“Here, eat this,” Daniel slashed towards Alex’s head. Alex easily dodged the sword and replied with a strike aimed at Daniel’s ribs. Daniel barely deflected the blade downward, the impact jarring his arm.

Daniel released a series of rapid, furious strikes, frustration evident on his face. Alex met each attack with precise, almost effortless parries and dodges.

“Come on, Dan. You’ll have to do better than that,” Alex taunted, his voice calm amidst the clash of steel. “Remember our duel yesterday. Keep your mind clear and focused; don’t let it get clouded.”

Daniel stopped attacking and took a few steps back. “You’re right. I’m just frustrated with my abilities.” After taking a deep breath, he stepped forward, ready to clash with his taller friend again.

With renewed determination, Daniel lunged forward, aiming a powerful thrust at Alex’s chest. Alex sidestepped gracefully, bringing his sword up in a sweeping arc. The flat side of the blade caught Daniel’s weapon, forcing it out wide.

Daniel sprang back, but Alex was already in motion. He launched a swift counterattack, his blade slicing through the air toward Daniel’s shoulder. Daniel parried just in time, but the force of the blow pushed him off balance.

Before Daniel could recover, Alex closed the distance, his movements a blur. With a sharp twist, he drove his elbow into Daniel’s midsection, knocking the wind out of him. Daniel gasped, doubling over slightly.

Seizing the moment, Alex delivered a sharp kick to Daniel’s knee, sending him sprawling to the ground. Daniel rolled and tried to rise, but Alex was already there, his wooden sword poised at Daniel’s throat.

“Better luck next time,” Alex said, a smile on his face.

Daniel glared up at him, chest heaving with effort and frustration. He wanted to fight, to keep going, but he knew when he was beaten. With a sigh, he released his grip on his sword, the weapon clattering to the ground.

Alex extended a hand to help him up. “You fought well,” he said, a small smile playing on his lips. “But remember, it’s not just about strength. Strategy and composure are key.”

Daniel accepted the hand, his expression softening. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he replied, determined to learn from his defeat.

“You’ve seriously improved since our first duel one week ago!” Alex said, laying a hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “Remember, improving is a marathon, not a sprint. You’ve made great progress since you asked me to train you.”

“I know, I know,” Daniel replied, rubbing his knee. “But did you really have to kick me so hard?”

Alex chuckled. “Do you think the attackers you faced in Ravenholme would go easy on you? Maybe not. They’d probably slice your legs out from under you instead.”

Daniel stared blankly at his friend. “Yeah, you’re right…”

“I had an idea: if we can get the magic duel armour, we can practice while you cast and launch spells at me,” Alex explained. “Sadly, they’re expensive to rent. Maybe we can ask Instructor Braier?”

Daniel nodded. “Hmm, I’ll ask Shadewood if he can help us with that when he returns to the academy.” He picked up his training sword from the ground, inspecting it closely. “I also need to buy a new training sword; this one is almost broken in half,” he said, showing the crack to Alex.

Alex sheathed his sword and supported Daniel, letting him lean on his shoulder as they made their way to a bench on the side of the field. “Where is he anyway? School starts tomorrow!” Alex asked, concern evident in his voice. “Here, sit down. Don’t put weight on your knee until the scroll has finished working.”

“Buy an iron training sword. I’ll get one for free from the academy,” Alex said with a smile. “Also, have you finished packing? We’re moving out today, remember?”

Daniel sighed, a look of sadness crossing his face as he remembered that this would be the last day he shared a room with his best friend. “Yeah, I finished packing,” he said quietly.

Alex noticed the shift in Daniel’s mood and gave him a reassuring pat on the back. “Hey, it’s not like we’ll never see each other. We’ll still train together, and you’ll have new adventures!”

Daniel managed a small smile. “I know, it’s just going to be different. I’m going to miss your snoring so much,” he chuckled.

Alex laughed. “If you miss me too much, you can always stay over.”

Daniel applied the healing scroll to his knee as they sat on the bench, feeling a soothing warmth spread through the joint. Around them, the air was filled with the sounds of other students finishing their own practices, with laughter and chatter echoing in the background.

A figure walked briskly across the field, heading straight for them. As the person drew closer, Daniel recognised that it was Shadewood’s assistant. She stopped before the duo, her eyes flicking between them with a measured gaze.

“Daniel, Alexander,” she greeted curtly. “Master Shadewood requests your presence, Daniel. He expects you in his new office in the main building. I’ll guide you there.”

Daniel nodded and stood up, with Alex rising alongside him. Alex gave Daniel a thoughtful look. “I’ll probably finish packing and moving before you’re back, so this is goodbye for now.” He extended his arm, and they clasped each other’s wrists, pulling in for a heartfelt hug.

“I’ll miss you, my friend,” Daniel whispered during the embrace.

As they parted, Alex grinned. “This isn’t goodbye for good. Remember, we’re training every weekend! And dinners together, just like always.”

….

As Daniel entered the office, he immediately noticed it was much larger than the one they had previously met in. Shelves lined the walls, filled with an enormous collection of books, some of which he recognised from Shadewood’s old office. Stacks of paper cluttered the dark mahogany desk at the centre of the room. The subtle scent of vanilla filled the air. Large windows offered a stunning view of the distant mountain ranges.

Shadewood sat on a couch, engrossed in a thick, old, weathered book. Daniel couldn’t read the title on the worn cover.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Ah, Daniel,” Shadewood looked up with dark circles around his eyes. “Please, take a seat.”

Daniel sat down, his eyes drawn to the book Shadewood was holding. Shadewood noticed his curiosity and held it up. “It’s a book I found in a ruin last week. It’s written in an old Elven language.”

Shadewood continued, “It is difficult to translate, but I have had some success thus far.” He explained what he had managed to decipher, a few methods to use earth and plant magic to aid crop growth. “But enough about the book. I want to discuss a few matters, but first, how are you? I heard you were attacked and gravely wounded in Ravenholme.”

While Daniel recounted the events, Shadewood simultaneously prepared two cups of tea. A small smile formed on Shadewood’s face as Daniel explained the part where he had shielded Lucia from the attacks. Shadewood began sipping his tea while attentively listening to Daniel’s account.

“That is… not nothing, Daniel. I’m proud of the actions you took to protect Lucia. I’m relieved to see you’ve fully recovered.” Shadewood put his tea down and stared at Daniel.

“Thank you, Professor Shadewood,” Daniel replied gratefully.

“Please, I prefer if you call me Virgil in private,” Shadewood said with a slight smile. “Of course, when you publicly address me, you must call me by my last name. People can’t think I treat you differently than other students, even if you’re my representative.”

“Of course, Professor... I mean, Virgil,” Daniel responded, awkwardly addressing his Professor by his first name.

The Professor clapped his hands. “Well, let us move on. Do you have anything you wish to share with me?”

“I managed to unlock the storage of my family’s ring and discovered this book written in Ignisian,” Daniel began, choosing not to disclose the system to his Professor. “However, I can only decipher a few scattered words from it. Could you perhaps take a look and help me understand its contents?” With a flick of his wrist, Daniel summoned the dark red book from his ring and carefully placed it on the table.

The Professor picked up the book and slowly began flipping the pages. After a few minutes of silence, his eyes widened in astonishment. “Hmm… this is… Daniel! This is amazing!” Shadewood exclaimed excitedly.

Daniel’s heart raced with anticipation.

Shadewood looked up from the book, his expression alight with enthusiasm. “This book contains advanced techniques and theories regarding tier one and two fire spells, some of which I’ve never seen before. It’s a priceless discovery!”

Daniel’s eyes widened with excitement. “That’s incredible!”

“I can translate it for you. In exchange, if you let me, I’ll make a copy and study it further.” Shadewood offered earnestly, his tone filled with sincerity. I wouldn’t advise you to share this book with anyone else. Jealousy is a… harmful thing.” He said with a solemn expression, “Of course, you can decide to do whatever you want with it.”

Daniel swallowed, feeling a mixture of excitement and responsibility. “That would be amazing. Thank you! I am not planning on sharing it with the world,” he assured his Professor.

Shadewood nodded, his expression determined. “Very well, Daniel. I’ll get started on making a copy of the first two chapters. It might take a while. Do you have any plans? Otherwise, I’ll get my assistant to deliver the notes later.

He shook his head. “No, I don’t have any plans, and I want to show you something after you’ve finished translating the chapters.”

Virgil nodded and summoned a stack of papers and a quill, and began translating the book.

As Shadewood worked on the task, Daniel retrieved the notes he had taken from the purple book and began studying them. He didn’t want to embarrass himself when presenting them to Shadewood.

Virgil continued his task with unwavering focus. He translated each page with expertise. Daniel was shocked to see the quill move independently while the Professor held the book with two hands while reading.

Finally, after what felt like hours, he completed the translation and set the stack of papers on the table with a satisfied sigh. When Daniel glanced at the clock on the wall, he was surprised to see that only thirty minutes had passed since they began.

“Here, I have finished the first two chapters,” Virgil said while putting the quill away. He placed the dark red book beside the translated papers on the table. “I have to say, these are some of the most intriguing theories I’ve ever encountered. People would pay their weight in gold for these. They could even serve as a foundation for third and possibly fourth-tier spells.”

Daniel took a moment to digest the words, then carefully placed the stack of papers into his ring. “That’s amazing,” he said excitedly. He adjusted his posture and looked Virgil in the eyes, his expression turning serious. “So, I’ve made a discovery regarding the purple book.”

He began recounting his strange dream and the events that took place when he opened the book. “So far, I’ve been able to translate this,” he said, handing over the notes he had taken. He started explaining his findings. “So theoretically, when I’m able to translate the last two steps, I could create whisps for a few gold coins.”

Virgil’s expression shifted from a slight smile to one of grave seriousness. With a flick of his fingers, thousands of runes illuminated the walls, and the windows darkened. “Daniel…” he began, his tone stern, “do not mention this to anyone for everything you hold dear.”

He continued, “Whisps are handy things, as you might have experienced yourself. Most whisps you see daily handle simple tasks such as functioning as the brains for golems or helping set coordinates for teleportation gates. They are mostly used for these tasks because their primary limiting factor is the cost. Creating a basic whisp can cost hundreds of gold coins, and that’s for low-tier, non-combat versions.”

Virgil leaned forward, his eyes intense. “In warfare, it’s ridiculously expensive to create combat-ready whisps. These can cost thousands of gold coins each, so they’re mainly used to aid combat arks in flight. But the implications would be staggering if there were a way to produce high-quality whisps for a fraction of the current price. Combat strategies would be revolutionised. Imagine being able to create a troop of combat golems, each equivalent to a third-tier knight. The balance of power could shift dramatically. I don’t dare to think of the consequences.”

Daniel froze as he listened to the explanation. Seeing his reaction, Shadewood continued, “From what I can theorise based on what you’ve shown me, the whisps created through this method are potentially some of the highest quality the continent has ever seen. I urge you, Daniel, if you wish to research this, do not share it with anyone. Not even me!”

As Shadewood finished his warning, he burned the paper on the spot. “Don’t take notes of it in a language anyone could understand. If you decide to take notes, keep it in its original language, so if somebody stumbles upon them, they can’t do anything with it.”

Daniel nodded resolutely. “I understand, sir. But I need to create these whisps. I feel like it could help me unlock the ring my family left behind further and provide clues on where my parents are.”

The Professor took a moment before giving a slight chuckle. “Hmm, I understand your desire and am willing to help. It actually happens to be your first task as my representative.”

He pointed to the walls, “Do you see all these runes?” Daniel stared at the thousands of runes adorned the walls, windows, ceiling, and floor. He felt a headache coming on as he could somewhat guess what his Professor would task him with.

“I want you to copy these runes,” he said, his voice firm but encouraging. “I’ll provide you with a guide and all the materials you need, free of charge. And you have one month to complete it.” He summoned a thick book and placed it on the table. “Since you’re my representative, you’ll have access to a private lab. Your lab should have the same warding runes as this room.”

Daniel’s heart sank as he heard the task. The task’s weight felt like a heavy stone settling in his chest, sending ripples of nervousness through his body.

“But, with all due respect,” he began, his voice trembling slightly, “it would take me years to master this many runes. I’m afraid I’d have graduated before I finish…”

The Professor laughed a warm sound that filled the room with reassurance. “You should have more confidence in yourself, Daniel. But no, I’m not tasking you with copying all 16,574 runes. I only want you to copy the first hundred flawlessly from the book and turn them in. Then, I’ll install these warding runes in your room and lab for free. You have one month.”