It was now the 4th month into Dirk's second year at the academy.

After he and Ava returned, they both went back to their peaceful routine of classes.

Because neither of them saw any necessity in attending the anima classes, Ava only had two classes to go to. First was her water element class, and second was her alchemy class.

As for Dirk, he still had 5 classes, one for each of his three elements and two for forging and enchanting.

Dirk was met with a bit of a surprise change when he returned to class though. Because it was normal for students to disappear for weeks or even months, the teacher wasn't concerned about his sudden arrival. However, when Dirk was given an overview of what they were doing, he went deep into thought.

The first year in the academy, all the element classes taught the same few spells that were basically the standard. However, from the second year on, they would begin to specialize.

In his earth class, Dirk's teacher went over several different spells. All these spells were put in front of Dirk, and it was his job to choose one to learn. Mages couldn't learn absolutely every spell made available to them, so at a certain point, they would pick out spells they wanted to learn and focus on that until they felt they could move on.

So, Dirk was required to pick a spell he wanted to learn and study it until he could cast it. As for the teacher, they were there to help with anything they couldn't understand.

Everyone's understanding of magic was different, even though the runes were the same for each spell. Because of that, the academy took a hands off approach in the later years, allowing students to form their own visions of magic and come to them if they ever needed special guidance. This was why, when it came to the third and fourth year students, the classes were never full. Nearly all students were either practicing magic on their own time, pursuing something like forging or alchemy, or dungeon diving. Through this, they carved their own path of magic.

This didn't decrease the value of the academy in the slightest, however. The reason the academy could stand as one of the largest and most powerful institutions was because they held the largest repository of magical knowledge in the empire. There were thousands of spells across all the elements that were held exclusively by the academy, most of which were developed by the teachers and skilled mages within the academy walls.

The academy was single handedly responsible for creating the most powerful mages the empire has ever seen. Only an extremely few exceptions were able to rise to prominence by themselves, but even these people weren't completely cut off from the empire's influence. After all, mages needed resources, especially so as they became more powerful. The empire held all these resources.

Now, Dirk was just beginning to understand this point. As he went through his classes, he needed to choose some spells to learn. However, these spells were only low tier spells. If one wanted to learn some of the more powerful spells, they would need to provide a certain amount of value to the academy, and by extension the empire. If they refused to give anything, the academy had no obligation to hand over magical knowledge. This would cut off a mages lifeline, and they would never be able to advance in power and status.

For now though, Dirk didn't have to worry about this problem. In his earth class, he went through the spells made available to him before choosing one.

There were several choices. One spell was called Phoenix Guard, and this spell would create a wall with dozens of spikes capable of impaling enemies and stopping a frontal charge. If Dirk had this spell, he would've been able to keep the lizard king from charging him. Things like his rock arrows couldn't even pierce the lizard's hide, but this spell was much stronger. It was a spell that required at least a Tier 3 to cast. Dirk barely qualified to start practicing it.

As for the others, there were things like a ground shifting spell that would anchor Dirk to the floor and move the ground underneath his feet. This was an earth movement spell. There was also an improved version of the rock arrow spell.

Many different spells with various effects were put in front of Dirk. After thinking for a while, he didn't make a choice, but instead asked a question.

"Are there any spells that make use of the metal specialization?"

"Metal?"

Hearing his question, Dirk's teacher was surprised. The next moment though, she smiled bitterly.

"Unfortunately, we don't have any for your level. The spells we've brought out are the only ones you can choose from."

"I see..."

Dirk let out a light breath. This disappointed him. The metal specialty was undoubtedly powerful, but for now, he wasn't able to make use of it.

He turned his focus back to the spells in front of him. In the end, he chose one. The spell was called Earth Guard, and it was a spell that created small pieces of armor that could protect a person's body.

The Earth Guard spell was actually a series of spells that got progressively harder to cast as one got stronger. The spell Dirk chose was the most basic one, and it could only create a small section of armor to protect a single part of the body like the leg, chest, or arm. Dirk still chose it though.

If Dirk had this spell, he would've been able to protect against the lizard king's bite and swipes, using more than just his tough body and wearable armor. Besides, the earth element was more defensive in nature anyway. Dirk intended to use it as such.

After that, Dirk scanned the book for the spell. When it came to these spells, the students weren't allowed to take them away from the classroom in order to keep the books from getting into the 'wrong hands'. Luckily, Dirk could just scan it and go, never needing to touch the book again.

After that, Dirk went to the fire class. Here, he was met with the same predicament. After many minutes of deliberation, Dirk picked out a spell.

The spell was an improved version of the fireball. The difference though was that this new fireball spell would create a much more concentrated fireball. The fireball would be about the size of a marble, the power of fire compressed as much as possible. One could throw this fireball at high speeds, letting it explode with extreme power. It wasn't an area spell that could cover a range of enemies, but instead more like a grenade that could deal high damage to a few targets. The closer the enemy was to the fireball, the more damage.

The biggest difficulty in this spell was compressing the fireball precisely. Many people with low affinities couldn't compress all the mana within the fireball, leading to some leaking and ultimately ruining the spell. To use this spell, one needed a high enough affinity so that they could control any leaks. Luckily, Dirk had no problems with that.

With that, Dirk left the fire class. After that though was the dark class. Dirk stood outside the door for a few seconds, calming himself before facing the chaotic mess that was his teacher. However, while Dirk stood outside, the door to the classroom was flung open. Dirk was shocked when he was met with Garel's beaming face.

"It's Dirk!"

"Oh god..."

"Everyone! Dirk has returned after an arduous and mythical adventure! Let us congratulate him and make song of a legendary warrior come home!"

As Garel started singing an actual song of legendary warriors, the 3 students in the classroom awkwardly clapped for Dirk. By now, they learned just to go along with this eccentric teacher of theirs. Dirk didn't blame them as he stood around with a twitching smile.

When Garel finally finished his wonderful song and Dirk was allowed to sit, the class was able to continue. At least, for Dirk it was. Like the other classes, Garel spoke about several dark spells that Dirk could learn. Only, Garel was totally focused on Dirk as he explained all the different spells, totally neglecting the other 3 students. To this, they didn't feel angry or upset. Being Garel's favorite was more a curse than a blessing, and none of them wanted to be in his spotlight.

While those three studied their spell books in relative peace, Dirk listened to Garel lay out all the different spells he could learn. For once, Garel even brought out books. However, Dirk was quickly shocked.

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'These spells... I definitely shouldn't have access to them.'

Dirk blankly stared at the four books that Garel put in front of him. All of them were some of the highest level spells in the academy. The spells Dirk picked out in his other classes were basic spells for tier 3 mages that consisted of no more than three or four magic circles. But these books contained spells that were designed for class 6 mages, containing dozens of magic circles. The books held the spells that started from tier 3 all the way up to tier 6.

For example, Dirk was quick to spot the Void Walking spell. This spell was a dark movement technique that would teleport a mage short distances. This spell actually relied on using the unique spatial aspect of the dark element to perform. With this, one could actually bend space to move across it.

The beginning spells required a Tier 4 or an exceptional Tier 3 to practice. At the Tier 6 level, one could use this spell to teleport long distances. This book contained the entire spell from beginning to end. Dirk would be able to use this book to practice from now until he was a Tier 6. Such a spell book was definitely off limits to him.

And the others were very similar. Dirk saw another spell called Spatial Execution, and this spell would create tears in space that could be used to slice through enemies. One needed to be at least a high level Tier 5 to practice this, and there were spells for this at the Tier 7 level.

The other two spells were called Curse of Darkness and Dark Healing. The first one was a curse, and it almost acted as some kind of poison that one could attach to an enemy, slowly eating away at their vitality until they keeled over as a husk. The second was just as the title said, and it was a special healing spell aimed toward dark mages that were incompatible with the light element.

However, while the Cure of Darkness could be practiced at Tier 3, Dark Healing could only be practiced at Tier 5. This was because dark healing was extremely special, and it required an in depth understanding of the dark element. It wasn't a matter of sheer power, but comprehension.

This was why there were so few dark healers. Light healers were everywhere, and even low Tier light mages like Alec could engage in light healing. This was because the light element was attuned to that sort of thing. But the dark element was the opposite, and to bend the nature of the dark element required a high level of understanding.

Dirk looked over the four spell books. All of them comprised the entirety of the spell from the lowest tier to the highest. However, Dirk wasn't sure why Garel would show him things like Dark Healing and Spatial Execution if he couldn't even begin practicing it. The only things he could even touch right now were Curse of Darkness and Void Walking.

Dirk asked Garel his question. However, the answer shocked him.

"I want you to take all of them."

"Wha..?"

"So you can practice them in the future! Those greedy administrators always want to hog magical knowledge and force you into the military to practice them. Do you know how long it took for me to snatch these books? 3 years! If it weren't for my amazing skill, I would've never been able to teleport these things out of the academy's vault! If they're in your hands though, I can rest assured. No prodigy of mine shall be forced into the military for some simple spells like these!"

"..."

Dirk was silent as Garel shook his fist righteously. With a blank face, he took out a cloth and wiped down the books he touched, clearing them of all fingerprints. He then put his hands in his pockets, refusing to touch them again.

"Aren't you going to take them? You can put them in that pocket ring of yours. Don't worry, the academy doesn't even know these books are gone!"

"No."

"Is it the shabby covers? If you want me to transcribe them, I can have some fresh books for you by tomorrow. They can even be metal!"

"No."

"But Dirk, my precious student! These spells will be infinitely valuable to you! Or are they not to your liking? If you want, I can make a stop by the vault again. There was one forbidden spell similar to spatial execution that might tickle your fancy."

"No."

"But Dirk!"

After Dirk kept refusing to touch the illegal merchandise, Garel became flustered. For the next several minutes, Garel went on to explain the spells and how amazing they were, confessing to several serious crimes and possibly a capital crime in the process.

At first, Dirk refused to listen to him. He didn't want to get caught up as an accomplice to this crazy man. However, as Garel spoke more and more, Dirk hesitated. He looked at the four books in front of him.

Then, after Garel made a certain promise, Dirk's hesitation was mostly wiped away.

"If you wish, my precious student, I can transcribe and then destroy the books afterward. That way, nobody will ever be able to trace things back to you! After all, I couldn't have you waste 80 years of your life just for learning a so-called 'forbidden spell'. What's so forbidden about spatial execution anyway? They just don't want people to succeed as a mage!"

Garel shook his head with a huff. Hearing him, Dirk made a very difficult deliberation before nodding.

"Fine."

"Yes! Here, these are now yours. Return them to me when you wish."

"No no, you can hang onto them when I'm not using them. They will be safer in your hands."

Dirk spoke seriously. Garel asked him solemnly.

"Are you sure?"

"Very."

"I understand. I shall guard these books with my life."

"...Thank you."

As Garel took a pledge, Dirk's eye twitched before turning back to the books. Using the cloth to open them, Dirk spent the next hour flipping through each book. His AI scanned every page in its entirety. Dirk ensured that he would never have to come in contact with these books again.

When he was done, he pushed the books back to Garel.

"Alright, you take them. Transcribe if you want and then destroy them. Or better yet, put them back and make it look like you never took them."

"Are you sure? What if you wish to study them more?"

"I memorized them. I don't need to see them again."

"Really? Amazing! My student truly is a prodigy! Very well, I will take care of them."

"Right."

Dirk nodded before standing. He was then quick to rush out of the classroom, Garel seeing him off with another song about departing soldiers.

"I'm a criminal now. Let's hope I don't get burned for it later."

As he walked to his next class, Dirk took a deep breath. Luckily, even if people did find out that Garel stole the books, there was no way he would be implicated. He was just a kid who couldn't even practice half the spells Garel showed him, and nobody would believe he truly memorized all the contents. That combined with Garel's reputation ensured he would be safe.

After that class, Dirk went over to his forging class. There he caught up on several forging techniques and even started a project to forge a sword.

After an hour there, Dirk left for his enchanting class where he learned more enchanting theory. He also started a project here, one that required him to enchant something called a spell scroll which was a one time use spell. These were commonly used by warriors who couldn't cast spells and relied on these consumable scrolls. They were relatively easy to produce, so the teacher had his classes start with these for practice.

After another hour there, Dirk left. Finally, he was done for the day. However, there was one more stop he had to make. After going back to his own house and grabbing Ava who was already there, Dirk left for the administrator housing area. He was going to speak with his father.

The two arrived at Ryker's house as the sun sunk below the horizon. Dirk could smell a wonderful fragrance as he approached, obviously cooking. He knocked on the door and was let in by a maid.

"It's Dirk! You little boy, why didn't you tell us before you left on a dungeon dive? Come sit, we just made dinner."

Seeing his son, Ryker was surprised before inviting to the dinner table. Ava followed, and the three walked to the dining area where Cecilia was already seated.

"Hello mother."

"Hello my sweet child."

Dirk hugged his mother before taking a seat. Ava also curtsied before sitting beside him. Ryker chuckled as he took the head of the table while maids went and started preparing more food for the unexpected guests.

"So, you little daredevil, wanna tell me how your dungeon dive went? I would say it went well, but not only does Ava have bandages on, but a little birdie told me about your party member who is still recovering. It sounds like you had an exciting adventure."

Cecilia leaned forward with a smile, hand under chin, as she asked Dirk. He scratched his head.

"It went alright. Ava and I stayed behind to complete the job, but it turns out that another group completed it before we returned."

"Oh? I'm sorry honey. I guess we've learned a lesson though about choosing proper group members, hm?"

"Yes."

Dirk nodded seriously. Alec was the only one who could keep up with them during that dungeon dive. Dirk would never again group up with people who couldn't pull their own weight, if not for no other reason than to keep people alive.

Cecilia smiled at Dirk's seriousness.

"Good. Now, tell me about Ava's wounds."

"We fought the dungeon king and she got wounded."

"Huh?"

Hearing Dirk, Cecilia stiffened up.

"You went to the king's hall?"

"Yes."

"Why would you do that? Going to the king's hall is a serious matter, and you two went in by yourselves?"

"...Yes?"

Dirk titled his head as Cecilia turned solemn. She looked at him with both worry and motherly anger.

"Dirk, honey, you do realize what entering the king's hall means right? That's a life or death battle, and you can't leave until either the king dies or you die."

"I understand that."

"So... why?"

"Because I felt confident in my chances."

Dirk looked at his mother seriously. While Ava was the one who initially wanted to fight the king, he ultimately made the decision, and it was because he was confident in his ability to handle himself. As for Ava who wanted to take the blame, he didn't let her.

Seeing his seriousness, Cecilia gazed at him for a few seconds before sighing.

"Alright, I trust you. I guess since you're here right now, that means you succeeded. Just promise me you will never push yourself to fight any kings, okay?"

"Yes mother."

"Thank you. So? What were your rewards?"

"I got this."

Dirk raised his hand, slipping the pocket ring off his finger and handing it to his mother. Cecilia was surprised, able to quickly see what it was.

"A pocket ring. That's a fantastic reward for the lesser dungeon you were in. And 4 feet of space is a good amount. Congratulations. I thought we'd buy you one at some point, but it looks like we get to save some gold."

Cecilia nodded as she handed the ring back to Dirk. Cecilia then turned to Ava, who lifted her necklace.

"I got this necklace. It's enchanted with a water mana crystal. I tested it and it gives a boost to water magic attacks."

"Oh? That's also impressive. Looks like your harvests were good. I'm proud. Oh, and Ava."

Cecilia smiled at Ava.

"Thank you for fighting alongside Dirk. Trustworthy friends are hard to come by. I'm glad he has one."

"O-of course."

Ava smiled sweetly. Getting praise from Dirk's parents meant a lot to her, especially with their statuses.

"Now, let's eat."

After food began piling up on the table, the four started digging in.

And when they finished eating, Dirk finally got down to business and mentioned the magic pyramid.