Chapter 2
The next day, the sun rose over the city of Misuya, its rays seemingly trying to breathe life back into the remnants of destruction. The area where the horrifying events took place was now surrounded by security barriers, closed off to the public, while forensic teams searched the ruins for clues and details about what had happened.
As the media cameras captured everything in sight, broadcasting the fractured scene live, a news anchor's calm yet sorrowful voice broke the tense silence: "We are now in Misuya, where last night’s horrific event claimed the lives of many innocent people. Investigation teams are working tirelessly to uncover the cause of this massacre. We will continue to bring you updates as they unfold."
---
At the School of Magic, Suero was intently watching the news broadcast, his face reflecting worry and focus. He muttered to himself, his voice calm but his eyes holding a spark of intense determination: "I’ve been summoned by Master Sbyam Brius!" Removing the bandages from his previous injuries from recent battles, he dropped them to the ground before leaving his room with confident strides. He paused for a moment at the school courtyard, as if gathering his strength and taking one last look at what he would be leaving behind.
With resolve, he decided, "I’ll leave this school. I’m going to the school where Sbyam himself is training!" Taking a deep breath, he set off toward his new future, leaving the school that had been his first step into the world of magic.
---
At another magic school, Sbyam was watching the news, a sarcastic smile on his face. He tilted his head slightly and scoffed dismissively at the event, as if it were nothing to him: "What a fool, Spailo. You destroyed the city!" He lifted his head, smiling even more sarcastically. "My students are terrifying!"
At that moment, Moryo Raiso, leader of Squad A, approached him from behind. He looked at the news on the screen and commented in a cold tone, "He was the one who did it, right?"
Sbyam turned to Moryo, questioning, "Moryo...?"
Moryo stared at the news, looking clearly irritated as he muttered, "That scoundrel!"
Sbyam, seemingly unconcerned, replied, "Don’t worry about it! If he does it again, I’ll handle him myself." Moryo turned his back and started to walk away, but Sbyam placed a hand on his shoulder, keeping pace beside him as though the matter was hardly worth discussing.
---
Elsewhere in the school, Suero had just arrived, making his way to the school’s gates, which were under Sbyam’s supervision. There, he encountered a mage named Kamyo, one of Moryo’s Squad A members. Kamyo looked at Suero with a sneer and said, "You’re him, aren’t you?"
Suero looked at him with curiosity, and Kamyo continued in a mocking tone, "You’re the student from Squad E, right?"
Suero nodded, answering, "Yes, Master Sbyam called me."
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Kamyo scowled with disdain and said, "Why would he want to train the weak?"
Suero smirked, his expression filled with confidence as if Kamyo's words didn’t affect him.
From behind Kamyo, a voice called, "Suero Rasheed!" Both Suero and Kamyo turned to see Sbyam approaching, his hand resting on Kamyo's shoulder. Moryo, standing beside Sbyam, commented, "Aren’t you going to remove your hand?"
Sbyam replied sarcastically, feigning regret, "Sorry!" and lifted his hand from Kamyo’s shoulder. Moryo stopped while Sbyam continued toward Suero until he was standing right in front of him.
Suero, looking at Sbyam, asked, "Are you Trainer Sbyam?"
Sbyam smiled and replied, "Yes, welcome!"
Moryo stepped up beside them, remaining silent as usual, his cold gaze meeting Suero’s. Suero then said, "You’re Moryo Raiso, Squad A leader, aren’t you?"
Moryo replied coolly, without blinking, "And you... are Spailo’s brother."
A tense silence hung between them, words unnecessary to convey the friction between them. Sbyam then looked at Suero with enthusiasm and said, "Alright, go to the room!"
Suero, confused, asked, "Which room?"
Sbyam gestured toward a room behind them and said, "That room!"
Suero walked confidently toward the room, Sbyam following with his hands in his pockets, exuding a sense of unwavering determination.
Suero entered the room and sat on one of the neatly arranged wooden chairs, while Sbyam closed the door and stepped into the center of the room. He looked at Suero and spoke with a serious tone, "As you know, mages are classified by ranks from A to E, and so are the monsters. You’re an E-rank mage, which means you’re the weakest. But don’t worry; true strength doesn’t come from rankings but from training and experience."
Sbyam chuckled lightly, but Suero frowned, annoyed, as though the words were reminding him of his limitations. Noticing Suero’s reaction, Sbyam stopped laughing and spoke seriously, "True strength comes from physical discipline and constant training. You need to learn how to control your breathing because oxygen is the key to the power of your body. You will face powerful monsters—some of whom were once human but turned into monsters due to horrific scientific experiments conducted by... the World Sages."
Shocked, Suero asked, "The World Sages? The highest authority in the world?"
Sbyam nodded, saying, "Yes. I don’t know why they wanted those experiments, but it’s a true tragedy. Those monsters reproduce by biting humans and turning them into more monsters."
Suero nodded, "I know they reproduce by biting humans!"
Sbyam looked at him with surprise, asking, "Really?"
Suero nodded, "Yes!"
Sbyam chuckled a little and said, "Alright, it seems you know some details. But my job isn’t to drown you in theories. Starting today, you’ll train daily and fight monsters non-stop. Any slacking in these tasks, and I’ll punish you personally."
Suero asked cautiously, "What’s the punishment?"
Sbyam replied mockingly, "You’ll find out in due time."
---
In the Beura region, a giant monster was rampaging through buildings, smashing everything in its path without mercy. Suddenly, a pink spark descended from the sky, piercing the monster’s belly and leaving a deep wound that made it stagger in pain. A girl named Baysal, a Squad A member under Moryo, appeared, her body surrounded by glowing pink sparks. She smiled confidently and approached the monster, landing a powerful punch that threw it off balance.
She shouted, "Take this!" as flames burst from her feet toward the monster, setting its body ablaze and causing it to scream in agony.
Baysal took a few breaths, watching the burning monster. She muttered to herself, "Even though it’s B-ranked, it was strong." Checking her watch, she saw a new mission notification pop up. Feeling exhausted, she sighed and muttered sarcastically, "Damn you, Sbyam! You never let me catch my breath!"
She then turned and took off on her spark-powered wings, heading toward the next mission location.
---
Back in the room where Suero was training, Sbyam opened a small wooden box and took out a strangely shaped watch.
Curious, Suero asked, "What is this?"
Sbyam tossed the watch to him, saying, "It’s a Mehrebot watch. Starting today, you’ll use it to receive the missions and training tasks I’ll send you directly."
Suero caught the watch, noticing its complex design. He put it on his wrist, and the device immediately emitted a light signal. Moryo entered the room, calmly sipping his coffee, and asked coolly, "Are you finished?"
Sbyam replied with a brief smile, "Almost." He gestured toward the watch on Suero’s wrist.
Suero looked at the small screen on the watch, where a new notification read, "Physical Training: Run 20 kilometers."
Suero gasped, "What? 20 kilometers?"
Sbyam smiled firmly and said, "Yes, you only have two hours to complete it. I won’t accept any delays!"
Suero took a deep breath, determination filling his gaze despite his astonishment. He said with excitement, "I’ll do my best! I’ll become the strongest mage in this world!"
Suero set off, leaving the school, ready to face the grueling training ahead. He descended the steps and started running along the long road before him, but he paused to look at the seemingly endless path. He glanced at his watch again and muttered in frustration and disbelief, "Impossible… 20 kilometers? In two hours?"
But he clenched his fists and continued running, his mind filled with doubts. He knew this was only the first step on his journey to power.