the mannequin''s torso split at an angle. The top piece slid off, hitting the ground with a thud.

    ¡°Intent, simply intent.¡±

    Olsen looked at him, satisfied. ¡°Good, it seems you¡¯ve listened.¡±

    ¡°I owe you for this one. I would¡¯ve been hard stuck if I had only kept what Master Hector said.¡±

    ¡°No need, I dislike people struggling with the obvious.¡±

    Gent¡¯s eyebrow couldn¡¯t help but twitch when he heard such a comment. Wasn¡¯t that implying that he was a fool stuck on what seemed obvious? But again, being reminded of Olsen¡¯s status, he decided to let it go. Instead, he laughed it off.

    ¡°I want to see his face when I utterly defeat him. When he realizes that all the effort he put in was all for naught.¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t disappoint me.¡±

 Chapter 10: Being Impatient Does No Good For The Heart

    Seven days passed since the last gathering with Master Hector.

    The students stood before him, the early morning glaze looming upon the field they stood. All sixty-three of the students stood with firm expressions. They had all practiced for today. Undoubtedly, this was the place where the proficiency test would be carried out.

    The students weren''t all too unfamiliar with the place they laid before, as it was the same training grounds that they had practiced in. Differently from last time, they stood in a different section of it. The ground here was made out of stone, and the space was smaller than the area open to students. This was the area where class lessons would be held. On the ground, there were five red spots horizontally, respectively having three vertical spots each, and neatly arranged black mannequins, with some men unrelated to the class standing by the side.

    ¡°Now, let me explain the contents of this test. Each student will get five chances to cast a Wind Blade to try to hit the target within a minute window. Five people will come at once, standing on those red spots.¡± Master Hector pointed at the ground where five spots created from red chalk lay. ¡°Once all participants have stepped into the assigned spots, I will give the signal to commence. Every vertical spot indicates an increment of five meters, holding at ten, fifteen, and twenty. You may choose whatever distance you are most comfortable with. The participants will be volunteers; whoever wants to participate may simply walk into the spot of their choosing.¡±

    Students such as Balter had bitter expressions. Due to the test permitting up to five castings within a minute window, those who didn¡¯t have sufficient mana were at a disadvantage. Wind Blade drained 7% of their mana, so those with a low-rank fissure¡ªthose below 35% mana capacity¡ªwould get fewer chances. This mostly comprised the majority of silver fissures and all of the bronze fissures. As for Balter, he merely held a bronze fissure. At most, he would be able to strike twice.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this too unfair?¡± Balter wanted to curse. He, too, had practiced heavily for the chance to obtain some mana stones, but this dream quickly shattered into a million pieces.

    This was how the magical world was: forsake the weak and cherish the strong. It had now hit him that unfair advantages would only be served.

    In order to be strong, the weak united. Balter had made acquaintances with people in similar circumstances as him. He turned to look at them, only to see defeat on their faces.

    On the other hand, Gent was brimming with confidence. He had spent his days diligently practicing in order to crush Jinto. Based on the information, Jinto was seen struggling immensely to even cleanly cut the mannequin. He was nothing but certain he would win this bet.

    ¡°Hehe, I want to see what kind of face he will make when he loses face in front of the whole class.¡± He cast his gaze to where Jinto was. There, his expression said it all¡ªhe had a troubled look on his face. This did nothing but assure Gent of his upcoming victory. ¡°If I don¡¯t step in, he won''t be able to either. He is bound by the bet we made. I should maybe step in last and make him savor the anxiety.¡±

    Master Hector placed his hand on his back. ¡°Now, with all that said and done, who will be the first participants?¡±

    From the crowd, a person stepped up. He was an unassuming person, the owner of a bronze fissure¡ªSaro. As he rose, more students got up and gathered into the spots.

    ¡°I know winning the mana stones is impossible, so I''ll just get it over with.¡± Saro sighed.

    ¡°You may commence,¡± Master Hector instructed.

    At once, sharpened wind sounds rang out.

    Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh.

    Two students stood ten meters away from the dummies, while the rest chose to stand at fifteen.

    One missed, and the other Wind Blade shot dissipated before it could reach the target. One did not even go in a straight path, diverting greatly from its intended direction. Those were the Wind Blades that chose to cast at fifteen meters. As for the rest who chose to cast at ten meters, both missed their target before dissipating.

    Master Hector shook his head internally. None of the spells hit, and even one was coming his way. He forced one of the Wind Blades approaching the students to forcefully dissipate.

    The student, Elrick, apologized with a flustered expression. He wanted to die internally.

    ¡°I must make my last Wind Blade count. I must at least damage the dummy,¡± Saro thought. His Wind Blade missed, not even reaching the dummy. But seeing as the spell continued on before unraveling, he chose to cast at twenty meters. ¡°Go big or go home,¡± Saro thought.

    The other students began their second round of casting. Elrick stood on his spot at fifteen meters. Unlike the other students whose spells unraveled before reaching the target, he moved to ten meters. The rest stood at their original spots.

    Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh.

    This time, all Wind Blades entered their intended path. Elrick jumped with joy. He thought he redeemed himself with such an action. Unfortunately, his Wind Blade only managed to hit the hand of a mannequin, but it was many times better compared to what he did earlier.

    Two of the Wind Blades hit the target in its thigh and feet, while the other one disappeared, collapsing onto the ground.

    Saro immersed himself in the casting. He was trying to perfect it. With a flick, a Wind Blade shot out from his right hand.

    The other youths could only look at him, for they had already wasted all their mana trying to cast the spell. They were at their limit.

    Unlike the previous round of Wind Blades, this one was more agile and more resistant. Saro watched in anticipation: ¡°Maybe I can hit it? Doing bad in the test compared to the others? My Wind Blade obviously looks better. I must at least make a dent to prove myself!¡± He had long practiced the spell. He wanted to see the fruits of his labor. Seeing as his spell missed but had the ability to go much further, he wanted to repair his ego.

    The Wind Blade approached the target. It had reached the ten-meter threshold where most Wind Blades fell to the ground.

    Saro¡¯s eyes shined: ¡°Yes, this is it.¡±

    Master Hector thought: ¡°Oh? This bronze fissure youth isn''t so bad.¡±

    Fifteen meters. It was getting closer without slowing down.

    Seventeen¡­ then plup.

    With a soft sound, the spell hit the floor.

    Saro¡¯s shining eyes cracked: ¡°Uhh.¡±

    ¡°Never mind,¡± Master Hector said inwardly before clearing his throat. ¡°Now, if you guys can¡¯t continue, let the next round of participants step forward.¡±

    Saro walked back sluggishly, constantly shifting his gaze from the spot where his spell vanished onto his path forward.

    Vitus approached the spot, casting attention on himself. Vitus relaxed his mind, solely focusing on the target. He wanted the mana stones without a doubt, so to achieve the highest chance of winning, he directed himself onto the twenty-meter spot.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    When the rest of the participants arrived at their spots, Master Hector signaled for them to start.

    Vitus concentrated.

    Swoosh.

    His fast Wind Blade met the others. Dylan was slightly surprised. He had chosen to cast at fifteen meters, but his Wind Blade hit the mannequin at the same time as Vitus'' even though he stood at twenty.

    Dylan would have been satisfied, for he hit the mannequin¡¯s upper torso, leaving behind a considerably large mark on it, but Vitus¡¯ had left an even bigger one.

    ¡°He has an amethyst fissure, after all,¡± Dylan concluded.

    Master Hector nodded in satisfaction: ¡°Not bad. He is ninety percent of the way there. After all, his talent is outstanding.¡± Before the test, Master Hector had more or less guessed the rankings of the students, Vitus being a top candidate to receive the prize.

    The other students looked in amazement, especially those who were participating. Some hit the mannequin, while some missed. For those who successfully cast onto their target, they left a mark that wasn¡¯t as noticeable as Vitus¡¯.

    Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh.

    All five students cast. The sharp sound of wind rang out. This time, Vitus hit the upper torso again, making the mannequin split into two.

    ¡°No way, I missed it?¡± Dylan looked defeated. He had missed, and seeing Vitu¡¯s progress made him even more bitter.

    One of the men standing by the side quickly moved, replacing the mannequin with a new one.

    Three of the participants couldn''t continue. Their mana was drained.

    Only Dylan and Vitus remained.

    Swoosh Swoosh

    Vitus'' spell landed on the mannequin¡¯s head, and cracks formed along it where the Wind Blade struck. Dylan hit the mannequin''s left thigh.

    Swoosh Swoosh

    Dylan struck the target¡¯s neck while Vitus missed.

    Swoosh Swoosh

    For their final casting, Dylan bravely went up to twenty meters. Unfortunately, his spell could only target the floor, reaching the mannequin''s feet and damaging it slightly. As for Vitus, he managed to hit the target¡¯s right shoulder.

    ¡°With this, it isn''t impossible to win!¡± Vitus was very optimistic about his result, only missing one Wind Blade. From the rest of his classmates, who could achieve such a result? In his mind, only Olsen remained. But could he aim as consistently as him?

    Vitus held his heart in optimism.

    Dylan¡¯s expression darkened: ¡°Why did I volunteer when he went?¡± In comparison, even though Dylan¡¯s results were good, Vitus¡¯ were outstanding.

    ¡°May the next participants enter.¡±

    ¡°Should I go?¡± Paul''s lips curved.

    ¡°Hehe, go show them.¡± Jinto laughed as he encouraged.

    Gent, noticing something out of the norm, watched as Paul went onto the stage.

    ¡°What¡¯s he laughing for?¡± Gent was intrigued.

    Paul reached his spot. He placed himself at fifteen meters. As he stretched his shoulders, ready to cast, the other five side characters placed themselves, leading Master Hector to start.

    Swoosh Swoosh Swoosh Swoosh Swoosh

    Paul¡¯s was close to hitting, but unfortunately, it missed.

    ¡°It seems there¡¯s nothing noteworthy.¡± Gent thought as he relaxed. His brain told him that there was something funny based on Paul¡¯s and Jinto¡¯s reactions. But now he paid it no mind.

    Swoosh Swoosh Swoosh Swoosh Swoosh

    Again, his spell did not land on the target, missing yet again. But Paul¡¯s expression wasn''t flustered or anything. He had a calm expression throughout, solely focusing on casting.

    Gent yawned, bored.

    Swoosh Swoosh Swoosh Swoosh Swoosh

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Everybody looked at Paul in disbelief. Even Master Hector had wide eyes.

    ¡°No way.¡±

    ¡°He managed to..?¡±

    Even Olsen looked aghast. He had not expected for somebody to¡­

    Jinto and Melissa held no surprise on their faces; they had already expected the outcome.

    Paul had managed to completely cut the mannequin¡¯s head in half!

    ¡°Huh?¡± Gent was flabbergasted. ¡°Him? He did it? No way, how?¡± Gent¡¯s mind rumbled with thoughts. Was this why Jinto was laughing?

    Paul nodded in satisfaction. ¡°It seems that this is the correct way.¡±

    Aldering, who was participating, looked dumbfounded. She had only managed to hit the target¡¯s chest, leaving behind a visible dent. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this guy and I have the same fissure? So how come he managed to completely split the target?¡±

    Vitus was shocked: ¡°Eh? All my effort¡­ Wait, I trained in the same vicinity as him. How could he split the mannequin now?¡± Vitus was confused and bewildered.

    Paul ignored all the shocked people, picking his nose with his left hand as he readied his right hand.

    Swoosh

    He cast first. All eyes were glued on him that the participants forgot to even cast!

    One of the men by the side quickly brought out a new mannequin before he cast.

    This time, his Wind Blade hit the mannequin''s lower torso, going through completely. The place where the spell struck was to the farthest right part of the target, so he couldn¡¯t fully separate it into halves.

    The other participants jolted awake and began their casting.

    Swoosh Swoosh

    Only three were left, Aldering and Paul included. The rest exhausted their mana.

    Paul missed. The rest of the Wind Blades managed to strike successfully but were not noteworthy. The men moved and replaced the damaged mannequins with new ones.

    Swoosh Swoosh

    Only Aldering and Paul remained.

    Paul completely sliced off the mannequin¡¯s two legs, prompting its upper half to fall onto the ground with a thud.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this? How did this brute manage to cleanly slice off the mannequin? If he could do it, what about Jinto?¡± Gent''s mind was racing. If Paul could do it, wouldn''t that mean Jinto could too? Now he knew why they were laughing; they were simply playing with him!

    At this moment, he had to dispel all his doubts. He was planning to go in last to really make sure that Jinto suffered his demise slowly, but at this rate, he was the one who would be filled with anxiety¡ªnot knowing if Jinto truly had the capabilities to win the bet. Nobody liked uncertainty, and neither did Gent.

    ¡°Jinto! Let¡¯s settle on this round.¡± Gent called out.

    The youths turned their gazes to see Gent with slightly furrowed brows. They knew that this friendly wager was going to commence. Some students had already placed their bets and were looking forward to seeing the battle of these two.

    Master Hector looked amused. A battle between juniors was entertaining to him, as long as it fell into the realms of non-fatal. It was good to keep competition within the clan to promote excellence.

    ¡°Brother Gent, don¡¯t be too impatient. How can our bet conclude so fast? Relax. Oh, brother Gent, being impatient does not do good for the heart.¡± Jinto replied.

    ¡°What? What kind of frogshit is that? It seems you are too cowardly. Come to the stage if you have the guts. Otherwise, it will only end in your loss.¡± Gent retorted.

    ¡°Cowardly? No, no. It¡¯s that from all my practicing, my arm really, really hurts, and it¡¯s not up to par.¡± Jinto shook his head. He continued, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not in perfect condition. Wouldn''t that be too unfair? What do you guys think?¡±

    ¡°Jinto, I have to give it to you. Your words do make sense, as I saw you training harshly. Oh, you, it must¡¯ve been hard.¡± Melissa replied while nodding sympathetically.

    Paul had arrived from casting. He added dramatically, ¡°Gent is so heartless. Trying to compete with an injured person? How disgusting of you.¡±

    The students watching this tried to hold their laughter. Aldering was on the verge of bursting out laughing, while Balter couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. They were obviously mocking Gent!

    Olsen¡¯s face tightened. He, alongside Gent, had formulated a plan. Its results were nothing but certain in his mind. But seeing Paul¡¯s performance, he sighed: ¡°Truly, in this world, there¡¯s no perfect plan. As they say, man proposes, but heaven disposes.¡± He could only sit and watch the show now.

    ¡°What kind of excuse is that? Are you trying¡­¡±

    Before he could say anything else, Jinto interrupted him: ¡°As a person with a big heart, I will discard my injuries and participate in this friendly duel between dearest you and I. I swear on my name, Jinto Fang Spring, that I¡¯ll volunteer in the last round. Every minute I have is a precious moment to recover.¡±

    Gent felt his mouth stuck, unable to say anything for a moment before trying to speak. Olsen put his hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

    Gent could only suck his teeth in bitterness. He had been humiliated in front of everybody. This was a dent in his reputation. He disliked Jinto before, but now he loathed him to the core.

    Master Hector enjoyed the spectacle before he resumed the task at hand, clearing his throat: ¡°The next five, please come up.¡±

 Chapter 11: Olsens Loss

    Olsen was puzzled by how the Fang trio had figured out the secret of the Wind Blade.

    ¡°They figured it out by themselves? Just a few days ago, they were struggling in the public arena. Were they pretending all along? Who helped them? Anyway, what if they figured it out? Gent and Jinto are now at equal odds. Now it depends on who can give the better performance.¡±

    Olsen was more inclined to believe that somebody had helped the trio because even he had received slight guidance from his grandfather. From his studies, he noticed that what Master Hector said wasn''t entirely the truth. With his efforts alone, he wouldn¡¯t have understood the full contents of the spell.

    He side-eyed Gent, who was on his right, before stepping forward to participate. Sensing this change, Melissa also stepped forward, walking alongside Olsen to the red spots.

    Sensing the familiar face, Olsen looked up at her as they headed forward. Melissa responded in turn with a light smile.

    ¡°Hmph! Trying to directly compete with me?¡± Olsen thought.

    All five students gathered at their desired spots, prompting Master Hector to signal to them. Unlike Paul, this time the Fang family member placed herself at twenty meters, the maximum one could go.

    Swoosh Swoosh Swoosh Swoosh Swoosh

    Condensed wind-like projectiles shot out of the students'' hands. Some missed, some managed to hit the mannequin completely, while others touched the ground with a soft sound.

    Olsen¡¯s Wind Blade shot out, colliding with the mannequin''s upper torso. The force of the spell made its upper torso fall to the ground with a thud, prompting one of the men by the side to quickly replace the mannequin with a new one.

    Olsen nodded in satisfaction. He looked to the side to see what his fellow student at the same distance had managed to do, only to see that, more or less, Melissa had produced the same results as him!

    ¡°She¡¯s a lucky girl indeed. Let''s see the next rounds.¡±

    Swoosh Swoosh Swoosh Swoosh Swoosh

    This spell didn¡¯t produce outstanding results, only managing to cut one of its upper thighs.

    ¡°I must concentrate on my aim for the next round.¡± As he thought, he casted his eyes toward Melissa¡¯s side.

    ¡°What? She did better than I?¡± Olsen¡¯s mood was worsening. In his mind, even if he had guided Gent, there was no way for him to be better than him at the spell. He thought that he would undoubtedly place first in the class, but now that fantasy was looking dim¡­

    In his eyes, he saw Melissa¡¯s target being cut in its upper torso yet again. Unwillingly, he looked at Melissa, who in turn replied with a smile.

    ¡°Brother Olsen, your methods are outstanding. I mean, managing to slice its thigh. I see the deeper and profoundness of your motives.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± He tightened his face at hearing her ridicule. What¡¯s more, she had said it with such a smile. His mood was worsening. Never in a million years would he have thought that somebody would ridicule him right to his face. She had at least given him some face and had replied in a low tone that only she and he could hear.

    Swoosh Swoosh

    Olsen was too distracted and forgot to cast the spell. Those who weren¡¯t at their limit, including Melissa, shot out Wind Blades. He had thought too much and didn¡¯t notice his surroundings. Not willing to fall behind, he rapidly shot out a Wind Blade.

    Swoosh

    Unfortunately, his spell completely missed the target, veering to the left and almost hitting one of the men who stood by the side.

    Seeing the blade rapidly coming, the man panicked, sweat rapidly accumulating on his forehead. Thankfully, he dodged in time, turning his body around and managing to roll on the ground. The Wind Blade had dissipated by the time the man looked over.

    ¡°Brother Olsen, I recommend being more mindful next time. This is just my tip!¡±

    Olsen turned his neck as she finished uttering those words, only to see her smiling at him with her eyes closed.

    ¡°This damn witch keeps taunting me.¡± Olsen knew what Melissa was trying to do¡ªby constantly taunting him, she was making him more prone to mistakes. He tried to calm his mind down, thinking that if she had to resort to taunts, then she wasn¡¯t confident in defeating him with her abilities alone.

    Just when he was about to retort, his eyes darted to her target, only to see that she had managed to cut the mannequin on its lower torso. He swallowed his words and could only think:This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°Such consistency!¡±

    Master Hector praised her in his mind:

    ¡°This junior is rather good at aiming. It was no coincidence that she managed to hit the target on its torso. She has found the formula that ultimately results in success.¡±

    Like those old sages viewing a worthy junior, he wanted to stroke his beard, only to find empty air. Realizing his mistake, he quickly put his hand behind his torso, meeting his other hand.

    ¡°Heavens, when will the day come when I grow my beard?¡±

    Swoosh Swoosh

    Melissa¡¯s spell yielded the same result.

    Olsen¡¯s face was throbbing with veins. He looked ahead, only to see his target intact. His spell didn¡¯t even have the grace to hit the mannequin¡ªit collided with the ground¡­

    Vitus looked with an unexpected gaze. He had thought Olsen would do better than this. His overall performance was too low to even compare to Melissa¡¯s.

    Even the students on the side had held high expectations for Olsen.

    ¡°That girl from the Fang family is outperforming him?¡±

    The youths¡¯ mouths were agape. Wasn¡¯t Olsen the grandson of an elder? How was such a person losing to somebody with a lower background?

    Gent was grabbing his hair, nearly pulling it out of his scalp.

    ¡°How is it possible for her to outdo him? Not even I can do such a thing.¡±

    Gent looked with wide eyes. He was now regretting making such a bet with Jinto. He had complete confidence in himself. He never thought Jinto would counterattack this way, and the thing was, it wasn''t even his scheme!

    ¡°That damned Olsen, it was all his ploy.¡±

    Gent cursed Olsen in his mind. It was Olsen who approached him with the idea of the bet. He informed Gent of the hidden details within the spell, assuring him that there was no chance of him losing. That¡¯s why Gent had placed such relaxed conditions on his end.

    ¡°No room for loss? Now look at you!¡±

    Gent wanted to scoff, but he and Olsen were on the same boat.

    They had to rub their eyes in order to confirm what their retinas were seeing. In their eyes, Melissa¡¯s standing went up severalfold.

    ¡°It seems the strategy has worked,¡± Paul praised. ¡°Although it isn¡¯t my style, I admit that it is effective. Just look at his face.¡±

    Jinto smiled. ¡°It wouldn''t have been possible if it wasn''t for her.¡±

    ¡°Brother Olsen, I recommend being calmer. At this rate, your casting will result in backlash.¡±

    ¡°Enough! Shut up.¡±

    Swoosh Swoosh

    A change of pace occurred. This time, Olsen managed to directly slash the mannequin in half, quelling his anger greatly. But as for Melissa, she had missed.

    ¡°Hehe, Sister Melissa¡­¡±

    ¡°It is what it is.¡± Melissa shrugged, heading out of the stage.

    Olsen only saw her back. Her yellow robe-like dress grew farther and farther. He could only stand there for a moment before collecting his thoughts.

    ¡°Those Fang bastards¡­¡±

    In his heart, he would not let today¡¯s event go. For the first time in his life, he had suffered such a loss at the hands of someone. He was coddled greatly by his grandfather and never disappointed, always being outstanding among his generation. But today, he had lost completely to somebody of the same generation.

    When he got back, he spoke to Gent.

    ¡°Once you step onto the stage, do not listen to any word that comes out of his mouth!¡±

    Gent wanted to reply, but he saw Olsen wasn¡¯t in a great mood, so he chose not to speak. He was growing increasingly worried. Paul was one thing, but Melissa was another thing entirely. She had managed to outdo Olsen? If two out of the Fang trio had such capabilities, then what about Jinto? He had wanted to get it over with as soon as he saw Paul¡¯s capabilities, but Jinto¡¯s sharp tongue held him back to the last round. For now, he couldn''t do anything but wait.

    Gradually, the students participated one by one. The rounds mostly went by quickly, as most of them had low-ranked fissures, only managing to cast two to three times. All of the sixty-three students had gone, making twelve rounds in total¡ªonly the last round was left.

    ¡°Now, may the last three please step forward.¡±

    Everybody grew expectant of this round. It was none other than the round that would decide the bet between Jinto and Gent.

    ¡°Good luck out there.¡± Paul gave his best wishes.

    Melissa looked at Jinto: ¡°Destroy that clown. I can''t wait to see what face he will make. Please make it a good show to watch.¡±

    ¡°How sadistic,¡± Paul could not help but think.

    Jinto breathed out: ¡°It will be quite the show.¡±

    Jinto stepped forward, meeting up with the two participants.

    ¡°Brother Gent, it seems you are in good health. Good luck.¡± Without shame, Jinto uttered such words with a smile.

    ¡°Now that it is the last round, let''s see if you can hide like the little rat that you are. I don¡¯t know how you guys managed to do it, but your tricks won¡¯t work on me.¡±

    Jinto smiled. ¡°Rat? Like the time Paul left you crackling on the ground like a beggar? Out of all of us, you mostly resemble one.¡±

    Gent stopped retorting. He had taken what Olsen had said to heart. He knew that Jinto was provoking him in order to make him lose the duel.

    ¡°Man¡­ how unlucky can I get? Why did my luck make me participate so much in the middle of this? I¡¯m just a side character!¡± The unlucky fellow participating alongside those two had such thoughts. It wasn¡¯t that he deliberately chose not to participate until now; it was just that they had moved faster than him. He could only sigh. He knew the limits of his abilities. In contrast to them, who had a Gold fissure and a Diamond fissure, he had a lowly Bronze fissure.

    They walked towards their spots, placing themselves on the red spots on the ground.

    The unlucky fellow placed himself to the side, completely separating himself from the two. Jinto and Gent stood next to each other¡ªJinto being on Gent¡¯s left, both at the fifteen-meter increment.

    The unlucky fellow did not want to be near those people at all. He wanted them to gather all the attention so that his poor performance would be covered. Even worse for him, he was one of the ones who placed a bet on Gent. Now he was regretting his actions by the looks of things.

    ¡°If Olsen lost to that Fang girl, then what''s a mere Gent?¡± Even though the unlucky fellow didn¡¯t have the qualifications to disdain Gent, this was his opinion as a spectator¡ªthe trait of a side character.

 Chapter 12: Realization

    ¡°You may begin.¡±

    Before any of the three even thought of releasing their Wind Blade, Jinto¡¯s voice reverberated.

    ¡°Gent, you motherfucker, you pitiful excuse of a human, you feces-infused bratty clown. It was the misfortune of heaven and earth to birth a lowly being such as you. Your life is as worthless as an ant¡­¡±

    Insults upon insults came crashing down. The profanity was too much to bear on the ear.

    Master Hector stared with wide eyes, his expectant gaze toward this competition distorted in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this too dishonorable?¡±

    Some students didn¡¯t know how to react to the sudden change. The absurd mess of the scene was too much of a spectacle.

    Pff

    Some students couldn¡¯t contain their laughter. Laughing sounds rang out.

    ¡°Haha, ain¡¯t Jinto too funny? ¡®Feces-infused¡¯¡ªhow creative.¡± Dylan rolled on the ground as he held his stomach.

    ¡°Shut up.¡± Aldering scolded, but she too was going to burst out laughing at any moment.

    ¡°Haha, Jinto didn¡¯t disappoint. This is a good show indeed! Just look at him!¡± Paul pointed out while trying to contain his laughter.

    A handful of students knitted their brows. They had placed their money on Gent. Naturally, they weren¡¯t pleased to enjoy the scene in front of them.

    Gent¡¯s face was fully enraged, his face nearly turning as red as a tomato. He heard the students'' voices as well as the upcoming insults.

    ¡°Brother Gent, why don¡¯t you cast? Your pathetic Wind Blade may decide your victory, who knows?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! With a win, I can make this bastard shut up. He is only resorting to insults because he knows he can¡¯t win. I just need to put in my all, and all of this will be worth it.¡±

    Swoosh

    He cast the spell successfully. The sound from the Wind Blade rang out at once, striking the mannequin. The spell shot through the mannequin, managing to strike its chest area. Half of the mannequin slowly slid off, as it was cut at a slight angle, prompting one of the men to quickly replace it.

    As soon as he was done, Jinto continued with his barrage.

    ¡°Your mother must¡¯ve thought she had taken a number two, thinking her excretion came out of the wrong hole when she birthed you. How can a waste like you miss the neck completely? Your family ancestors are probably rolling in their graves by now, looking at the incompetent descendant they had the misfortune of creating. Hmph! If I were them, I would have jumped myself into the mouth of a wolf. Having you as offspring is such a disgrace¡ªI would consider ending it all!¡±

    ¡°Shut the hell up!¡± Gent barked back. None of his composed demeanor showed. Now he resembled a beast that had been enraged.

    ¡°Oh? Why are you so angry? It¡¯s not my fault you''re an utter waste, unable to fulfill the contents of the bet at once. You can only blame your poor ability at hand. Let me tell you, putting the blame on others isn¡¯t good. Let this be a lesson from me. Maybe if you just pour your heart out, you might win? Who knows.¡± Jinto shrugged.

    Gent gritted his teeth so hard they nearly cracked. His face contorted in an extreme manner. His eyebrows furrowed heavily, creating deep wrinkles on his glabella. His face resembled a bright red tomato, veins on his forehead starting to take shape.

    ¡°You''re only resorting to tricks because you know you don¡¯t have the ability! Let¡¯s see just what you have in store, eh?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Jinto concentrated, making sure all aspects to successfully cast were ready.

    Swoosh

    Jinto shot out his Wind Blade with a flick of the wrist. In a short time, the spell struck the mannequin''s left arm, slicing it completely off, prompting it to fall to the ground.

    Seeing what his opponent had managed to accomplish, Gent saw an opportunity to lash back, seeing as Jinto had done worse than him.

    ¡°Haha! Isn¡¯t this your so-called skill? It seems the true trash was alongside me all along. You pathetic¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah, that? It was just the wind that made me miss.¡± Jinto picked his nose as if there was nothing out of the norm.

    Some students couldn¡¯t take it anymore. The shamelessness was too stunning. What wind? There wasn¡¯t a speck of wind blowing to deflect a spell. It was simply blabbering.

    ¡°How shameless.¡± Dylan rolled on the ground as he pointed out.

    Saro, who had failed to even graze the target earlier, suddenly felt much calmer. At least he didn¡¯t have it as bad as some others. And in that, he found solace.

    Aldering was long gone, full-on laughing now, but as a lady, she was trying to compose herself in an appropriate manner. At this point, though, she had stopped caring, completely joining in with Dylan.

    Olsen: ¡°¡­¡±

    Master Hector brought his palm to his face, burying into it.

    ¡°How unsightly¡­¡±

    Gent barked back angrily. ¡°What wind? There¡¯s no wind¡ª¡±

    ¡°Look at this wind.¡± As soon as the words left his mouth, Jinto pursed his lips in an ¡®O¡¯ shape and blew air into Gent¡¯s face.

    Gent felt the air, his face submerged in a light man-made breeze that smelled like soup.

    Pff

    Several students couldn¡¯t contain it anymore. Many rolled on the ground while holding their stomachs. Some tried to cease their laughter; they reminded themselves of the bet they had placed, worry growing on their faces.

    Gent was so agitated he felt like he was about to vomit blood. His eyes started to show red veins as he stared angrily at Jinto.

    Jinto pretended to yawn. ¡°Why are you looking at me? Please cast so we can settle this thing quickly.¡±

    ¡°You! Bast¡ª¡±

    Swoosh

    Jinto smirked. ¡°Why are you talking so much? You bear too much resemblance to a stray dog that can¡¯t stop barking.¡±

    The Wind Blade struck.

    ¡°Look, I hit the upper chest. Maybe I¡¯ll hit the neck? Hehe.¡±

    Looking at the mannequin, its lower half remained standing while its upper half was on the side. As Gent looked, a man was already quickly moving to replace the mannequin.

    Seeing this, he reminded himself of why he was here in the first place. He had to finish this off to wash away this humiliation. After this, he would teach Jinto a good lesson. His mana surged, and with an exhale, he prepared to cast.

    Guh

    Unlike what he was expecting¡ªto release a Wind Blade¡ªinstead, blood came out of his lips.

    Cough cough

    Gent sensed something wrong as he started to cough up blood. His face grew pale as paper, his red-faced appearance suddenly vanishing entirely. He wiped his mouth with his right hand, only to see traces of blood on it. He staggered to the ground, seemingly too weak to stand.

    Thud

    Swoosh

    Jinto did not waste the opportunity. He cast quickly as Gent suffered backlash.

    ¡°Too ruthless, too ruthless! He planned for Gent to suffer backlash!¡± Dylan realized.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Aldering quickly added, ¡°This Jinto is more cunning than I thought!¡± In her mind, her perception of Jinto shifted completely. She had thought to never take someone¡¯s appearance lightly. Jinto had an honorable air around him, but that image had now quickly shattered into that of a cunning and vicious snake.

    ¡°Two more chances left.¡± Jinto concentrated on his last attempt, only to strike the upper thigh of the mannequin. Unlike Melissa, he wasn¡¯t good at aiming at long distances. This past week, he had trained, but the number of times he had managed to hit the neck was negligible compared to all his attempts. It was only yesterday that he understood the inner profundity of the spell, and for that, he had to thank a certain person.

    ¡­

    The day before¡­

    ¡°Dammit, it''s a day away, and I¡¯m only making dents? Slicing off this thing is impossible!¡± Jinto had grown frustrated with his training bearing no results. Time and time again, he could only make dents of various degrees on the target. To make it worse, Gent had not appeared either, so he had no information about the other party.

    Jinto stopped casting. He took out a mana stone that looked completely drained of its mana, resembling an ordinary rock.

    ¡°Here, let me lend you my mana stone.¡± Paul offered.

    ¡°No need.¡± Jinto lightly rejected the offer, absorbing whatever remained from the stone into his fissure.

    Paul sighed. ¡°You¡¯ve been at it for almost a week. How could making dents be possible? We saw Olsen strike it cleanly¡ªthere¡¯s definitely something more to the spell.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve figured that out. As for the secret, it is shrouded in mystery. I''m afraid only Olsen and Gent could know of it.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be too bad being a personal assistant for a week.¡±

    ¡°Oh please, that would be hell. But it looks like I''m doomed to be one. If only I hadn¡¯t accepted so rashly, I wouldn¡¯t have been in this position. Yet again, Gent pushed it publicly, and I had no option but to accept.¡± Jinto admitted his defeat.

    ¡°Once it''s over, let''s teach him a special lesson.¡± Paul blinked with his left eye.

    Not caring for the repercussions of such a dishonorable action, Jinto smiled. ¡°The greatest of lessons.¡±

    ¡°If Melissa were here, she would say something along the lines of ¡®You know that would make our family lose face blah blah blah,¡¯ and ¡®What would the other students think of us? They would say we are some barbarians blah blah blah.¡¯¡± Paul mocked the missing Melissa.

    Jinto laughed. ¡°Haha, that¡¯s right, or ¡®Paul, you muscle ape, all you think of is fighting? Not you too, Jinto!¡¯ while she shakes her head in disappointment. If she were to hear this, we would be going through it right now.¡±

    Melissa had tagged along with the company earlier in the day, but after a while, she decided to leave, opting for a relaxing bath and some free time back at the Fang household. She had expressed how tired she was from all this training, saying that her hair was in need of being newly done.

    The sun had begun setting, dyeing their surroundings in a deep crimson veil. The illusionary moon in the sky had slowly begun to take shape into hard edges, forming the night sky living beings were used to. Accompanied by the stars, it formed the starry night.

    ¡°We are the only ones left here now. Slowly, students have begun to stop training, but you¡¯ve remained here until sunset. The bet truly has you on a leash.¡±

    ¡°Haha, just like back then when we broke my dad¡¯s vase and sought to buy a replica of it to not let him find out.¡±

    ¡°Hm, it wouldn''t have happened if you didn¡¯t want to play hide and seek inside.¡±

    ¡°Who agreed in the end?¡±

    ¡°Let me remind you that the financial scar still burns deep within my heart. I can forget but never forgive.¡± Paul touched his heart, acting in a pained way.

    ¡°I had to fork up my meager savings too, don''t forget. Well, in the end, all was fine. We even hid it from the maids for some time, praising the heavens they kept quiet.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    Jinto stepped closer to Paul, touching his right shoulder with his palm.

    ¡°Let''s go. We¡¯ll save this energy for tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°For tomorrow.¡±

    Crossing the few narrow streets that separated the academy from the Fang household, Paul and Jinto entered the household to tend to their affairs. Although Jinto didn¡¯t show it outwardly, he was frustrated in his heart. To him, defeat was imminent.

    The sun had completely set, marking the moon to stand tall within the night. Jinto got up from his bed and slowly lit up the candles scattered through his room. As he lit them up, a knock was heard at the door.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    The door creaked as it opened to reveal a figure wearing a servant¡¯s attire.

    ¡°Young master, dinner will be served shortly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a few.¡±

    Sarina saw Jinto¡¯s face, and from the looks of it, he had something troubling him. His movements were somewhat sluggish, and his eyebrows were slightly knit. Even his tone of voice was different from what it usually was. For Sarina, who had lived for seven hundred years, sensing such peculiarities wasn''t a problem, as she had accumulated her experiences on how humans worked.

    ¡°Is there something wrong, young master?¡± Sarina asked innocently, putting on a worried face.

    Jinto shook his head. ¡°It''s nothing of importance, no need to be so worried.¡±

    ¡°This young master of mine isn''t someone to wear his emotions on his sleeve, eh?¡± Sarina thought, amused.

    ¡°Well, I may just be a simple maid, but who knows? A change of perspective can add value. Even if it''s small, it is important to let emotions out once in a while. I heard it''s better for mental health to not bottle them up.¡±

    Jinto stood on his spot. He thought for a few seconds before sighing. Wasn¡¯t this kind of his personal maid to begin with? They both grew up together until this time. All this time, he had kept his worries to himself so as to not let others be burdened by his burdens, but sometimes it was truly burdening! Furthermore, this was a way to get closer to having a friend. With all these factors, Jinto had made his decision.

    ¡°Let me start¡­¡±

    Jinto recalled the whole story of what had transpired on the training ground¡ªfrom the bet with Gent to his training, his speculations regarding the spell, and about Gent knowing the secret behind Wind Blade.

    ¡°I see. This lad made a bet with the young master of the Joto family in front of the students in the training grounds. He had no option but to accept, as his dismissal would be seen as weakness and a loss of face towards the family. The elder¡¯s grandson and Gent seemed to have been working together. This aligns correctly with my memory¡ªthe Jotos had struck some kind of deal with the elder. As a result, it led to the Fang family collapsing. His failure in slashing through the target is a result of omission of knowledge, most likely,¡± Sarina thought as Jinto finished telling her his experiences.

    ¡°That¡¯s weird. Why did Olsen slash the mannequin in a fell swoop while others struggled? Coming from a great background does wonders. But if he could do it, then I believe you can too, young master.¡±

    Jinto sighed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing but impossible now. Tomorrow is the day of the proficiency test. I''m afraid there¡¯s no time. After a week, I still haven¡¯t managed to do it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Sarina pretended to think before she said, ¡°In my eyes, if only Olsen can do it, it means he is withholding some type of information that normal students don¡¯t. Maybe the inner function of the spell lacks something that makes it impossible to unleash its full power.¡±

    Jinto began to think. ¡°Inner function? Hmm, that may be true, but why would Master Hector not reveal it further?¡±

    Sarina didn¡¯t speak, letting Jinto be alone with his thoughts.

    ¡°Maybe he wanted us to figure something out?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that''s what I''m thinking.¡± Then Sarina laughed embarrassingly as she scratched the back of her head and said, ¡°I may just be a simple servant, but can you say what Master Hector taught you guys? Maybe I can figure something out, with your permission, of course.¡±

    Jinto thought about it. It was against the clan rules for mortals to learn magic, but what magic could they learn if they had no fissure to begin with? So he explained...

    Jinto thought about it. It was against the clan rules for mortals to learn magic, but what magic could they learn if they had no fissure to begin with? So he explained: ¡°He had said that there are four main things regarding spells. Firstly, there¡¯s mana¡ªwithout sufficient fuel, spell casting will result in backlash. Secondly, the proper mana flow regarding the spell must be fulfilled accordingly in order for it to not result in backlash. For example, the Wind Blade spell needs to flow from the fissure to the palm. Thirdly, there is intent¡ªonly with a clear mind can one cast successfully, neglecting feelings such as anger or sadness. Lastly, visualization¡ªwithout a clear image in my mind of what the spell looks like, it will fail, resulting in backlash.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Sarina pretended to think with her right hand on her chin as she squinted her eyes, ultimately saying, ¡°The word ¡®intent¡¯ is too peculiar. If it just meant clearing of the mind, why not name it calmness or tranquility¡ªsomething along those lines? In my humble opinion, wouldn¡¯t intent be your intention? For example, aren¡¯t your intentions with the Wind Blade spell to cut the target?¡±

    Jinto¡¯s eyes widened. The maid in front of him was making complete sense. The word "intent" was too peculiar to just mean tranquility of the mind! There was indeed something else.

    ¡°My guess is that by calming your mind and getting rid of emotions, you are seizing your intent to cut.¡±

    ¡°Therefore resulting in a loss of power!¡± Jinto¡¯s voice grew louder as he spoke, realizing the missing component he had been overseeing all this time. He looked at Sarina, his eyes now viewing this maid in a completely different light entirely.

    ¡°This might be it. It does make sense. But why does it not result in backlash? Unless it is the lowest priority of the spell and not the third most important component.¡± At once, Jinto realized the missing pieces of the puzzle.

    Sarina laughed embarrassingly. ¡°Haha, you still have to try it, young master, as I am not a magician and not qualified to speak on such things. I have another theory too. Isn''t the mind of a human too erratic? Let''s say I tell you to think of a pink elephant now. A pink elephant. Pink elephant.¡±

    At Sarina¡¯s words, Jinto couldn¡¯t help but think of a pink elephant.

    ¡°See? You are probably thinking of a pink elephant. For this problem, I think it¡¯s proper to fully visualize the concept of what truly is that you''re trying to imagine for it to be fully effective. We can imagine things that are rooted in real life, but completely new things never seen before and inspected are difficult. So, I say that in order to fully visualize, one must materialize it into the real world.¡±

    Jinto exclaimed in realization inside. The human mind was too chaotic. He had only managed to visualize Wind Blade because Master Hector had drawn it on the board.

    ¡°Wait, he drew it. Yes, drew it!¡± Jinto thought.

    ¡°In order to visualize the material world, a drawing would be the best way.¡± Jinto put his palm on his head. How had he not realized it sooner?! After deprecating himself, he quickly went to his desk, pulled open a couple of compartments, and took out a book, quill, and ink to do some sketching.

    ¡°Sarina, I''m thankful. You seemed to have loosened up my bottleneck. Haha, you might just be the most capable maid in the whole estate.¡± Jinto praised Sarina for her words.

    Sarina slightly bowed. ¡°You jest, young master. Sometimes one needs a different perspective on things. It was only a matter of time.¡±

    Jinto shook his head as he continued to sketch and said, ¡°Don''t undermine your abilities. You are truly smart. Today I had eyes but failed to see how bright the maid before me shined. Without your help, I would be stuck, unable to break free from my limitations.¡± Jinto had now begun to see Sarina as a capable and dutiful maid. In his eyes, he was truly lucky to have somebody of this caliber by his side.

    ¡°Now the question is how to win the bet. I¡¯ve only learned of the underlying secrets today, and the bet is tomorrow. What do you think?¡± Since Sarina had given words of wisdom, Jinto planned to hear Sarina out on what she thought he could do.

    ¡°¡­This,¡± Sarina pretended to be unwilling to say her next words but continued, ¡°may sound a bit too ugly, but if it''s for the young master, then here is my plan¡­¡±

 Chapter 13: The Ultimate Winner?

    ¡°It must¡¯ve been hard for young master, training all this time. That Gent lad is probably training somewhere else entirely, therefore having proficiency with the spell. There¡¯s a reason he dared to place the bet. If the test is tomorrow and young master has insufficient practice, why play exactly by the rules?¡±

    ¡°I see. Gent has definitely trained outside of the public eye while I have struggled until now. Right now, even if I happen to grasp the secret behind the spell, I will still lag behind,¡± Jinto spoke in response.

    ¡°Yes, I say that besting him will be hard. That¡¯s why I propose psychological warfare.¡±

    Jinto stopped sketching the Wind Blade on the page of the book and looked at Sarina. ¡°Psychological warfare?¡±

    ¡°Since intent, in part, is about calming the mind and having a said intent, why not disturb it? And to do it, all that is needed is to riddle the opponent¡¯s mind with negative thoughts.¡±

    Jinto grasped what Sarina was trying to say. A smile curved up from his lips as he said, ¡°It truly is dishonorable, but no win comes at no cost. I will just make him angry, huh? That guy has always had insecurities about his image. A good humiliation in front of everybody will suffice.¡±

    Slightly surprised, Sarina inwardly thought, ¡°This young master of mine isn¡¯t so cookie.¡± Magicians of the righteous clan always revered honor as a code to abide by. For the glory of the clan, it is encouraged to sacrifice themselves. To fight with fairness in mind, to sacrifice for the greater picture, was the righteous way.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad my humble opinion has provided help. That¡¯s all I could come up with.¡± Sarina bowed.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been of excellent help. To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect much. But today, you¡¯ve truly opened my eyes. Don¡¯t put yourself down; you¡¯ve managed to figure out things even I haven¡¯t thought of,¡± Jinto gave his words of approval.

    ¡°With all that said and done, I¡¯ll excuse myself. Dinner will be ready shortly, so be prepared, young master.¡±

    Jinto nodded; his mood had improved significantly.

    ¡°Good, you can finish yourself.¡±

    Sarina slightly bowed before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

    ¡­

    After dinner, he gathered Paul and Melissa into his room and told them what Sarina and he had discussed previously.

    ¡°Impressive, haha, we all have to thank Sarina for this.¡± Paul couldn¡¯t contain his praises.

    Melissa, with a towel wrapped around her hair, responded, ¡°Intent is just not about the tranquility of the mind. We had eyes but failed to see what Master Hector was instructing. But now, how are you supposed to win the supposed friendly duel against him? He must¡¯ve known the secrets behind it from Olsen.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Jinto. Even with this information, we have yet to put it into practice.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a simple solution.¡± Jinto smiled, not finishing his sentence to let the others inquire.

    ¡°Spit it out already,¡± Melissa grew slightly impatient.

    Paul stayed quiet, waiting for Jinto to speak of his plan.

    ¡°If I can¡¯t win by normal means, then I¡¯ll have to go to another method, and this method is very simple. I¡¯ll just have to humiliate him enough for him to suffer backlash.¡±

    Melissa realized, ¡°Good plan. Knowing his character, he is doomed to vomit blood at a public embarrassment.¡±

    Paul wanted to put his palm to his face at the mention of this, as it was an unsightly way of doing things, but ultimately, he kept quiet and heard the plan Jinto was setting in motion.

    ¡­

    In the early morning before the proficiency test, outside of the Fang household at the edges of the estate, in a wide field near the farms that mortals occupied.

    Swoosh

    A Wind Blade shot out from a youth. The Wind Blade struck a rock standing at both a meter in width and length that was situated on the floor, passing straight through it.

    ¡°This really is the right way,¡± Jinto said excitedly. All this time, he had struggled to cleanly slice the mannequin at the training ground, but now, it was accomplished in a single strike.

    Swoosh Swoosh

    At the sight of Jinto¡¯s success, Melissa and Paul activated their spells, completely slicing off the already destroyed rock. Now the rock had been heavily trimmed, with four pieces of what used to be a unified structure scattered across the ground.

    ¡°Now that we have confirmed the right way in practice, the plan is set in motion. That guy, Gent, is going to leave me for the later rounds, I¡¯m presuming, as information of me struggling is public. Paul, you should go first into the starter rounds to make him a little worried about my abilities.¡±

    Paul nodded.

    Jinto looked at the rock that had been heavily dismembered and said, ¡°Melissa, please, once you see Olsen take the stage, go and give him some words of ¡®affection,¡¯ but not to the point of backlash¡ªjust enough so he can hear you. Of course, if he goes into the starting rounds, then the plan will be slightly switched, but it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±

    Melissa gave a light smile. ¡°Count me in. If possible, I too want to win the mana stones. I can¡¯t let him haggle them. His loss should also give Gent a mental attack.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Jinto looked at his right hand, which had shot the spell. ¡°As for me, I¡¯ll put on a good insulting show for you guys¡ªno, for all the students to see.¡± He sighed: ¡°Hopefully, I manage to finish off the duel today.¡±

    ¡­

    Training grounds.

    Jinto had his eyes closed as he remembered how he got to this point. His plan, to his surprise, went along better than he had expected. It wasn¡¯t a well-thought-out plan, as he didn¡¯t see the retaliation Gent would cause upon seeing Paul. The exchange was largely improvised, but it all worked out well.

    He only had two more chances. His first Wind Blade had missed; the second and third managed to hit the mannequin, but not in the desired spot.

    He imagined his intent of cutting the target that stood before him, wanting to cut it as if he was wielding the sharpest sword that couldn¡¯t be stopped. In his mind, the sketch of his Wind Blade he had made was brought to the scene. He imagined its perfect curvature, its pointed edges, and its deadly sharp razor front.

    Swoosh

    The Wind Blade shot forward. Its momentum was unstoppable. It quickly appeared in front of its target.

    Shing

    With a sound, it sliced off the mannequin¡¯s two legs at the upper thigh. From the impact of the strike, both of the mannequin¡¯s halves shot backward. A man, already holding a mannequin, quickly went to where the remains of the severed target were and quickly made a replacement before going back to his spot.

    Jinto raised his right hand a little higher this time. Seeing how his strike had failed to hit the neck, he calculated the position of this newly placed mannequin. The margin of error wasn¡¯t great, and due to the size of the Wind Blade, it was unlikely not to strike his desired spot this time!

    Swoosh

    At the release of the Wind Blade, Jinto¡¯s medium spiky black hair fluttered as his robes, placed to his right, trembled slightly at the sudden release of the spell.

    The Wind Blade made a piercing sound as it passed through the air. Undisturbed, it arrived five meters away from its target.

    Jinto smiled: ¡°I guess this is it.¡±

    The students had long ceased their laughter at the sight of Gent¡¯s backlash. They now saw the view in front of their eyes.

    Some students¡¯ faces had darkened significantly from what they were originally. Because Jinto was about to win!

    On the other hand, the small few who went against the odds smiled brightly.

    Olsen closed his eyes.

    ¡°Haha, what is it now? Master Jinto is what he will call him?¡± Paul laughed.

    ¡°It will be that from now on. Just look at his face,¡± Melissa pointed out.

    There, on the ground, with the corner of his lips tainted in blood and a droplet of blood slightly coming out of his nose, Gent watched as he lay on the ground. From the backlash, his vision was slightly blurred.

    ¡°Damn it, I lost. To this Golden Fissure waste?¡±

    ¡°All my life, that bastard¡­ has always had it all!¡± Gent couldn¡¯t help but exclaim.

    Since childhood, his parents had always compared him to the young master of the Fang family.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you write at the age of six? The Fang family has been boasting about their son writing poems.¡± His father looked at him in disappointment.

    So, to comply with his parents, at the age of six, Gent Joto started to write and study. Ultimately creating his own poems, it had taken him a year to write neatly and read. He took his time, and after spending three weeks viewing nature, he had created his poem. He eagerly and excitedly pushed open the door to his father¡¯s room.

    ¡°Dad, look, I¡¯ve made a poem just like you wanted!¡± He stepped closer to his father¡¯s desk. His father sat at his desk, a pen in his right hand as he wrote on documents.

    His father remained attentive to his work, not even glancing back at his child, remarking, ¡°Poems? What poems? What do I need poems for? It seems you¡¯ve been wasting your time. Unlike the young master of the Fangs, he has already begun to concoct basic alchemist potions. I hoped, with that news, you would¡¯ve taken the initiative on your own and inquired about it, but it seems you¡¯ve been wasting your time on useless poems!¡± Once he finished speaking, he turned around and snatched the piece of paper from Gent¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Dad!¡± Gent exclaimed, surprised. He had put his diligence into making the poem, and seeing it snatched away in such an aggressive manner made his heart ache. His eyes started to water as he stared at his father¡¯s face, which contained only disapproval.

    ¡°Dad, I¡­¡± He wanted to say something back¡ªto say that he had not been wasting his time. He had studied hard to write and read, very hard! But his words couldn¡¯t come out. Maybe it was due to the extreme bitterness he was feeling at the moment or the sadness welling up inside him.

    ¡°You what? Tsk, you can¡¯t even explain yourself properly. Are you even my son? Hmph! Your elder cousin, Gena, is more fit to inherit my position.¡±

    Once he finished speaking, with his hand tightly holding the piece of paper his son once held, he activated his mana and triturated the piece of paper into tiny pieces that slowly fell to the ground.

    Gent stood there, watching as his father shredded it into pieces, and started to tear up. Tears streamed down both of his cheeks, hitting the ground.

    His father stared at his weeping son. ¡°Is this all you can muster? Leave!¡± he angrily roared.

    Gent sucked up all the bitterness he felt. With tear-soaked eyes, he lifted his right elbow to hide them as he slowly turned around to leave the room. His small steps sounded until he had left his father¡¯s room.

    Once he left, his father shook his head in disappointment before returning to his work.

    ¡­

    Jinto¡¯s brows tightened. His Wind Blade, instead of reaching its target, had hit a compact white wall that was slightly transparent with hints of green.

    ¡°Enough.¡± Master Hector stepped out as his commanding voice rang out. All students placed their eyes on him.

    Jinto, being puzzled, thought: ¡°Hm? Why is Master Hector interfering?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough from both of you. I tried not to interrupt for the sake of competition between students, but this has grown distorted.¡± Originally, he wasn¡¯t going to meddle since it was a fight between students. In fact, he had earlier been entertained. But Jinto¡¯s method was too foul. If the conditions of the bet were fulfilled, Gent would have to abide by them for the duration of his stay at the academy. Losing in such a manner would only lead to more negative feelings¡ªespecially in an academy designed for learning. Master Hector wasn¡¯t the type to scold someone for how they did things, but as a teacher, he had to abide by rules.

    Master Hector looked at Jinto intently as he commanded, ¡°Jinto, your manner of doing things isn¡¯t right. Please keep it appropriate inside the academy from now on.¡±

    ¡°So he¡¯s meddling because of my actions, I see.¡± Jinto cast a quick side-eye at Gent, who lay on the ground.

    ¡°As for the bet, I¡¯ll declare it null. Neither Jinto nor Gent has won.¡± Master Hector cast his gaze toward the students around him, leaving no room for rebuttal. He knew that some students were distracted due to having placed their money on one of the contestants. With this action, he wanted to suppress such things in the future as well.

    Students who had placed their money on Gent had their moods lifted, while those who had bet against the odds had theirs thrown to the ground.

    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve settled that, many of you have shown how much effort was put into perfecting the spell. But the one who had the most outstanding performance is none other than Melissa Fang.¡±

    Melissa smiled internally. Out of all the performances, she knew she had the best one. Vitus¡¯ performance was lackluster, she had meddled with Olsen¡¯s performance by intentionally competing alongside him, and even if Jinto had managed to strike that Wind Blade, she had the most consistent results.

    Paul, at the side, said, ¡°Congratulations. Now you are four mana stones wealthier.¡±

    Melissa didn¡¯t hide her smile. ¡°Thank you.¡±

 Chapter 14: Maid duties

    Sarina closed the door that was in front of her. She had just given some advice to the young master of the Fang family. This was a fortunate opportunity for her; Sarina thought her luck was pretty good this time. To be able to share some of her capabilities outside of being a simple maid was something she had been looking for.

    Jinto, the young master of the Fang family, would value her as a reliable asset in the future if she continued to demonstrate competence, and in turn, her reputation and standing within the house would soar. As of now, it could be said that she was the lowest, for being the youngest in the household. Promotions regularly went by seniority. For example, if the matron were to resign, the next in line would be Lisa, the most senior maid out of Sarina and Kylina.

    Sarina walked over her short hallway, passing by two doors and heading downstairs. She arrived at the kitchen, which, within the house, was about double the size of a servant¡¯s room.

    On the short side of the kitchen, there lay a counter made out of marble with swirls of greyish-black forming an intricate pattern. At its left corner, there was a concave space filled with water to put dirty dishes. Next to the counter was a stove made out of bricks. At the bottom, there were five squarish holes to place charcoal, each forming a compartment. At the top, a similar squarish hole sat in place; it was big enough to hold a medium pan. The holes contained metal bars to prevent the pans from falling in.

    To the sides, there were big racks that stored the cutlery of the household. Small, medium, and large plates could be seen, as well as forks, spoons, and knives, along with pans and pots that were stored upside down. Near the entrance, a cooler artifact stood tall, about the height of a normal adult male. It had two compartments¡ªone for freezing and the other for storing food at a lower temperature¡ªeach with an appropriate handle to grasp. On its opposite side, a brick open oven revealed itself with a deep open compartment, making it perfect for baking bread.

    Sarina entered the kitchen, and the hot, fragrant air consumed her at once. By the stove, Lisa handled two pans¡ªone containing fish and the other boiling vegetables. By the side, the matron had just finished taking a pie out of the brick oven. Kylina had yet to return from informing the other two young masters that the food was almost ready to be served.

    Sarina went to the counter where she had chopped slices of cheese and bread. There lay a chef¡¯s knife and a serrated knife.

    ¡°I¡¯ve informed the young master.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± The matron nodded as she wiped the sweat that had accumulated on her forehead due to the oven in front of her. She then, with the oven mittens, arrived at the counter next to Sarina. The pie exuded steam, its lattice pastry crisscrossing horizontally and vertically, creating a surface with squares that subtly revealed the inside of the pie.

    Sarina walked to the side where the racks were and took out a large plate, about the size of a newborn child. She placed it on the counter and carefully laid the cheese slices in a pattern. The two cheeses had different colors, creating a stark contrast. Sarina arranged them so that the colors wouldn''t repeat. At the edges, she placed pieces of the bread she had sliced.

    Once she was done, she asked, ¡°Where''s the cart?¡±

    Right at that moment, Kylina entered, pushing the cart with both hands.

    ¡°Right here as you ordered, madam,¡± Kylina said sarcastically.

    ¡°Took you long enough.¡± Sarina then placed the plate she had just neatly arranged into the cart.

    ¡°Sarina, fetch some plates,¡± Lisa, who was at the stove, said. She saw that some of the food on the stove was about to be done, but she couldn''t be bothered to handle it now, as she was occupied with cooking.

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    While Sarina went to fetch the plates, Kylina arrived at the stove next to Lisa. She opened the lids of the dishes she was instructed to tend to the simmered potatoes in beef stock and stew with beef.

    With a towel, she grabbed the handle of one pan and placed it on the counter, away from the fire. She followed the same motion with the other one.

    The matron placed the freshly baked pie into the cart, along with some cutlery. Then, alongside Sarina, she carried some plates to serve the food that Kylina had finished preparing.

    Sarina arrived at the counter, spreading out four plates, and, with Kylina¡¯s help, they plated the food. Each time they finished a plate, they placed it on the cart to free up space. The matron placed the stacked plates she had carried and helped Sarina and Kylina.

    Noticing that they were done, Lisa placed the pot and pan down and began plating on the counter. The other maids had already left the kitchen to transport the cart to the dining table, so Lisa just waited a bit until the matron and Kylina arrived to place the remaining dishes on the cart.

    ¡°Finally done.¡± Lisa felt exhausted. She had gardened, cleaned, cooked, and organized all day. Now she just wanted to fall into temptation which was called sleep.

    Kylina exhaled in an exaggerated manner and said, ¡°Yeah, at least the day is at its end. Soon enough, I''ll say hello to my bed.¡±

    The matron clapped her hands. ¡°No time for chit-chat, now it''s time to finish arranging the table.¡±

    Kylina and Lisa rolled their eyes internally, but outwardly, they executed simultaneously, ¡°Yes, Matron.¡±

    Kylina pushed the cart as the matron walked ahead, and Lisa was by her side. In a short while, they arrived at the long dining table. Lisa and Kylina arranged the plates from the cart.

    Teren, Kalser, Ralliere, and company from the household were already seated at the table, dabbling in small chatter as they waited for everything to be arranged.

    Sarina helped Lisa and Kylina arrange the plates as the matron stood behind the seat of honor, overseeing the maids quietly.

    ¡°Let us begin,¡± Teren said as he scooped up his fork.

    The maids stood by the side, watching the family eat.

    Jinto picked up his fork and knife. He was about to slice a piece of the pie in front of him and place it onto the small plate beside his larger one. As he sliced the pie, he heard:

    ¡°Jinto, I¡¯ve heard you''ve been training diligently at the training grounds. Although it is good to do so, remember not to push to the point of excessiveness. Even water, at large rates, can be deadly.¡±

    Jinto nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take your words to heart.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°And even if effort is put in, sometimes the heavens will betray you, ultimately leaving you with an undesired outcome,¡± Teren said as he poked a potato from his plate into his mouth.

    ¡°Yes, but you don''t need to worry. The chances of heaven abandoning those who put in effort are marginally small, though still possible. Even if it abandons me, so what? In the end, one can only depend on their own abilities.¡± Jinto swallowed his food.

    Teren spoke with deep meaning. While he was at the hotel¡¯s restaurant, he overheard some youths discussing a supposed bet between his son and the young master of the Joto family. Although he didn''t know its contents, he spoke those words, as a competition regarding magic would ultimately be determined by who had the better fissure. He wanted to remind his son that the world wasn¡¯t fair. He didn¡¯t outright mention the bet, as it wasn¡¯t necessary¡ªafter all, it was a battle between juniors; the family didn¡¯t need to know of it. Hearing Jinto¡¯s words quelled his worries deeply. He knew his son wouldn¡¯t say something unnecessary.

    Teren, slicing off a piece of beef with his knife, said, ¡°It seems this old man still needs to learn.¡± He nodded satisfactorily to himself.

    ¡°Why are these two talking so vaguely? If they don''t want to say it, just keep it to yourselves!¡± Kalser wanted to spit out his tongue. He was curious but decided not to poke the beast. Instead, he spoke: ¡°I heard wolves near the mortal villages have been killing cattle. If this continues, the prices of dairy and meat will rise. It seems another tide beast is lurking. Hopefully, the clan sends a team to exterminate them and find their lair before they cause any more ruckus.¡±

    Ralliere, picking up a piece of bread with cheese, nodded. ¡°Has the mission been posted by the clan yet?¡±

    ¡°It should be. Such matters are important,¡± Kalser chewed.

    ¡°It seems this year¡¯s beast tide is going to be a little bigger than last, or it could just be some wild animals. I hope for the latter.¡± Ralliere put forth his opinion on the matter.

    The maids by the side listened, a little shocked. Normally, every five or so years, mostly during winter, wild beasts would come to invade the estate for food. In the world, it was law, but seeing as signs were already taking place during spring was quite abnormal.

    After some more chatter, the maids began taking the plates back to the cart as the family had left to attend to their matters.

    ¡­

    Night descended upon the estate. The bright moon hung in the sky as if it was overseeing the world.

    The maids were done for the day. The three of them gathered at the servant¡¯s hall, a place in which domestic workers could spend their time. They would wait here if all duties were done for the day but remain attentive if things still needed to be done.

    In the room, there was a table with newspapers and books. In the front, a half-opened window sat on the wall. The wind from the night slightly came through, making the curtains move in response. The ceiling hung a device to place a candle to illuminate the room. Behind the table, there was an unassuming couch, dark blue in color, that could fit six people at a time. Sarina sat next to Kylina while Lisa stood behind the couch.

    ¡°Close that window, it''s a bit too chilly in here.¡± Kylina shuddered.

    ¡°Don''t move like that.¡± Lisa grew a little impatient as she restarted the line section of Kylina¡¯s hair with a rattle comb.

    ¡°Watch out, she might just rip your hair out.¡± Sarina smiled as she got up, took a detour from the table, and began to head for the window.

    Lisa smiled. ¡°Now sit tight.¡± With the rattle comb, she made a line down the middle of Kylina¡¯s hair.

    ¡°Have you seen those dresses at ¡®Night Owl¡¯s¡¯?¡± Kylina asked.

    Lisa responded in turn: ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard the store got quite popular amongst the ladies. Even the young miss, Melissa, talked about it.¡±

    Kylina smiled. ¡°I''ve been saving up a little bit.¡± Then she sighed and said, ¡°Although it sucks that we can only wear those ugly colors.¡±

    Lisa closed one eye to make sure the line she had just made was straight.

    ¡°That¡¯s unless you¡ª¡±

    Kylina interrupted: ¡°Marry one of the clan members.¡± She then clasped her hands and put them next to her face and daydreamed: ¡°Just watch, after I leave this position, a prince from a kingdom will sweep me off my feet and make me his princess, haha. I promise I won''t forget you guys!¡±

    Sarina sat back down, interlocking her hands and putting them between her legs.

    ¡°Who has been feeding you delusions?¡±

    Lisa laughed lightly. After confirming that the line section was straight, she began to comb the left side of Kylina¡¯s hair while she left the other section in a ponytail.

    ¡°Who needs enemies when I have friends like this?¡± Kylina rolled her eyes. ¡°Okay, maybe not a prince, but at least someone from the clan. Then I¡¯ll have my own maids and not have to eat leftovers.¡±

    Mortals marrying into the clan was quite common. Clan members didn¡¯t discriminate against beauty, after all. The clan emphasized population and even gave grants to those who had children¡ªfifteen mana stones per child.

    ¡°You hope to lure a husband with a dress, huh?¡± Lisa asked as she combed.

    ¡°Of course, you should try the same.¡± Kylina tilted her head up. ¡°You''re getting up there in age; you don¡¯t want to end up like the Matron, now do ya?¡±

    Lisa, unaffected by her words, said, ¡°You think you are in a position to insult? Mind you, I have your hair.¡± She put her index finger on her chin and pretended to think: ¡°Hypothetically, imagine if someone was to pull your hair off? Bald Kylina? Now, now, let''s keep it nice.¡±

    ¡°Big sister Lisa, you are truly the most splendid maid amongst the maids. I wish you millions of wishes!¡±

    ¡°Bringing the conversation to kingdoms, the Almer Kingdom announced that they have finally given birth to an heir,¡± Sarina changed the topic.

    ¡°Hehe, the king must be excited. After many years, his ¡®seed¡¯ has finally worked. Now he won¡¯t have to bring in collateral relatives to fill the position.¡±

    ¡°Kylina, with such a mouth, don''t even think about finding an esteemed magician as your pair.¡± Lisa playfully scolded. She had finished combing her hair out. She then made a smaller triangular section, placed the rattle comb in her mouth as a placeholder, and began to split the subsection into three parts, interlocking them in a consistent manner.

    After some more chatter, Lisa finished working on Kylina¡¯s hair.

    Grabbing the small mirror with her right hand, she looked at herself, overlooking the French braids: ¡°Very good job, Lisa. Wouldn¡¯t expect less from our personal hairdresser.¡±

    Lisa closed her eyes. ¡°Yes, now this hairdresser will excuse herself to bed.¡±

    With goodnights plastered in the air, they all bid farewell as they arrived at their respective rooms.

    Sarina, with a lit candle for some visibility, switched out of her maid outfit, putting on her white nightgown. After neatly arranging her maid clothes into the cabinet, she then blew out the candle.

    In the darkness, she got down in a plank position and started to push against the ground. After she staggered to the ground in muscle failure, she got up. She began to run in place, simulating as if she was outside, but she ran stationary. After sweat had accumulated and she reached her limit, she then again got into a plank position and started to push. Then, she laid on her back against the floor and raised both of her legs to stimulate her core. She continued this routine for some time until she was exhausted.

    As of now, Sarina¡¯s body was at its weakest since she had not awakened her fissure. Every night she would do this routine to reach an appropriate strength level. As a magician, it was required to have an appropriate level of fitness. Even if one didn¡¯t specialize in close combat, magicians at the lower circles would often rely on their endurance and strength in battles.

    After she was done, she breathed heavily. Sweat no longer accumulated as she had opened the window that sat in front of her small desk. In the dark room, she stared at the ceiling, which, if visible, one could see the marking of the wood it was made out of. After spending about thirty minutes in silent, solitary darkness, she got up from her bed, bent down, and reached for what was under it. She put it on her desk.

    She grasped a bowl that was covered in cloth, it was the concoction she had made not long ago. She had let it ferment for a day, and the following night, late at night, she made her way into the kitchen and boiled the syrup into a solid mass. She wasn¡¯t worried if she got caught cooking such a thing, as the excuse of brewing some tea to fall asleep could be used. She made sure to clean the pot she had used profusely. There could be no evidence left behind.

    With a tinderbox, she lit the candle once again, lighting the room in a soft, warm glow. In silence, she made her way to the cabinet, disregarded her nightgown, and put on her casual vestment, which was a long grey skirt accompanied by a blouse and a bodice. She made sure that the laces from the bodice fit appropriately, grabbed the bowl from the desk before blowing out the candle, and made her way to leave the house.

 Chapter 15: Living In The Past

    Sarina took light steps on the wooden floor, making her way out of the house. With the bowl in hand, she made her way to the main entrance of the house.

    She arrived in front of the wide wooden door that contained carvings of vines extending vertically. The metal handle stood on the left side of the door. Sarina stretched her hand and touched the cold metal handle, pushing the door open.

    Once she stepped outside and closed the door, she turned around to see the small garden filled with flowers, neatly arranged alongside bushes that were neatly trimmed.

    She stepped onto the softly illuminated street. Black poles rose from the ground, and at their end stood a square lantern, its light shining, bringing visibility to the night-engulfed streets.

    Walking on the stone streets, she noticed two people coming toward her at a distance. From her vantage point, she could make out that these two people were wearing green robes. Sarina didn¡¯t dare make any rash movements. If she were to suddenly go into another street, those two would find it suspicious, as they could be possible guards patrolling the estate.

    The first step to not looking suspicious is to look the part, and that¡¯s what Sarina did. She continued forth, her leather shoes stepping onto the ground.

    Getting closer, she began to see the two men clearly. The man on the left had jet-black long hair that flowed freely down to his chest area; his face was ordinary, with nothing to take note of. On his green robe, there were two golden pins, indicating that he was a magician of the 2nd-circle. To his right, the other man was slightly shorter than him, his hair looking a bit unkempt, his eyebrows bushy and thick, creating a great contrast with his rounded face shape. Contrary to the other man, he had a single golden pin on his robe.

    Once she got to a certain distance, she bowed, making a fifteen-degree angle with the upper half of her body. When mortals faced magicians, it was necessary for them to bow in their presence. It was to indicate their standing and to not incur unnecessary trouble, lest the magician be in a bad mood and decide to take it out on an unfortunate mortal.

    The two men saw the mortal girl, vested in normal attire, bowing to the side of the street and making space for them, prompting the man with the long hair to say, ¡°Why are you out this late into the night?¡± It was currently close to midnight. It was rare to see people outside going in and about, unless it was a bar. More so, seeing a mortal at the heart of the estate.

    Sarina remained in her bowing position, answering, ¡°Esteemed magician, I suddenly awoke at night due to a nightmare; then I remembered that I forgot to deliver something, so I took this chance to deliver it.¡±

    The man held an inquisitive look at Sarina. Judging by her response, he assumed that she was delivering the contents of the bowl to her family located on the outskirts of the estate. As for why she was outside the outskirts, he had a couple of guesses.

    The 1st-circle magician by the side inquired, ¡°What¡¯s in the bowl?¡±

    ¡°Esteemed magician, my family is very poor, only gaining three pieces of mana stones per week as a family of three. I work as a maid, and this was some leftover flour my master said it was fine to bring out. Here, take a look.¡± Sarina then unfolded the cloth from the wooden bowl, revealing its contents.

    The 1st-circle magician came closer as Sarina undid the cloth and showed the bowl forward with both of her hands, revealing its inside. He saw the contents, and indeed, there was a little amount of flour remaining in the bowl.

    The long-haired man, no longer interested in this mortal girl, nodded. ¡°You can go.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Sarina watched as the two men walked ahead of her and sighed internally. She then began to wrap the bowl once more and continued walking.

    Sarina was glad those two men looked down on her, enough so that they wouldn''t use investigative methods on her to see the true content of the bowl. In truth, the powder she held was grayish with hints of red mixed in, but with the low visibility that the lanterns provided, it was hard to gauge the color. What was likely was that the two men simply quickly glanced at it before becoming uninterested in her.

    ¡°If I were to be found with poison, death would be certain.¡±

    Sarina continued to walk for ten minutes, making various turns to find what she was looking for. She got closer to the outskirts of the estate; on her way, she encountered closed shops and restaurants. Her goal was to find a tavern, which was mostly found in the outer parts of the estate, near the heart.

    Soon enough, after walking for a total of twenty minutes, she found a tavern. The stone building was a bit larger than a normal house; its windows at the entrance contained wooden planks going vertically and horizontally, creating four squares. Its chimney on its slanted roof gave out light smoke going toward the sky.

    Sarina stood by the side in the darkness, leaning against a building nearby and overlooking the tavern. She saw people come in and out. After waiting for about thirty minutes, she saw a man getting kicked out.

    ¡°Sorry, man, I told you that we are closing.¡± He spoke in a gentle yet firm voice while pushing a middle-aged man in front of him.

    The man, clearly disheveled, stumbled while trying to gain his footing and said, ¡°Tsk, I was just getting started! How can you kick me out like this again? Is this how you treat your loyal customers?¡±

    The man replied, ¡°Briego, come back tomorrow; you know what times we operate. You should¡¯ve learned by now.¡±

    Briego, with a glass bottle in hand, protested, ¡°I¡¯m never coming back here again, you hear me!¡±

    The bartender rolled his eyes mentally; he had heard the same script many times, almost as if he lived the same day over and over.

    He had made Briego step outside of the tavern. The bartender stood at its entrance, sighing. "Be safe.¡± After the words left his mouth, he closed the wooden door.

    Briego gulped from his bottle before cursing and walking away.

    Like a predator overseeing prey, Sarina approached the man from behind.

    ¡°Fuck, now my night is ruined! He acts like another drink would be bad for business,¡± the man bitterly thought inwardly as he took yet another gulp from the green glass bottle he held with his right hand.

    From behind his shoulder, he felt a light tap. He turned around with squinted eyes, and there was a young girl in simple clothing.

    He impatiently spat, ¡°What do you want? Don¡¯t you see that I¡¯m in business here?¡±

    ¡°Esteemed magician, I would like to express my condolences. I¡¯ve seen how that man pushed you away unfairly. Here, this is to show my sincerity.¡± Long ago, she had taken two pieces of mana stones as she observed the man getting the boot.

    Seeing the two pieces, his mood instantly went up a notch, laughing loudly. ¡°Haha, that¡¯s right! I¡¯m glad to know that there are people with common sense in this world.¡± He took a sip. ¡°I¡¯ll gladly take upon your sincerity then.¡± He swiftly took the two pieces with his free left hand, and with a wave of his hand, they disappeared.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°I wonder if the lord is willing to do some business with me?¡± Sarina inquired.

    ¡°Business?¡± Briego thought as he examined Sarina up and down.

    ¡°What business could you possibly offer me?¡± Briego sneered, looking down on this mortal girl before him.

    "It''s inconvenient to talk in public. Please arrange it so that it¡¯s in a private setting, and even if it¡¯s not to your liking and you end up refusing, I¡¯ll pay another two pieces for your time,¡± Sarina replied respectfully.

    Briego smiled. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll be able to hear you out for once. Follow me.¡± He turned around.

    Sarina nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care then.¡±

    From the side, Sarina followed. From time to time, she would steal quick glances at the man on her left. He would sometimes stagger and seem to fall but never did; he would occasionally sip from the bottle he held. This middle-aged man had white streaks of hair coming out of his unkempt hair and beard, as well as green robes that seemed to have stains. Most importantly, she took notice of the single golden pin that hung on his robe¡ªa 1st-circle magician!

    The pair walked for seven minutes until they arrived at a small house. The house was a modest building built out of stone, a small chimney stuck out of its slanted roof. The modest building had a single window at its entrance near its door as well as the lateral sides.

    Briego let him through the door, in his mind he was already making an excuse to chase Sarina out after he pretended to hear her out.

    Sarina scanned her surroundings, she saw that the house was unkempt, with bottles lying around, clothes disorganized, sticks of wood near the chimney, and miscellaneous things scattered throughout the unit.

    She stood near the entrance as she spoke: ¡°I¡¯m curious, this is a single-room house. As a revered magician well past the age of marriage, shouldn¡¯t there be a beautiful lady waiting at home?¡±

    Briego¡¯s expression tightened; he didn¡¯t answer immediately. He gulped his bottle, taking a long sip before replying: ¡°They¡¯re¡­ no longer in this world.¡±

    Sarina''s expression turned worried: ¡°My condolences, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, what happened?¡±

    Briego¡¯s mind was flashed with scenes of the past, his drunk face regaining some clarity before it masked in irritation: ¡°That''s none of your business, now spill what¡¯s your deal?¡±

    Sarina then spoke softly: ¡°I once had a sibling, ever since we were little he would protect me from the world. He used to give me tulips whenever I felt sad, he used to hold my hand whenever I felt fear. He was my little protector, smiling when times were down, but¡­¡± Sarina hesitated before speaking: ¡°The beast tide occurred.¡± She sighed: ¡°In the end, we could only find his mangled, torn-up bloody body that an animal had fed upon. In turn, my parents lost their splendor. Not long after, our village was invaded, only leaving casualties. Among those, my parents¡¯ bodies were never found.¡±

    Briego listened intently, the story Sarina had told him deeply struck a chord in his heart. He too had felt something similar. He wanted to wipe away those thoughts, quickly taking another sip, a sip to forget all of it.

    ¡°There are many stories foretold in this world, those who carry the burden can choose to shoulder them alone, but they will ultimately lead to demise. Lord, it may be difficult to speak, but would your deceased wife and child want to see you in such a manner?¡±

    Briego listened, the bottle he held no longer contained any contents, it was empty, just as he was. He looked at Sarina, his vision turning blurry from the water that was quickly accumulating in his eyes. He looked away, hesitating if he should speak or not.

    He heaved a long sigh, dropped his bottle, and leaned on the wall before saying lamentably, ¡°I pity you, girl, this world is too harsh. Too harsh! My beloved family was everything to me, my beautiful wife and my clumsy yet responsible son were the only joys that this miserable life of mine received. Just like your family, mine was taken away by the beast tide around four years ago.¡± He looked down, supporting his head with his right hand.

    Sarina listened, sometimes he would mispronounce and slur words, but she paid no mind to it, she listened without saying a word.

    He continued: ¡°The tide didn¡¯t die down, continuing its rampage throughout the villages, ultimately arriving at the last defense of the estate. I¡¯ve never seen such disastrous losses before, the beast tide contained two Four-Order level beasts. Despite that, despite that.¡±

    Thump

    Briego hit the wall with the back of his left hand, gritting his teeth, he remained shaking.

    ¡°Those bastards sent us to the frontlines, knowing we would only be meat shields, in order to buy time for the rest of the clan!¡± Briego¡¯s face contorted heavily, his brows furrowed deeply, leaving wrinkles on his glabella and forehead, veins began to form on his forehead from the amount of blood rushing in. He stopped for a second and recollected his thoughts: ¡°I saw my friends from my squad die one by one. Milagros, the reliable healer of the team, was left with only her upper half¡­ Marco got chewed to death, Salem, the guy with the biggest heart out of all of us¡­ his body was only left with his insides spilling out, and our most reliable leader, Dylan, was left without even a corpse! I saw them die one by one! I was powerless, yet the worst of it all. I couldn''t be with my family in their last moments. Those damn wolves surrounded their group.¡±

    Sarina saw Briego, with his head down, covering his face, a stream of tears began to roll down his cheeks, merging with his bushy beard, not being able to fall on the floor.

    ¡°I tried¡­ I tried! After my teammates died one by one because of me urging them to kill the wolves who targeted my family, after killing those beasts I could only see their tattered bodies. Their tearful gazes entered mine, they died in pain.¡± Briego¡¯s words began to heavily slur, his words growing shaky, stopping from time to time to organize his thoughts.

    ¡°Their organs scattered on the floor, wounds deep enough to see the bone. My pitiful wife and child. My dearest Anna, when we first met in the academy, we fell in love swiftly, marrying after graduation. I worked hard, even as somebody with a low fissure, to provide for the both of us, accepted missions, growing in power, to make her happy. We bought a nice suitable home and started a family. I met her parents, although disapproving of me at first, but when they saw how much I loved their daughter, they gave me permission to marry her. After buying our house, we conceived our beautiful son, Altan, our little bright sun. He used to enjoy going for walks and studying the world around him. Our son matured quickly, growing from a boy to a man and little did I know he grew into a magician, graduating. I nagged him to start a family already, but he would always make an excuse, haha. I always told him that he looked more like his mother, and he would say that he had my spirit. Although his appearance was that of a man, to me, he was my little sun.¡± Briego¡¯s voice trembled, growing weak at times, strong at times, with no clear tempo. Amongst his words, he sobbed quietly.

    Sarina listened intently, letting Briego release his emotions. She felt no pity or sympathy, she felt empathy, she completely understood the man¡¯s feelings. In her past life, Sarina¡¯s life was full of tribulations that brought out the deepest of her emotions. From a perspective, she understood Briego¡¯s actions until now. He masked his deep sorrow with alcohol, to forget about that time, and in that, she was glad. Glad that the man held a sob-filled tragic past. In her eyes, Briego was someone who had been disregarded by the clan. In lack of better terms, in the eyes of the clan, Briego was failed goods! Briego held grudges against the clan who had easily disposed of his comrades and family; he was somebody outside the system, qualities that Sarina was looking for.

    ¡°The first step to freedom was to free oneself first.¡±

    ¡°In this world, people try to find meaning in it, a meaning toward their life. Some live for love, some live out of hatred seeking revenge, some live for their goals, reaching richer heights, some live for their desires, looking to satisfy their needs, some live solely for themselves, discarding others and doing whatever they wanted, and this man, Briego, lived in the past, forever tormented by his past.¡±

    Briego couldn¡¯t let go of the pain he felt; those were the shackles that restrained him. He was unable to break free, he was a caged bird.

    ¡°Only by removing the shackles that restrain you from greatness, only then can one attain freedom.¡±

    Sarina didn¡¯t sneer or look down on Briego, she understood him completely. In Sarina¡¯s seven-hundred-year life experience, she had seen much worse people in difficult situations than Briego. She began to understand them, their struggles, and how they dealt with it. In her past, she asked a question: ¡®Can one truly break free?¡¯ The answer she had long obtained was yes.

    The first step to freedom was to free oneself first. A person couldn¡¯t be saved if they didn¡¯t want to be saved. A change starts at the initiative. Of course, it didn¡¯t mean that those who weren¡¯t free and not calling out for help couldn''t break free. Sometimes, it needed the first push for a domino effect. Once the domino effect commenced, their black, hazy view would suddenly emit a single dot of light that one had to strive to reach.

    Sarina had long known the process.

    ¡°I once, too, was engulfed by a cage.¡±

    Briego basked in alcohol to forget, that was something all too normal Sarina had experienced. To cope with extreme loss, that was the human experience. She didn¡¯t lament or ridicule; she considered her past experiences and observed objectively.

    Sarina longed to acquire the mind of an observer. She could view things objectively; she didn¡¯t disregard or praise, she kept an open mind to the world. Only by opening your mind can you truly grasp greatness. With her objective lens of the world, she disregarded outdated and useless information and replaced it with the most effective methods. Only with such a mind could one reach the apex in power Sarina had attained in her previous life.