Settling into his chair, Victor allowed himself a brief moment of calm, observing 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 the details of his office. But he didn’t take his time to relish and instead 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 of points, he knew they 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. That would cost a lot.

  “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 eyes. “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 to do it, so Victor decided to put the academy’s matter on the back burner. This was even more important when considering that Lillie was his personal apprentice, his disciple, which meant that he was seriously taking her under his wing and going to teach her everything that he knew.

  Back in the Arcane Radiance College, he’d undergone a similar initiation when assigned a mentor of his own. Or more precisely, he spent mana crystals to be given the freedom to choose a mentor he wanted. Though he and his mentor had enjoyed an amicable relationship, his mentor was only an Elemental Adept Magus like him. So, if he were to know that he was to die at Graviel’s hands, it was very unlikely that he would 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 with the initiation.

  Lillie tapped a finger to her chin, her 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 knowledge of Magi is a bit childish. The typical minimum age to be accepted by a Magus academy was around thirteen. And while she 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 questioned.

  “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 intently. 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 as if 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 full of gravitas in his voice. “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 was able to echo 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.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “Without my mentor’s permission, I swear that I will not reveal the secrets entrusted to me…” Victor continued to intone, and Lillie repeated his words, and, 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 flickered off like a candle being blown. That marked the end of the initiation.

  “Congratulations on formally becoming an acolyte, Lillie.” Victor watched her in 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 hundreds of them would be time-consuming and too bothersome. Not to mention that 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 a little about the players’ unusual origins.

  Lillie looked down 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 appeared that the rites had caused her to see the world in a different light, just as they had for him during his own initiation.

  With a wave of his hand, a crystal ball and a silver mirror appeared on the desk — it was the same one 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 look to be in pain nor show signs of exhaustion on her face. Even the most tough players had shown some strain, yet Lillie seemed completely unaffected. However, this was not even the most shocking fact.

  “You can let go now,” Victor replied, pausing as he collected his thoughts. Then, he continued, “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 of mana aptitude, highlighting 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. And 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 his best to hold back his shock. “Not quite yet. Now look at the mirror and tell me what you see.”

  Lillie stepped to the mirror, her gaze fixing on her own reflection. Her eyes took on a focused, almost entranced look for a moment. 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 nodded his head, deciding not to tell her, as he wanted to figure this out first later. “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 situation of not possessing a single elemental affinity was intriguing, and he wanted to experiment with Lillie’s special constitution, he could do that at a later date. 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 choked on his own spit over 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 through the entire initiation, nodded and flew 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 when interacting with Eleanor, Lizbeth was very friendly toward Lillie. Lillie’s innocent curiosity likely appealed to the fairy in a way Eleanor’s capricious and often troublesome nature did not. Lizbeth seemed perfectly happy to be her guide, and it was understandable; Lillie was more like a cute little sister, after all.

  “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 keeping 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 had no clear idea yet of the nature or strength of the impending threat this time, but all hands would be needed to face them. Also, he wanted to check on the queen spider.

  Setting that aside, Victor allowed a grin to creep onto his face. He’d been waiting to do this since he got back. “Alright! Time to use those ten gacha pulls from the mission.” His hands had been itching to do gacha for a long time. 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, similar to the free one in the past, 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 doing 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 the contents inside.

  This… This can’t be!

  “Aren’t all of these…”