"Zhor-ith-ar!"
A mysterious and powerful syllable escaped from Oliver's lips, and the magic within his core surged, culminating in a razor-sharp wind blade that sliced through the air.
"My magic power… it's growing stronger…" Oliver felt the surge of magic in his core, his heart lifting with excitement.
With a magic core, a spellcaster’s power is greatly enhanced. Over the past few days, as he continued to practice, Oliver had become more adept at channeling the core's energy to boost his spells. The power he could summon had grown even more potent.
Currently, Oliver’s Earth magic was the most formidable, with a strength that exceeded 110% of the Novice level. His other basic spells had reached 40% of their potential. He had only been at the Magic Academy for just over half a month, and this rate of progress was nothing short of astonishing.
Looking over at James, he saw that the boy’s magic still hadn’t reached even 10% of its potential. Of course, James had made progress—his success rate for casting spells had increased dramatically, and he no longer failed to cast them.
Then there was Deniel, who had enrolled late and lacked a proper teacher. He was still struggling to master the pronunciations of the incantations and the art of magic flow. A good teacher really made all the difference.
Oliver couldn’t help but wonder about Professor Arcanus. If he could be guided by such a master, his progress would undoubtedly accelerate. In just a little while, Oliver could begin learning more advanced spells, including some orange-tier magic.
"Hey, Oliver! I’ve got great news!" James came running excitedly from the training ground.
"What is it? You look like you’ve won the lottery. Just don’t go shouting in the academy—let’s not make it seem like we peasants lack decorum," Deniel shot James an annoyed glance.
But James’ enthusiasm was contagious.
"Professor Arcanus has finished his business and is coming back to the academy! He’s arriving tonight, at the latest!"
What a coincidence!
Oliver had just been thinking about the possibility of receiving guidance from Arcanus. He hadn’t expected the news to come so soon.
It had been over half a month since Oliver had entered the academy, and now he would finally get to meet the legendary Professor Arcanus. What kind of person would he be?
Rumor had it that Arcanus was not only a certified magician but one whose power had reached the orange-tier—an impressive feat indeed. Magicians, like those with magic cores, were ranked in tiers: red being the lowest and purple the highest. Oliver, along with his senior Hector, was still an apprentice, not even close to reaching the red tier.
But this professor—an orange-tier magician—was in an entirely different league.
As Oliver was lost in these thoughts, he suddenly felt a sharp tremor in his mind, his magical connection vibrating wildly.
Wait... it was his large cat, sending a distress signal.
"Hmm? The big cat and the boar… attacked?" Oliver’s heart sank.
His large wild boar and tiger were both fierce beasts of the forest, and he had trained and enhanced them. They were far stronger than any ordinary tiger or boar. Yet, even they had been attacked? The adversary must be incredibly powerful.
His heart quickened as the cat sent another message, pleading for help.
"I have to go," Oliver muttered as he quickly excused himself, hurrying out of the academy and toward the forest.
James and Deniel exchanged surprised glances. "Aren’t you going to meet Professor Arcanus tonight?" James asked, bewildered.
Oliver hesitated, then nodded. "I will, but I’ve got urgent business to handle first. Once I’ve dealt with it, I’ll come back to the academy. I might still be able to catch him."
They were puzzled, but seeing the seriousness on Oliver’s face, they didn’t press further.
The forest was eerily quiet when Oliver arrived. He reached a familiar spot and whistled sharply.
The ground trembled beneath his feet as the two large beasts quickly appeared, bounding toward him with eager steps.
As soon as Oliver had learned that his two companions had been attacked, he had ordered them to retreat. "Don’t fight back—just run if you can. Survive first and foremost."
It seemed they had obeyed his orders and survived. However, they bore visible injuries, and fresh blood dripped from their wounds. Worse still, their territory had been taken over.
The two creatures, now huddled at his side, whimpered for comfort. Oliver gently stroked them, his mind racing.
What kind of creature could wound these two formidable beasts so badly? Whatever it was, it had to be a powerful enemy.
Looking at his pets, Oliver couldn’t help but think of revenge. If it was a rare or unique creature, perhaps he could even use his magic core to capture it!
Lately, his mental strength had increased dramatically. It was time to capture a new, more powerful pet.
Guided by his two companions, Oliver quietly advanced deeper into the forest, arriving near his destination. Concealing himself in a bush, he peered through the foliage and finally saw what he had been searching for.
It was a massive creature, unlike anything he’d seen before. The Shatterbeast.
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The creature was nearly five meters tall, its body resembling a massive boulder rather than flesh. Its skin was a dull gray, encrusted with layers of rock, forming an impenetrable armor. Its head was large, adorned with hammer-like horns.
This was no ordinary creature. This was a magical beast.
[Shatterbeast: A magic creature rich in Earth magic. It possesses formidable defensive capabilities.]
[Its mental strength is considerable, making it extremely dangerous to capture at your current level.]
A stone, with a strong mental presence?
The idea of capturing it seemed daunting. Oliver felt a slight frustration but quickly regained his focus.
As he watched the Shatterbeast, his eyes widened in surprise. Beside it was a smaller version—a baby Shatterbeast!
It was obvious the giant creature was the parent of this little one. To think that such a stone-like creature could have offspring. But this was a magical beast, and its methods of reproduction were certainly unconventional.
Oliver couldn’t help but be intrigued. The little one had the potential to be captured—this was a huge opportunity.
[Shatterbeast Hatchling: A magical creature with a certain amount of Earth magic. It has decent defensive capabilities and incredible potential for growth.]
[It has rudimentary intelligence and is a suitable target for capture.]
This was it!
The baby Shatterbeast was a viable target for his magic core. Oliver’s plan was set: defeat the adult, capture the baby, and raise it.
The adult Shatterbeast was far stronger than any slime, and capturing it could yield vast amounts of life essence and magical energy. Perhaps it could even be sold for a hefty price.
However, this was not without risk. Unlike the slimes and Aqua Bubbles found in beginner zones, the Shatterbeast was a small boss-level monster, far more dangerous.
But danger was nothing new to Oliver. He took a deep breath. If he wanted to grow stronger, he had to take risks.
And this monster had attacked his pets, encroaching on his territory. He had no choice but to fight.
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At Oakridge Academy, James and Deniel were still hard at work practicing their basic magic. The rapid progress of Oliver had sparked a sense of urgency within both of them, driving them to train relentlessly.
They were not afraid of the exhaustion, nor the strain. Even without a teacher’s guidance, they refused to ease up, determined to master enough basic spells (red level) within the next three months to become magic apprentices—a difficult yet crucial step in their journey.
If they succeeded, their lives would change forever.
While becoming a magic apprentice did not grant the privileges of a full-fledged wizard, and they would still be far from nobility, it was a massive leap up from being ordinary commoners.
For example, magic apprentices were often sought after by official wizards to assist in experiments, and those hoping to work in the kingdom as officials were required to hold this apprentice title.
But as James and Deniel trained, a cold, mocking laugh broke their focus.
"You two, get out of here," came the voice of a noble student, followed by several others, who approached with an air of superiority. "This training field is ours now."
James and Deniel froze, turning to face the group of aristocratic students.
The nobles eyed them with thinly veiled contempt.
Deniel was about to argue, but James quickly pulled him aside and urged him to retreat.
However, their retreat was not enough.
One of the noble students, Edmund, spoke up again, "From now on, you two aren't welcome here. This training ground is for us only."
"Why? What gives you the right to stop us from coming here?" Deniel could no longer hold back and shouted, his voice rising in anger.
"Because you're filthy. You're stinking up the floor, and it's ruining the mood for the rest of us!" Edmund sneered, his nose wrinkled in disgust.
James’s face turned pale, and he instinctively wiped his hands. Despite being a student at the Academy, James was still a simple farmer at heart, and his hands, though scrubbed briefly before coming to class, were still caked with dirt and grass seeds from the fields.
"No matter how much you wipe, that smell of peasantry will never leave you," Edmund spat, his voice dripping with disdain.
"Hey, Edmund, don’t push it," another noble student, Holland, chimed in, chuckling.
"What, are you going to stick up for these peasants, Holland?"
Holland grinned, "No, no. I'm just saying, it's about time you did this. I've been tolerating these peasants using our training field for too long. The stench has been unbearable!"
Laughter erupted from the other nobles at his words.
James and Deniel were humiliated, their faces pale as they stood motionless. Deniel clenched his fists, but dared not retaliate.
After all, these were nobles—their social status was far beyond theirs.
They had never done anything to offend these aristocrats, but here they were, being openly mocked and humiliated.
The reason was clear: it was nothing more than sheer discrimination!
The nobles, in their high and mighty positions, were amused by tormenting those beneath them, and that was all.
"What do you want from us?" Deniel finally growled, his voice shaking with anger.
"What do we want?" Edmund laughed, tapping his chin in mock thought.
"Well, how about you each hand over 100 silver coins, and we’ll let this slide. What do you say?"
100 silver coins.
For commoner students like James and Deniel, that was an astronomical amount. But to the noble students, it was a drop in the bucket.
Edmund’s offer was not a request—it was an ultimatum meant to drive them out. The idea that commoners like James and Deniel could dare to learn magic alongside nobility was laughable to them.
The senior student, Griffin, who was supposed to be supervising, watched the entire exchange but made no move to intervene. It was clear he didn’t care about the fate of these commoners.
"You’re crossing the line!" Deniel’s eyes burned with fury, but James, seeing the situation spiraling, grabbed his arm and whispered urgently, "Hector’s not here, and neither is Professor Arcanus. We can't afford to make a scene."
Deniel hesitated, his anger boiling over.
But before he could speak again, Edmund smirked and addressed them one more time, "Oh, and don’t forget about the other little peasant. 100 silver coins from him too, or none of you will be allowed to stay."
"And what if we don't pay?"
Deniel snapped, unable to hold back any longer.
"Don't pay?"
Edmund’s grin widened as he cracked his knuckles.
"Griffin, what do you think? Maybe we can have a little magic duel with these two?"
His voice dripped with menace, sending a chill through both James and Deniel. They had seen the destructive power of magic from senior students, and facing off against them would almost certainly mean defeat—or worse.
To their surprise, Griffin simply frowned, said nothing, and turned away, walking off without a word. It seemed that while he might not care for commoners, humiliating them for sport didn’t interest him.
Edmund's face twisted in irritation at Griffin's disinterest, but he quickly masked it with a grin.
"Looks like the senior gave us the green light," he said, his laughter full of malice. "Today, we’re teaching you a lesson!"
With that, Edmund and the group of noble students closed in, laughing and jeering as they surrounded James and Deniel.
It seemed, however, that they weren’t planning to use magic after all. This was likely because Professor Arcanus didn’t favor the nobility over others. He judged based on talent, not bloodlines.
If that weren’t the case, Oakridge Academy wouldn’t have accepted commoners.
But once magic was involved, and if anyone got hurt—or worse, killed—especially among lower-year students, Professor Arcanus would be furious. The offenders would be expelled in an instant.
But for a simple fistfight? He’d let that slide. After all, it was just a minor squabble between students.
Deniel’s eyes blazed with fury. Back home, he had been a skilled hunter—though no match for these nobles in magic, his physical strength still gave him an edge.
Without warning, he lunged forward, grabbing Edmund and landing a powerful punch squarely on his nose. Edmund staggered back, blood pouring from his nostrils, fury burning in his eyes.
"Fuck! You’re asking for it now, aren’t you?" Edmund roared, signaling to the others. The noble students rushed in, eager to join the fray.
They were older, stronger, and far better trained.
Deniel and James didn’t stand a chance.
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Meanwhile, in the forest, Oliver crouched behind a thick bush, his eyes fixed on the massive Shatterbeast.
Its enormous form stood like a living rock, with thick, armor-like plates covering its body.
The beast’s defensive capabilities were astonishing.
The way its skin resembled stone made it nearly impervious to most attacks. Even the jaws and claws of his pets, the wild boar and the great cat, could hardly make a dent.
The key to defeating it lay in targeting the weak points—the thin connections between its armored plates. But that was easier said than done, as these vulnerable spots were rarely exposed.
Still, the Shatterbeast had its flaws. It moved slowly, and its ears and eyes were soft spots—its most obvious weaknesses. Defeating such a beast would be a challenge, but not an impossible one.
Oliver remained hidden, carefully watching for an opportunity.