In the sprawling, majestic grounds of the Arcane Radiance College, where ancient spires touched the sky, and a confluence of diverse knowledge converged, a blue-haired young man with sharp features and an erudite stature walked with a steady step. He was Victor from the Asteriscus Magus family and one of the core acolytes of this prestigious academy. Yet, despite his seemingly impressive background, his eyes carried a determined focus, his hand subtly clasping a small, significant object around his neck.
“I hope this will lead me to my goal,” Victor whispered to himself, his fingers tracing the contours of the pointed broken object. This was the fruit of his research since joining the academy — a magic artifact fragment believed to lead to the remnants of a mighty Magus.
Despite hailing from a Magus family, his family only possessed an incomplete high-rank meditation technique, which doomed anyone who practiced it never to advance further than Elemental Adept rank. Of course, there were other options that he could have gone through, but they were even worse.
The Arcane Radiance College, for example, was known to scout and nurture talented acolytes without background and promised them advancement opportunities. They would be given an Adept’s Ascension Draught to force their breakthrough and a mediocre Bet-tier innate spell in exchange for signing a stringent magic contract under the Primordial One’s shadow, forever becoming slaves of the academy. This was the reason why Victor was so obsessed with finding this ruin that might contain the inheritance of a powerful ancient Magus.
As he traversed the cobblestone paths lined with enchanting magical flora in a secluded section of the academy, a young female acolyte approached him. Her navy-blue robe, elegantly trimmed with golden lines, fluttered gently around her. She possessed a delicate beauty, with long, dark blue hair flowing gracefully down her back and eyes that sparkled a vivid blue.
“You’re here, Victor,” she said, approaching him with a measured grace. “Does this mean you’ve accepted my earlier proposal?”
Elara Montana. She was a fellow acolyte of Victor’s age and came from a similar background. Since being accepted here, Victor had constant interactions with her. Three days ago, she had approached Victor after learning of Victor’s possession of the artifact fragment and proposed to join hands with him.
Victor played it cool and responded calmly, “Is an answer really necessary?” In truth, every encounter with Elara stirred an inexplicable feeling in his heart — something he had kept to himself.
Elara’s lips curved into a slight smile. “You stand to gain from joining us.”
“Us?” Victor’s attention sharpened as he sensed unfamiliar mana fluctuations and saw three figures approaching. He immediately raised his guard as he questioned, “Who are these people, Elara? You invited them?!”
The trio halted near them. The apparent leader was a handsome red-haired young man who exuded a regal calmness, his acolyte robe more ornate than most. The other two were less remarkable. One was a man with a tall and big stature, taller than Victor by half a head, his face containing a simple and honest expression. The third member was leaner, with a crooked look. Each equally radiated a faint aura of magic tools on their body, yet they all seemed deferential to the central figure.
Victor, despite being an acolyte at Arcane Radiance College, was among tens of thousands of others; it was impossible for him to be acquainted with everyone. Among the trio, only one was somewhat familiar to him, and that was due to his notable standing. The individual was Graviel Merlin, a scion of one of the most prestigious Magus families supporting the academy. Rumors abounded that a peak Nexus Temporal Magus was the patron of this family, lending it considerable influence and power.
From this, Victor inferred that the other two individuals accompanying Graviel were likely his aides, both hailing from backgrounds possibly on par with his own. Their families were also likely to be vassals of the Merlin family. Things were seemingly becoming more complicated than ever.
“Victor, let me introduce you to them. This is Mister Graviel of the Merlin family. You must be aware of him.” Elara clearly placed deliberate emphasis on the formal title and the renowned family name, which also confirmed Victor’s suspicions.
She continued, “Also, these are Dorian and Jared, both hailing from the Oscar family.”
Right. Victor had heard that the Oscar family had a deep connection with the Merlin family and was practically their vassal.
Despite this intimidating alliance, Victor remained undeterred, his stance resolute. “You expect me to just comply with this?” I have invested a lot of time and resources for this; how can I give it up?
“Victor, you must understand that exploring a remnant of an official Magus is dangerous. It’s a task that demands unity; only together can we muster the strength to navigate it. And even with combined forces, it remains a risky endeavor for acolytes like ourselves,” Elara cautioned, slightly swaying Victor into deep contemplation. “Rest assured, you’ll be fairly compensated for your part — we’ve agreed to give you double the portion of any treasures we unearth there.”
“Grr.” Victor gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as he thought for a long time. After a moment of tense silence, he exhaled slowly, easing his stance. “Fine. I can trust you, but I still can’t trust them.” He pointed at the three acolytes.
Jared, the one with the crooked face, bristled at Victor’s distrust. “How dare he look down on us! His family is nothing compared—”
“Shut your trap, Jared!” Graviel interjected sharply, silencing him. “He has the key to unlocking the vault of a mysterious Magus organization from the Ancient Era, the Steelrose Order.”
How did he know? Victor’s eyes narrowed in caution; he’d never revealed the specific nature of the ruins linked to his artifact. Elara only knew of its connection to a remnant of an official Magus by chance. This meant they had prior knowledge about the ruins and had been seeking a way in. Victor was not the only one searching for it!
“How can I be certain of your intentions?” Victor carefully chose his words.
Graviel responded with a cold pragmatism, “Trust is secondary here. You’re in a position where trusting us is your only option, or…” An intimidating aura emanated from him as he spoke, and he subtly motioned for Dorian and Jared to flank him.
“Yes, Victor. It’s in your best interest to join us,” Elara advised, her tone earnest. She even added to convince him, “We have information that you don’t possess, even the precise location and the details about the ruin..”
Piqued by her words, Victor told her to continue.
Elara leaned in, her voice dropping to a hushed tone. “The ruin lies within the Thornwood Forest. It’s said to be a pocket dimension, inaccessible to most. But you, Victor, you possess the key to it.”
Victor’s mind raced. The key that she and Graviel referred to was obviously the artifact fragment — it was an ancient, incomplete relic whose true purpose had still been a mystery to him since the day he found it. He only knew that if he infused some of his infused mana into it, a map would appear to show him a location, and he had been in the mind to explore it on his own.
Graviel, growing impatient, pressed for an answer. “What’s your decision?”
“Alright, I’ll cooperate…” was what Victor said, but different thoughts swirled in his mind. If things came down to this, he was left with no other choice but to agree here on the surface and later turn to his family for backing. Maybe he could even orchestrate Magus families that were enemies with the Merlins. It was better to get crumbs than to trust these people, after all.
“Good choice. But before that,” Graviel took out a magic contract from his sleeve and presented it to Victor, “you have to sign this.”
Shit! These bastards sure have come prepared! Victor cursed in his heart. Now, there was no way he could do what he originally planned. One had to know that the one used by Graviel, especially, was the same one that was commonly used by the academy to contract official Magi. It would be nearly impossible to break this contract without resorting to extreme methods.
“Fool! You weren’t expecting us to just believe your words, were you?” Jared mocked.
“Don’t worry. This is only a failsafe in case you divulge this matter to a third party and a guarantee so that we won’t attack each other,” explained Graviel.
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“Fine! I’ll sign it.” Victor read through the contract and found that nothing was wrong with it and signed it with his infused mana. Then, the contract suddenly flew into the air and disappeared into small particles that landed on his and Graviel’s bodies. Truly peculiar.
“From this moment, we are comrades,” Graviel declared, a flash of satisfaction in his eyes as he clapped a hand on Victor’s shoulder.
For Victor, solitude had always been his preference. His interactions with others were always limited, merely focused on trade or business, as he was too focused on his research. Aligning with this group meant that he had to depart from his usual lone endeavors. Of course, he didn’t believe them completely, but if this was the only choice left, then he would bite the bullet if it meant accomplishing his goal.
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Before them lay the Thornwood Forest, a sprawling expanse of darkness that held many secrets. The journey from Arcane Radiance College to this enigmatic forest had been long and arduous, even on horseback, spanning over half a month to traverse the northwest route. Luckily, all of them were third-stage Initiate Attunement acolytes; it would have taken longer otherwise.
The Kingdom of Luminos was vast and encompassed many different terrains and regions — from the boundless deserts in the east to the dense forests and swamps in the west, the towering mountain ranges in the north bordering other kingdoms, and the treacherous, magical beast-infested southern seas. Countless territories lay in between. Traveling from one end to another could easily consume two months, even with relentless horseback travel.
Unless they had ascended to become an official Magus and consequently learned to use flight magic, it meant that their travel time couldn’t be shortened. On foot, despite the aid of spells, their pace would not surpass that of their horses.
Elara broke the silence, her eyes scanning the forest. “The entrance is said to be in a deep chasm here somewhere in this forest,” she stated.
“Let’s go. We don’t want to waste more time dilly-dallying.” Graviel gestured for them to proceed and follow his lead; he had a magic tool on him to ward off any hostile creatures.
Jared threw a mocking glance in Victor’s direction and sneered. “Try to keep up. We wouldn’t want you slowing us down.”
Victor merely grunted in response, choosing not to engage.
Over the half-a-month-long journey, Victor had become slightly more familiar with them. While he and Jared remained at odds, he had developed a sort of rapport with Graviel and Dorian. Graviel, though arrogant, proved manageable with the right approach, mainly when his family’s prestige was acknowledged. Dorian, for his part, appeared like an honest guy; at least Victor found it challenging to read what was inside his mind.
As they ventured deeper into the forest, the surroundings became increasingly ominous. The air was heavy with an uncanny aura. Towering trees loomed overhead, their branches weaving together in a protective embrace, as though safeguarding the forest’s age-old secrets.
In Victor’s grasp, the artifact fragment began to emit a subtle, ethereal glow. He was getting closer and closer to the heart of the ruins of the Ancient Era. A bygone era before the fall of the ancient Magus civilization — the zenith of the magic civilization, a time when the powers of the Magus were at their pinnacle.
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For two arduous days, they had been searching for the chasm that Elara had spoken of. After searching through the forest and went past countless supernatural phenomena to evade aggressive magical beasts, they finally found it — a deep, ominous giant hole on the ground that appeared to consume all light.
Graviel turned to Victor. “Victor, it’s time.”
With a determined nod, Victor brought out the artifact fragment. The team watched intently as he held it aloft. The air around them began to vibrate, and a faint, ethereal glow emanated from the chasm’s depths. Intricate runes materialized, hovering in the air, aligning perfectly with the markings on Victor’s fragment. Miraculously, a pathway of shimmering light formed, revealing the way forward.
“There it is…” Victor’s heart thumped in anticipation, for the thing of his long search lay just ahead—
Bang!
Like a bolt from the blue, a dark purple intangible python struck Victor with ferocious speed and shattered the force field coming out from the magic tool under his robe, its fangs sinking into his stomach. The force of the impact sent him reeling back, and his body wracked with excruciating pain. Blood spilled from his lips as he dropped the artifact fragment.
It was a high-grade magic tool, and it failed to withstand the power of this spell… Victor recognized this spell: It was a sinister, forbidden spell — {Demonic Python} — known for causing the victim a slow but certain death. Such a spell could only be cast by an official Magus, yet none in their group had achieved such a rank. Confusion and betrayal filled Victor’s mind as he turned to see Graviel holding a magic scroll and wearing a contemptuous sneer.
“Wh-Why? Cough! WHY?!” Victor almost couldn’t believe it. The defensive magic tool had barely saved him, activating in the nick of time to absorb the brunt of the attack. Had it not, he would have met a swift and certain end!
“Your role here is done,” uttered Graviel coldly as he and the others closed in on Victor.
“You too, Elara…?” The thing was that Victor hadn’t trusted them from the start, except for her.
“I’m sorry, Victor. I had no choice.” Elara smiled with a mix of regret and resolve at him. Her eyes also flickered with a hint of sorrow, yet her stance was unwavering.
Realization dawned on Victor; they had all conspired against him. Victor gritted his teeth, not only because of the pain from the venomous bite and his wounded stomach but also from the naivety that he had displayed here.
Glancing around, he saw no escape routes. Surrounded by four acolytes of equal strength, his situation was dire and far from ideal. He had initially thought that even if his comrades had decided to betray him from the start, they would’ve waited until they entered the pocket dimension. Not here, not this soon. After all, he could have done something if it was inside there…
He sure had underestimated their deceit.
“Hah! Did you really think you’d get two parts of the share? Keep dreaming.” Jared mocked, sneering at him. “I’ve been holding up this charade the whole time. If not for lowering your guard, I would have killed you days ago!”
“We only need you to play your part and, of course, to get this artifact fragment.” Dorian stepped forward, holding Victor’s dropped artifact fragment, and handed it to Graviel, who then took out a similar piece. “You think you’re the only one with the artifact fragment? With these two, we’ll gain greater control over the pocket dimension. Naturally, this pocket dimension is still too dangerous for us to go in as is, so we’ll have to call for reinforcement.”
No wonder they had decided to betray him this soon; he had another piece with him!
“Y-You… Don’t you fear the backlash from the magic contract?! Or the retaliation from my family and the academy?!”
“Fool!” Jared laughed at him. “This is far from the academy and even farther from your family’s territory. Besides, the Merlin family can easily wipe out a small Magus family of yours. Plus, do you really believe Sir Graviel didn’t put a backdoor to that contract?”
Hearing that, Victor’s heart sank. This had been his last shred of hope in this situation.
“Just give up, Victor.” Dorian’s voice was devoid of emotion as he suggested, “At least your death will be quicker that way. You shouldn’t have sought what’s beyond your reach.”
Graviel’s smirk widened. “Let me show you one last spectacle.” He infused his infused mana toward the two artifact fragments and combined them. The result, while still incomplete and fractured, was now a marginally usable magic artifact. Its full potential remained a mystery, but its immediate use was apparent in Graviel’s ambitious eyes.
“Your time’s up, Victor. Now’s time for you to die.” Graviel turned his attention at him, his gaze cold and merciless as he prepared to cast a spell to deliver the final blow… Or so that was supposed to be.
“—NO!!” In a desperate move, Victor reached into his robe and retrieved a hidden vial. With a swift motion, he shattered it on the ground, releasing a blinding cloud of smoke. This was his last resort — a potion he had explicitly procured for this expedition, for this exact situation. Amidst the chaos, he forced himself to his feet and dashed towards the shimmering pathway above the chasm’s edge with his remaining power. Casting {Zephyr Dash}, he surged forward with enhanced speed, evading their grasp.
“Shit! Stop him!” Someone’s shout echoed through the smoke, likely to be Graviel’s, but it was too late.
Victor was mere steps away from the portal to the pocket dimension. It flickered erratically, however, as it was still unstable due to his earlier interruption. Crossing it was a huge gamble; he could end up anywhere in the forest if he were lucky or, in the worst case, lost in the void. Yet, he had no other choice, as it was his only escape.
So, with no time to hesitate, Victor chose to jump in, bracing for whatever fate awaited him on the other side…
***
“That fucker!” Jared viciously kicked a pebble into the yawning depths of the chasm. The remnants of the blinding smoke still irritated his eyes, fueling his anger.
“Do you think he’ll survive that forbidden spell?!” Elara chimed in, her eyebrows drawing together.
Graviel responded with a dismissive certainty. “No one, not even an Elemental Adept rank Magus, can easily withstand a direct hit from that spell. Only a high-rank Alchemist capable of creating specific antidotes, or a Magus of significant power, could counteract its effects.”
“The poison works insidiously, slowly draining life force before culminating in a torturous death. He will die in the most gruesome way,” Dorian elaborated grimly.
“So, he’s going to die for certain?” Elara probed further in a low tone.
Graviel cast a sharp glance at her, his brow furrowing. “Why? Are you concerned about him?” The idea didn't sit well with him, considering he saw Elara as his woman.
“No! I’m not worried about him, but for our plan,” Elara quickly corrected. “We don’t know where he’s gone. It could complicate things if he somehow ends up in the pocket dimension.”
“Impossible. I interrupted him just before the portal completely materialized, so it’s impossible for him to reach the pocket dimension.” Graviel dismissed her concerns with a shake of his head.
“He’s probably dead now, torn apart by magical beasts or lost somewhere in the void.” Jared gloated at the thought.
Graviel shifted focus back to their mission. “Anyway, his well-being is none of our concerns. We must go back as soon as possible and prepare for a thorough exploration. I’ve already sent my family a message through a special magic tool to request reinforcements of Ki-warriors; we’ll need cannon fodder to make a path for us. Remember, tell your families only what they need to know — we’ve discovered an ordinary Magus’s remnant and require assistance, nothing more. Understood?”
““Yes!””
Both Jared and Dorian responded in unison. Elara also agreed by nodding her head.
With their plan set, they left the forest and swiftly returned to the village to pack up their stuff. The group planned to amass a force and return to claim whatever secrets and inheritance lay hidden within the ruins of the pocket dimension.