Settling into his chair, Victor allowed himself a brief moment of calm as he observed the familiar yet surreal sight of Lizbeth perched confidently on his shoulder. Across from him, Lillie reclined on the sofa, her gaze drifting thoughtfully over every detail of his office. Without taking any further time to savor the scene, he opened the System’s main page.

  Academy Name: Sanctum of Interdimensional Magi

  Headmaster: Victor Asteriscus

  Academy Points: 6760

  Academy Grade: Level 3

  Total Acolytes: 915/500

  Total Professors: 4/5

  Progression Value: 640/500

  “Whoa, there’s a lot of academy points,” Victor muttered. Despite the abundance, he knew it wouldn’t be nearly enough to face the impending foreign invaders. Furthermore, upgrading the Alchemical Hall and the Magic Botanical Garden to level two remained high on his list, and that would be costly.

  “Mentor, this black mark is fascinating,” Lillie chimed in, inspecting the Shadowlink Mark on her wrist.

  Victor glanced over. “Does it make you uncomfortable?”

  She shook her head, her heterochromatic eyes meeting his. “No, Lillie doesn’t feel anything.”

  He nodded. “Good. This office may seem ordinary, but it’s secluded and quiet; here, we won’t be disturbed. Since I’ve formally accepted you as my disciple, it’s time for you to undergo the initiation of a Magus.”

  Now was as fitting a time as any, so Victor decided to put the academy’s matters on the back burner. Lillie was his personal apprentice, his disciple, which meant taking her under his wing and teaching her everything that he knew.

  Back in the Arcane Radiance College, he’d undergone a similar initiation when he was assigned a mentor. Or more precisely, he traded mana crystals in exchange for the freedom to choose his mentor. Though he and his mentor had enjoyed an amicable relationship, his mentor was merely an Elemental Adept Magus like himself. Even if he’d known Victor died to Graviel’s hand, it would be very unlikely that he would have the strength to avenge him.

  “Initiation of a Magus?” Lillie tilted her head curiously.

  “That’s right. Now tell me, Lillie, what do you think a Magus is?” It was important to assess his apprentice’s knowledge before proceeding.

  Lillie tapped her chin, eyes sparkling with thought. “Um… Lillie thinks a Magus is, like, a super-duper-powerful person! They can make big booms with lightning and storms, and make fire appear out of nowhere—just like magic from fairy tales!”

  As expected, her understanding of Magi is a bit childish. The typical minimum age for acceptance into a Magus academy was around thirteen. While she almost met the minimum age, compared to other children her age, she was too simple-minded. Too innocent. Too pure. But there was something charming in her simplicity.

  “Mm, that’s not entirely wrong,” Victor said gently. “But there’s more to it. A Magus is someone who learns not just to wield power but to understand the principles behind it. We study how to control and manipulate the energy within us. Magi are tireless in their search for knowledge and truth, continuing a legacy that began in ancient times.”

  “Is the title of Magus limited to humans?” she asked.

  “No.” Victor shook his head. “Other beings—therianthropes, elves, dragonkin, and even a few rare and intelligent creatures—can become Magi. Though in these lands, it’s uncommon.”

  Lillie nodded, her expression slowly growing more serious as she listened. Victor could see her curiosity deepening; it was a promising sign for any future Magus.

  “Alright, then,” he announced firmly. “Let us begin the initiation rites. Don’t be afraid; it’s a simple ritual.”

  With a quick clap of his hands, a spell formation spread across the floor in intricate, glowing lines. Strange energy pulsed from the center, weaving through the formation as the room dimmed. The windows appeared shadowed by an unseen force, and all light faded save for a single, flickering flame at the formation’s heart.

  Lillie’s heterochromatic eyes sparkled with awe as she was drawn into the mesmerizing flame flickering in the center of the formation. Victor extended his hand, guiding her forward with a gentle but steady touch.

  “Now, Lillie, close your eyes and focus on the warmth of the flame,” he instructed gently.

  Slowly, Lillie obeyed, closing her eyes and breathing in the energy surrounding her.

  Now, the next step should be…

  “By the rites of ancient times, I will now guide you, Lillie arc Brightmoon, onto the path of a Magus,” Victor proclaimed, his tone alight with gravitas. “Now, repeat after me.”

  He began the incantation in the ancient Seraphian language: “I swear! I will forever be in pursuit of the truth!”

  Though the language was foreign to her, Lillie echoed the words perfectly. “I swear! I will forever be in pursuit of the truth!” Her young voice was earnest, carrying a hint of innocence yet a burgeoning resolve.

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  “Without my mentor’s permission, I swear that I will not reveal the secrets entrusted to me…” Victor intoned, and Lillie repeated his words. Slowly, the two voices merged, creating an ethereal resonance that reverberated through the room.

  As the final syllable left her lips, the flame in the formation blazed to life, flaring brilliantly before flickering out like a candle being extinguished. That marked the end of the initiation.

  “Congratulations on formally becoming an acolyte, Lillie,” Victor said, watching her with satisfaction. Now, she was truly his disciple, ready to walk the path of a Magus.

  Actually, all the academy’s players could technically be considered his “apprentices.” After all, he was the only qualified mentor who possessed both the knowledge and power of a true Magus. But no Magus would ever take on hundreds of apprentices, plus the initiation for so many would be time-consuming and too bothersome. Moreover, this initiation was made solely to protect knowledge. Unlike Lillie, the players weren’t part of his true legacy; Lillie would, in a way, be his successor. She was native to this world and merited learning certain truths—including the players’ unusual origins.

  Lillie looked at her hands, a subtle awe lighting her face. Her gaze then drifted around the room as though seeing it anew, eyes widening in wonder. It seemed that the rites nudged her toward seeing the world in a different light, just as they had for Victor during his own initiation.

  With a wave of his hand, a crystal ball and a silver mirror appeared on the desk—the same tool used to determine players’ mana aptitudes and elemental affinities. “Come here, Lillie. Place your hand on the crystal ball.”

  Lillie slowly approached the crystal ball, placing her small hand on its cool, polished surface. For a moment, a flicker of discomfort crossed her face, but it quickly faded as the crystal emitted an intense, radiant glow that nearly blinded Victor.

  Holy… this…

  “Mentor, how long does Lillie have to hold this?” she asked after a full minute. Surprisingly, she didn’t appear to be in pain nor show any signs of exhaustion. Even the toughest players had shown some strain, yet Lillie seemed completely unaffected. However, that wasn’t even the most shocking fact.

  “You can let go now,” Victor replied, pausing to collect his thoughts. “Lillie, your mana aptitude is incredible. You have what’s called a ‘superior shining-grade aptitude’—a genius-level aptitude only seen perhaps once in a thousand years!”

  He watched her eyes widen as he explained the concept, emphasizing just how exceptional her talent was. Superior shining-grade mana aptitude was almost unheard of; even in the prestigious Arcane Radiance College, he’d never encountered anyone who exceeded the bright grade. At least not through natural means. Yet, Lillie possessed a superior grade one at that!

  “Wow!” she exclaimed, looking up at him with eager curiosity. “So… does that mean Lillie’s more powerful now?”

  Victor chuckled, gently patting her head as he tried to mask his own shock. “Not quite yet. Now look at the mirror and tell me what you see.”

  Lillie stepped toward the mirror, her gaze fixing on her reflection. For a moment, her eyes became focused and almost entranced. Then, after a long silence, she blinked and frowned.

  “Lillie doesn’t see anything. It’s… empty.”

  Victor’s jaw tightened, his voice dropping to a whisper he didn’t expect her to hear. “But that’s impossible…”

  For any prospective Magus, be that the child of a farmer or the successor of a renowned Magus family, they would always have an affinity with at least one element. If what she said was true, this would mean Lillie’s elemental magic would drain her infused mana faster, with significantly reduced power compared to others. But how could such an anomaly exist in someone with her aptitude?

  “Mm, it’s good,” Victor said, nodding. He decided not to reveal his concerns, preferring to investigate the matter further on his own. “There’s much more to learn, and I’ll teach you a meditation technique soon. But for now, I imagine you’re a bit tired, and there’s plenty to explore in the academy.”

  Victor was not an overly strict teacher, and he didn’t want to pressure Lillie, who had just lost her family. Even though her lack of a single elemental affinity was intriguing, and he wanted to experiment with Lillie’s special constitution, there was no need to rush.

  Lillie brightened immediately. “Mm-hmm! Lillie wants to take a bath. Can you help Lillie do it?”

  “Cough!! Cough!” Victor sputtered at the absurdity. How morally pure and innocent can she be? “Liz, how about you show Lillie around the building and have Anne and Rosalie help her settle in?”

  “Okay!” Lizbeth, who had remained quiet throughout the initiation, nodded and fluttered toward Lillie. “Come on, little lady, right this way.”

  “Yes, Miss Fairy!” Lillie flashed a smile at Victor and waved a cheerful goodbye before hurrying after Lizbeth.

  Contrary to his interactions with Eleanor, Lizbeth was very friendly toward Lillie. Lillie’s innocent curiosity likely appealed to the fairy in a way that Eleanor’s capricious and often troublesome nature did not. Lizbeth seemed perfectly happy to be her guide—after all, Lillie was more like a cute little sister.

  “Phew.” As they exited, a comfortable silence settled over the office, and Victor took the rare moment to relax and consider his next steps.

  Right now, the only thing preventing the academy from leveling up was the presence of an Elemental Adept Magus on staff. But he had that taken care of. Hopefully. While he wasn’t 100 percent certain that Roland would willingly become a professor in the academy, his situation left him with few alternatives.

  On another note, with the materials to fix the golems secured, Victor planned to make a trip to the citadel tomorrow to ensure the repairs could begin as soon as possible. He still had no clear idea of the nature or strength of the impending undead threat, but all hands would be needed to face them. Also, he wanted to check on the queen spider.

  A grin began to creep onto his face as he remembered what he’d been itching to do since getting back. “Alright! Time to use those ten gacha pulls from the mission.” Since it was ten Elemental Adept lootboxes, whatever he got would definitely be a boon to the academy or himself.

  As Victor walked down the stairs to the basement, he could practically feel his luck warming up. Standing before the Nexus Beacon, he activated the Master Shadowlink Mark and navigated the System’s gacha interface. Sure enough, just like before, there it was: “Free 10 Pulls” on the Elemental Adept lootbox button. Ten Elemental Adept lootboxes! That’s equal to 1,000 AP! This would be his largest pull so far.

  After performing the gacha ritual to bolster his luck, Victor hit the button with anticipation. Soon, the holographic screen shone as the Nexus Beacon responded with a burst of colorful magical symbols dancing around it. One by one, ten lootboxes shimmered into existence, floating before him in a perfect, tantalizing row.

  He decided to go bold this time, opening them all at once. With a wave of his hand, the ten lootboxes snapped open, revealing their contents.

  This… This can’t be!

  “Aren’t all of these…”