Master Moxido's residence was grand—a standalone three-story building with seven or eight rooms on each floor. Its quiet surroundings were perfect for mages and apprentices to delve into their studies. The side room Moxido had casually assigned to Kai was especially remarkable; the moment he stepped inside, he felt his mental power condense faster. There must have been a hidden magic circle enhancing his focus.
To outsiders, a mage's pursuit of knowledge might seem dull and tedious, but Kai—immersed in the scrolls in that side room—felt nothing of the sort.Introduction to AlchemyandFundamentals of Fire Elementswere courses he'd taken before, yet Moxido's handwritten notes revealed layers of details he'd never noticed. These scrolls weren't meant to be rushed through. By day's end, his stomach growling, Kai had only skimmed five pages ofIntroduction to Alchemyand fully absorbed two. He guessed it would take him a month or two to master both.
Moxido had likely given him the scrolls to let him recover while studying. Kai hadn't touched the basic meditation method yet—he knew better than to rush. There was an unspoken sense that Moxido valued the scrolls more than the meditation technique. The latter was just a mental imprint passed down through Moxido's lineage, possibly inherited from his own mentor. The scrolls, though? They were Moxido's own work—his wisdom, his knowledge, set down in ink.
In the wizarding world, knowledge was sacred. Even in the Underdark, among black mages, this reverence held.
As hunger gnawed at him and the magical quartz clock in the hall chimed, Kai wondered if he should take his leave. Then his door creaked open. A strange metal humanoid frame appeared, its top glowing faintly red. A stiff voice emanated from it: "Master Moxido requests your presence in the second-floor dining hall for dinner. Please follow me."
The metal frame was clearly non-living. Kai's curiosity piqued—Moxido's power and mysterious methods only deepened his longing to learn. He was certain that as he studied under the master, higher-tier magic and arcane phenomena would unfold before him.
When Kai followed the metal frame to the second floor, he found Moxido already seated at the head of the dining table. Two others sat beside him: a man in a golden, metallic-robed mage's gown (a rarity, since most academy apprentices wore black) on Moxido's left, and a young-looking woman in a black robe—her pale, striking face etched in Kai's memory—on his right.
"Heh, you're here," Moxido said, a rare faint smile softening his usual grim expression. Nodding at Kai, he turned to his two disciples. "This is my new apprentice—your fifth brother. If he struggles with magic theory or elemental studies, you two must guide him."
"Yes, Master," the pair replied respectfully.
These were Kai's "Elder Brother" and "Third Sister." Elder Brother Zoro, Moxido's longest-serving disciple, seemed unassuming, but Kai felt a heavy pressure radiating from him—stronger than most high-tier apprentices, possibly on par with the academy overseers. Kai couldn't tell if he'd reached formal black mage status. Third Sister Phil, by her own admission, was a high-tier apprentice. She was warmer than Zoro, who only nodded in acknowledgment.
With their skill and knowledge, guiding a low-tier apprentice like Kai was trivial. Moxido, as a formal black mage, was swamped with research, experiments, and commissioned alchemical work—he had little time for one-on-one teaching. As the saying went: "The master leads the way; cultivation depends on the individual." Until Kai mastered the scrolls and advanced to mid-tier, he doubted Moxido would teach him directly.
The dinner spread was lavish: aromatic dishes and exotic desserts, including the Darkscale Shark Kai had planned to share with Lina two days prior. The other dishes, too, were clearly made from magical creatures or even monsters.
Over the meal, Phil—ever chatty—explained that the metal frame was an alchemical golem Moxido had designed. Still a work-in-progress, it lacked combat ability but served well as a servant. It even assisted Moxido in experiments, more reliable than most apprentices.
Phil did most of the talking with Kai. Zoro, meanwhile, whispered frequently with Moxido—their discussion likely centered on advanced magical research, given their expertise. Kai caught snippets of "fire-element fission generator" but had no clue what it meant. He focused instead on the food—he'd never tasted so many magical creatures. Phil mentioned that the plain-looking dish at the table's center was made from the hind leg of a high-tier Ice Lion Hare, a more powerful beast than the Saltwater Crocodile. When he took a bite, a jolt of coldness surged through him.
By the end of the feast, Kai's stomach was full—and to his surprise, his mental power and mana had faintly increased. A mild tingling sensation spread across his arms and wounds. The meal's restorative effects exceeded his expectations.
"Looks like the master thinks highly of you," Phil said. "I haven't had a feast like this in ages. When experiments get busy, I just live on nutrient potions."
Halfway through dinner, Moxido and Zoro—who'd barely eaten—had hurried back to the first-floor lab, likely inspired by their earlier discussion. So Kai had dined mostly with Phil, and their conversation had given him a rare sense of warmth amid the academy's coldness.
"Master has been incredibly kind, and you're so kind and beautiful, Sister," Kai replied respectfully. He wasn't just flattering them—he truly felt this was different from the rest of the academy's cutthroat environment.
Was this the warmth of a mage lineage? Compared to evil black mages who used their apprentices as test subjects, Moxido's household felt almost welcoming. Kai counted himself lucky. Three formal mages had noticed him in public classes, but he'd chosen to curry favor with Moxido—quiet, unassuming—instead of the powerful-looking Angenia or the popular Koroslon.
Phil explained that the monster-meat feast wasn't just for sustenance; it was to speed Kai's recovery. As a low-tier apprentice experiencing it for the first time, he'd benefit more than she or Zoro—even a small boost to his mental power or mana was possible.
Kai's compliment made Phil smile. Few had praised her beauty in the academy, where apprentices saw each other as rivals. What Kai didn't know was that Phil had a reputation: "the Black Widow." Though less famous than Liliana, she was no less powerful as a high-tier female apprentice.
"You're almost at mid-tier, but your injuries will delay your advancement by two months—though that's not a bad thing," Phil said. "Have you switched to the master's meditation method yet?"
"Not yet," Kai admitted. "I've been focusing on the scrolls today."
Phil's expression softened with approval. "Smart choice. Switching meditation methods takes time for your body to adapt—I'd wait until you reach mid-tier. Besides, the academy's grade assessment is in two months. If you advance now, you'll be at the bottom of the mid-tier rankings. Stay low-tier, and you might top the list. The annual academy rewards are worth fighting for."
Kai nodded in agreement. Until he recovered enough to help Moxido, Phil would be his main guide in the lineage. Her smile widened at his composure.
When Kai left the residence, he headed back to his dorm. It was late, and the academy was quiet—he'd never dared walk alone at this hour before. Now, he didn't care. As he passed by, some apprentices stared and whispered. Killing Ilk, brawling on Black Street, and slaying Jork had made him infamous. Infamy had its uses, though—weaker apprentices wouldn't dare trouble him.
Lina wasn't back when he arrived. He sighed. She'd gone to her new mentor, Felena, that day—and from Felena's coldness in the dungeon, she was unlikely to be easy to get along with. Moxido's "tough exterior, kind heart" was a rarity among black mages. Kai counted himself lucky; Felena's selfishness was the academy's norm. At least Felena had spent a precious mana crystal to save Lina—she must truly value her.
After the feast, Kai settled into a routine: dorm to Moxido's lab, and back. Even Moxido couldn't afford monster-meat feasts every day. Most meals were ordinary, though Kai did try the nutrient potions Phil had mentioned. Technically low-tier alchemical potions, they were simple enough for any apprentice to brew—no need for a potion master. Phil had made the two Kai tasted. Whether due to her lack of talent or a playful prank, their taste was so terrible that Kai avoided nutrient potions for weeks afterward.
Once Kai showed off his cooking skills, Phil insisted he make dinner every day. His food was far more appetizing than the golem's bland fare. During this time, Kai noticed that Zoro and Moxido often skipped meals. Could mages transcend the need for food at higher levels? He wondered.
Kai also made time to visit the academy's public library. His academy points were meager—he'd stopped taking academy tasks to focus on studying, and his earlier savings had been spent on Lesser Fireball scrolls and other knowledge. He'd chosen fire magic as his first spell because it was the most powerful 入门 option, and his body was naturally attuned to fire elements.
The library was a massive five-story building, packed with magical books of every kind. On his first visit, Kai had wondered if he'd ever read them all. With public classes not yet in session, the library was still busy. If Black Street forbade fighting, the library forbade even magic. Anyone who fought there would die, no matter their connections. Black mages might be arrogant and amoral, but they respected knowledge above all. Countless magic runes lined the library's walls, protecting it and eliminating threats when needed.
The library was silent. Kai headed straight for the east corridor, where two dozen apprentices waited in line. At the front stood a human-sized transparent crystal ball mounted on a wooden stand—used to test mental power and mana.
Kai's arrival stirred a quiet commotion. A dozen apprentices at the back—all new, at the academy less than three years—stepped back in unison, making space for him. Fairness didn't exist in the academy. These younger apprentices, some younger than Kai had been when he arrived, knew the rules well. The naive ones had been eliminated in their first year—killed by irritable mages or bullied by stronger apprentices. Corpses and body parts were common sights around the academy.
There was an unspoken rule: as long as the overseers didn't see you attack, you hadn't broken the rules. It was the brutal law of the jungle, plain and simple.
Kai took the spot calmly. Politeness here would only frighten the new apprentices, who'd assume he was plotting against them. Higher-tier apprentices bullying lower ones was routine—especially for weak female apprentices. Many new arrivals, like Kai had been at six or seven, were defenceless. Some twisted apprentices took pleasure in preying on them—even male ones.
With his handsome face and golden hair, Kai would have been a target too, if Lina hadn't claimed him as her own and protected him years ago.
Past the trembling new apprentices (some barely reaching his chin), Kai reached the middle of the line. Eight people stood ahead: two mid-tier, six low-tier. The low-tier apprentice directly in front turned, froze, then stepped behind Kai.
Among peers, status was less rigid, and Kai hadn't intended to cut in. But the apprentice—Kosla, who'd witnessed Kai kill Ilk half a month earlier—knew better. News of Kai slaying Jork and other mid-tier apprentices on Black Street, and escaping unpunished, had spread. Kosla didn't want to offend someone so powerful over a simple line.
After Kosla stepped back, others followed. In less than thirty seconds, Kai was second in line. Power and influence had their perks.
A mid-tier apprentice finished his test and left, casting a curious glance at Kai. The apprentice now ahead of Kai looked uneasy—his hand was already on the crystal ball, and stepping back would humiliate a mid-tier apprentice. In the academy, pride was often tied to survival; appearing weak invited bullying.
Thankfully, Kai said nothing. The mid-tier apprentice hurried through his test—he didn't even check his results before fleeing. Kai approached the crystal ball, took a deep breath, and placed his right hand on it.