As a Senior Apprentice, Mark knew far more than Tom. Several other Intermediate and Low-Rank apprentices on patrol also turned to him,,their eyes filled with curiosity. Surrounded by this attention, Mark savored the feeling—he loved being the center of focus, and his strength had truly earned their admiration and respect. Over the past seven months, he had slain three otherworldly creatures; even some Quasi-Magicians couldn't match that record.
Clearing his throat, Mark began to explain: "This year, Blue Source shares borders with two Holy Towers—Whispering Source and Dark Shadow. Whispering Source has always been on good terms with us, and this Blazing Light Stone Mountain we're guarding is right near their territory. By past traditions, Whispering Source is unlikely to send apprentices against us. So in the first year of the war, we only need to watch for threats from Dark Shadow in the east."
"But why haven't we heard anything about trouble in the east lately?" Tom pressed, unable to hide his confusion.
Mark was caught off guard. Tom's question wasn't just his own—it puzzled every Senior and higher-ranked apprentice in Blue Source. Had Dark Shadow's apprentices suddenly changed their ways? Were they no longer targeting Blue Source this year?
"Maybe something's already happening, but we're too far from the east to get news yet," Mark replied, forcing a laugh. "If Dark Shadow does attack, make sure to protect yourselves. Of course, you can also rally to me—I'll do my best to look out for you."
His words sparked a chorus of gratitude and respect from Tom and the others. Though Mark had lost to Kai in the dueling arena years ago, he didn't seem like a bad person—though some wondered if he was just boasting.
Amid the flattery, a blinding golden beam of light suddenly streaked across the sky from the horizon. The first to notice it was a young Low-Rank female apprentice in a red robe, barely a teenager—likely a recent academy recruit.
"What is that?" she asked, wide-eyed.
Mark, Tom, and the others turned to look. Tom and the lower-ranked apprentices were confused, but Mark—whose grandmother was an Official Magician and who had grown up surrounded by magical knowledge—recognized the light instantly.
"A peak apprentice with over 100,000 personal points?!" Mark's face paled.
Daniel, Blue Source's top apprentice at the Blazing Light Stone Mountain and a regular champion of the academy's dueling arena, was equally shocked. As a Quasi-Magician, Daniel was no weakling among the five Holy Towers—though he couldn't match Gade the Heart of the Earth, he stood out against top apprentices from other academies. It was no wonder Official Magicians had high hopes for him before the war.
At the sight of the golden beam, Daniel immediately ordered the nearly 1,000 Blue Source apprentices at the resource point to prepare for battle. Blue Source's strategy in this war was strictly defensive; every resource point was heavily guarded. Their plan was simple: avoid the deadly chaos of large-scale wars, focus on holding their own resource points for guaranteed points, and wait for enemy attacks. As defenders, they would always have the upper hand. Over the past seven months, they had even set up magic traps and defense nodes at each resource point and sent regular patrols—all to guard against surprise raids.
It was a cautious strategy, perhaps even cowardly, but it was better than watching apprentices die needlessly for a last-place ranking. Daniel was proud and ambitious, but he also obeyed his mentor without question. Since entering the trial space, he had faithfully followed the Deans' orders: leading apprentices to secure two large resource points in six months, and never daring to encroach on other Holy Towers' territories.
"So even if we don't seek trouble, trouble comes to us?" Daniel muttered, standing at the center of the Blazing Light Stone Mountain, surrounded by his fellow apprentices. "Another peak apprentice this year… Which Holy Tower is he from? He's flying from Whispering Source's direction—did Whispering Source fall that quickly? Strange, why aren't there any army of apprentices following him?"
Daniel was not easily intimidated by the golden beam of 100,000 points. He and his fellow Blue Source apprentices planned to fight from the resource point first, then decide their next move. If they were truly outmatched, the lower-ranked apprentices could activate their badges and flee, while Daniel and a handful of Senior apprentices would retreat to other Blue Source resource points—such as the two other large ones guarded by Anna (another top apprentice) and several capable Quasi-Magicians.
"Come then! Let me see just how strong a peak apprentice really is!" Daniel shouted, his voice amplified by magic, as he faced the approaching golden beam. In his hands, a staff glowed, and three massive cyan elemental tornadoes began to take shape—Daniel was a wind-element apprentice. The tornadoes surged toward the golden light.
Under the gaze of every apprentice at the resource point, Daniel, Blue Source's top apprentice, launched the first attack on the "invading" peak apprentice.
"Damn it!" A similarly amplified voice echoed from near the mountain. Mark, standing with his staff in hand, froze—there was something familiar about that voice.
Kai never imagined this would be his welcome back to Blue Source. Fortunately, his Blue Source Holy Tower badge was unforgeable, and Mark—who recognized him—stepped forward to vouch for him. After using two Eye of the Sun beams to cancel out Daniel's tornadoes, Kai explained his identity, and finally entered the Blazing Light Stone Mountain resource point safely.
"What… what is this about?" Daniel stammered, pointing at the blinding golden light surrounding Kai. Mark, too, stared at Kai in disbelief, as if seeing a ghost.
Kai had no for Daniel—this man had just attacked him and nearly gotten him swarmed by the entire resource point's apprentices. He had no patience for long explanations. By nature, Kai was quiet and reserved, preferring action over words—especially with people he didn't consider friends.
Ignoring Daniel's question, he flew deeper into the resource point. When he realized the resource here—Blazing Light Stone—was exactly what he needed, his eyes lit up. Spotting an Intermediate Apprentice emerging from a mine shaft, he asked, "Where's the main vein?"
The apprentice pointed the way. Just as Kai was about to head into the mine to collect some Blazing Light Stone, Daniel—who had been ignored long enough—stepped in front of him, finally losing his patience.
"Who are you really? Are you even a Blue Source apprentice?" Daniel demanded, his voice cold. "I've heard stories from past wars—apprentices who disguise themselves as enemies to sneak into resource points. Why have I never heard of you before?"
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Such a noisy man," he muttered, having already removed his Sun-Eye Mask. He had never been good at interacting with peers—hence why he had so few acquaintances in Blue Source. But Mark had already confirmed his identity and appearance; it seemed his old duel with Mark had finally come in handy.
Kai's disdain and coldness made Daniel's face flush with anger. Still, he didn't attack again—striking a fellow academy apprentice was a serious violation of rules, and deep down, he suspected he couldn't defeat Kai anyway. The memory of Kai's two Eye of the Sun beams tearing through his three tornadoes was still fresh. Besides, Kai's 100,000+ points were enough to make 99% of apprentices in the trial space fear and respect him.
Faced with Daniel's persistence, Kai only grumbled a few words. To those who didn't know him, this made him seem arrogant and unapproachable. Mark buried his face in his hands—there was no doubt now: this was definitely Kai, not an impostor using disguise magic. That tone, that annoying arrogance, that look of contempt for everything… Mark had replayed his duel with Kai in his dreams countless times, imagining how he would avenge his defeat. But his grandmother, Irene, had told him it would take at least ten years for him to reach Quasi-Magician status, given his current knowledge and mental power. Besides, no impostor would be foolish enough to wrap themselves in such a conspicuous golden light.
"I'm Kai," he finally said to Daniel. "I'm in Johnny's class—he was the one who recommended me to Blue Source. If you doubt my identity, ask him. And his grandmother, Official Magician Irene, was the one who handled my enrollment papers." Kai nodded toward Mark, standing nearby. "As for why you've never heard of me? How would I know? I don't know you, either." With a cold snort, he brushed past Daniel and walked away.
Kai's personality was truly unusual for a Holy Tower apprentice. Fortunately, no further conflict erupted. As Kai had learned as a child in Menzoberranzan, strength was the ultimate truth. It was his power that gave him the confidence to dismiss Daniel so casually. If a Low-Rank apprentice had spoken to Daniel—Blue Source's "top apprentice"—like that, they would never have dared to be so bold.
Daniel watched Kai disappear into the mine, silent for a long time, before finally turning and leaving.
"Blazing Light Stone—this energy ore is perfect for recharging the Sun-Eye Mask," Kai muttered, standing in a dim underground mine beside a makeshift workbench. "With the right conditions and a quiet environment outside, I could even grind it into powder and infuse it into the mask to improve its quality."
Unfortunately, the trial space didn't allow for in-depth, time-consuming research—especially with the golden beam marking his position, making him a target for every apprentice. Even deep in the Blazing Light Stone Mountain's underground mine, the golden light pierced through the rock, acting like a beacon pointing directly to him.
Many Blue Source apprentices were curious about the light. As gossip spread among those who knew the truth, word of Kai's 100,000+ points and his first-place ranking in the war began to circulate through the Blazing Light Stone Mountain—and soon to other Blue Source resource points and apprentices.
Nearly 99% of Blue Source's apprentices didn't know Kai, so they had no idea about his cold, reclusive personality. His achievement of reaching over 100,000 points—something unimaginable to most—quickly turned him into a role model and hero.Blue Source has such a powerful apprentice?Many lower-ranked apprentices swelled with pride.
Kai had no idea he had become popular among Blue Source's Intermediate and Low-Rank apprentices. Even Senior Apprentices and Quasi-Magicians couldn't help but marvel at his score and ranking.
Kai stayed in the Blazing Light Stone Mountain's underground mine for a month. No one disturbed him—apparently, no high-ranked apprentices from other academies were willing to cross territories just to trouble him. By the war's usual rules, attacking Kai would require bringing a large army of lower-ranked apprentices. Kai's solo rampage across multiple territories was almost unheard of in past wars. Even Martinez, arrogant and powerful as he was, hadn't traveled to all five regions in the first year.
Truly exceptional geniuses emerged once every century or two—but most, like Gade from the Earth Academy, still earned points through normal war methods. Apprentices like Kai and Martinez were anomalies—and Kai was an even rarer, more unusual one than Martinez.
The month didn't solve the problem of the golden light from his badge. But Kai did recharge his Sun-Eye Mask, repair his Earth-Element Shield Ring, and restore his magic and mental power to their peak. In the second half of the month, with no enemies approaching, he had a sudden idea: using Blazing Light Stone and other magical materials, he crafted a batch of one-time-use consumable magic items.
Inspired by simplified cannon shells, these "Blazing Light Orbs" were offensive tools. Their explosive power was roughly equivalent to Low to Mid-Rank spells—not impressive, given they were thrown together in half a month. But Kai had created them for a specific purpose: his narrow escape from the hill battlefield had taught him a lesson. An apprentice's magic and mental power were limited; seventy-two Eye of the Sun beams could kill almost anything, but sheer numbers could overwhelm him. These orbs would give him a way to block or distract pursuers if he was chased by dozens or hundreds of apprentices again.
Kai wasn't afraid of one-on-one fights, but war wasn't a solo stage. He knew his strengths—and his weaknesses.
When Kai emerged from the mine a month later, he learned the news: Dark Shadow's apprentices had finally launched an attack on Blue Source. The eastern large resource point, Wind Scream Cliff, and over a dozen nearby medium and small resource points were already under siege. Dark Shadow's assault had come later than expected.
Both Daniel and Mark were preparing to reinforce Wind Scream Cliff. Even the lower-ranked apprentices were eager to fight—they hadn't yet realized the cruelty of academy wars, only wanting to defend their academy.
"I'm going too," Kai said calmly.
"The Blazing Light Stone Mountain is a large resource point—it needs someone to guard it," Daniel frowned, objecting. "Since you're so powerful and hold first place in the rankings, you should stay here, Kai."
"Heh. If someone needs to guard it, you stay," Kai replied, a faint smile on his lips. "I remember the pre-war briefing—Deans and supervisors said lower-strength apprentices must obey higher-ranked, stronger ones. Isn't that right?"
Daniel's face burned with embarrassment, but he said nothing. With a cold snort, he turned and left.
In the end, nearly 500 apprentices—including Kai and Daniel—set off for Wind Scream Cliff. Through crystal ball communications, nearly two-thirds of Blue Source's Intermediate and higher-ranked apprentices began moving toward the battlefield; the remaining third stayed behind to guard against possible threats from Whispering Source in the west.
Mark and another Quasi-Magician (whom Kai had never heard of) were left in charge of the Blazing Light Stone Mountain. Mark had earned this responsibility—years ago, he had ranked in the top 20 of Blue Source's combat list, and his strength even surpassed some Quasi-Magicians.
Standing at the highest point of the Blazing Light Stone Mountain camp, Mark watched Kai and the others fly east, his expression a mix of complexity and awe.
Kai chose to reinforce Wind Scream Cliff not just out of duty as a Blue Source apprentice, but also because he refused to slow down his point-gathering. After traveling across five regions, he knew he wasn't the only powerful apprentice in the war. Beyond those top Quasi-Magicians, Gade the Heart of the Earth from the Earth Academy was a peak apprentice whose strength and ability were nearly on par with his own. Gade was currently on the frontline between the Earth Academy and Thunder Shine; with nearly two years left in the war, his score could easily surpass Kai's if he kept earning points at his current rate.
Kai hated losing. Now that he was in first place, he intended to stay there.
Wind Scream Cliff was located in northeastern Blue Source—the closest of Blue Source's three large resource points to Dark Shadow. Blue Source's territory was even smaller than Whispering Source's; with Kai flying at full speed on his metal disc, they reached the area outside Wind Scream Cliff in just ten days.
Daniel, still resentful, had managed to keep up with Kai—his wind-element magic made him surprisingly fast. The other 500 apprentices would take another ten to fifteen days to arrive, but nearby apprentices had already rushed to reinforce Wind Scream Cliff. Kai and Daniel were not the first to arrive.
Before them, thousands of undead and dark creatures shambled toward the steep cliff, their movements slow but relentless. Behind this horde, a dense mass of apprentices unleashed spells—at a glance, nearly 3,000 Dark Shadow apprentices surrounded Wind Scream Cliff.