William moved swiftly and silently through the dense forest, his body barely visible in the darkness as he made his way towards his destination. He had a clear goal in mind, and nothing could distract him from it. The sound of his footsteps was almost inaudible, and his breathing was slow and steady as he focused his mind on the task at hand.

As he moved deeper into the forest, the trees began to thin out, and he could see the outline of a large campsite. He only had five seconds left on the [Encapsulate] spell, so he was happy that he made it to the campsite in the end.

Reaching a certain radius around the campsite, William's body directly collapsed on the ground due to exhaustion, the black membrane covering his body completely disappearing.

He spat out a mouthful of blood, and his expression was ashen. He looked emaciated as if he had not eaten for a week straight.

Thankfully, after he landed outside the campsite, a figure appeared from the shadows as soon as it sensed his appearance.

Looking at the figure, William couldn't help but smile.

"My lord, how did you end up in such a state?"

Said the figure in a worrying tone as he quickly picked up William and brought him inside the camp. The two long strands of hair on the side of the figure's head wiggled lightly as he rushed towards the infirmary. The figure was Eddie Kelley, who had noticed William's presence due to their soul contract.

Since William doesn't even have the strength to speak, Eddie is left with no choice but to inform Malcolm about the situation.

Malcolm came inside the tent after a few minutes, his gaze stern.

"What is the meaning of this? Can anyone explain to me what happened to William?"

He spoke, his words laced with anger.

The doctors inside the infirmary began sweating, not sure how they should respond to his questions. Eddie, seeing that things wouldn't get anywhere, spoke.

"Young master seems to be suffering from Mana exhaustion, Lord Malcolm."

Malcolm frowned as he waved his hand and spoke.

"Quickly give him a mana recovery potion along with any precious resources we have for mana recovery."

The medical staff in the room couldn't help but grimace. They couldn't accept the fact that they had to use such expensive medicine on the young man just because he was the commander's son; however, they still obeyed his command.

It was only after a few hours passed that William was able to wake up, consuming more than half of their treasure stock. His head still hurting from overdrawing on his mana with his reckless spell use, William opened his eyes and looked around, his eyes landing on his father, who was waiting for him to wake up.

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Thearchy of Bazilarar, Nulgizir, the capital city of the Magic Kingdom.

Inside the central tower, Archmage Leonardo Lincoln was going through a few pieces of paper with a focused expression.

These few pieces of paper were the final research data he needed to complete his unique magic that he had been working on for over fifty years, so he had put everything aside to complete it.

Finally, after going through all of the data and integrating it into his memory using a spell, he smiled.

"I shall call it, Nexus of the Arcane!"

Repeating the name a few times, he confirmed that he liked it and waved his hand, a staff appearing on it. Moving the staff in the air, he chanted, creating a magic circle in a way different from William's.

In an instant, his whole room, along with the tower and even the entire capital, became encompassed by a large magic circle.

[Nexus of the Arcane] was Leonardo's newest and most powerful spell. He had specifically designed it as an ultimate grade spell, a spell only used by those who had reached the ninth stage.

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When cast, the spell would create a massive magical nexus that connects all of the magic energy in the area in which the spell was used. This nexus is like a giant web of energy that spans across the entire spell, connecting every living being and every object that contains magic.

Once the nexus is established, the magician can tap into it to access vast amounts of magical energy. This energy can be used to cast mighty spells that are far beyond the capabilities of normal magic users.

However, the spell also comes with significant risks. The sheer power of the nexus can be overwhelming, and if the magician loses control, the resulting explosion of magic could destroy everything in its path.

Because of these risks, only someone like Archmage Leonardo Lincoln could cast a spell like this, especially in the Magic Kingdom, where magicians were rampant.

If William knew that he had completed the spell now of all times, then he would swear at Leonardo with all his heart.

Seeing the effects of his new spell, Leonardo laughed in satisfaction. After enjoying himself with a small beverage, he sat back on his office chair and began his next task.

"Now that I have completed my ultimate spell, I should do the next important task, hmm let's see…"

Pulling out a worn piece of paper from his drawer, he read through his tasks one by one. After a bit, his eyes rested on a line that stood out more than the rest.

"Change in fate, yeah, I completely forgot about my promise to Randolf, didn't I? It's already been three months? Time sure flies by when you're doing research, I guess. Anyway let's see what change happened…"

Closing and opening his eyes, he began chanting, using his aspect in the process.

Although his strength was that of a half deity, that was only when he used his aspect, [Limit Breaker], which allowed him a boost in strength with no after-effects.

His eyes began changing colors as he once again divined the change in fate, this time going into much greater detail.

After two straight hours of divining, he stopped and frowned.

"It's not one, but two things that are affecting fate… One seems to be originated from a change in space-time, while the other seems to be from beyond our world. Well, it doesn't matter, since even if the doomsday scenario happens, I'll still be unaffected with my ultimate spell."

He said while laughing as if what he had just exposed were daily matters that weren't enough to affect his plans.

Once again, if William knew what he was thinking, he would directly attack him, just so he would put some sense into him. This was the reason the magic kingdom had fallen so fast in the previous timeline since Leonardo thought he was invincible inside the [Nexus of the Arcane], but that couldn't be further from the truth.

Leonardo decided to take a stroll around the city since it had been a while since he acted like the actual god of the kingdom.

His figure vanished from his tower, appearing in mid-air, scouting every magician in the vicinity. He didn't directly walk in the streets since that would cause a ruckus.

Hiding his presence, he decided to spy on his subordinates and their towers.

William knew that Leonardo was a gullible fellow, especially since he had spent most of his time in seclusion, interacting little with others. Although he was invincible in his domain, there were always exceptions.

Leonardo went to each tower undetected and inspected each of the tower masters, who were strictly following his rules. Surprisingly, none of them acted out of line, as if knowing that he was watching over them.

Despite his immense power, Leonardo was also known for his eccentric behavior and tendency to lose himself in his research. While others might have used their abilities for personal gain or conquest, Leonardo's main focus was always on pushing the boundaries of magic itself.

Not finding any sort of entertainment in them, he decided to go to the Marinus Mage Academy to check out the new talented students.

At the Marinus Mage Academy, students bustled about, their robes billowing as they hurried to their classes. The academy was a sprawling complex of grand buildings and lush gardens, a testament to the kingdom's dedication to magical education.

In one of the classrooms, a group of students eagerly awaited their instructor, their excitement palpable in the air. They had heard rumors that Archmage Leonardo Lincoln himself would be teaching their class, and they couldn't contain their anticipation.

As Leonardo entered the room, a hush fell over the students, their eyes widening in awe at the sight of the legendary mage. He was a towering figure, his presence commanding respect and admiration.

"Good morning, young mages, I trust you're all eager to learn today?"

Leonardo greeted them with a warm smile, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

The students nodded eagerly, their enthusiasm infectious. They had heard stories of Leonardo's incredible feats and groundbreaking research, and they couldn't believe their luck at having the opportunity to learn from him firsthand.

Leonardo wasted no time delving into the lesson, his voice echoing through the classroom as he explained the intricacies of magical theory and practice. He captivated his audience with his vast knowledge and engaging teaching style, making even the most complex concepts seem simple and accessible.

As the class progressed, the students eagerly soaked up every word, their minds buzzing with excitement and curiosity. They asked questions and shared their ideas, eager to impress their esteemed instructor.

Despite his reputation as a brilliant but eccentric mage, Leonardo proved to be a patient and encouraging teacher, taking the time to address each student's concerns and nurture their talents.

By the end of the lesson, the students were buzzing with excitement, their passion for magic reignited by Leonardo's inspiring words. They couldn't wait to continue their studies and unlock the full potential of their abilities.

As they filed out of the classroom, their minds buzzing with newfound knowledge and inspiration, Leonardo watched them with a sense of satisfaction. Teaching had always been his passion, and seeing the bright-eyed enthusiasm of his students reminded him why he had devoted his life to the pursuit of magic.